Historic photo of a three-story rotunda where books were shelved.
Bacon Hall, which opened in 1881 to house the Library collection of over 17,000 volumes and the university’s newly acquired art collection.

Backlit: Next-level library

From the ground floor of Bacon Hall, the first permanent home of Berkeley’s Library, undergraduates taking a pause in their studies could raise their eyes to the distant rotunda ceiling and imagine what the future might hold. While much has changed since 1881, the UC Berkeley Library is still a place where students can study quietly — and dream big.

The Library is committed to nurturing those dreams, adapting to meet the academic needs and aspirations of today’s students. The Center for Connected Learning is the next step in the Library’s evolution, a radical new vision for Moffitt Library that will support Berkeley’s boldest undergraduate research endeavors and spark innovation in the next generation of thinkers, disruptors, and leaders.

In this next-level library, the solitary study spaces of the past will be complemented by the technology-rich creativity studios of the future, empowering students to collaborate on multidisciplinary projects that push the world forward. Where students once passively pored over textbooks and marked margins, they will use 21st-century tools to transform ocean plastic into sustainable clothing, or electronically print and program pieces for a robotic hand. Research help will come not from across a desk, but amid a vibrant consultation courtyard staffed with professionals and peers.

Learn more about the Center for Connected Learning.

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