I spy a wiener!

I go to Dodge all the time. And when I say Dodge, I mean Dodge Hall, where the Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library is—but I did go to a basketball game once in the more athletic Dodge. The beauty of the music library is precisely in that almost no one knows where it is, or if they do know they don’t care to go there, so even during finals you can usually find a seat.

Take the elevator in Dodge Hall up to the seventh floor, and enter into the (sometimes excessively) climate-controlled yet cozy library. Dodge doesn’t have Butler’s stately, antique charm, but at least you won’t think “oh-my-god-I’m-breathing-the-same-air-as-these-assholes” like you might in Watson. It’s usually very quiet, and there are several group tables with more plugs than you could ever need at them. Chair situation: moderately comfy. Along the sides of the bookshelves are enclosed single desks that look just a tad newer than Butler’s. Snag a rolling step stool for a footrest, and you’ll be set to study here with almost minimal distraction. Alternatively, make your way to the windows on either side, where you can sit in one of those quasi-comfortable green chairs with a great view either of campus or of Barnard girls in their dorm (Reid?). If you’re into that whole classical music thing, Dodge also has a decent selection of scores, recordings, and music books, and there’s a listening room and a few electric keyboards in there as well. Once you know about the library in Dodge, there’s basically no reason you shouldn’t go unless you don’t want to walk an extra minute. It’s brightly lit, very quiet, the chairs are easier on the tailbone than the wooden ones in Butler, and there’s an esteemed bathroom across the hallway. Just bring a jacket if you’re not so good at thermoregulation, and hide your snacks and drinks. Also, be warned that it closes absurdly early, at 9 pm.