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Published on Leave a comment on 2025 Fall Semester Wrap-Up!
Picture of high-top desks at Himmelfarb Library.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already December and that the Fall semester is almost over. Congratulations on completing the semester! As the semester draws to a close and your well-deserved Winter Break approaches, we’d like to share some end-of-semester tips to help make this month as stress-free as possible during this busy time. This post includes information for students about studying at Himmelfarb, returning and renewing library materials, faculty end-of-semester tips, and Himmelfarb's Winter Break hours.

Studying at Himmelfarb Library

Himmelfarb Library is a great place to study and prepare for exams! We recognize that study preferences and needs vary from person to person. Himmelfarb has space for all noise level preferences! Here’s an overview of where you can find the perfect study space to suit your needs:

Silent Study Space: 

Silence is golden on Himmelfarb’s second floor. This silent floor, reserved for graduate and advanced degree students, is the ideal location for those seeking absolute silence while they study. Our new table dividers will help you resist the urge to talk or whisper with others at your table. The second floor also has both open and closed study carrels to meet your silent study needs. 

Quiet Study Space: 

The main portion of Himmelfarb’s third floor is a quiet study area where quiet collaboration is accepted. This floor is generally quiet, but does not have the pristine silence of the second floor.

Collaborative Group Study: 

If you’re looking for a place to study with friends, Himmelfarb’s first floor or group study rooms are a great option for you! The first floor is an ideal space to study with friends. It’s not a quiet floor, and it has a range of furniture options, including four-person tables, high-top tables that can serve as standing desks, and comfy couches. 

Himmelfarb’s 28 group study rooms are another great option! Reserving a study room during peak exam periods will guarantee you’ve got the perfect space for your group. Forgot to reserve a room in advance? No problem! Scan the QR code outside an available study room, and make the reservation when you arrive. Study rooms can be booked a week in advance and reserved for up to four hours at a time. Most study rooms can accommodate up to four people, and have large computer screens and dry-erase boards. Dry-erase markers and erasers are available for checkout at the service desk located on the first floor. Study rooms are located on the second and third floors, which are silent or quiet. Please keep conversations at a low volume as study rooms are not noise-proof.

Picture of a 2nd-floor Himmelfarb study room.
One of Himmelfarb's 2nd-floor study rooms.

Study Break Space: 

When it’s time to take a well-deserved study break, check out our Healthy Living Collection located on the first floor near the sofas. You can unwind and relax on the comfortable couches, help finish whatever the current puzzle is on the puzzle table, get in some movement with our hula hoops, yoga mats, and light weights, play a friendly game of chess or another board game with friends, or destress with some adult coloring.

Picture of Himmelfarb's Healthy Living area with puzzle table, hula hoops, and board games.
Picture of Himmelfarb's healthy living area with board games, adult coloring, and yoga mats.

Helpful Study Supplies & Technology

Himmelfarb has a variety of study supplies and technology that can be checked out from the service desk on the first floor, including:

  • Dry-erase markers and erasers
  • Remote controls (for study room monitors)
  • HDMI, VGA, and VGA to HDMI adaptors
  • MacBook, iPhone, and Android Chargers
  • Headphones

Earplugs and scrap paper are also available at the first-floor service desk.

Returning or Renewing Library Materials

Before leaving campus for Winter Break, check your library account to check due dates for any items you have checked out. If you’d like to renew items, log in to your library account, stop by the first-floor service desk, or call (202)994-2962. If you have materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, check your Docs2Go account for due dates, and return items on time so we can ship them back to their home library.

Faculty End-of-Semester Tips

Embedded Librarian Service

If you’ll be teaching in the Spring 2026 semester and want a Himmelfarb Librarian to be embedded in your Blackboard course, email us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu to make arrangements!

Course Reserves

Don’t forget to submit your Course Reserves Requests for the Spring 2026 semester!

Linking to Electronic Resources

When finalizing your course syllabi or linking to resources in Blackboard, remember to create durable links for Himmelfarb resources (i.e., journal articles, books, streaming videos, etc.) to ensure your students have seamless access to these resources. Using Himmelfarb’s Quick Tool to generate durable links is an easy and efficient way to get durable links. For help with creating durable links, contact himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

Himmelfarb’s Winter Break Hours

Himmelfarb Library will close for the Winter Break, starting at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Our building will be closed from December 23, 2025, through January 3, 2025. Visit our hours page to view our full hours and holiday closures.

While our building is closed over the break, our databases, journals, and e-books are available from anywhere through our website!

Published on

Himmelfarb Library offers a variety of studying environments, from individual to group and collaborative spaces. Study space in the library is frequently in high demand. If you want a study room you’ll need to plan in advance. Here’s some tips for finding the right space.

Different floors = different noise levels

The first floor has mostly open, shared tables and allows quiet conversations. The areas around service desks on the first floor and third floor in the Bloedorn Technology Center (BTC) will also have activity and some associated noise. If you’re looking for a very quiet space for high concentration, we recommend going upstairs to the 2nd floor, or the 3rd floor outside the BTC, which are designated quiet zones.  

While in the library, electronic devices should be set to quiet mode and cell phone conversations should be taken outside or into a closed stairwell. If listening to music or other audio materials, wear headphones with sound set to a level that will not disturb those around you.

Third floor study options, including open and closed carrels and study tables

What kind of study spaces are on the different floors?

While the first floor has mostly tables and couches, there are some open carrels by the windows. The second floor has open table seating, cubicles, closed carrels, and study rooms, while the third floor has individual open and closed carrels, tables, and study rooms. Himmelfarb's 2nd floor is reserved for use by graduate students.  The B1 level (downstairs) also has some desk seating in the stacks and study rooms.  To see what is available where, check the library floor maps.

Want a study room? Reserve in advance!

All Himmelfarb Study rooms must be reserved prior to use and you can make reservations up to seven days in advance using the form here.  Most study rooms can accommodate up to 4 individuals. All are equipped with a large screen and white board. Check out markers and erasers at the first floor Circulation Desk.

Reservations cannot be made for more than 4 hours at a time. If you leave a room for more than 15 minutes, you may forfeit it. Occupants are strongly discouraged from leaving belongings unattended.

Study room at Himmelfarb Library

Study rooms allow for group collaboration, but groups should be mindful of not disturbing those in neighboring rooms.

Can we have a pizza in the study room?

Food allowed in Himmelfarb is limited to small quantities only and food deliveries are also not allowed. Snacks and drinks are permitted in study carrels. Drinks must be contained with a lid. Please be respectful of others and clean up after eating.

It’s so peaceful here and there are comfy couches - can I take a short nap?

We understand that long days and intense study can sometimes send our users into a nod. Unfortunately, GW University policy does not allow sleeping in public places on campus. And your fellow students may not appreciate your snores!

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