Chapman University Leatherby Libraries

Perfect environment to be productive. good lighting, plenty of outlets, fast wifi, well ventilated. It’s open late, most of the other patrons are considerate and it’s well-​maintained. I’m a book snob and most of the books I’ve used here for studying/​research are among the best. My only real gripe is that the same exact drinks in the vending machine vs. the «café» aren’t the same despite being mere steps away (once it was about $ 1 difference).

I swear I will try not to be bias, but this is thee nicest and most resourceful library I ever been to! As a Chapman business student, I literally camp out here. It’s open to the public with plenty of tables/​cubicles (3 levels of it!) and has free wifi. If that’s not an eye catcher, then maybe it’s aesthetic architecture can lure you in or their wonderful memorabilia displays to keep your mind active when you need a break. Catch me at the 3^rd floor cramming or catching some Zzzzz.

Easily one of the best libraries around here. I’m not a student here but the only problem I face is parking which isn’t too big of a deal. WiFi is free and strong and the student center is a short walk away. When the school is not in session, the library is open til 10PM and when it is in session, it’s open til 2AM. During finals, it’s open 24 hours. 3 stories of study space. Definitely beats all other public library hours. It’s always quite unless there are student events going on. The most ideal place to study in and I like how it’s part of Chapman University because there’s that college vibe that goes around. ⁴⁄₅ because during the last hour the library is open, the PA starts warning the sh*t outta you every 15 minutes and it’s pretty freaking annoying.

As a chapman student, I spend a whole lot of time in the library. Actually… Too much time. But I do think it is a pretty nice place.
Downstairs there is a little shop with salads, sushi, sandwiches, granola bars, coffee, and other drinks. The people working are always friendly.
There also is a vending machine with chips and snacks in it.
There are multiple places throughout the library to sit and study. Some more comfortable than others.
I love that throughout the library there are lots of cool things to look at. Paintings, statues, historic displays, and lots of other fun things.
Great books and movies as well!

Checked up Unilocal for study center’s open after 11pm and saw Leatherby Lib of CU open ’til 2am (accdg to this post). But to my dismay, upon arriving at 10:15 pm, LIBRARY WAS CLOSED! Didn’t know the operating hours for summer (until Aug 30^th) will only be until 10pm –_​– should’ve called early on before going. Moving on, if you guys plan to go there, hours for summer (May 26 — Aug 30^th) M-​F 7a-​10p S&S 10a-​10p.

It is a great place to study alone. When studying with others, unless you have a study room, is pretty horrible because it feels like you have to be quiet at all times.

I live in libraries so it makes sense to review them right?
This is another great place to study. The library itself and it’s surrounding building are very aesthetically pleasing. The fountain in front of the library is nice to relax by; it changes colors in the evening.
— Extremely quiet and clean.
— Free parking is easy to find nearby campus.
— Free wifi available and it’s decently fast!
— Multiple floors and there’s lots of available seating!
— There’s spots to charge your electric vehicle but you have to pay for parking/​charging I believe.
— Plenty of outlets to plug in all your devices.
— Cool displays of Disneyland and other knick knacks.
— Lots of little reading nooks.
— They have things like staplers, rubber bands, paper clips, etc available in the printing areas if you need them.
I’m so jealous of the students at Chapman because of this awesome library. Everyone seems very focused and the environment is conducive to studying. I would go here every day if it were closer to my house!

Very quiet and clean place to study. It’s always nice here because they provide free wifi! And it’s better to study here than at home bc at home it’s a distraction. There’s outlets here to charge your laptops and phones so that’s a plus. The restrooms are very clean which I like because I never really use public restrooms bc it’s so dirty and gross. But anyways, they provide computers and printers just in case you need to do homework or print something for class. I don’t go here but it’s always nice to come and study.
People mind their own business so you get space and time to yourself. I suggest coming to the second floor. You can always find me here… LOL

Great place to study. Nice campus and clean facilities.
Note that parking is not free after 4. It’s simply available for visitors after 4pm and weekends. Still need to pay to park (verified by Chapman University’s parking services.)
Yes another review said it was free after 4 in the structure and yes, that information is incorrect.
Contrary to common intuition, the third story is colder than the second.
Like others have mentioned, free wifi and water too.

This library is beautiful! I love the long desks on the 2^nd floor. Everything is furnished wonderfully. I love how you can see the field from the 2^nd floor window. I came to this library for a group project. We just used the long tables and tried to be courteous to others. I’m not sure if you can reserve a study room if you’re not a Chapman student (most likely not). Anyway, I would definitely come back again!

Absolutely beautiful. I wished UCI was like this. I do not attend Chapman but I’m glad that they allow non-​students to use their amazing library. Wifi is also free, you only need to log in. I don’t know how it’s like during normal semesters but right now, summer, the study areas are practically empty so perfect for me to study for my actuary exams.

Let me answer some questions:
Can anyone go? Yes, it is open to students and non-​students.
Parking: Parking is free on the street. Structure is free for visitors after 4pm on weekdays and all day on weekends
Wifi: Free (no login required)
Food: There is a café to your left when you walk in. You can eat there, not sure if you can eat in other parts
This is a clean private university campus. Staff is super friendly, facilities are awesome for studying and they are open late. 100x times better than starbucks or any other place to study.

Awesome place to do some learnin’ with reat access to the interweb. Diverse and awesome.

I think I should finally write a review since this has basically been my second home for the last two years.
Leatherby library has to be one of the best libraries in northern Orange County in terms of hours, cleanliness, and customer service, both for students and non-​students. They have ridiculous hours from I think 7am-​2am most days, which is perfect for a grad student like me who doesn’t get to sleep. I can just sleep here! They have plenty of seats and rooms to check out if you want an even quieter study sesh. Their circulation desk is also great when getting books they don’t have. Not sure though if this is extended to non-​students.
Did I mention they also have like every DVD or VHS you could want? Yaaa Suhweet.
I really really love this library and might actually be sad when I graduate.
Naww who am I kidding

Not a better college library in Orange County. When I was attending csuf I would come here and also call for group projects to meet at Leatherby.
Basically if you’re like me and have a lot of solo projects and things to do that require quiet and caffeine, this is the place to be. The location is serene and just really nice. If you’ve got a lot to do and need a break, it’s great just to walk around the campus. I especially like that you’re next to the Orange Circle where you have Café Lucca, Sbux and other great places to grab coffee, put on your headphones and mentally cool down or people watch. Free wifi to boot (none of that sign-​in/​time limit crap).
Tons of little nooks and crannies to hide out and get a little personal reading done, or tables to unleash all the junk in your messenger bag.

Honestly I’m jealous of anyone who attends/​has attended Champan University for the sole reason being that this is the best college library I’ve ever been to.
SO many floors, so many little reading nooks, so quiet, and SOOO well taken care of, I guess that’s the perks of going to a private school. If my school’s library looked anything like this I swear I’d be there everyday… Until then, I’ll be posing as a Champan student and hanging out here to get work done (shh don’t tell security)

Pros:
— Clean and spacious
— Great place to study
— Open until 2am (²⁴⁄₇ during finals)
— Many available desks, cubicles, and seating areas
— Good lighting
— Staff is helpful when needed
— Rotunda food, vending machines, 70 cent coffee
Cons:
— 1^st two floors can get loud, piazza likes to play music obnoxiously mid-​afternoon making it not as quiet sometimes

One of the nicest & best places to study at. here’s why:
FREE Unlimited WiFi
Free street parking on side streets by the school (read signs before you park) & cheap underground parking structure near by.
Many places for studying & outlets for your laptops (desks, meeting rooms, nooks & corners) for you to hide to cram all day if you have to.
Beautiful architecture & quiet, clean study areas for the serious studious students.
There’s a student café & restaurants within walking distance from here for when you get hungry/​need a break from studying.
They open till late & also 24 hours during midterms & finals week.
Wish they’d have libraries like this for other schools… =P

VERDICT: Clean, quiet, well funded, usually not crowded, except for during exams.
QUALIFIER: Bare minimum place to study, but needs student enrollment to utilize non-​shelf resources.
BOOKS/​MEDIA: Good minimum selection. Surprised at breath of Journals, online media, and computer resources provided. Just as long as you have active student ID, can do all homework from one of many open computer terminals. Expected that level since it IS private school…
SERVICE: I once forgot my sunglasses in one of the group rooms, and I went back to check with the front desk, nothing… But when I went back to the room to my surprise, the sunglasses were still there! HONEST Christian school students!

It is so gorgeous here! The campus is lovely and the library is lovely too!
Hours are 9am-​2am during the school year; 10am-​10pm during the summer.
There are 4 floors:
1^st-​floor — main floor. reference desk and a café. coffees are pretty good and cheap too! Less than $ 2! :) They also have sandwiches and snacks.
2^nd floor– group floor, great for collaborating quietly… using your quiet voice/​whisper of course.
3^rd floor — the dead quiet floor. whispering is not even allowed. SO PLEASE REMAIN QUIET WHILE YOU’RE HERE. Some people bring their babies here to breast feed. UMM… please do so in the private room or study room. I do not want to hear suckling in the middle of my studies, you mommies!
4^th floor– administrative floor.
Did I mention free wifi? :)
The cafeteria is available the next building over and it closes at 1am during the school year. Great for studying and grabbing food in between studies!
Old Towne is walking distance, great for social activities.
Parking requires permit, and its hard finding parking on the streets. Good luck with that!
I wish I had discover this studying place earlier!