Pitts Theology Library

Walking into Pitts Theology feels like stepping into a time machine. There’s something about the lack of internet connection, broken-in couches and old-school computer stations that takes you back to another time and age, when your attention span was longer than an eight-second Vine, and the world seemed fresh and new. The bottom floor of Pitts, located behind some bookshelves through the door to the left when you walk in, sports huge tables for spreading out books and a gorgeous view of the Quad. And if you’re feeling sleepy, those couches are (in my expert opinion) the campus’s most secluded place to nap in silence. So if you’re shy about public shut-eye, don’t worry about a thing. The only people watching you snooze here are the librarians.

Schwartz Study Room 

Long the well-kept secret of Emory’s a cappella-heads, the top-floor lounge of the Schwartz Performing Arts Center boasts a refrigerator (always empty), a microwave (why not?) and a lovely window view of the Fishburne parking deck. Best of all: pretty much no one knows it exists, and you can stay there unnoticed way after hours (my record is 3 a.m.). Bring some popcorn and have at it, but don’t tell Dooley Noted I told ya.

MARBL

Not only are the librarians at MARBL incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, but they also have been known to let students study on their nice wooden tables during operating hours, even if they don’t have plans to access an archived document. So if you’re trying to make it a day in Club Woody and the newly Greek-conquered Reading Room isn’t your style, you’ll find MARBL provides a whole new level of silence and seclusion. Pleasant diversions include but are not limited to: Seamus Heaney’s archives, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s documents and, oh yeah, three decades of Alice Walker’s letters.

SAAC Rooms at Clairmont

Perfect during exams and those times when you just can’t haul it to main anymore, the SAAC has some lovely, well-lit study lounges that are hardly ever used. Up the steps on the second floor you’ll find plenty of computers and large study tables, accompanied by some seriously cozy couches for long nights of reading.

Law Library

Whether you’re looking for a book that’s checked out at Woody or just scouting out Emory’s post-grad population, the Law Library provides the perfect place to spread out in silence. Unlike most “secret” nooks mentioned above, the Law Library has a cheery vibe, with orange and green furniture and a spacious, well-designed interior. Bring friends by all means, but try to look serious: law students don’t take too kindly to undergrad gigglers on their turf.

Emory Wheel
+ posts

The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.