On Libraries

I understand that some people are only able to “get things done” in a library setting.  They love the absolute silence, the camaraderie they feel as they steal glances at the other people holed up along with them, and feeling self-important because they are in a library.

I’m totally not that person.  I like being around chit-chat, music, coffee and scones.  Most of the time, I complete most of my readings and assignments at this rad café near my apartment that is populated by every type of lesbian you could ever imagine.  But, that’s for a different post.

When I do need to spend some quality time in a library, I need to get as far away from my fellow students as possible.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy their company- it’s quite the opposite, everyone is great.

I just think the education school’s library is ass ugly.  It’s gray, block-y and misshapen….and don’t get me started on the lack of quality snacks in the vending machines.  No Reese’s Pieces?  Un-ac-cep-ta-ble.

I’ve never truly had luck with college libraries.  My undergraduate school, just across the river, had an equally hideous library- one that I spent most of my first two years of college at because I thought I had to be there.  That’s what television had taught me about higher education, thankyouverymuch “Felicity” (GOD Ben where have you been all of my life?).

It was only until my third year of college where I began to veer away from it and do all of my assignments at a faux-trendy coffee shop across the street.  Perhaps that move lent itself to my GPA steadily decreasing over those years…or the fact that I finally came out (I KNOW) and began kissing people again.

That stuff distracts you.

Flash forward to present day.  The university I currently attend is known for some fabulous facilities because it is as old as dirt and I think it’s absurd that one of their libraries is so unattractive.

Which leads me to the law library whenever I can.  I mean- they have Latin written on their walls, cleaner bathrooms, and free coffee.  FREE.  COFFEE.  The added bonus is that, because I am in the education school and am surrounded by a cadre of harried law students, I am the most relaxed, calm person there.

The students around me have stacks of heavy law books, highlighted out the wazoo, and wouldn’t dare make a sound because they’ve seen “The Paper Chase” one too many times.  Meanwhile, I’m reading about “Sesame Street” and trolling around EW.com to see what Tina Fey is up to that day.  Note:  being awesome.

I take a bit of thrill in this, especially considering the fact that law students tend to not be the least friendly of graduate students here.  But they’ll also make $100,000 more than me when they are done so I GUESS it balances out.  Isn’t life fair?

Other Ed school students- who have also escaped the traps of their assigned library- have admitted to feeling the same way.  I think it helps balance out the crazy we see with our own classmates and makes us realize that we have it pretty good.

Even though some of our buildings won’t win any awards for being visually stimulating (in a positive sense), we all think it’s pretty cool that we are where we are.

Free coffee can do that to people.