Study Room Reservations

Policies

• Reservations may be made by Rice faculty, staff and students with an active netID.

• Rice faculty, instructors, and staff members requiring the use of a room for ongoing classroom activities or instruction, please contact the Registrar for assistance.

  General Guidelines: 

• NEW: Effective for Monday, Aug. 24th to Tuesday, December 15th, 2026. Study room reservations will end at 1:30am, Sunday through Thursday. Reservations will end at 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 
• Users may only have one reservation at a time.
  • A second reservation may be made once the key for the first reservation has been checked out.
  • Extending the use of a room requires a second reservation and check-in of the original key at the Service Desk to avoid an overdue fine from the initial reservation.
  • The key will then be re-checked out to the patron for the second room reservation made.
• Unclaimed reservations will be released after 30 minutes.
• Fines begin to accrue 10 minutes after the end of reservation. ( $5/hour fine.)
• NOTE: You will not be able to make a study room reservation if your library account is blocked due to fines or overdue items. Contact Access Services on the First Floor of Fondren Library to clear your account.
• If you need to leave the building, the Service Desk will hold your study room key for 30 minutes. If you are not back to pick up your key by then, it will be checked in to allow other students to use the room. Fondren Library is not responsible for personal belongings left in study rooms.
• Library staff sound alarms and verbally notify users before library closings. 
• Study Room keys must be returned to the Service Desk 30 minutes prior to library closing to avoid overdue fines.
• Study room reservations end at 1:30am during the academic year.

• NEW: Key Free Study Rooms

  Select study rooms are now accessible without stopping by the Service Desk for a key! While these rooms remain unlocked, their use is strictly governed by the online reservation system-please be prepared to yield the room to anyone with a valid reservation. 

  • Key Free Rooms: 361, 362, 363, and 364 (bookable via the online study room system.)  
  • Room 108: Features an on-site kiosk screen for instant 1 or 2 hour reservations on the spot if not otherwise booked. 

All standard study room policies still apply. We are evaluating expanding this program. Please send your feedback to fondrenux@rice.edu. 

Advance Reservations

• Advance reservations for all study rooms may be made via a form more than 3 days in advance.
• Room 336, a listening room with a record player, DVD player, and keyboard (not soundproof) may be reserved more than 3 days in advance.
• DMC Audio Studio B42D and DMC Video & Photography Studio B42E, may be reserved more than 3 days in advance. Please stop by the DMC Service Desk to check in and out of the studios.

Friends of Fondren 

• Members of the Friends of Fondren Library at the Patron Level or above may reserve a study room:
  • 2 reservations fall semester
  • 2 reservations spring semester
  • Reservations must be made at least 3 business days in advance through the FOFL Executive Director
• Reservations up to 4 hours