Hirsh Library Tour: Collaboration Rooms vs Study Rooms

So you’d rather be hitting the beach…but you’re here hitting the books instead, and you’re looking for a place to study. We have a variety of great individual spaces here at Hirsh, from standing desks to study pods, but where do you go if you need to do work with a group?

We have two types of rooms that are ideal for group work—collaboration rooms and study rooms, which you can find on the 5^th and 7^th floors, respectively. We know that there is sometimes a bit of confusion about how they differ, so we’re hoping this post helps clear it up!

Collaboration Rooms

Collaboration rooms are on the 5^th floor. They all have whiteboards and screens that you can connect your computers to, their name reflects the fact that they have handy tools you might need to use collaborate with your classmates on a project or a presentation. However, the major thing that sets these rooms apart is that they are reservable. You can find the room use policies, the booking forms, and the schedule on our Collaboration Room website, but we’ll share the basics here.

Groups of 2 or more can reserve them for up to 4 hours a day, and up to 3 times a week. With these limits, we’re striving to hit a good balance between giving each group enough time, but making sure as many different groups as possible can use them. Reservations must be made by 11:59pm the night before so that we can post each room’s schedule outside the door first thing in the morning. If there isn’t a reservation in a room, you can feel free to use it on a first-come, first-served basis just like our study rooms.

So what is a study room? It’s also a small room where you can get work done with others, so what’s the difference?

Study Rooms

You can find our study rooms on the 7^th floor (and there’s one on the 6^th floor). They always operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You’re welcome to use the rooms if you’re studying alone, but we give priority to groups of 3 or more, so there is a chance that a larger group could ask to use the room. Also, please be mindful of your volume when using these rooms. The 7^th floor is a quiet floor, and while the rooms isolate noise somewhat, they are not totally soundproof.

One final note–be sure you’re making good use of the rooms! Any room left unoccupied for more than 15 minutes becomes available for others to use, regardless of whether it’s reserved or if your personal belongings are left in there.

If you have trouble remembering what type of room you want, or you’re looking for another kind of space, visit our handy Room Reservation Wizard. Just put in some info about what you’re looking for and it will show you the spaces that best fit your needs.

Happy Studying!