[archivator]

The Bod and in general the wider library system in Oxford (over 120 libraries!) was easily the best part of my undergrad academic life there. Having a dedicated space for studying, open 24/7, within 20m of my room was absolutely liberating and fundamental to the experience.

I sometimes wonder whether I should continue my education somewhere like Oxford, just so I can experience the focused concentration of a library again.

[Osmium]

> Having a dedicated space for studying, open 24/7, within 20m of my room was absolutely liberating and fundamental to the experience.

My sentiments exactly. I chose my undergrad college (not at Oxford) for the sole reason that it made particular mention that its library was open 24/7 on its website. I figured it was as good a reason as any, and it turned out great.

I've also had experience with another university in the states that has an open stacks policy–anyone can just walk in and use a desk or read a book, no registration, card swipes or anything required. Absolutely liberating. Instantly made the university so much more welcoming (contrast this to the university I'm currently at where you have to jump through hoops to get a visitor access to the library, and if they're there without someone to sponsor them, god help them).

[raving-richard]

I don't think I've seen an Australian university library that wasn't open to anyone to walk in and browse the shelves. When I was in the UK I found it incredibly odd that most of the university libraries required ID, and made it quite difficult to visit.

[walterbell]

A web search identified Stony Brook as having an open-stacks policy. Are there others? Proximity to such libraries could be promoted by real-estate agents.

Humans are so much more than symbol processing algos. Physical environment and context matter to the creativity which is our primary species differentiator.

Libraries can be viewed as always-evolving local caches. Digital images reduce the latency of discovery, but like travel to a distant land, nothing can substitute for tactile experience and three-dimensional motor memory as anchors of emotional experiences and learning.

[sitkack]

I have never physically been to a university that wasn't open stacks, is it common? It would seem antithetical to the Hippocratic Oath of Librarians.