2 Suzzallo and Allen Libraries

Suzzallo Library, on Red Square, opened in 1926 and is a gorgeous example of Collegiate Gothic architecture. Suzzallo and Allen Libraries, the largest libraries in the UW Libraries system, are where you can find millions of books, maps, movies, government documents, and the main humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences collections. There are also group study rooms, lots of quiet places for individual study, Zoom pods, computers, printers, scanners, and knowledgeable librarians who are happy to help you with your research. Oh, and there’s a Starbucks too!
 

At the main entrance, look up and you’ll see three carved stone figures. They are “Thought,” “Inspiration,” and “Mastery.” Just something to think about as you pass through the doors.
 

Once inside, take the Grand Staircase (yes, it’s really called the “Grand Staircase”) or the elevator up to the third floor. At the top of the stairs is the Suzzallo Reading Room, aka the “Harry Potter Room.” Shhh… this is one of the few places where you have to be absolutely quiet in the libraries.
 

From the Reading Room, take the stairs or elevator back down to the first floor. The first floor is where you’ll find the Open Scholarship Commons (OSC), a collaboration hub for open scholarship and digital publishing including web-based projects and data. Learn more on the OSC’s website.

Keep going down the hall to find the main Circulation Desk where you can pick up items placed on hold and check out books with your Husky Card. Across from the Circulation Desk, there are hundreds of movies and TV series on Blu-ray and DVD that you can borrow for free! Continue down the hall and you’ll enter the more modern Allen Library, which was added in 1990.
 

Take the stairs or elevator down to the Ground Floor. In the airy, light-filled Allen Library lobby, you’ll see ravens flying overhead- they’re part of an art installation called “Raven Brings Light to this House of Stories,” which is based on a Native American Pacific Northwest Coast story. The title in Lushootseed is:

There’s an Information Desk at the bottom of the stairs where you can check out books and get help with research.

Go out the glass doors, across the Allen Library breezeway, and into Allen Library South. Here you’ll find the Research Commons.
 

The Research Commons is a dynamic, collaborative space for individual or group research. It features study spaces, private rooms, whiteboards, and other technology. The Research Commons also provides consultation services for citation management, design help, writing, and digital scholarship project help (some services are restricted to graduate students).

Some other cool places to know about in Suzzallo and Allen Libraries are Government Publications, Maps, Microforms, and Newspapers and Special Collections.

FUN FACT: Suzzallo Library will celebrate its 100th anniversary during the 2026-27 academic year!

This concludes our tour of Suzzallo and Allen Libraries.

Where do you want to go next? To continue your Journey through the UW Libraries, choose any of the links below:

• Take me to the Engineering Library
• Take me to the Foster Business Library
• Take me to the Health Sciences Library
• Take me to the Tateuchi East Asia Library
• Take me to More UW Libraries
• Take me to the end of the tour

Have a question or need help? Contact uwlib-ussteam@uw.edu.