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Olin & Uris Libraries

Olin: Closed
Uris: Closed
Full Hours/

Study Carrels

Carrels in Olin, Uris, and Kroch libraries

Carrels information

Open carrels in the Olin Stacks

Personal study spaces, or library carrels, are available for both graduate and undergraduate students. Carrels are available in Olin, Uris, and Kroch Libraries. 

All carrel applications must be submitted using the Carrel and Locker request form. Existing carrel assignments may be renewed or cleared using the request form.

All questions about library carrels can be sent to okcarrels@cornell.edu

Carrel and Locker Request form

Faculty may apply for a Research Study in Olin or Kroch.

Types of Carrels

  • Olin open carrel
    • Open study desk. Located in the Olin Stacks, floors 3-7
  • Olin locked carrel
    • Private study desk with additional shelving and a locking door. Located in the Olin Stacks, floors 3 and 5.
  • Classics Carrel
    • Study desk in Olin Library Room 604 and 605. For Classics Department Graduate Students only. Assigned through the Classics Department.
  • Kroch Locked Carrel
    • Semi-private cubicle with locking drawers and cabinets. Located in Kroch Library, floor B1. 
  • Uris Open Carrel (with locker)
    • Open study desk with attached locker. Located in the Uris Library stacks.

Eligibility

All students must be actively registered students for the semester in which they apply.

Graduate Students are eligible for the following carrel types:

  • Open carrel in Olin
  • Locked carrel in Olin (must be on the waiting list)
  • Classics carrel in Olin (only available with permission from the Classics Department)
  • Locked carrel in Kroch (must be on the waiting list)
  • Open carrel in Uris with attached locker

Undergraduate students are eligible for the following carrel types:

  • Open carrel in Uris with attached locker

Locked Carrel Waiting List

Locked carrel assignments in Olin and Kroch libraries are only given to graduate students who have completed their A – exams.

To be added to the waiting list for a locked carrel please fill out a Carrel request form. You may apply for both the Olin and Kroch waiting lists on the same form. If you also wish to apply for an open carrel, please submit a second form.

Applications are considered in the order they have been received. Qualified students will receive a number according to their placement on the Locked Carrel Waiting List. This number is updated every semester at the conclusion of the renewal period. Students remain on the Locked Carrel Waiting List until an assignment becomes available. If, at any point, they are not fully registered with the University, their name is removed from the Locked Carrel Waiting List. For students that select to be added to both lists, their name will be removed from both waiting lists once an assignment is granted to them.

Replacement Keys for Locked Carrels

There is a $30.00 one-time, non-refundable, non-transferable fee required to obtain a replacement key. Payment is due at time of pick up. To request a replacement key please email okcarrels@cornell.edu.

Carrel Assignments

Carrel assignments are made subject to availability. New open carrel assignments cannot be changed.

Students will receive an email notification when their carrel assignment is ready.

New assignments must be picked up at the Olin Circulation desk during regular business hours. Students have one week to pick up their assignment before the it expires.

If you have an existing Olin Library Open Carrel and/or Olin Library Locker assignment, Circulation staff must move all library checked items to the new locked carrel. The carrel holder cannot move the checked library items themselves – this must be done by library staff – NO EXCEPTIONS!

Carrel holders must move any personal items to the new locked carrel once the key is picked up.

Students should move personal items from their locker to the locked carrel, but should not return the lock – the lock must be on the locker at all times. (If, for any reason, a student would like to keep their locker, they must notify okcarrels@cornell.edu as soon as possible.)

Carrel Renewals

Renewal reminders are delivered to carrel holders by email prior to the start of each semester.

Locked Carrels must be renewed IN PERSON every Fall and Spring Semester to allow uninterrupted use of the carrel. Students must visit the Olin Circulation desk during regular business hours to sign the Locked Carrel renewal form for continued use of their Locked Carrel

Open Carrels, Classics Carrels and Uris Library Carrels must be renewed online every Fall and Spring semester to allow uninterrupted use of the carrel. Complete and submit a renewal form during a renewal period (every semester, on the Monday two weeks before instruction begins; continues for one month).

There is no fee to renew.

Using your Carrel

The Library cannot guarantee the safety of person items left in carrels. Please be advised that there is no policy barring other patrons from sitting at an open carrel when you are not there. To protect your work, please keep the desktop and windowsills clean and free of loose papers in your absence. To protect your valuables, please do not leave any electronics in plain view, especially if you have an open carrel.

You are free to leave personal belongings in any area that locks (Olin and Kroch Library locked carrels, locking drawers or cabinets, and lockers).

Allowed:

  • Drinks with approved lids.
  • Olin open carrels: Books from all Cornell Libraries (with appropriate charge slip)

Prohibited:

  • Smoking/vaping
  • Phone calls
  • Group study
  • Uncharged library materials
  •  Personal books or items
  • BorrowDirect/Interlibrary loan books

Checking out materials to a carrel

Rather than being just a storage space for your library materials, you can check out materials directly to your library carrel. These materials are assigned to the carrel, rather than your personal library account and are intended to stay with the carrel at all times. You may remove books from your carrel by taking them to the Circulation desk and having them checked out to your personal account instead.

What can be checked out to a carrel?

Only regular loan books from all Cornell Libraries  may be charged to a carrel. Regular loan books are those that do not have any special restrictions on the amount of time they can be loaned to patrons.

Materials that CANNOT be checked out to a carrel:

  • Course reserves
  • Olin New and Noteworthy titles
  • Interlibrary loan or BorrowDirect books
  • Reference materials
  • Periodicals
  • Media (DVD, CD, audio tapes, microforms)

These materials may only be checked out to your personal library account.