The library of Georgetown University on the main campus, the Lauinger library, is the most convenient facility for those who would like to have access to the library resources for research, writing papers or reading books in any areas of interest.
I have walked through basically all floors, but I usually sit on the couch in the
“Quiet Study Area” on the second floor where books and other resources on Humanities and Social Sciences are widely available. The university library page has a catalog to search for books, articles or journals. The library is up to date and resourceful as it is not difficult to find books that have been recently published. Further on this, articles in peers reviewed journals are easily available to download with few links as alternatives or at least e-reading is possible. I had tough time at the beginning to find the books on the shelves, but it is easy once you get used to it. I also recommend to take picture of the shelves and rows to stock the books back correctly or to take them next time because visitors are not allowed to check-out the books. There are shelves of movie DVDs and documentaries on each floor in relevant fields. I like the ambience in the library as it is very positive and students usually don’t use phone and stay quiet if the area is designated for individual work. There are also different spots, where you can work in group by having access to separate rooms or by just sitting on the hall in front of the café. Yes, there is a café right in the middle of the second floor! So, if you want to be few feet away from the Midnight Mug café where you can buy almost all types of snack and hot/cold drinks-definitely not alcohol, then this is the right floor. The café is usually open till 2 am Monday through Wednesday as well as on Sunday, but you can check this page for further information on working hours, extended hours on exam weeks and day-offs on upcoming holidays. The prices of hot/cold drinks range between 2-4 dollars, which is not expensive in my opinion, however if you want to spend less, then the wending machines are there for you though the taste can’t compete with what is served in the café.
The library is usually open for 24/7 except for the weekends, and the visitors or non-GU students can literally enter the library until 10.00 in the evening, but are also supposed to leave the building after 11.00.pm. Also, staying in the library after 11.00 pm is not a crime and there is usually no walkthrough by guards to check if people staying overnight, are enrolled in the university or are visitors. I asked students around and nobody has seen or experienced such a case that somebody would be taken off the library because of being a visitor. In my opinion, this shows that GU seeks to be as flexible and inclusive as possible by being soft on this specific case because for any university, it is not a difficult task to impose strict measures, so the security guards walk through all floors to identify the non-GU people. This is highly appreciated and I am sure it is not only me who is better off by this positive attitude of the university. At entrance, the visitor is expected to show a valid ID, which can be a driver’s license or passport, but guess what: it is allowed to show the picture of a valid document if it is available on the phone, so no need to carry the ID with you all the time. The guards are quite friendly except for one, who has been actually removed off the spot since people complained because of his rude behavior and unkind attitude. This demonstrates how the university administration is caring about the public perception and is open to criticisms.
The library is located right on the Campus of the GU, which is 10 minutes of walk from Wisconsin Ave/M Street cross. If anybody comes to the Campus from DuPont Circle, then better to take G2, which will drive all the way to the Campus or D2 is another option to get off on the Wisconsin Avenue on Q Street and walk for 15 minutes downhill to the Campus. From Foggy Bottom, there are numerous bus lines, 30N, 30S, 31 and 33 to drive to the Wisconsin Ave, get off on O Street to walk to the Campus for about 10 minutes. If you enjoy walking, it is about half an hour of walk from Foggy Bottom, so is it from Georgetown Waterfront. If you own a bike, it is definitely recommended to use it and I would even leave by bike unlocked as it feels so safe on the Campus. I mostly use bike and there is a station of the Capital Bike share right by the Campus gate. However, when it gets warmer, it is usually hard to find a free dock on the station, so it is always better to check the availability of a free spot online in advance, so time is not wasted by cycling up to the Campus and then will have to return to the closest stations, which are on the Wisconsin Ave and M Street. The Lauinger Library is located kind of at the entrance to the Campus left to Healy Hall, which is one of the oldest buildings of GU. It is easy to reach the Dining Hall or other on Campus eating spots, such as Epicurean and Company.
This library is just one of the many facilities on the Campus that makes life easy for the students to feel comfy and home. As I observe it, the library is a spot where students get socialize while doing group works, so the environment becomes very friendly. This spot is a perfect sample how student life should be where students can study and feel chilled at the same time, and it is where as a visitor, I have always felt welcomed, included and part of this community.