Attending a hybrid PhD program at a small university has some distinct advantages for a working professional. I can fit schoolwork in to my full schedule, and I don’t have to spend time commuting to a campus. But there’s a big disadvantage – missing out on the experience of being on campus and all of the resources that go with that.

Recently, I discovered that the generous folks at UC Berkeley Libraries give free access to the community, as long as you go to the physical library. I hadn’t been on the campus of a major university since I graduated from Indiana University in 1985. The energy of so many people gathered in one place in the pursuit of learning is unique to large campuses, and I totally enjoyed just walking around. Large, impressive buildings with great staircases leading up to heavy wooden doors…this is very much the old-fashioned university campus in my mind’s eye.

The library itself is everything a university library should be: high ceilings, lots of wood and marble, and of course, tons of books. However, I was there for electronic databases. In pulling together the literature to support my own research for my PhD, I’ve hit multiple walls of not having access to key articles. I can see the title and the abstract, but to read the full article there is a hefty fee.

UC Berkeley libraries appear to have access to everything, and the articles I need were definitely available. Sadly, I forgot to bring a flash drive. The community access allows you to download to a flash drive, print a copy for a fee, or read the article there. I’m sure I’ll be making a few trips back, for both the articles and the ambience.

For more information about UC Berkeley libraries, see http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/about-the-libraries