Leavey Library

I usually know what I like but when it comes to Leavey, I am a house (or library) divided.
First off, Leavey is basically Azkaban (in my opinion). It’s cramped, it’s crowded and the sadness of all the people writing 20 page papers sucks out all your happiness before you can say «Expecto Patronum.»
Leavey also smells (you cannot smell items in movies but I doubt Azkaban smells good) and whether it’s from sweat or not, I am not sure.
Leavey is also crowded, I am lucky if I can find a seat and even luckier if that seat is not a thin bench with no outlet in a crowded and loud hallway.
So why is this place three stars instead of one?
Leavey has saved my grades. I once had a 25 page paper (with 16 pages of endnotes and appendicies), I grabbed a red bull, sat myself down in a corner at leavey, cranked out the paper by 4am and got an A.
Leavey is also open ²⁴⁄₇ so if I need to study somewhere all night (which could happen by judging my paperload for the next couple of weeks), I know exactly where to go, no questions asked. At the same time, I wish Doheny would be open ²⁴⁄₇ (that’s another topic for another review that involves state codes about monuments).
Overall, I know leavey has had upgrades including more study areas and a less cramped environment. USG (Undergraduate Student Government) has been working hard to improve leavey, make it feel more friendly and make it easier for some people to get work done.
So since I have a love/​hate relationship with leavey, I am not picking a side so I will go with three stars.

I was only here for a little while for IT services, but I definitely will not be studying here. It’s great that this library is open ²⁴⁄₇ during the week (I think it closes on Friday or Saturday nights?), but that also means it reeks of smell. And noise. Students being noisy and doing everything in their power to avoid studying.
I have nothing against Leavey, but I will NOT choose this place as my go-​to study place.

Leavey is the real MVP. It has provided a location to study hard all night (24 hours), a place to hold any group project (you can reserve study rooms through their online scheduling system), a place to get all your printing needs done (remember to give yourself plenty of time to accomplish this… It can sometimes get crowded or the printers/​network can sometimes be sketchy), and a place to apply to (and most likely get) a work-​study job.
With the new renovations (why did you guys wait until I graduated?) and new patio furniture outside, this place will become even more valuable to many students to come.

I’m that «she doesn’t even go here» girl (mean girls) searching for a quiet place to study for my LSAT test. I have to pay ten bucks to get all day parking so I’ve paid my dues.
Many floors to choose from at Leavey, endless tables, outlets at each. Even a couple «comfy» chairs on each floor.
Choose your seat carefully– NOT NEAR THE WATER FOUNTAIN if you’ll want to strangle slurpers, for example– supposed to be that the higher the floor the quieter it is. Obviously inconsiderate people are everywhere, so as I said. Choose carefully, or move.
Not sure what people are talking about when they say there’s food nearby so clearly I haven’t explored enough (unless they mean Starbucks… then no. I still say there’s no actual food). There is a salad/​sandwich bar somewhere on campus, but I got lost and ended up there so not sure where coming from Leavey. (There’s also a BAR on CAMPUS?! ASU eat your alcoholic hearts out). During the regular school year there are occasional farmers markets right outside Leavey with food, fruit, some random jewelry, and honey-​what I go for (keeps you awake and kicks your sweet tooth while studying)
I give four stars instead of five because I went to ASU and our library was open ²⁴⁄₇ for us nerdy night owls. Wrong maroon and gold, but this campus is GORGEOUS.

One of many libraries on USC’s campus. Near shrine parking and campus parking lots. Easy to walk to food nearby.
One of the newer libraries on campus. Has lots of places to study and plug in. If you have a book on reserve or request it is likely at this library. Not a lot of books compared to doheny but a good selection.
Quiet and easy to study here. The basement has great rooms for meetings or study groups you can reserve. There are even seats outside so you can study and enjoy the sun.
The building is a bit old. The elevators are slow and only one can go to the basement but compared to the other libraries on campus this building is new and high tech.
A great place to study, by yourself or in groups.

Argh I really hate this place because everyone that is in here is sick. Drives me crazy, especially around midterm season/​finals season. I’d rather visit Doheny Library over Leavey – plus, Doheny seems like it came straight out of Hogwarts.
Leavey is open 24 hours, which is wonderful. They also check out Macbook Pros for free, in four hour intervals (and you can renew them for another four hours.) It saves me the hassle of bringing my clunky Macbook to school. They’re usually the newest models, too, because hey, this is University of… Spoiled…well, you know.
If you come here during the early AM hours (i.e.: 6:00am-8:30am) like I do, go downstairs to the classrooms/​group meeting areas, because they’re spacious, and unlike the upper three floors, the air is actually somewhat circulated (upstairs is SO stuffy.) The group rooms are available for booking on the second floor, but the downstairs rooms are all first come first serve – excellent for students who forgot to book a room and want to hold a huge study session for a whole class (I’ve fit 20 people into one of those classroom study group rooms – huge plus.) Whiteboard markers and erasers can be found in the rooms, but to be on the safe side, bring your own.
USC Guest wifi kinda sucks, but if you’re a student, just login using your MyUSC login stuff and you’re good to go high-​speed.
I JUST HATE THIS PLACE BECAUSE IT’S SO DEPRESSING ARGH. Otherwise, it’s fine. It’s a necessary evil.

I spent much of my freshman year in Leavey. It’s endeared itself to me, despite its habitual annoyances.
NOISE
The main drag is the noise. People chat, even carry on full conversations, here. Many people don’t seem to grasp that it’s a place for quiet, individual study. People generally go to the lobby to talk on the phone, although they’ll pick up the calls while they’re still around other people. There’s a general lack of empathy among people studying — perhaps because we’ve all been frustrated by the interruptions before, we’re inclined to pass it along to other people. You should probably listen to music or wear earplugs.
PEOPLE
Tons of freshman come here. You’re likely to bump into a friend or two on a regular basis. This leads to spontaneous conversations, a nice break from studying.
STUDY SPACES
Leavey offers two distinct study spaces: booths on the second floor, and computers in the basement. Both have their purposes, but I generally prefer the booths. Bring your laptop and books and settle down for a nice marathon. You can and will spend many hours in a row here.
There are also group rooms. They fill up fast, so book early. When I went here you could book two weeks in advance.
AMENITIES
They’ve got decently fast Wi-​Fi, good for doing research or streaming YouTube videos during your breaks. (Funny how those breaks turn into marathon binge-​watching sessions.) I got into Far East Movement and Wesley Chan from Wong Fu Productions here, browsing around YouTube. Procrastination can produce wonderful results.
They’ve got copies and scanners — which I believe I only used once, to scan my passport.
They also have, imagine this, books! The selection is pretty limited. It’s generally popular and current titles, as well as liberal arts books. If you’re looking for a specialized publication, you can search online, but you’ll probably end up visiting the Doheny bookstacks anyways.
TroGro nearby has you covered for snacks. I bought many a Goldfish to accompany me at my late-​night study sessions.

I enjoy going to this library and studying. I prefer this library over the Norris medical library because it’s better maintained. I’ve heard other people complain about the cleanliness of the restroom, but I’ve never had that issue on the third floor.
If you need a quiet place to focus on your homework assignments, this is the library for you.

The library is open everyday. But there are too many people here, thus it may not be a good choice if you want a quite place to study.
Still, it will only be opened to the current USC students and staff only after 9 pm.

Leavey Library is a four-​story building with an extra room in the basement filled with private study rooms and computers for students, faculty, and staff to use. The second floor also has private study rooms and computers. The third and fourth floors are devoted primarily to study desks in large, open rooms. All of the desks are usually occupied after 8PM on weeknights. Thursdays and Fridays are best if you’re looking for a place to study. Leavey closes at 12am on Saturdays but is otherwise open 24 hours a day.

I’ve come here to do research for test and finals. It does get busy. I use the library and use all that it has to offer. Do what I do and leave. Wi-​Fi is strong and the basement is great to get away from any distractions.

When it comes to choosing a study spot, this is not my number one choice. Nor is it my number two choice. Heck I usually only come to Leavey at the end of the semester because a lot of my classmates like the group rooms you can reserve when you have to work on final group projects.
I don’t come here to study personally because this library is overused and there are so many people coming in and out, moving around, typing, printing, copying, working on group projects… the distractions are endless! I’m one of those people who can’t work with so much going on around me, and this makes Leavey less than ideal. One redeeming factor is that the library is open 24 hours, so if you’ve procrastinated on a project or paper and it’s due in 12 hours you can head over to «Club Leavey» and get started.

Hey Unilocalers! I am back and hopefully I can write my reviews again. Sorry for the hold up!
This review is for 10/​27/​2012. My friend and I wanted to visit the Campus Grounds of USC. Leavey Library has nothing that can compare to CSUN’s Oviatt Library. If you are paying the expensive tuition, you’ll be need the Leavey Library to get your degree.
From the outside, it looks like an elementary school… a RICH ONE. You’ll notice all the bicycles outside the the library. For a moment, I thought I was in the 40s, but then I saw all the students with iPads and Phones to bring me back to reality. Also, the girls laying outside the library getting a suntan was also unusual. I guess you feel far from the beach when you are at USC.
The Leavey Library has four floors. Most of the space is for studying. To be honest, I didn’t stay long to to know if there were any books. I saw books, but not a massive collection you would think of seeing. There were just more cubicles and computer stations.
Did I forget to mention that I was not a USC Student in the Library? Overall, this is not the library that I am used to visualizing. My friend and I may have missed the area that had books since all that quiet literally freaked us out. For about 10 minutes, we sat in the library whispering and trying to figure out if this was a LIBRARY!
Unilocal is My Review, My Story, and My Life. Its time to share it.

Con:
1. $ 10 parking.
2. Lacks power outlets for each cubicle.
3. No water fountain near restroom.
4. Laptop cable lock only available for USC students.
5. Toilets don’t flush fully on first flush.
Pro:
1. Wi-​Fi fast.
2. Quiet.
3. Wide tables, cubicles and chairs.
4. Visitors could utilize the library till 10pm.
Parking:
1. Park on USC Mcarthy Way and Figueroa Street.
2. Gate Entrance 3.
4. Parking booth with parking attendant providing vistor parking permit. Yellow receipt parking permit needs to be placed on dash board.
5. Parking Structure to the left of parking booth.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012; 4:24am:
I have a midterm in five hours,
2 assignments due,
A job interview with a Fortune 100 company to prep for,
And my last class ends at 9:30pm.
Text books are open,
Laptop is up,
Pen is in my hand,
Eyes are bloodshot
And I’ve got Sbux by my side.
IT’S GO TIME!
Your doors, like two hugging arms, welcome me in whenever I return.
Your florescent lights flicker, cheering me on as I pour over my lecture notes.
Your numerous chairs and table tops double as beds when I need to rest.
Thank you, Leavey, for being conveniently open ²⁴⁄₇.
You are my home away from home.