Where the Characters from Mean Girls Would Study for Finals

This finals week, FSU Libraries are taking it back to the 2000’s with the iconic movie, Mean Girls.

We’ll be celebrating all things fun and fetch this week, with events like free Cheese and Crackers (we’ll have more than enough for eight people) and Janis’s Face Mask Night (no foot cream, we promise). We’re even bringing Therapy Dogs to Strozier! Be sure to check out our full event calendar here.

Now, let’s get to the actual studying. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite spots on campus where we think the characters from Mean Girls would study. Strozier Library boasts five full floors of study space, ranging from a more social environment on the first two floors to a serious atmosphere on the third, fourth, and fifth. Seated at the center of FSU’s science buildings, Dirac makes an easy stop for STEM students.

This blog post will help you align your Mean Girls twin with one of the many study spots to choose from at Strozier, Dirac, and more! Are you a Damien? You might like the Mary Lou Norwood Reading Room. More of a Mathlete? Swipe into Dirac! And if you’re feeling like royal Regina George this week, check out the Werkmeister Reading Room, a hidden gem on campus.

If none of these spots sound right, keep reading! We’ve got the rooms and resources to get you started on a totally fetch finals week.


Karen Smith: The Learning District at Strozier Library

Karen would definitely need to study at the Strozier Learning District, where walk-up tutoring for Math, Physics, and Chemistry is offered Sunday – Wednesday from 8pm to Midnight. She might also stop by from 5pm to 8pm, when the Reading and Writing Center offers help on essays and other written projects. Our tutors can certainly help you spell the word “orange.” Looking for a little extra help with your finals? Head to the Learning District, located on the first floor of Strozier Library.


Regina George: The Werkmeister Reading Room, Dodd Hall

If Regina would trade her Mom for the master bedroom, then she’ll definitely trade a study room for the splendid Werkmeister Reading Room in Dodd Hall. With its vaulted ceiling, ornate blue windows, and gorgeous stained-glass murals, this is the place for Regina George! The Werkmeister Reading Room was built in 1923, serving as the original main campus library until Strozier was erected in the 1950s. Today, it’s home to the FSU Heritage Museum, where you can peruse a collection of old Florida State photographs, artifacts, and other memorabilia. If you’re looking for a little glitzy ambience to go along with your finals prep, head over to Dodd Hall for quiet study 10am-3pm, Monday-Thursday.


Gretchen Weiners: The Strozier Starbucks

“That’s why her hair’s so big… it’s full of secrets!” The Strozier Starbucks is about as close as you’ll get to a lively high-school lunchroom vibe. As the resident gossip queen of North Shore High, we think Gretchen would choose this spot. The Strozier Starbucks is open from 7:30am to 12:00am weekly, with limited weekend hours. If you want the 411, head to the café seating area on the first floor of Strozier!


Aaron Samuels: A Group Study Room

The most popular guy in school, it only makes sense that Aaron would book a group study room to hit the books with his best friends. Study rooms are available at both Strozier and Dirac and can be booked up to three days in advance. Study rooms offer projectors, floor-to-ceiling white boards, and seating for up to 12 people, depending on the space. If you’d prefer to study on your own, we’ve got you covered! Individual study rooms are also available. You can check out a key from the main desk in Strozier or book online for Dirac by clicking here.


The Mathletes: Dirac Science Library

Need to get serious about STEM? Dirac’s the place to be. We’re sure you’d find the Mathletes here, hard at work preparing for their next competition. As Florida State’s Science Library, Dirac is located at the heart of FSU’s STEM facilities, making it a convenient stop on your way to and from finals. Inside, you’ll find wall-length white boards, desks flanking the windows, and the new Dirac Media Suite, where you can complete audio-visual projects. Dirac has a quiet, serious atmosphere that’s good for finals prep; and if you need to destress, head outside to the porch or the surrounding green, where you might find some of FSU’s beloved campus cats looking for a little love.


Janis Ian: The Fourth Floor of Strozier

We think Janis would study between the stacks of the fourth floor, where you’ll find our extensive Fine Arts collection at Strozier. As a non-talking zone, the fourth floor provides a quiet, yet comfortable study space. Janis can plan her revenge on The Plastics at a study booth, or draft a new sketch for her show on the wide tables located at the center of the floor.


Damien: The Mary Lou Norwood Reading Room

Our personal favorite study spot, The Mary Lou Norwood Reading Room is located on the second floor of Strozier Library. Damien would likely find himself here, looking out over the different cliques and clubs that abound on Landis Green. The historic ambience of this room makes it truly unique to the rest of Strozier Library, not to mention its panoramic views of campus. Here, you’ll also find vintage FSU yearbooks dating as far back as the 1920s; they can make for a fun and fascinating read when you need a study break. The Mary Lou Norwood Reading Room is a non-talking, non-eating or drinking room, so you won’t be able to practice for the talent show here. It’s open from 9am-6pm Monday-Thursday, closing at 5 on Fridays.


Kevin G: The Dirac Basement

As the captain of The Mathletes, Kevin would choose the quietest spot on campus… the Dirac basement. The non-talking rule is strictly adhered to in the basement, so it’s a great spot if you require zero distractions. Here, you’ll find individual study booths along the wall, tables and chairs located the shelves, and individual study rooms available for booking. This is no place for noise, so if you need to have a Mathletes team meeting, head up to the first floor.


Cady Heron: The Restroom

Last but not least, we have Cady Heron, who’s got a bit of a habit for hanging around the restroom. While we hope you won’t have to study in the stalls, Men’s and Women’s restrooms are available on all floors of Strozier Library. They’re located in the main annex on floors 1-3; and can be found in the annex stairwell on floors 4-5. There is an All-Gender restroom located on the first floor of Strozier, behind Special Collections and to the right. Dirac Science Library has restrooms on all floors. We wish you luck on finals… it’s gonna be SO fetch!


This post was written by Lila Rush-Hickey, Student Engagement Assistant at FSU Libraries.

FSU Libraries Services Updates

As FSU kicks off summer sessions, FSU Libraries continue to update resources and services available to the campus community.

Here are a few notable updates: 

  • The stacks are open! Access to our physical collections in Strozier, Dirac, and the FAMU-FSU Engineering Library has resumed. 
  • Curbside and in-library pick-up services will also continue. 
  • HathiTrust Digital Library Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS) has ended. Click here to learn more. However, our extensive online resources are always available both on- and off-campus.
  • UBorrow has been suspended until mid-July due to the state-wide discovery system migration. To learn more about this upgrade and what it means for you, visit https://www.lib.fsu.edu/catalog-and-discovery-upgrades.
  • Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services for both electronic and print resources have resumed. However, there may be fulfillment delays due to library closures nationwide. Please contact lib-borrowing@fsu.edu with any questions.
  • Physical Course Reserves remain suspended until further notice. We anticipate offering physical reserves in the fall if quarantining returned print materials is no longer a necessity.
  • For updates on Special Collections & Archives, click here.

For the most update to date information, visit https://www.lib.fsu.edu/news/covid-19

Ever wonder how many people visit Strozier and Dirac?

 

Long lines at Starbucks, lines backed up at the turnstiles and the constant search to find the best study spots. Sound familiar? FSU Libraries are one of the most visited places on campus and for good reason! We offer numerous services to help both students and faculty succeed including everything from free tutoring, equipment checkout, 3d printing, digital research scholarship, and not to mention over 2 million items in our collections. Ever wonder exactly how many people pass through our doors each semester?

When we examine how many student, faculty, staff, or guests have visited either Strozier or Dirac Science Libraries or both, we calculate a total of 37,499 unique visitors for the fall 2017. More of the unique visits tend to be those who visit Strozier or both Dirac and Strozier at least once during the semester.  The “both” in the following Venn diagram, means those individuals who went to both libraries at least once during fall 2017 (18,014).

 

 

Strozier & Dirac – A destination for students on the main FSU campus

In the fall 2017, of the total student body of 41,900 students, 42% visited Dirac Science Library and 66% visited Strozier at least once. Of these unique visits, 17,824 were students visiting Dirac and 27,682 setting foot into Strozier. 83% of the unique visits in Dirac were students and 81% of the unique visits were students in Strozier.