• campus life,  fun & places,  library,  studying

    i know a spot. many, in fact.

    October 25, 2024

    hi what are your recommendations and pros and cons for your favorite places on/near campus to study? i need to stop living at robarts.

    hey there,

    well, have you have come to the right place! i happen to pride myself on knowing better places to study than robarts. you’ll never catch me setting foot in there during midterm/exam season, you can literally feel the stress in the air emanating off students. no, i am a proud “i-know-a-spot” culprit and i am so glad you asked.

    it’s great that you’re looking for alternatives to robarts, because imo, changing up your study spot regularly can do wonders for your quality of life. if i study in the same place for weeks and don’t rotate it out, the walls start to look like we’re in a simulation, my eyes stop focusing, and i go a little crazy!

    This may contain: a cartoon character sitting at a table with books

    so here are my top recommendations for places to study.

    on campus

    1. gerstein library

    if robarts didn’t exist, this one would be the classic U of T study spot. it’s a super huge place, so next to robarts, this is the library where you’ll be least likely to be fighting for a spot. the little rooms on the ends of the halls are my favorite because they have huge windows where you can look at the pretty leaves and get some good natural light in.

    however, it can be a little loud sometimes in the general study areas (some people don’t take hints and you can only give so many side-eyes at their rambunctious laughter before giving up). so if you’re like me and lose focus when people talk, go on downstairs to the quiet study area.

    working the it crowd GIF

    i love how spacious this area is, and it is a great quiet space to get work done. i also love the design of the place, lol. i feel so University Student in there.

    pros:

    • outlets at every single seat!
    • lots of seats, lots of rooms.
    • you can get away with eating in here, but i’m not sure if it’s allowed?? i’ve done it but don’t remember if there are any signs saying not to…

    regina george whatever GIF

    • nice aesthetics.
    • building is in the middle of campus, so it’s easy to get to.
    • super long hours — closes at 10 or 11 pm, and one of the few libraries that are open that late / at all on the weekends!!

    cons:

    • you have to go all the way to the basement to get to the bathroom. unless i’m blind and they actually have more than one bathroom?

    2. hart house

    this is my personal favorite, just based on vibes. i feel like i can focus the best at hart house out of all my study spaces, and i’m not sure why? maybe it’s the semi-dim lighting and gothic windows.

    at hart house, there’s a great space to study on the main floor, but it’s also open to the public, so sometimes there are interesting people in there. (one time my friend and i were studying and an old man just sat down at our table and started playing chess.) the main floor is sort of like a cafe experience in that sense.

    but if you wanted a student-only space, there’s a great little library on the second floor. this library is a designated quiet space — actually, i would say it’s my quietest study spot on campus!

    i do also see people studying in the basement’s arbor room, but i’ve never tried that myself because that’s more of a social space.

    antisocial james dean GIF

    it can sometimes be hard to get a good spot here on a weekday, but it’s usually quite empty on the weekends. my favorite thing to do is snatch a spot next to the windows, because the ivy growing on the outside of the windows just looks SO PRETTY. also, in the winter, you can sit on the little cement seat below the windows and it’s literally a heated seat. or seated heater. who knows.

    pros:

    • stunning vibes and aesthetics.
    • you can eat on the main floor + basement (but not in the library)
    • wide array of options for noise levels
    • also in the middle of campus.
    • open for long hours, until 11pm

    cons:

    • few accessible outlets on the main floor, and not all tables have outlets in the library
    • busy on weekdays

    3. caven library at knox college

    next up, another place with stunning aesthetics. i am realizing that might be my main priority when choosing a study space…

    this library is famous for its gorgeous stained glass windows and is in every “U of T libraries >>” edit. it is also a designated quiet space, so we love that. eating, however, is not allowed — and if you try to eat, people will hear. it’s so quiet in there that it’ll take you 30 seconds to peel your granola bar wrapper open without it making noise.

    but, i love the secludedness of the little carrels in the back and outlets are pretty accessible. this place just screams dark academia and is the place to go if you need to romanticize studying to keep yourself going.

    beauty and the beast book GIF

    pros:

    • super quiet
    • great for focusing
    • absolutely gorg
    • not crowded
    • in the middle of campus

    cons:

    • closes super early at 4:30pm and is not open on weekends 🙁
    • no talking, no eating

    4. e.j. pratt library

    this place is a little out of the way unless you’re a vic student, but it’s so worth it. if you’re tired of U of T’s gothic tendencies, e.j. pratt looks quite modern and is just the color white. it has a very open feel since the second (and third?) floor is connected to the first through the main room.

    the whole place is a quiet space except for the basement. i’m not a big fan of the second floor’s seating situations, so my personal favorite spots here are the private 2-seater carrels in the back of the main floor. there are outlets there, and it is soo good for focusing. however, these are pretty popular so it can be hard to find an available one.

    pros:

    • low visual stimulation
    • quiet
    • very private carrels
    • open until 11:45pm on weekdays!
    • open on weekends, but only until 5:45

    cons:

    • every single time i’ve been here, someone has a hacking cough that echoes through the building
    • no talking/eating in the main room, but can in the basement
    • on the vic side of campus

    near campus

    1. the toronto reference library

    this place is another gorgeous spot for productivity. it’s sort of a given that there are a lot of seats and it’s super spacious in here, since it’s, like, the toronto public library. but what’s weird is that the wifi here is unreliable sometimes??

    anyways, there are so many spots to choose from here, but my favorites are the upper floor seats next to the windows that overlook the city, and the little glass cubicles on the middle floors that you need to book out. these are so entertaining to me, i feel like a zoo animal in them — great for minimizing distractions, since you are in plain view of the public and must look like you’re working.

    overall, the productive energy in this building is great, and when you look at hundreds of people getting stuff done, you are filled with the motivation to also get your work done.

    pros:

    • great views
    • productivity boost
    • can talk, but also pretty quiet!

    cons:

    • unstable wifi in certain spots
    • no eating??? but again, if you’re subtle they won’t catch you.
    • open on weekends, but quite busy on weekends and closes at 5pm then
    • i once reported a bomb threat there 😀 not the one that made the news though

    This may contain: a cat is looking at the camera with caption that says, i be in situation

    2. cafes!

    there are so many awesome cafes near campus that you can study in. i’m not gonna go through and rate them all because that’s a bit much and this is already a long post, but i’ll list a few good ones here: wildhearts cafe, 10 dean, nabulu, moonbean, carbonic, and neo. my number one place used to be charidise on baldwin, but they have raised their prices and are now more of a restaurant than a cafe. i’m in mourning about it and will tell everyone who will listen. their popcorn chicken slaps 🙁

    and, yeah! those are my study-spot recommendations on and near campus. my absolute favorite place to study on campus is a super-secret-spot that i will be gatekeeping, but other than that, know that you have just received gold. these spots will elevate your study experience and your life, trust me. pick up the phone and call that u-haul cause you are not living in robarts anymore.

    SpongeBob gif. Spongebob shoots finger guns with a sly grin, attempting to look cool as he backs out of the room.

    over and out,

    aska

    Read More
  • copyright,  library

    sharing is caring????????

    April 17, 2020

    hey! I was wondering what the big copyright stamp/page at the beginning of some of my readings entails? Does uoft really own the material even if it was by some random author at some random time? I have american friends in a different university that i sometimes like to help out by sending pdfs of my readings, but is that not allowed?

    ——————————————

    hey hey,

    i actually have… no clue what you’re referring to? i’d need to have a look at the actual copyright stamp or page to even begin deciphering it, and i’ve probably got as much experience with that as you do. not gonna lie, most of my readings just… start at the first paragraph, or page, or whatever. or i download them off of JSTOR, which outlines its intellectual property stuff here. 

    i’d give it a close read, google any terms you’re unfamiliar with, and try to piece the situation together that way. if you’re not authorized to distribute your readings, then i think any copyright notice included will make that pretty clear. just use your best guess/common sense, and roll with that, i guess.

    as a student myself, i can understand that you’d want to help your friends access materials that they might have trouble getting a hold of. i have no clue how copyright laws work cross-border. that does complicate things a bit.

    i’d actually reach out to a librarian if you want a more concrete answer. i feel like they’re the kinds of people who would know things like this. if you’re aware of your personal librarian at u of t, that might be a good place to start. you can just pose your questions in general, hypothetical terms if you’re worried about repercussions.

    sorry i couldn’t be more helpful! if you wanna send me screenshots of what you’re referring to, i can try and investigate a lil further. but yeah, personal librarian. get in touch.

    be Boundless,

    aska

    Read More
  • library

    which of the 44 libraries do you mean tho

    January 10, 2020

    hey *waves from across the planet* do you know how far the library is from the innis college? much thank *disappears from line of sight back into far away country*

    ——————————————

    hey *waves from across the planet* do you know there is actually a library inside innis college, on the second floor? and if you mean robarts, it’s just across the street. other libraries linked here. much thank *disappears from line of sight back into far away country*

    be Boundless,

    aska

    Read More
  • library

    get readin’!

    September 15, 2017

    how do course reserved books work? my instructor said the course textbook is reserved for short term loan at new college library.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    books that are on the course reserve mean that they are reserved (duh) at the library for people in your class. this means that you can go into the library and take out that specific book for a specific amount of time. sometimes, profs will specify that you can’t take the book out, but you can look at it in the library.

    to access these books, you go to the course reserves search tool, find the book’s call number, bring the book to the short loan/ course reserves area of the library, and find the book! now you can use it for your class.

    check out this link to learn more about course reserves.

    hope this helps!

    spongebob squarepants sea reading read unimpressed GIF

    peace and love,

    aska

    Read More
  • library

    “research” a.k.a. falling asleep in library carrels

    October 22, 2015

    Hi aska, this may be a dumb question but I used the uoft libraries website to find some books I need to use for research…how exactly do I sign them out at robarts/kelly etc

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not a dumb question at all. so you found the books online. the listing will tell you if and where it’s available. once you’ve got that information, take down the call number, go to the correct library, and sign the book out using your TCard. your TCard acts like a library card at all uoft libraries.

    some books are only available on course reserve or as in-library reference materials, so you won’t be able to take those out. however, that’s typically not the case, and you can just sign out whatever you like no problem.

    hopefully that answered your question!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • computers,  food,  library,  studying

    nom nom nom

    October 7, 2015

    Are there places on campus where I can plug in my laptop and also eat my lunch? I don’t wanna get caught being sneaky in the libraries!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    fun fact: Kelly Library is the only library on campus where you’re allowed to eat, so if you find yourself on the east side of campus, you could go there! there are also outlets available by study tables- though there’s sometimes a bit of a battle for them around midterm time.

    there are also barstool-type things at Robarts that have outlets on the counter. you can grab food from the food court, park yourself on one of those high chairs, and you’re all set for food and power.

    the Bahen Centre has a similar setup, with a row of stools and a counter that has outlets. you can grab food from The Cube and sit there until your next linear algebra class or whatever.

    finally, the Exchange in the Rotman building has outlets, tables and food – the holy trifecta.

    happy eating and interneting!

    aska

    Read More
  • jobs,  library

    librarians in da house

    April 7, 2015

    Hey! I’m interested in applying to a student library job at EJ Pratt library next year, but there’s no information on their website about jobs, even though I know that students work there. So I ask you, oh knowledgeable one: Do you know how and when can I apply?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take a look at student library vacancies here and apply for jobs here if you’re not picky about which library you want to work at.

    if you’re looking to work at pratt specifically, the process is a bit different.

    the reason you weren’t able to find anything online is because they actually don’t list anything online. their application forms are available in physical form (that’s paper & ink; ancient, right?) at the circulation desk at pratt. you can fill one out there, and they’re looking to hire people for september at this point.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • library,  money

    to break the bank or break the back?

    July 3, 2013

    Hi again, a quick question for you,

    I am going to be taking two 0.5 courses this July/August and with intensive work that means a lot of print off slides – for me anyways, I don’t bring a laptop to school.

    Anyway, I was wondering if you guys have any insight on where there is to print for less than it is at the libraries, although the location is so convenient. If I can print pages for less that be great. Any ideas?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Hmmmmmmm.

    I’m cheap and have been saving all my money by bringing my laptop or just… writing my notes so I don’t have much personal experience on this matter, but some places I do know you can check out are:

    1) The Students’ Union Office — $0.03/page

    Personally, I think this is too good to be true.

    Like I just don’t understand. But yeah, the limitations of this one is that printing has to be in black and white, brought in by USB, and paid for in cash. Also, the service is only available Monday to Friday from 12 to 4. Still, those are normal waiting-between-classes hours, so definitely check this one out for me and tell me if it’s real!

    And 2) Kelly Library — $0.08/page

    Yeah, yeah. I know it’s UofT still, but I love em. Basically if you print double-sided on black-and-white — which is their default setting — then it costs 8 cents a page. But if you need it single-sided, then it’ll cost you 10 cents.

    I don’t think going off campus will really do much for you. The university DOES try to be as economical as possible…

    But why don’t you just, you know, write your notes? I get that slides can be important if you need to memorize formulas for example, but if it’s for say key sociological concepts, that’s something you’re better off writing down and learning as opposed to reading off a slide and barely recalling.

    And if that doesn’t float your boat, then invest in a printer!

    It’s easy to whine that you ~*~don’t have the money~*~ but I’m sure if you consider its long-term use and cut back on daily frapps or whatever suits your fancy, you’ll get by. But if you really don’t have the funds… well let’s face it, if you can afford to print the slides, you can probably afford a passable printer.

    Still, I do stress the whole pen and paper thing! 😉

    (Also, take a look at this hilarious post by blogUT about the dos and don’ts of using slides.)

    Cheers!

    aska

    Read More
  • library

    a long distance relationship with the library

    April 25, 2013

    Hello,

    Are we allowed to access the library and online catalogues at UofT if suspended?

    ———————————————

    Hey!

    Did you know you can have a livechat with a librarian? That is actually the coolest thing ever. I cannot handle this.

    Anyhow, in this conversation I came to understand that you won’t be able to take out books (naturally), but you won’t have any problems with using books in the library. As for the online resources, you’ll be able to login using the barcode number and PIN until the end of the September following your suspension.

    This was actually a very difficult question to work with! I feel like no one has dealt with this before.

    But I mean, if you’re suspended, why the need for UofT access anyway?

    xoxo,

    aska

    Read More
  • jobs,  library

    it’s my destiny

    September 27, 2011

    Dear sir/madam/supreme overlord,

    I am an ignorant freshman who wants to work for the campus libraries as a page {shelver}. I did go to the library jobs site at around the beginning of September and the only positions I found were IT jobs requiring all these kinds of computer languages my eyes just speedread through automatically without further encouragement from my brain. That jobs site was all I had to go about, so I hope {and pray} to hear advice about informal stuff those sites don’t provide, such as:

    1) When is the usual library hiring season? Have I missed my chance by now?

    2) I heard they prefer raw fresh men, so if I only apply next year when I’m a sop soph, have I missed my destiny in life/ have less chance at getting that job?

    3) The lib job site says only some libraries participate, for the rest, do I have to visit them one on one to inquire/drop a resume? (I tried looking at the sites of each non-part. library hoping for a “Student Jobs Press Here” button, but mention about the extent of my computer skills has been already made in the top paragraph.)

    Thank you so much and I am so sorry to bother you and I do hope when I get a job there I could buy you lunch and stuffs,
    s

    ———————————————

    Dear freshman underling,

    Are you a fan of purple prose and old book smell? Do you daydream about the ancient art of bookbinding? Well, Aska sure does! And if you do too, then I bet working at one of the University’s libraries sounds like a dreamboat job.

    Here’s the skinny: each and every faculty, departmental and collegiate library has its own internal hiring policy. Last time I checked, UofT has more than 30 libraries and that’s a whole lotta applying. So, I’ve put together a game plan for you:

    To simplify matters, start with the jobs listed on the Library Student Jobs website. These are the positions available at the biggest central libraries on campus, like Gerstein, EngSci, and Fort Book. If compiling data inside UofT’s peacock isn’t exactly your thing, try one of the friendlier college libraries. Many of these libraries, like E.J. Pratt and Graham, do their hiring in late April and early May. Sadly, those dreamboats have already sailed.

    But never fear – potentially false hope is here! Several of the libraries still have openings; for example, the Innis College library hires work-study students. So if you’re lucky enough to be drowning in debt, you may be able to hop aboard that dreamboat afterall. Make a few friendly phone calls and see what’s out there, Aska believes in you!

    Your supreme overload,

    Aska

    p.s. lunch sounds lovely, I like pie.

    Read More
  • grad school,  library,  math,  physics

    Got worms.

    July 9, 2009

    hi, sir

    ?glad that if you could receive this letter and i would be happier if you could reply me.

    ?i am an arts and sciences students and i belong to physics and mathmatics programs.
    recently i realize that maybe this major does not fit me best because i dream of becoming a librarian in the future. in that way i am thinking about change my program to another, which can help on my futuer job. but i have no idea now. but i truely believe that all science stuffs can alreay kill me. sucks. anyway. hope your reply and give me some suggestions.
    in the end, what job does this physics and mathematics programs applies for?

    Glad you asked.

    I hope I can make you happier, but first…

    How happy are you right now; on a scale of one to ten? 1? 8.5? 4ish??

    Hopefully it’s low… so my job is easier.

     

    So you think you want to be librarian, huh? Cool.

     

    Askastudent has a friend (and I swear I have ONE), who also wants to become a Librarian. She was recently admitted to the Master of Information studies program here at U of T. So, I deferred to her expertise on this one.

     

    It turns out that “Librarian” is an accredited profession (fancy!). This requires the completion of an accredited degree. This is reinforced by a fun anecdote from said friend,

     

    “I used to work at the reference library and this fact used to make the circulation desk people quite bitter because despite their years of training on the job, they would not be able to apply for librarian positions without the [masters] degree.”

     

    Doesn’t it paint a wonderfully tense imagine of the social dynamic among library staff? Who knew? Are you prepared for this??

     

    Okay. Let’s look at the Master of Information (MI) program in the Faculty of Information. Within this program you would take the Library & Information Science Path. The Admissions Requirements indicate that almost any recognized undergraduate degree will suffice, with the awkward exclusion of theology, education, and “library science” (WTF?!). Anyway, it looks like Math and Physics would be just fine as pre-Library Majors. My friend confirmed this, btw, and suspected that Majors in English, Physics, Math are all the same to the “iSchool” folk. Are they getting sponsorship from Mac? Perhaps, they’re just trying to shed the introverted, thick-lensed, church mouse look for something more hip and now.

     

    Friend-of-Aska also noted that volunteer or work experience in a library setting would really enrich your personal statement, and thereby strengthen your application. It would also be an opportunity if you to see if you really have, “a keen interest in books, how information is organized, disseminated, who gets access to information.”

     

     

    Moving on… What jobs do Math and Physics prepare you for???

    Uhhhhh… Teacher… umm… Mathematician… Physicist…?

     

    Well, for one, the statement, “I have an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto,” will get you farther than those who can’t say that. This is true whether not or not the job has anything to do with numbers.

     

    Also, the mental faculties that these disciplines develop are transferable to many many professions. Think about it. You’ll be good at counting, writing in pencil, pronouncing Greek letters, and using a calculator. You might need some work in the “talking to people” department… juuust kidding. Unless, of course, you prefer to converse with inanimate objects – in which case you will make a swell Librarian. !!!!!

     

    Finally, even if you choose to ignore all of my blabbering, please READ THIS!!! (this link is now defunct; it was a page about choosing your career. i’m sure you can find similar ones around if you have a google – aska 2014)

     

    The Careers Centre is well-equipped to answer questions like yours, and I imagine they are an under-utilized resource. The “Careers by Degree” listing is totally fun (I just blew a good 15 mins on it). Making an appointment sounds like a good option too.

     

    Did you notice the stat that 46% of graduates are not employed in a related field?! That is either depressing or encouraging… I’m not sure (says the architecture kid).

    Read More