Study spaces not adequate at Dal library
The Killam Library is a place of congregation where one can study, socialize, cram for exams, watch movies and even fall asleep in the stacks. As many students know, there are a series of standards associated with our beloved library. When those standards are broken, well, people don’t seem to like it.
There are a lot of great things about the Killam, but with exam time approaching, some changes need to be made.
Not enough study space
Sure, you can find somewhere to sit down and do your work during the bright hours of the day, but come evening you’ll be hard pressed to find even a sliver of study space at the Killam.
Constructed in 1971, the library simply isn’t equipped to provide sufficient study space for a 17,000 strong student body. The study spaces overlooking the atrium on the third, fourth and fifth floors are prime real estate, and you’ll be hard pressed to get your *tuchus* in one during midterms or final exams. For those of you more accustomed to cave dwelling, the stacks are your best bet, which are pleasantly quiet and filled with retina-searing fluorescent light. But like the spaces overlooking the atrium, they’re generally full.
If you get shafted from all three floors, then your next best bet is the second floor quiet area. But even that space has issues when it comes to studying. Not only is walking into the room extremely awkward, but due to the lack of space, you’re forced to share tables with people you don’t even know.
Quiet floors aren’t quiet
I’m going to step out on a limb here and assume that most people who use the Killam are literate. However, no one seems to understand what all the quiet signs all over the library actually mean. I can’t tell you how many times I‘ve seen signs that read, “This is a quiet floor” or “Please refrain from conversations, cell phone use and music” that no one seems to follow.
There is a tremendous amount of rationale associated with the rules that exist in our library. Students go to the Killam in search of a safe haven from the usual bustle and noise associated with student life. But when students go to the library, all they find are quiet study floors being used for casual conversation.
This has to end. The library is a place to relax, concentrate on work and remove one’s self from as many forms of procrastination as possible. For those of us who yearn for quiet study spaces, the constant background noise of whispers and overtly loud iPod headphones provide us with a considerable obstacle that prevents us from studying. It almost seems as if the majority of the student population doesn’t care about sustaining the learning environment the Killam is supposed to be creating.
To all of you whisperers and talkers out there: We can hear you, and it’s really annoying.
The place smells like Subway
The pungent aroma of processed cheese, fulsome breads and genetically modified meats fill the air in the Killam atrium. That’s not what a library is supposed to smell like.
Not only does the smell have a negative effect on the library’s atmosphere, the fast food joint takes up most of the usable seating in the once charming atrium. The commodification of the atrium into a Subway has displaced the many students who once congregated there to study and socialize. Now, every time someone enters the library they are faced with the aroma and bustle associated with a restaurant. I highly doubt architect Leslie Fairn’s original design incorporated a fast food restaurant instead of seating areas and study spaces.
The Killam is a decent place to study on campus, but some things need to change to make it more accessible for Dal’s students.
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