Atmosphere in Library Not Conducive To Studying

Many students would probably believe that the best place to study on campus would be in the Shatford Library. After all, it seems like a sensible and rational place for someone to engage in quality study time. We are warned with signs to remain silent and to turn off our cell phones. However, people choose to ignore that rule. Instead, the place sounds like the zoo, where children are observing the monkey exhibit for the first time.

When asked about the disruptions in the library, "Sometimes those patrons don't pay attention, they forget they are in the library. They talk on their cell phones or they chitchat with each other, sometimes close to the circulation desk," said Vanessa Lo, a clerk at the library circulation desk.

For those who hang out in the atrium or on the third floor, it gets pretty loud and sometimes it can't be controlled. Lo said if she were given a scale of one to five for the level of noise, she would give a three or four.

She found herself reminding people to tone their volume on many occasions, sometimes more than once.

Visiting the library can be like going to the L.A. County Fair, the entire facility was plagued with noise. People were engrossed in deep conversation amongst themselves.

You can't help but notice a few of them advertising their personal business over their cell phones or at the study tables with absolutely no sense of privacy. You are witness to a situation that is comparable to gossip in a knitting circle. The library's purpose seems to have dissipated on this campus.

Though not all may not entirely agree. "Usually, [noise is] pretty contained . [but] even then, you get the noise from the air conditioner," said Logan Taylor, a 20-year-old anthropology major.

The heritage-themed private study rooms look more like a happy hour gathering at T.G.I. Friday's than a study room. Walking past those rooms, you find people behaving rambunctiously, sometimes throwing paper planes or dancing.

If you happen to be in one of the computer labs in the Shatford, you're more likely to find people squealing over their latest MySpace or Facebook comment.

Suddenly, they forget why they are even there in the first place. The sociology research paper might as well be in the shredder.

If the campus had more indoor social hangouts for people to gather, the library would be a quiet place to study. An indoor café would be perfect for those who detest the outdoors.

A library should be a place where someone can spend some quiet studying time or indulge in books galore. It should be a place where people can get their work done. Instead, it has transformed into a place for social networking.

Hopefully, traffic will decrease when Measure P construction is complete. Until then, the school should do a better job of providing areas for students to socialize so

that students don't feel cheated when they step into the library to study.