In 2016, students fluttered to Moffitt’s sleek, colorful top two floors, newly renovated. And starting in winter 2024–25, the lower three floors will begin a transformation of their own, blossoming into new life.
What’s changing at Moffitt? In short, a lot.
- The first floor will offer a tranquil sanctuary for students, with plenty of comfortable places to sit, ideal for quiet reflection and studying. Yes, that means saying “bon voyage” to the airport-style seating that has graced the space for years.
- The second floor was once off-limits to students. But with the renovation, staff workspaces will make way for a maker studio and places where students can collaborate with peers from across disciplines and throughout campus.
- The third floor will include a reimagined space for exhibits, providing illuminating introductions to a range of topics; an expanded Free Speech Movement Café, the perfect place to grab a bite with friends; a sunlit lounge, where communities can come together; and an enhanced entryway to the knowledge that awaits in the Main (Gardner) Stacks.
Moffitt offers spaces for collaboration and quiet solo work. Composite photograph by Jonathan Mitchell Photography/jonathanmitchell.co.
To accommodate the renovation, Moffitt will close after fall finals this year, reopening in time for the fall 2026 semester. All told, the renovation will open up hundreds of new spaces for students, fulfilling a critical need on a campus where places to study and socialize are in high demand.
“A place where undergraduates … can work, connect with one another, and feel a sense of comfort and community among their peers.” — Elizabeth Dupuis
Moffitt is among the most popular libraries on campus, with more than a million visits a year. It’s an inclusive space where all students, regardless of their major or academic pursuit, are welcome, according to Elizabeth Dupuis, the UC Berkeley Library’s senior associate university librarian. The renovation will ensure Moffitt maintains its place at the heart of the student experience for many generations to come, she says.
“Moffitt is a place where undergraduates, including those who are away from home for the first time, can work, connect with one another, and feel a sense of comfort and community among their peers,” she notes.
For many students, Dupuis adds, the library is a “home away from home.”
“Moffitt is that place,” she says.
Letter to a future student
Sydney Reyes ’24, a library intern and recent graduate, reflects on what Moffitt Library’s ongoing transformation has meant to her, and what new renovations will offer the next wave of students.
Sydney Reyes ’24. Photo by Jami Smith/UC Berkeley Library.
Hey, future Bears!
Throughout my time here, I have found the libraries to be a second home. Moffitt Library was especially influential to my collegiate experience. Whether I was finishing my final papers, practicing presentations, or hosting study groups, Moffitt was the place to go!
The renovated fourth and fifth floors were especially amazing! If I was in need of a quiet study space, working on tight deadlines, I loved going to the tranquil fifth floor. When staying up late at night, I loved relaxing in the meditation space. But when I needed time to collaborate on a group project, the fourth floor (known as the “buzz” floor) was the perfect place to go. When I wanted to host group study sessions during midterms, I booked one of Moffitt’s private study rooms. The renovations brought such life to the spaces, and offered so many wonderful opportunities!
“When staying up late at night, I loved relaxing in the meditation space. But when I needed time to collaborate on a group project, the fourth floor (known as the “buzz” floor) was the perfect place to go.” — Sydney Reyes
I was so excited to hear the news about Moffitt’s renovations to the first through third floors. These updates will create even more innovative spaces, which will be invaluable for future Cal students. I cannot wait to come back and visit the library to see our new undergraduates using these brand-new facilities. The transformed floors — which will consist of both individual and collaborative spaces and a maker studio — will bring new opportunities to our future changemakers at Cal!
As I reflect on these precious years at UC Berkeley, I know I will always remember my first time walking into Moffitt. Met with a kaleidoscope of colors and a beautiful view of Memorial Glade, I saw before me a community of lifelong learners.
I’m so excited you get to enjoy and experience Cal, as I have. Best of luck, and Go Bears!
Sincerely,
Sydney Reyes ’24
Psychology major
UC Berkeley Library intern
Gift honors the Chancellor, kickstarts the renovation
Chancellor Carol Christ and Nadine Tang. Photo by Keegan Houser.
Moffitt Library was a top priority for the Light the Way campaign — not only as a critical facility upgrade, but also because a more dynamic library ensures that all undergraduates have what they need to pursue their academic and life goals. To that end, longtime Berkeley friend and alum Nadine Tang M.S.W. ’75 made a generous capstone gift to the project. The renovation will bring to life the Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning, a valuable resource for students.
As Chancellor Christ steps away from her role, the renovation marks a satisfying conclusion to her storied career and honors her long-standing friendship with Tang. In addition, the naming celebrates Christ’s and Tang’s shared commitment to enabling others to realize their full potential. Driven by intellectual curiosity and grounded in public service, both women have touched and changed many lives for the better.
The hours that Christ, an expert in Victorian literature, spent in libraries laid the groundwork for her remarkable career as an academic and an administrator. She recognizes that libraries can be more than repositories for the riches of the past.
“I’m delighted by this remarkable gift to support thoughtful research and generative interaction among students,” says Christ. “I can’t think of a more satisfying place to see my name featured.”
Tang, a social worker and an associate professor of clinical psychology at Berkeley, has supported an array of academic, arts, and athletics programs on campus. She has also brought her insight and experience to many volunteer leadership roles. Her gift to the library was motivated in part by her desire to provide a resource that supports every Berkeley undergraduate, whatever their goals and interests.
“I was impressed by the plans to transform Moffitt Library into a space that facilitates all modes of learning — whether solitary and focused or collaborative and interactive,” says Tang.
Visit give.berkeley.edu to honor Chancellor Christ with a gift to the Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning Fund. Funds may be used for undergraduate programs and events, furniture and technology, or sustaining 24-hour access.
