In a San Diego News Network piece about plans to include a charter school in the city's Central Library project, commentator Murtaza Baxamusa had this to say: "Now, I love libraries, but there is one library that I particularly recall; the Leavey Library at USC. This was a brand new library with expansive spaces, and classical architecture, meant to be the central library of the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC. It housed some of the more general interest subjects, so you could always wander into a stack of books and pick up something interesting. What made Leavey impressionable though, was that it was not just a library, it was the place to be."
Baxamusa, who is director of research and policy for the Center on Policy Initiatives, added: "First, it had hundreds of computers, loaded with software (and games) to explore and study. Second, it had lots of airy meeting spaces and research stations where one could pile up books, laptops and other electronic gadgets. Third, it became a first-stop shop for students with questions about research, offering one-page solutions and 24/7 human support. Fourth, it had a high-tech auditorium where I did one of my first multimedia presentations, at a time when Flash was still new. Finally, when it was time to graduate, I used the library computers to find employment postings, and print my resume, with their fancy color laser jet printers."