In his four years at Northwestern, Weinberg senior Jeremy Weissmann said he has visited the Evanston Public Library only once.

“Twice, if you count voting,” Weissmann said.

With University Library’s multi-towered haven of books at students’ direct disposal, many, like Weissmann, feel no need go elsewhere. Despite the allure of a simpler building layout and a less academic selection at the Evanston library’s Main Branch, 1703 Orrington Ave., some study-savvy students show little interest in booking it downtown.

But Evanston Public Library Director Neal Ney said although the public library is geared toward the community, it gets a fair amount of student patronage.

“We’re a little less overwhelming than the University Library,” Ney said.

For Meredith Larson, a first-year graduate student in linguistics, the three levels of the Evanston library are easier to navigate than the circular University Library towers, a layout even Assistant University Librarian Laurel Minott described as “dizzying.”

“I remember I was there for an interview and I had one too many glasses of wine, and I circled three times before I could find the exit,” Larson said. “I can see how someone would go mad.”

But even for students without a knack for navigation, the University Library is a more complete academic resource. With more than 4.2 million volumes, University Library’s collection ranks 10th in the nation among private universities.

The public library’s collection “would not be anywhere near the amount of scholarly literature you would find on the university campus,” Ney said.

But for students who prefer to curl up with literature rather than their chemistry textbook, the Evanston library boasts a wider variety of popular fiction.

Students can obtain an Evanston Public Library card by presenting one form of identification and proof of Evanston residence, such as a housing contract or piece of mail.

A library card also gives students access to a large selection of DVDs and videos. With titles ranging from “Casablanca” to “Sweet Home Alabama,” the Evanston Library offers a movie selection that might tempt NU students away from University Library, which does not allow students to borrow movies.

“We have a pretty extensive video collection, but we don’t attempt to compete with Blockbuster,” Ney said.

Although the library doesn’t try to be a video rental store, it tacks on a $2 charge for a one-week DVD checkout.

For students who care less about the latest Reese Witherspoon movie and more about studying, both libraries offer ample tables and chairs and both have self-policing quiet policies. While the Evanston Library bans food and drink, University Library is currently establishing “a more relaxed policy toward food and drink,” according to Minott. University Library also houses the Plaza Cafe.

Despite the benefits the public library offers, some students said it’s too much trouble to leave campus or bother with the hassle of applying for a library card.

“I’ve never had a phone bill handy to get a library card,” Weissmann said. “I throw those bills out. Then, when I go the library, I think, ‘Darn, I’ll have to wait until next month.'”