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Library Commons

The Library offers three Commons spaces: Geisel’s East Commons (2nd Floor), Geisel’s West Commons (2nd Floor), and the WongAvery Commons (WongAvery Library 1st Floor). These areas are intended to enhance the educational achievement and personal growth of UC San Diego students. All offer a variety of amenities, including computers, software, study areas, group study rooms, and comfortable seating. By providing pleasant and well-equipped spaces in which to study, think, develop new ideas, collaborate with others, or just rest, read a good book, or surf the net, these Commons foster student creativity and discovery.

Geisel East Commons

This area focuses on undergraduates and houses nearly 100 computers (Windows PCs and Macs). It is an active, collaborative learning area and includes Audrey's Cafe. The space also offers scanners, a printer, group study rooms, tables and comfortable seating, games, and WalkStations. This area also houses the Active Learning Lab and the Digital Media Lab. During applicable overnight hours, this area serves as the Overnight Study Commons. Different policies may apply during these hours.

Geisel West Commons

This area focuses more on upper-level undergraduates and grad students, and houses nearly 60 computers (InfoStations, Windows PCs, and Macs). This space tends to be quieter than the East Commons and better accommodates individual study and quiet reading. The space offers  several high-end scanners, tables and comfortable seating, and the Data & GIS Lab. Government documents, reference and MMW materials, current journals and newspapers, maps, microforms, popular science books, and new books are also housed here.

WongAvery Commons

This area houses roughly 50 computers (Windows PC and Mac; InfoStations near the library entrance), and like the rest of this library building, is intended for quiet study. The space offers a high-end scanner, printers (across from the Front Desk), tables and comfortable seating, and nearby group study rooms and a presentation practice room.

Getting Help

Walk-up assistance is available at the Service Hub during posted hours. Alternately, you can call the service desk, chat for assistance or use the Ask Us service.

Commons Policies

  • The Library’s Use & Conduct Policies apply to all library spaces.
  • With the exception of a few designated InfoStations (West Commons), all Commons computers require valid Active Directory (AD) accounts and passwords.
  • Never leave laptops or personal belongings unattended for ANY length of time.
  • Use your own storage media; files are not kept on the computers after the nightly reset.
  • Never shut down the computers or load any software on a library computer.
  • At WongAvery, set cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices to silent or vibrate mode and take/make phone calls outside the building.
  • Observe the Food and Drink Policy and Use & Conduct Code.
  • Talking in a normal tone of voice is permitted in both Geisel Commons spaces.  The entire WongAvery Library is a quiet space, with silence expected in the WongAvery Silent Study Room.

Comments or Questions?

Send questions, comments, and suggestions to LearningSpaces@ucsd.edu.

See Also