Doheny Memorial Library

This extremely large library in the downtown area is a must visit. It is far more than just books. They tend to have book signings there which are free. To get a card, bring proof of residence. I don’t have an CA driver’s license so I brought my check book as proof.

Such a beautiful library and so quiet. Great study area and also relaxing :)

This library is AMAZINGGGG! *transcending music*
First if all… let me talk about the campus itself. You can just tell that it’s a very wealthy campus due to plethora of fancy buildings, flag poles, and commercial signs that says USC on it. If you’re confused as to whether or not you’re on the actual campus, keep an eye out for bikers and pedestrians who don’t stop for ANYBODY.
I was driving and people were coming out from all directions of my car. Im driving? Nope, don’t care. Still gonna bike right in front of the car.
Hard to find parking. I was lucky enough to find street parking! Limited to 1 hour.
It wasn’t hard to find the library. It was a very large chruch-​like building. Took my first few steps and felt like I just walked into Hogwarts school of Wizardry. It was a momentous moment.
Very quiet library which I LOVED & APPRECIATED! It was uncomfortable however walking down the aisles with my plastic bags carrying my chips, and my plastic lined cooler because with every step I took, it made a slight swishy sound… and it echoed… it was a very very far and long walk. …
It’s not surprising that I didn’t end up eating my chips with the fear of turning heads with every crunch.
Outlets were lined up against the walls, but they were only limited to 2 persons per table. This wasn’t a problem, however because the place was so big, with at least 12 rows of tables in each of the 2 columns. Not many people seemed like they needed an outlet so I was just glad there was one available for me.
Bathrooms were in the basement which is kind of creepy.
I’m gonna be back here again. Thanks usc.

This is a beautiful library. The main room is rather hogwartzy but having once been a bruin during my undergraduate career, it really doesnt compare to powell 3^rd floor which just has a separate place in my heart. So far i like it much better Leavey, but they need to work on the outlet issue here. Overall a great place to study.

The library is easily one of the best spots at USC ! The main hall gives you a Harry Potter’ish like feeling with the décor and setup. Extremely peaceful and great place to sit down and read /​study anything !
The place has several other interesting go-​to areas like :
1) The Film and Movie exhibits in the floor below which you enter.
2) Currently there is an exhibit on Monsters including some really old and fascinating books on some of the classic scary men/​women and creatures ! From Tolkien’s book to several other intricate drawings on display and also life size models of Frankenstein; the place is like a museum in itself !
3) There is a section on Genocide and Holocaust material in the lower section too.
In short. Definitely visit this place and spend time here reading that favourite novel or solving your complex Fourier transforms !

Doheny certainly impresses, but I wouldn’t study here. Browse the stacks, borrow your books, and get out. Then go study at Leavey.
Too quiet, too austere. No opportunity to talk. Not the place to come with friends, and it’s hard to focus given the lack of white noise, of distractions.
I only spent considerable time here once, and it was to do research. This is really more of a place for Ph.D. students who’ve lost any passion for school or life, and just want to get some work done. Not the right place for freshman.
I give Doheny credit for the entrancing bookstacks. They feel like the 1950s, and they have everything. Lots of stuff you didn’t expect, and you can walk out with half a dozen books to use in your research paper.
The front has also been host to various special occasions, ranging from commencement addresses to presidential speaking engagements. I was fortunate enough to see President Obama speak here — an extraordinary experience.

Doheny is a great place to study.
Very beautiful, and you can find it on the postcards sold in the bookstore.
I think it is the most beautiful library in the campus.
Of course you don’t need a USCard if you come here during the day. But the school has a policy that from 9pm to 7am, the school will only be opened to the students and staffs only.

Gorgeous library on the USC campus, it has a number of different collections of stuff here, a Genocide and Holocaust Collection, an East Asian Library section and some rotating exhibits too.
You do not need to be a USC student to study here, not sure about checking out their books though. They also have a free wifi as well.
The only thing I didnt like about the library was that their bathrooms are deep in the basement, otherwise it’s a lovely place to study or just to check out the fantastic architectural details.

The beauty of Doheny is seriously inspiring when you’re stuck under a mountain of work. Were so lucky to have a library as beautiful as this to spend our hours of torture in here at USC. If you wanna get away from the main rooms go up the second floor. There an ancient looking room up there with a view of of the fountain out front… Perfection.

A great place to work and get some work done. Even in an Eden like this, my slothful ways in writing remains.

This is one of the most beautiful libraries I’ve been to. 3 stories and the outside is breathtaking! I sometimes forget that I’m there to study or research.

Study in the stacks! Super quite, hidden Harry Potterish library. Cubicles line the outside walls behind all the books.
The building looks like it only has 3 floors from the outside, but then you walk inside, go behind the reference desk and there are 7 floors in the middle of the building full of aisles and aisles of books. It is the absolute perfect place to study.

I actually feel like a student when I come here. Although when I am awake at ungodly hours, I am tucked in a corner somewhere in Leavey because Doheny unfortunately closes at 8 :’(But for a change of scenery and better motivation (yes, atmosphere takes a huge part in determining how well I study…), I love frequenting Doheny, aka harry potter library, aka hogwarts. The only downside is that the main study room (Hogwarts main hall) doesn’t have outlets for me to plug my laptop in, and the wooden chairs bruise my buttcheeks after several hours. Good thing they have a large couch for more comfortable seating and then for those 10 minute naps! There are other rooms in the library such as the East Asian Library and Arts corridor, all of which are neatly decorated with fancy walls and bookstacks! Oh yeah, and Obama gave a speech in front of this building. This library’s legit.

The most amazing library I have ever set foot in, outside of the state library in Honolulu, but as far as college libraries, this has been the best so far! The architecture of the building is AMAZING, it’s so beautiful inside and out. I’ve come here several times for meetings at USC and such, but it still never ceases to amaze me. Though the basement level is kind of scary! That’s where one set of bathrooms are located, they don’t have bathrooms located on every floor.
I spent the most time in the East Asian collection. They amazing conference/​meeting rooms that are very well decorated with wall scrolls and calligraphy. They keep a well stock of the history of all the Far East countries I can think of, including a collection of old maps of how they used to divide the countries up into!
It’s definitely a fun place to go even if you’re not into reading or anything, just going to appreciate the beauty of what they have will impress anyone!

What does Ghostbusters, Die Hard 4, and The Graduate have in common? They were filmed here!
Doheny is an amazing library, the grandeur of it all might overwhelm you for a bit but don’t forget, you’re in a library so this space is a prime study location. A tip for you is ask for help when you’re wandering into the book stacks. It is very possible for you to get lost and a tad claustrophobic at how enormous this place can actually be.
I always feel awesome for studying here, it just makes the USC academic experience complete when you sit down and crack open a book here.

Doheny is so much better than Leavey it’s not even funny.
The first time I walked into the main study room here I thought I was in Hogwarts; it looks like the main hall! I really like the architecture, it is just really classic and beautiful. The bookstacks are a bit scary because it’s easy to get lost down there in the winding corridors but it’s amazing that there is so much information to choose from! I find Doheny to be much quieter than Leavey as well so when I need to go to a library this is definitely the place to go (^-^)
PS. The East Asian Library which is located just to the left when you walk up the main stairs is AMAZING. Since I am studying Asian languages this place is perfect to find books, dictionaries and articles in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. So cool!

A beautiful library with an extensive collection both physically as well as electronically.

In terms of architecture and selection, this is probably my favorite library attached to campus. Ground floor is beautiful, old refinished woods and polished marble, and a few pews along the main halls to impress the touring parents of prospective students. They even kept the Dewey cards racked up for nostalgia’s sake. I inevitably ended up here to check out books to read, and didn’t mind doing a few crossover shifts since it was so convenient by McCarthy quad. It’s much better organized than Grand right off campus, and really the only library where security is lax is Seaver. The underground stacks are cramped as others have pointed out, with typically two stations by the elevators for easy catalog access. Those lower levels give a sense of musty seclusion where a student drone can dream of paintball wars.

A great alternative to study in if you don’t like the Leavey atmosphere, which I definitely do not.
It’s always quiet and very easy on the eyes!
If you want to be a little secluded from other people, try exploring the bookstacks in the middle of the library. There are NINE levels which have desks/​tables on each floor that you can study at.
There’s something about studying in the middle of thousands and thousands of books that makes me THAT much more productive. (And trust me, I need that boost of productivity.)

Kudos #USC. I am a big fan of library tourism (#libraryschool #gradschool). Came across the gem that is the Doheny Library on USC’s campus this past week, and I am doing everything I can to make this library my own (by that I mean I purchased a temporary card). Thank you, thank you, thank you USC. Now I have access to your wonderful collection and will not be forced to drive to my own inconveniently located campus.
USC students should be proud. This is what universities and libraries are all about.
Oh, I almost forgot this is supposed to be a review. Almost dropped one star for the hilariously cramped stacks, in which I found myself lost more than once, on separate floors; on second thought, though, the creepiness, and disorienting nature of the stacks only add to Doheny’s character. (Not sure if this character comes across in my pictures – by the looks of other pictures, perhaps I should have spent more time reading in the reading room, as opposed to hours scouring the materials, but oh well.) So back to the rating calculus, I think we’re still at 5 stars, and then the service I received from three librarians at the service desk was impeccable. Nicely done; can’t wait to visit again.