Robarts Library

most depressing place in Toronto

I love this place, I live and breath Robarts. I cannot express how vital this place is to my studies and contemplations. No sarcasm intended…

The grey building where dreams die. They say the architect jumped off the roof. probably the most depressing area of U of T during exam time. If you ever find yourself here in the dead of night, please reconsider your management of time and life.
Floor 5 is the nicest looking level, it is like night and day compared to the other grey and dim levels of the library. It is like the only modern and renovated area. One time I got lost, and I think one of the upper floors 9 – 12, there is a small room that is made up of around 8 – 10 lockers. These lockers are just big enough for a small person to lock themselves in from the outside world, with a small desk. It looked like a war jail cell. I am pretty sure they were occupied by some stressed out Asian student, but I didn’t stay long enough to check.
There are much nicer libraries than Kobarts.

This is THE place to get shit done.
Don’t go on any of the free floors (1 – 6) because theres quite a lot of old creepers there that just go there and check out students more than they read their books or newspaper.
Wifi can be a little bit shoddy at times but idc, as long as it works. Im not here to game.
There seems to be a whole crowd at starbucks ²⁴⁄₇ seems like theres a group of people who live on this floor and have fun.

a beautiful library, with a great cafeteria on the second floor (and a Starbucks!)
sometimes the wifi gets a little slow (probably because there are SO MANY people in this building trying to connect to it and use it.
I don’t usually come here unless I know it’s not a popular time, because it gets hard to find a seat during midterm/​finals season.
the service is usually awful. I was looking for a stapler once and I got a bunch of attitude from the person at the desk…(why?!) and I needed help with loading my tcard once too and they were ZERO HELP and also made me feel shitty.

I was surprised to encounter the most unfriendly and unhelpful librarians at this place. Aren’t Canadians known for being friendly/​polite? Ha ha… I was in the neighborhood and wanted to check my email and according to the two workers I spoke with, they don’t offer guest internet access. Whaaaat? I’ve got over 10 years of public and university library experience and there’s always been a way we could get someone connected to the internet. Whatever, I may have just asked the wrong people, but I hope they are nicer and provide better customer service to the students, staff, and faculty.

The first 4 floors of Robarts aren’t so hot, but if you come in via the north-​east entrance and go straight up, it’s a fantastic and dramatic building with an INCREDIBLE collection, and a labyrinthine quality that’s kind of fun.
I love to sit on the radiators/​benches in the massive windows and work with a skyline view. I’ve also been known to get so immersed in stacks that I just sit down on the floor. A babe in the woods of knowledge!
No library deserves less than 3 stars, but this one keeps an extra star in my heart for all its ugly, complex grandeur.
Plus, as Evelyn W and I agree, it smells like hot chocolate packets.

What I love: the atmosphere of everyone heads down studying, the open concept of the study rooms and long opening hours compared to other libraries in Toronto. It’s also accessible by ttc and parking is relatively easy to find when I arrive in the evenings.

So call me crazy, but I actually really like the way Robarts looks — I think there’s something really impressive and grand about the architecture. The place is HUGE — extremely overwhelming, even the large escalator stairwell is hard to navigate. The entrance is currently under construction, but even that doesn’t detract from the gravitas of the place. Luckily there is staff at almost every single floor (or at least the first handful) who are always so glad to help if you need it.
Great place to study — quiet and very academic setting. The area around the library is fairly safe too, so I never feel too bad about leaving the library and walking back late at night.

Pretty good place to study. Gets pretty busy sometimes and parking is a b*tch because it’s downtown, but compared to other places I’ve been, this one is usually fairly clean and quiet.

Compared to the other UofT libraries (UTSC), I enjoy this one the most. it has a decent amount of space to study and great selection of books (very easy to skim through it).
Although it looks quiet scary from outside, and well inside it’s somewhat intimidating also; Its pretty good, quiet and clean.
Computers on the first floor are mostly crowded however study rooms with decent computers are available. Get here early if you’re looking for a seat or mid-​afternoon past 5:30pm.
Avoid during reading week, exam week as well…
It does have a food court and a Starbucks that closes at 7pm on weekends. So no big need to starve while you’re studying. It also has a decent cafeteria with plugs a nice tables if in need for study groups or want to eat and study at the same time.
Security is nice, perhaps not during exam period: past 10pm security checks for IDs.

this terrible monstrosity of a building is supposed to be a peacock of some sort.
IT is known as possibly the ugliest building in Toronto. Or at least it is in the top three running.
But there is a strange ass logic to this library. It houses one of the largest book collections that is strangely generally easy to get through. the U of T library system is really generally simple to navigate and well. I got the books that I needed and Robarts acts as a central library for circulation so whatever library I get my book from, I just drop it off at Robarts and it magically gets to their home library via fairly-​paid book gnomes that call themselves grad students by day.
Some floors are even confusingly nice with great big windows and nice common space to study quietly. I can’t tell you which floors these are because I am always so stunned when I see them that my brain just blanks after the shock of seeing something acceptable looking in such an ugly building.
It also houses offices. Some pretty funky ugly offices in those little jutting corners of the building.
If you enjoyed small secret spaces this is definitely the library for you.
If you enjoy appealing architecture this might make you decide to impale yourself on a blunt object– perhaps a book– in the most inconvenient way possible.

As a Korean and a UofT student, I found Robarts to be korean-​infested. Seriously, why do so many korean people go here? Robarts is a huge ass library, but it’s really hard to find a spot during exam time. Studying in a group of people larger than 3 is nearly impossible unless you book a room on the first floor or something. With the recent renovation, Robarts is better than before, but it still lacks the warm, cozy feeling that a library should have. I recommend Hart House library for this (best place to doze off!). Anyways, give Robarts a try, but there are a lot of hidden librarys around at UofT (pretty much every building). Go on a library hunt and find your favourite one!

This place is scary.
Looks like the green Mordor fortress from Lord of the Rings. Go in and pray you come back out.
Computers on the first floor are normally completely occupied, I suggest trying the higher floors for computers. The printing, especially colour, is heinously overpriced (over $ 1 a page). There are study rooms that can be booked, but there is no automated system for doing so, you have to go in and make an appointment.
The service is hit or miss, mostly miss. Each student is only allowed 3 stack passes (in case you forget your T card and need access to the upper floors). Service at the Tech Desk tends to be friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. If the ladies at the Help Desk don’t know what to say, they will direct you to floors at random, hoping that someone else will be able to address your problem.
Bathrooms are fairly clean and large. I prefer the ones of the Second and Third Floor — not sure about Mens though.
Unfortunately, this is the nearest library to my residence. So I am often to be found here. Like I said, go in and pray to come out.
Interesting and surprising observation: the place is not empty on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Some dedicated nerds all up in here.

Ah, the stone peacock.
Perhaps the ugliest building on campus, Robarts is desperately need in some renovations inside (hard to change the exterior looks), and fortunately it is getting it.
While the stacks (all zillion floors of them) used to be primary colours, they will soon be calming neutrals and have new tables and chairs. I kid you not that this library is divided into three coloured sections on each floor, red, yellow, and blue. It is a visual nightmare.
The bathrooms used to be just as bad, but they are also scheduled for renovations. If you head to one of the newer ones (the main floors), they are actually quite nice and high end looking.
Undeniably, Robarts has a great selection of books — but what else would you expect form a library that massive? They don’t just have textbooks, but lots of popular fiction and non-​fiction as well.
It is also the only (in my knowledge) 24/​hr a day library (study space only) on campus. This means that it is absolutely PACKED during exams, but it’s the best place to park yourself for an overnight study session.
This is also a less «intense» library, if you will. People are more tolerant of chatting (though not much), but they will tell you to keep it down eventually. This could be because the more open space in the study areas means that it isn’t as obvious where the voices are coming from?
Peacock Facts:
— It was once on an episode of Friends, where it was «the hospital»
— When it was built, they were planning it for graduate students only
— They thought they would install a state of the art book grabbing /​returning system for the stacks, if you go up there they still have the tracks for it installed
— It’s the third largest library in North America (or was last time I checked Wiki)
— I wonder how many people thought these facts would actually be about peacocks? (Note: the female peacock is called a peahen).

Robarts is quite intimidating the first time you’re there. It’s not as pretty as some other libraries on campus but it is big.
The first floor is full of computers an printers and things like that. There are also rooms designed for groups to work on presentations. They have a computer and big screens in there. Moving on up, the second floor is where the food court and designated eating areas are. I think this level also just got renovated with seemingly unnecessary things like random glass panel things.
From my knowledge. there are two ways to go up. You can continue to walk up which brings you to about the 5^th/​6^th floor, or you need to take the elevator to get into the «stacks». However, you need to show your T-​card in order to be allowed to go into the stacks. There are a bunch of study areas in the upper floors. I think the upper floors have somewhat of the same layout (some sort of triangular pattern).
Overall, it’s an OK library. I wouldn’t personally come here to study though.

My first time really experiencing the environment and study areas.
Used to study/​work at York so basing my opinion vs that environment.
Pro: very quiet in the study areas. People are generally respectful of each other and take phone conversations and food out into the main stairway area.
With the # of floors (over 8) there is bound to be some seats… at the very least you’ll get your cardio for the day!!!
Cons: While reviewers do comment on the selection off on spadina, I don’t like the commute that needs to be made for some decent food. Wish the selection at the library for food was a little less like stopping at a truck stop off the highway (pizza pizza, subway, etc). The Starbucks though is brutal! Had a chai latte and got what felt like hot water with milk… not a really good experience.
Cleanliness is as others have said… I’m not sure if it’s the actual cleanliness that is bad or just that the design and lighting and location of furniture that gives it an unkempt and highly disorganized look! Both, regardless, need to be improved.
Comforts something I always felt at Scott in York. However even with the couch like chairs here, they just felt uncomfortable… what I imagine prison chairs would be like.
Lights in the building are neat, an assortment of triangles (look it UP next time u r there — sorry couldn’t resist!). But it’s disappointing that where there is access to windows they don’t really have views.
For new comers I’m not really sure how u can access Internet or wireless but would be great if you could access it.
Overall there are a lot of floors so I look forward to maybe finding one that I can say I like studying on… but for now the fourth floor and second are just plain blah…

Robarts is the biggest university library in Canada and also top 5 in North America! The collection of books is amazing, but what this space is really good for is mad cramming right before your exams.
The study rooms are open all night on lower floors for a good part of the academic year but they are also always packed.
The food options aren’t great but the library is close to late night eateries on Spadina! As has been said previously, the cleanliness also leaves a lot to be desired as does the attitude of the sometimes very rude staff.
If you are not a U of T student, also beware that they will card you if you try to get in at unusual hours.
Overall so much could be improved in this library, but there is also a lot to be proud of. I love Robarts!

(This review is for the library’s study areas; I’ve never checked out a book there or actually used the stacks.)
Being that Robarts Library is home to the largest academic collection in Canada, you’d figure they’d treat the space with a little more reverence. But having spent the last few weeks holed up there while studying for finals, I gotta say — it’s not the nicest place to spend 9+ hours a day.
First: why are the bathrooms on the upper floors so gross? It seems the ones on the lower floors get attended to multiple times per day, but the ones on floors 9+ are not only non-​renovated, but they’re often littered with paper towels on the floor or around the sinks. I go to school across the way at Rotman where the building is often occupied 24 – 7, and it’s always clean. I usually either end up waiting till I get home or walking across the street if I have to «go» because the bathrooms at Robarts squick me out so much.
Also, the study hours at Robarts are ridiculous. No late night study hours on Sundays during finals? WTF? I did part of my undergrad at NYU and finished at a shitty university in Florida and both had areas open ²⁴⁄₇ during finals time.
I’ll give it this much — the view on the 13^th floor is quite nice to look out on when you need a break from studying. But other than that, Robarts needs some serious help.

You know when you get behind on your reading and you really need to get down to it but while at home you notice your entire apt needs to be cleaned and all your furniture needs to be re arranged and oh, that show you wanted to watch is on tv and someone posted on your facebook wall? Well here is the place to avoid all distractions and get your stuff done.
I like this library beacuse they usually have 3 copies of the books I need (or at least needed last year). Showing up early on a saturday or sunday guarentees one of the private rooms with outside windows on the 11^th floor. Once I remembered how library stacks worked (wow its been a while… seriously) I found everything I needed and I usually dont need to ask a librarian anything. I also enjoy the self service check out so I can spend the whole day in itunes land and not have to communicate with any human other than eye flirting with the cute guy whos working on a history paper who’s probably too young for me anyway.
I prefer the E. J Pratt Library to work in because of the view, and the fact that I am not freaked out about being in the building late at night. Robarts friends IS HAUNTED. and yes I did take my meds today.