As a depository of books and information, libraries are great public spaces. However, my experience has been that studying there could not be a worse idea, as the areas are usually rife with distractions.
For SHS students, the Saratoga public library has major drawbacks as a study haven. While it is only a 5-minute drive away, there is a large percentage of the student body who doesn’t drive and, if they can’t get a ride, will have to endure the blazing sun in a 20-minute trek there. At that point, they might as well go to Teazentea, which is only a 15-minute walk and has a bearable noise level in the afternoons.
Compounding the issues, this past summer, the library installed a new children’s play area for kids 10 and under. Though this new installation could be a potential way to introduce younger audiences to books, it is yet another source of chaos for those who want to study seriously in the library.
Then there are the issues with the nearby schools. With Redwood Middle School and the St. Andrew’s School close by, afternoons are flooded with younger students. Commonly, students from these two schools walk to the library to wait for their parents to pick them up, treating the library as a sort of after-school childcare stand-in instead of a quiet space where others try to work or study.
While it is true that the library has posted “quiet study areas,” there aren’t enough of them for everyone’s needs.
The design of the library itself may contribute to some of these problems, as an open-floor plan with few doors and soundproofing does little to mitigate the noise problems. The placement of the teen reading section, where many middle schoolers spend their time, directly next to the adult section, where most of the study areas are, certainly does not decrease noise levels either.
Adding to the structural problems, the ventilation in the library is fairly poor. Even though the AC system is supplemented with overhead fans, it still performs far worse than the system at SHS library. While this issue may not affect everyone, tackling two hours of math homework in a stuffy building is insufferable.
The SHS library is far more accessible than the public library, but is sometimes closed to students because of meetings or events. With opening hours between 7:45 a.m. and 4 p.m., it only offers a measly 15 minutes of after-school study time on Red Days, barely adequate for students to boot up their computer, check emails and load Canvas.
As (pretty much) the number one place to study on campus, many people find themselves gravitating to the library. With more people in the library, it is also more likely for students to run into friends, distracting them and derailing a study session.
Theoretically, studying in libraries should work better than it tends to. If you have no alternative but to study in either of these librariesI have these two “must-haves” if it’s going to work: a pair of amazing noise-cancelling headphones and a personal fan to stay cool.
