UC Berkeley: Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning offers a new kind of library
In the hallowed halls of UC Berkeley, it’s no surprise that the library is a beloved space. News of the temporary closure of Moffitt Library in 2024 was met with deep sadness, and its return on August 24 as the Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning at Moffitt Library was celebrated like a reunion with an old friend. The reopening marks the culmination of a renovation that had begun in 2016 before being delayed due to the pandemic. The new library is innovative, designed for the way students learn and study now. The Koret Foundation was honored to support the renovation campaign with a grant in 2019.
Before undertaking the redesign, the university spent time surveying students, convening workshops, and engaging in conversations with undergraduates, to understand what exactly they wanted their library to look like and how they wanted to use it. Ironically, there are no books in this library—instead students wanted places to gather, study, write papers, and make things. As such, the second floor has been transformed from staff offices to a wide open space with flexible seating and study booths. Each floor has been designed with a purposeful eye: the first floor offers quiet places for study and focus, as well as a new computer-based testing facility, which offers flexible testing for students with scheduling conflicts or who require testing accommodations. The third floor supports gathering and connection, with an expanded Free Speech Movement Cafe, group study, and event spaces. The Koret Gallery greets students as they walk into the main entrance: a public exhibit space featuring displays curated in partnership with students, setting a creative, upbeat tone.
In addition to its being highly functional, it was important to make the library a place where students will enjoy spending time. Each of the three floors references a different natural environment, inspired by California’s flora and fauna and reflected in that level’s color palette, artworks, and study room names. These softer touches indoors create a warm, welcoming environment, offsetting the building’s brutalist exterior.
In our increasingly digital world, some naysayers question the value of physical spaces like libraries. Luckily the team behind the Moffitt renovation takes a more expansive view of the purpose of a library and designed accordingly. In an environment like UC Berkeley, which is known for being high-stress and often extremely competitive, caring for the whole student was top of mind. Study booths were designed after reviewing research that shows that most students study in groups of two or three. A maker space offers room to experiment and create. Modular furniture can be arranged for collegiality or independence, as the mood strikes. Snack rooms with microwaves allow commuter students or students who remain on campus for long hours a casual, budget-friendly break. The Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning and Moffitt Library is more than merely a place to study, it is a place for students.
