Student Carrel Information
The Central Library has over 400 open carrels available for assignment to graduate students. They may also be assigned to undergraduate honors students upon presentation of a letter from their faculty advisor confirming their status. Open carrels are assigned at the Circulation Desk in the lobby of the library. An annual carrel renewal notice is posted in the library in late March.Open carrels are on every floor of the library and can be used by all students for study. Assigned carrels will be labeled.
There are also approximately 20 locked carrels for graduate students. There is usually, but not always, a waiting list.
Apply for a Graduate Student locked Carrel (online form)
Faculty Carrel Policies
The Central Library has 80 faculty carrels. They are small offices furnished with a desk and a bookcase. Most of the carrels have windows and are located along the north and south side of floors 4-8 of the library. College of Arts and Science faculty is given priority in the assignment of carrels although other Vanderbilt faculty can be assigned carrels if there are no A&S faculty on the waiting list.Carrels are assigned in the order of date of application and on an academic year basis. A $3 key deposit is required when a key is issued upon assignment. Annual renewal forms are sent to assignees near the end of the spring semester.
Apply for a Faculty Carrel (online form)
General Carrel Information1. Cards for charging books to carrels are available at the Circulation Desk. Complete a carrel card for each book, printing legibly. Circulation Staff will charge the books to the carrel. The Circulation Desk Assistant will leave the charge card in the book, with the due date and call number showing. When you are finished with the book, invert the carrel card. The book will be picked up, discharged, and returned to the shelf by the Circulation Staff. Do not return books to the shelves yourself.
2. Books charged to a carrel for more than two weeks may be recalled by another borrower. When a book is removed from your carrel, a notice will be left on the carrel desk with the reason and date of removal indicated. Books needed for Reserve may be removed earlier than two weeks.
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3. Books charged to a carrel must remain on that carrel at all times. If you wish to take a book charged to your carrel from the building, you must have the book checked out using your ID card. Please leave the carrel charge card in the book for Circulation Staff to discard at the time of personal check out.
4. Periodicals, Reference materials, leisure reading books and documents may not be charged to a carrel. Any materials not charged to a carrel will be removed. Repeated violations will result in the withdrawal of a carrel assignment.
5. Eating, smoking, or excessive talking at a carrel may also be cause for withdrawal of the carrel assignment.
6. Please help us prolong the life of Vanderbilt library material. Seemingly harmless acts can have a cumulative detrimental effect on the long-term life of books. Please refrain from bending down corners or using inappropriate bookmarks such as post it notes, paperclips, pencils or other large objects in library materials.