There is no greater place on Point Park’s campus than the library. I love the library. It is a beautiful building that offers an atmosphere incredibly unique to both Point Park University and a typical university library.

Although the pandemic limited the library’s availability to students, it is fully open once again, and now offers a coffee bar. For one dollar, students can purchase a cup of coffee near the entrance of the library.

Is it the best coffee I have ever had? No, absolutely not. But it isn’t a bad cup of coffee. It’s the perfect thing for a mid-day pick me up or to help you push through a late night of cramming ahead of midterms.

The convenience of having a semi-fresh cup of coffee available (with quality cream and sugar no less) for an incredibly low and reasonable price point drastically outweighs any negatives that come with this cup.

The flavor was nothing exceptional, and even tasted slightly burnt, but again, that is not what the library’s coffee is for. It’s there for when you need it the most, and I guarantee you that when you need it you will be grateful for it.

There is one flaw with the coffee bar: it is cash only. When I went to the coffee bar with a dollar in my pocket, I was euphoric to be able to purchase a cup of coffee. When I did not have a dollar in my pocket, I was incredibly disappointed that I was not able to purchase a cup of coffee.

I was even more disappointed because my belongings were in a study room downstairs, and at that point, I did not feel like leaving the library to get a cup of coffee. I opted for a bottled Dunkin’ Iced Coffee French Vanilla from a vending machine, which cost me four dollars. Four dollars for something that was substantially worse than the coffee being offered by the library. I encourage the library to get a Venmo.

That being said, I still absolutely love our library. It is a truly wonderful building and I have many, many cherished memories there. From the hours spent working on assignments right before the deadline to late nights reading Haruki Murakami, I love the time I’ve spent here more than most of the time I’ve spent at Point Park.

If you don’t go to the library very often, or at all, I encourage you to do so more frequently. I personally find it very difficult to focus on work in my apartment, and the library provides a solitary environment to focus my mind. You may be surprised to find that you also benefit from it.

Just remember to bring cash if you want a cup of coffee.