Main (Gardner) Stacks

Borrow

The UC Berkeley Library’s collections are rich and bountiful — and they’re waiting to be explored by members of the UC Berkeley community and knowledge-seekers everywhere. Use UC Library Search, the University of California’s all-in-one-platform for discovery, to find books, journals, articles, and more, and check them out at libraries across the Berkeley campus and at other UC schools. Learn more about borrowing Library materials.

Circulation desks

The Main (Gardner) Stacks are served by both the Doe Circulation Desk and the Moffitt Circulation Desk.

At both circulation desks, library users can check out books from Main Stacks and NRLF, place searches for items not found on the shelf, and pick up paged or recalled items. Library materials from any campus library may be returned to either desk. Both desks close 15 minutes before the library closes. The Borrow page contains detailed information about check-out limits, loan periods, paging materials, and more.

The Doe Circulation Desk is located on Level A of the Main (Gardner) Stacks. In addition to the services noted above, library users can collect keys for the study rooms in Main Stacks until 9 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Browse

There are designated reshelving areas throughout the Main (Gardner) Stacks on Levels B, C, and D noted with signs. The library requests that users not reshelve material, but place items not needed in the designated areas for staff to pick up. This helps us keep track of which items have been used as well as ensures they are reshelved correctly.

Study spaces

There are 400 seats available for individual study throughout floors B, C and D. All areas of the Main (Gardner) Stacks are intended for quiet study.

Extreme silent study areas and study carrels are also provided. Group study rooms may be reserved by UC Berkeley students. Main (Gardner) Stacks is open to:

• UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff with a Cal 1 Card.
• Students from other UCs with a UC ID card.
• Stanford students with a Stanford ID card.
• Patrons with a borrowing card.
• The general public for research purposes only.

Visitors may apply for a one-day Stack Pass. Permission is not automatic. Read more about Main (Gardner) Stack’s access policy.

Assignment of study carrels

• Applicants must be registered UC Berkeley graduate students, visiting scholars, or postdocs in good standing, with no outstanding blocks or bills.
• Carrel assignments may be requested in person at the Privileges Desk or by emailing privdesk-library@berkeley.edu. 
• All carrel assignments expire at the end of the academic year (end of Summer Session), unless they are renewed with the Privileges Desk by the user.
• If not renewed, carrels must be cleared of all library materials and personal property by the date of expiration. Dates for renewal of carrels will be emailed by the Privileges Desk in advance of the expiration date.

Use of books in carrels

• Only the Main (Gardner) Stacks, Moffitt Library, and NRLF books may be kept in carrels, and all must be charged out at the Doe or Moffitt Library Circulation desks.
• Carrel flags will be inserted in books by the Circulation attendant, and must remain in the books.
• Identification must be shown in order to remove books with flags from the Main (Gardner) Stacks.
• If a properly completed carrel flag is not in the book, the book will be removed from the carrel by Library staff.

NOTE: When returning charged books, place them in the book return bin by the Doe Library Circulation Desk on Level A of the Main (Gardner) Stacks, so the item may be cleared from your record. Do not place charged books on the tables in Main Stacks or reshelve them.

Library use only/uncharged books

• Library Use Only books may not be kept in carrels.
• Uncharged books will be cleared from carrels on a daily basis and reshelved so that other users may find them.

Personal books and books from subject specialty libraries

• Personal books and books from subject specialty libraries cannot be left in carrels.
• No carrel flags will be issued for these books.
• No identification will be required of people removing such books from Main Stacks.
• Non-Doe, Moffitt, and/or NRLF items will be collected in daily sweeps of the carrels.

Extreme silent study areas

There are 400 seats available for individual study throughout floors B, C and D.

While all areas of the Main (Gardner) Stacks are intended for quiet study:

• Level B-East has been designated as a silent study area for those seeking absolute quiet.
• Levels C and D are quiet areas but are not silent study areas, where quiet discussion among groups is allowed.

Please go to the Circulation Desk in Doe Library for help when library users are being too noisy or eating food.

Lost and found

The Lost and Found for the Doe Library, Moffitt Library, and the Main (Gardner) Stacks is located at the south entrance Security Desk on the first floor of Doe Library. You can reach the desk by:

• Phone: 510-643-9296
• Email: lost_found-library@berkeley.edu

Found items

Items found in Doe Library, Moffitt Library, and the Main (Gardner) Stacks will be kept by library security in a secure location where they are tagged with the current date and entered into the Lost and Found database.

• Photo identification is required to pick up lost items.
• Valuable items are kept for one week and then will be taken to the Lost and Found at UCPD.
• UCB IDs will be taken to the CalNet Office.
• Any remaining items will be donated or disposed of after two months (two weeks for water bottles).

Presumed stolen

If you believe you have had items stolen from you in Doe Library, Moffitt Library, or the Main (Gardner) Stacks, go to the Security Desk at the south entrance on the first floor of Doe Library, and report it to the personnel on duty there. They will help you contact UC Berkeley PD to file a report.