When UC Berkeley began planning renovations to the Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning at Moffitt Library, students were asked what they hoped to see. Their answer was simple.
“They wanted more space, period,” said Jen Brown, the undergraduate learning and research librarian at the UC Berkeley Library. “They didn’t want to have to sit on the floor or just not have a place to dock their stuff or not have enough outlets.”
That feedback shaped the redesign. When the lower three floors of the building reopened this week, they offered students nearly double the space to study, collaborate, and recharge — literally.
Here’s a look at five other changes you’ll notice the next time you walk into Moffitt. And there’s plenty of time to settle in and enjoy them. The library is open seven days a week, with floors 4 and 5 accessible around the clock on five of them.
1. Prepare to be floored
The biggest change is impossible to miss: The second floor is now open to students.
What was once reserved for staff offices has been reimagined as a bright, lively space where students can study together, catch up between classes, or settle in for a long afternoon. The floor includes booths that offer some seclusion without shutting people away from the buzz of the library.
“The study booths are new,” said Brown, who has worked on the redesign project since 2020. “Folks can just pop into them to have a little bit of privacy, but they still have a collaborative element to them as well.”
The booths are designed for small groups, making them a comfortable fit if you’re reviewing lecture notes with a classmate or tackling a group project.
And yes, if you’ve ever circled Moffitt with a laptop at 8 percent battery, Brown has good news: There are outlets just about everywhere.
2. Make something great
Beyond study space, the second floor gives students room to experiment.
The Moffitt Library Maker Studio has dedicated areas for sewing and textile arts, 3D printing, and other hands-on projects, plus spaces for consultations and group instruction. Whether you’re hemming a pair of pants or printing a prototype for your startup idea, there’s room to tinker. Programming at the studio will kick off with guided tours in mid-September.
Nearby, the Discovery Hub helps undergraduates find research opportunities, internships, and other immersive learning opportunities that complement their classroom time. Run by the Berkeley Discovery initiative, the hub is the spot to explore what’s available and get advice.
3. Pick your vibe
Some days call for conversation. Others call for noise-canceling headphones and zero eye contact.
Students who need to lock in can take a new staircase connecting the lively second floor with the quiet first floor, making it easy to switch gears whenever the mood — or the assignment — calls for it.
Brown said the connection between the two floors was designed to help students flow seamlessly between collaborative and solo spaces.
Beyond rows of quiet study seats, the first floor also includes a reflection room where students can pray, meditate, or simply take a moment to reset.
4. Fuel up
Eventually, every study session reaches the same point: snack time.
The renovated library now includes a snack room on the third floor, where students can heat up lunch, dinner, or whatever meal they managed to pack that day.
Nicole Brown, head of Moffitt Library and a key leader of the renovation project, said the room reflects one of the guiding ideas behind the redesign — supporting the “whole student.”
“We want to support them in their well-being so that they can bring their best selves to work,” she said. “So you can see that in the reflection room … and the snack room. It all kind of comes together in caring for your whole being: your body, mind, and spirit."
Students looking for a quick refuel can also stop by the expanded Free Speech Movement Café on the third floor for coffee, snacks, and food. The cafe is expected to open later this month. Press, just outside the fourth floor entrance, also remains a popular spot for a pick-me-up, especially on sunny days.
5. Over to you
The renovation may be finished, but the conversation isn’t.
From the beginning, student input informed nearly every aspect of the redesign. Nicole Brown and Jen Brown expect that to continue as students settle into the new spaces.
“We’re not trying to say this is what the building is,” Jen Brown said. “We’re really excited to see the students come in and show us how they want to use it, what programs would be most supportive to them, … and how we can continue growing the building in response to the ways they want to navigate it.”