Business and Economics Library
The Thomas J. Watson Library of Business and Economics is located on the ground floor of Uris Hall. It is usually just known as the Business and Economics Library. It was named after Thomas J. Watson, Jr., former president of IBM and son of a Columbia trustee. The ground floor of the library shakes sometimes due to the fact that is is built immediately over the Dodge Fitness Center's indoor track and a lot of steam machinery.
It is the only library where talking and eating is generally allowed. This is due to the collaborative nature of business school assignments. However, it also makes the library a great place for undergrads to complete group work. There are numerous small group study rooms around the main reading room, which may be reserved by business school students. However when they're vacant, undergraduates are permitted to use them.
Undergraduate Discrimination
The inferiority complex of Columbia Business School students is a well-documented phenomenon that sometimes makes life difficult for undergraduates. CBS students will act by whatever means necessary to keep undergrads out of their beloved Uris.
In 2006-2007, Uris Deli stopped taking Flex/Dining Dollars, payment methods commonly used by undergraduates.
From May 5th to May 17th of 2013, the Watson Library announced that for the first time ever it would be open only to CBS students and undergraduates studying economics[1]. Naturally, people got mad about this. One B-school student wrote a pretty bad article defending the policy[2]. One CBS student tweeted a photo of the library during the ban, mostly empty[3]. Since B-school students really don't study.
Incidentally, the Law School has maintained law-student-only access policies during finals period for years. Of course, unlike the business school law students actually study.
Nowadays, all Columbia undergraduates have swipe access to Watson, but 'group study' rooms are on-reserve for CBS students only. You can just take an empty room regardless, and if someone has a problem with it they will kick you out.
References
External links
| Columbia University Libraries |
| Avery (Architecture & Fine Arts) • Business & Economics • Butler • Engineering • Geology • Geoscience • Health Sciences • Journalism • Law School • Lehman Social Sciences • Mathematics Library • Music & Arts • Science & Engineering • Social Work • Starr East Asian |
| Affiliated Libraries |
| Barnard College • Burke (UTS) • Jewish Theological • Teachers College |
| Special Collections and Programs |
|
Digital Humanities Center (formerly Electronic Text Service) • Digital Social Science Center • Oral History Research Office • Rare Book & Manuscript • University Archives |
