The UBC Library Research Commons is a multidisciplinary hub built to support students and faculty in their research endeavours, partnerships, and education. It's a community space that embraces both new and traditional exploratory scholarship and provides access to services and expertise for the advancement of research.

Located on the 4th and 5th floors of Koerner Library, the Research Commons offers consultations, workshops, and collaborative spaces for studying, projects, and presentations. The space also includes a Digital Scholarship Computer Lab for research and experimentation.

The 4th floor of the Koerner Library is a silent study area which graduate student can use to for independent or focused work.

Koerner Library

Bookable semi-private rooms, Level 4 & 5

Students can “drop-in” any time to one of the bookable spaces by scanning the QR code in front of an empty room. 

Six Project Rooms (Room 454, 456, 496, 499, 553, and 555) in the Koerner Library building are available for the research project work of UBC Graduate Students and Faculty.

Book a project room

Note: the loft will be closed from April 30 to August 31, 2025.

A loft dedicated to graduate students located on the 4th floor of the AMS Student Nest. Graduate students must tap their student card to enter to an open social lounge with lots of natural light, tables, kettle, and microwave. 

Take the north elevator (close to Blue Chip Cookies) and go up to the 4th floor. You will exit in front of the restaurant "Gallery Patio & Lounge". Turn left out of the elevator, then left again to walk down the hallway. At the end of the hall, the GSS Loft is located on your left.

The loft is also available for booking to host dedicated graduate student events. 

Student loft

An open space for graduate students to study, accessible only with a valid graduate student UBC card.

Student loft

The main loft area can also be booked for graduate student related events.

Note: At the end of 2023 Renovations on the first floor were completed to host the Graduate Life Centre (GLC). The space is now open 9am-9pm with your graduate student card. Read More

Thea Koerner House is where the Graduate Student Society and the Graduate Life Centre are located in the north wing. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies have their office space in the south wing. Additionally, the building houses the graduate student pub - Koerner's Pub - and several event spaces that graduate students can rent from the GSS free of charge for any event dedicated to, or in support of, graduate students.

Graduate Life Centre (GLC)

Suitable for: studying and socializing of graduate students

Features: self-serve kitchen with fridges and microwaves, coffee maker; study room, social lounge, child-friendly space with interactive games floor

Leon's lounge

Suitable for: small group discussions, workshops, corporate meetings

Capacity:
40 Theatre Style
32 Banquet Style
15-20 Classroom Style

Size: 520 sq ft

Features/Extras: Piano

Koerner Library has several large open spaces available for study. Levels 1, 2, 4-5 are reserved for silent study aside from bookable study rooms on Level 1.

Level 1: Computer labs (11 on-site, 6 short-term, 1 long-term, remote access) exclusive to graduate students, postdocs, and researchers), carrels, & graduate student space soon to be renovated.

Level 2: Koerner Library computer lab, Room 217 (32 workstations)

Level 3: Bookable group study rooms, 2 large meeting rooms

Study spaces

The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre offers a limited number of dedicated rooms that have open spaces and bookable rooms for group study sessions.

They also have a computer lab available for students to use on the first floor.

Book a space   

The Dodson Room

Building: Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Level 3, Room 302

Suitable for: small group meetings, cocktail socials, workshops, networking events, pre-event receptions

Capacity: 60 

Features/Extras:
Microphones (wireless handheld, wireless lapel)
Projector
Windows PC with Blu-ray DVD player
Screen, powered projection
Lecture capture

Book Dodson

If you are a graduate student in one of the seven faculties that Woodward serves (Applied Science, Dentistry, Forestry, Land & Food Systems, Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Science), Woodward Library has several small rooms that are reserved for graduate students use. 

Features/Extras: TV with HDMI cables

Book a space  

The David Lam Management Research Library provides collections and research support in the areas of commerce and business administration.

David Lam Library

UBC Asian Library provides support for scholars, students and community members who conduct research on, or are learning about Asia and Asian heritage. Asian Library maintains Asian-language holdings (totaling 710,000 volumes as of June 2020) in ten languages including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Nepali, Tibetan, and Persian. In addition, the library is actively engaged in providing access for Chinese and Japanese rare materials, and also works with library and external partners on the digitization of rare items.

Asian Library

X̱wi7x̱wa Library is a centre for academic and community Indigenous scholarship. Its collections and services reflect Aboriginal approaches to teaching, learning, and research. Everyone is welcome to visit X̱wi7x̱wa Library

X̱wi7x̱wa Library

The Law Library is part of the UBC Library System, and is located on three floors in the Peter A. Allard School of Law complex. It supports the study, reference, and research needs of the students and faculty of the Allard School of Law, and other members of the University community. As well, any person may use library resources for study and research in the Library.  During exam times, some tables and carrels are reserved for current Allard Law students. 

Law Library

The Education Library’s role is to advance the academic and research mission of the University of British Columbia. It strives to provide outstanding access to the universe of recorded knowledge and information in the field of education. Their branch serves a large and varied clientele; first the students, faculty, and staff at UBC, and second, communities, libraries and individuals throughout British Columbia and Canada. The Education Library’s specialized role is to support the academic and research mission of the Faculty of Education.

Education Library