We are delighted to welcome public visitors back to the Kalmanovitz Library’s refreshed main floor. Following five years of safety upgrades, restoration work, and COVID-19 pandemic-era adjustments, the library will reopen to the public on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 9 a.m.
Initially opened in 1990, the Kalmanovitz Library has long served as a physical hub for learning, collaboration, and innovation for UCSF affiliates and visitors. The COVID-19 stay-at-home order that took effect on March 16, 2020, prompted the building’s initial closure. As the pandemic evolved, the library shifted its services to support remote and hybrid teaching, learning, and research.
During this time, the library also embarked on a significant building renewal project to mark its 30-year milestone. These upgrades included:
- Waterproofing, roof, and terrace repairs
- Installation of a new front entrance
- Safety enhancements throughout the building
- Redesigns to support modern learning and work needs effectively
To continue meeting the needs of University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) affiliates while welcoming public visitors, the library will offer public access to the main (third) floor during designated hours. Access to the library’s first, second, fourth, and fifth floors will remain restricted to UCSF affiliates with a valid UCSF ID badge.
Public amenities and resources
Here are a few of the amenities and resources the Kalmanovitz Library provides to public visitors:
- The Living Room, a comfy reading and conversational space
- Caffé Central, a cafe serving coffee, tea, pastries, salads, and sandwiches
- Exhibits curated by UCSF Archives and Special Collections and the library’s artist in residence
- Access to library resources, including full-text journals and databases, via computer desktops available for individual use up to two hours per day
- Borrower accounts (fees are conditional)
- Access to the circulating collection via paging services*
We look forward to reconnecting with our broader community and sharing this revitalized space. The Library’s Executive Council sincerely thanks our public visitors for their patience and support throughout the pandemic and the building’s transformation.
Learn more
Please find more information about our services on our website and submit your inquiries via our Contact Us page.
* The paging service does not include materials from our archives and special collections. Archival materials are available through our archival research services.