With finals week looming, Mary Couts Burnett Library administrators are taking extra steps to ensure that students have a sufficient variety of study spaces in the newly renovated space.
The library has expanded “quiet zones” on all floors, and has added a “silent zone” on the first floor. This, in addition to the 24-hour ‘open’ schedule for the entire building, serves to maximize students’ study opportunities.
The orange areas show the quiet zones for finals week in the library. Signage is posted in the building to designate these spaces as well.
The orange areas show the quiet zones for finals week in the library. Signage is posted in the building to designate these spaces as well.
The orange areas show the quiet zones for finals week in the library. Signage is posted in the building to designate these spaces as well.
This is the first finals week since the opening of the east-facing addition, and students are looking forward to utilizing study space that wasn’t available last December.
“I think it’s great,” junior vocal music education major Alex Kilcoyne said. “I think the more study options we have, it’s more beneficial for the students.”
The library renovation was largely focused on community space, but Tracy Hull, the associate dean of the library, said it is also very important to make sure there is space for different study styles.
“One thing we were significantly lacking in was group study rooms,” Hull said. “With the bridges across to Rees-Jones, we have a lot more study rooms there.”
Two free-standing sky bridges connect the library and Rees-Jones hall through a second floor walkway.
“There’s nothing worse than getting to the library and having no space to study,” Kilcoyne said. “Rees-Jones will definitely help with that.”
While Kilcoyne said she prefers the community-style study spaces in the library, Speaker of the House of Student Representatives Abigail Buckley said she enjoys the small environment of the Rees-Jones group study spaces.
“I think the open spaces are less conducive to studying,” Buckley said. “You see people you know, and then it turns into a social hour.”
The library administrative team designed spaces for many different study styles and habits to best accommodate students.
With 86 percent of the student body funneling through the library last year, Hull said she hopes students are happy with the December changes.
“Last December we were folded into half of our building. It was pretty sad, and we had a lot of student complaints,” Hull said. “I think they’ll be happy to have it open.”
And students agreed.
“We definitely needed the space, and people are using it and they’re loving it,” Buckley said. “I think it’s helping people be a little less stressed since they’ve got somewhere to go.
Full library hours can be found here.
