In my opinion, this is one of the best places to study in Los Angeles. If you are not a student,…read moreyou will need to show a government-issued ID when entering the library. When I'm visiting I park in the McCarthy parking garage and purchase an all-day pass for $14(As of this writing 4/2/22). It's about a 3-minute walk to the Library. The second and third floors are very quiet and have some rooms available where you can sit alone. I believe this room is on a first come first serve basis. Plan ahead when coming on campus you will need to complete a wellness assessment for campus access (Trojan Check Day Pass). I was asked to show this pass to enter the parking structure. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. There is a Starbucks just outside the Library however, Security will only allow a covered mug in the Library. Free guest wifi and plenty of restrooms. I know this sounds like a lot but if you need quiet, focused study time for 6-8 hours undisturbed, this place can't be beaten.

Subjectively speaking, Leavey Library is five stars just because my study mates made this…read moredepressing place thoroughly enjoyable. I've spent almost all of my nights in Leavey in my junior year because my apartment was incredibly noisy or too hot to study. You also get to bump into folks that you see in class or haven't seen in a few years because Leavey brings everybody together...whether you hate it or not. Leavey holds a special place in my heart...I even took some pictures after graduation ceremony in front of this place because of the happy and crappy memories I've made here. And, the building architecture is actually quite nice when you compare this to VKC, Seaver Science Library, Mudd Hall (not the inside), etc... Objectively, I've taken a star down because the bathrooms are absolutely filthy. It's like going to a public bathroom at a resting area in the middle of nowhere. A combination of wet and dry toilet paper can be seen on the ground. The basement bathrooms for females always have 99% of the toilets UNFLUSHED with literal shit floating around. I mean...do students assume the toilets will automatically flush??? Come on guys. There was one time that the basement bathrooms were flooded with...more shit. Oh boy. But, hey everything else is solid! I particularly love the first floor area on the left hand side of the library. The ceilings are higher so you don't feel crammed inside and it has a slightly darker tone than the upper floors so it's not like you're at the hospital. Leavey is a great place to have group meetings in the basement rooms or to do groupwork in both basement and upper levels. It's just that the basement rooms are larger and the TVs are also bigger. There was one time during dead week that I played "Fantastic Baby" and "Dope" on a loop to boost the morale of both my friend and mine. Seeing the MV play on such a large screen with pretty good audio is an experience that you can't get at other libraries (if you know these kpop songs then good4u). Ah, and there's a free scanner that you can use in the basement (and possibly in the upper floors as well). Ask the ITS service if you can't find them. Security seems to improve substantially given that NOBODY from the public can access the library 24/7 (instead of the usual 9pm check). You must have a valid USC ID that you need to tap before entering. (I believe alumni may go in as well? Not sure). They've also completely replaced the student staff with legitimate officers at the front and when checking IDs past 9pm. Hopefully there would be no more stolen laptops, but don't ever feel too safe in a public place!

This is definitely one of the smaller libraries for LAPL. It is cozy but its size and hence, its…read morevariety of books is what reduces my review to 4 stars. There is a very small children/ teenage section, which I feel limits your experience if you lived near by and primarily used this library. I do like they try to have activities like book discussions though! There were a decent amount of desks but most were being utilized. Overall, I would come by, but there are lots of LAPL branches to visit ! They also have a selection of Armenian books, too. I initially wanted to borrow a book chronicling the LAPL history but unfortunately it was programmed as a reference book when it wasn't marked as one. I let it go, but wished I had known so I would have spent more time browsing it.

Information desk and other staff talk at full volume it's weird. Nice library with study areas but…read morev strange that people who work here just talk at a normal volume when it's a library with study areas. The information desk maybe shouldn't be the one to answer the phone?? Idk I've just never been to any other library where an info desk lady talks on a phone. She seems lovely and it's not her fault that her job entails talking but still a weird set up imo. The other people also talk at full volume. Can we plz bring back quiet libraries?

Cute little library wish there was more parking. Lots of student in there during finals and that's…read morenice

This is one of the newest branches in the LAPL system so it's very clean and inviting inside…read more However, parking is so minimal. It's a small lot under the library and we came when there was some sort of community event going on so there was absolutely nothing open & no one was going to their car to leave. That forced us to have to park over a block a way & walk in. The event also spilled out in to the entrance way which made it tough to get in and out of the location. I love that this was a popular location that the community seems to have embraced, but it just wasn't the easiest library for me to navigate to both from parking to actually getting in and out.

Such a beautiful library! I do wish their special collections and archives was open longer though.read more

What a crazy cool library! We decided to stop on campus last minute before driving home through LA…read moretraffic, what a treat! The campus was sunny and beautiful, people were walking around, and soon to be graduates taking graduation photos around campus. Doheny is neat because of the library stacks and how far underground they go, it would be really fun to play hide and seek, just not in the dark! We would definitely return!

We, With Urban Voices Choir Sing Here, Every Monday From…read more4:00 - 5:00pm Music, Singing, Community Takes Me Higher Over Everything, Sad, Bad, Tragic, I Find I Thrive Much Love Iron Donato

Wonderful place to come here in the morning and study in quiet atmosphere. But would be nice to add…read moresome more foreign language books

Nice and secret study spot! Love coming here to escape from Leavey to focus when I really need to…read morecrack down on my studies and avoid running into people I know. Definitely one of my favorite libraries at USC. VKC is one of the most well-known buildings at USC, but it's a surprise that not a lot of people know that there's a library in here because it's underground. Lots of tables and I've never had an issue finding a place to sit. The printers and computers are generally less crowded too so printing stuff is always a breeze! The student workers are always really nice too. I've always been greeted by someone walking in and out of the entrance. +pro tip: There are jolly ranchers for grabs in the jar at the check out counter!

I'd come study at this library over Leavey any day! It's much quieter and there are less people,…read moreprobably because it's mainly used by students of international relations and political science instead of the general USC student population. They have an awesome section in the corner with various newspapers from around the world, and they also have a wall of IR magazines/interesting new journals they display. The book stacks are full of awesome books (of course) but they also have stacks upon stacks of journal collections that are very useful for research papers. The librarians here are very helpful as well, and sometimes they even have free coffee near the entrance! =D

The day that I came they had a pet adoption event going on outside! I thought that was really great…read morethat they do that. I was able to sign up for a library card for me and my son. The children's area is on one side of the library and I really liked that. My son was able to roam around a bit and I wasn't stressed about him being too loud. They also had some coloring sheets out which he loved. There is a large selection of books for kids. I saw computers and I didn't really get to roam the adult section but I'd love to go back to do so. The staff is very helpful!

This is my favorite library branch. Everyone who works here is so kind and helpful! I didn't even…read moreknow about the summer reading challenge and one of the ladies who worked there told me about it so I could get a free LAPL tote bag - and now I use that bag all the time!

Today, I took my sons to Storytime at the Vassie Wright Library on Jefferson, and we had a…read morewonderful experience. Librarian Windy did an amazing job engaging the children--everyone was fully involved and enjoying the songs, stories, and activities. After Storytime, there was a playtime session, which was also fantastic. One thing I think our community library could benefit from is a little extra support for the children's area. Additional toys for the play space and perhaps a bubble machine for the Storytime area would make an already great experience even more special. One moment that stood out to me happened while I was talking with other parents about setting up playdates. A cabinet door unexpectedly fell and hit me before landing on the floor. Thankfully, I was not injured, and my children were standing on the other side of me. Considering I recently had back surgery, the situation could have been much worse. Despite that incident, my overall experience was excellent, and I will definitely be back. Windy immediately stepped in to help, checking on me and asking if I was hurt or needed anything. She is incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely cares about both the parents and the children who visit the library. That level of compassion and professionalism is so important and greatly appreciated. I hope the library recognizes what a true gem Windy is. She makes a positive difference in the community, and her dedication does not go unnoticed.

Came here after Baldwin Hills was closed and they had the only copy of an apparently revived book…read morein terms of popularity. So I got myself a library card here for LA City. Now I have city and county both woo. She put my book on hold and it just arrived yesterday at a location closer to me. Only thing is no parking here except the street. Otherwise it's chill and quiet as libraries should be. Easy to find as well.