Letters to the Editor

The Library – An Overblown Issue?

To the Editor:
For the past few weeks, the circulating question on campus has been whether or not the library should continue to act as the social hub of student life. The announcement of stricter reinforcement of library policies has been met with an uproar of student opposition. With the closing of Commons approaching and its relocation to the old ice hockey rink, many people fear that there will no longer be a central place for students to socialize, adding even more to Andover’s already stressful environment. On the other hand, some say that the library is preserving its integrity as a place of quiet study by enforcing tighter regulations. At All School Meetings, in a myriad of student articles, even as a group on Facebook, the issue of the library has been analyzed from every possible angle, and frankly, it has been blown totally out of proportion. With hours of homework, clubs, community service projects, and sports commitments, students find refuge in spending a few minutes mingling and chatting with friends. This is when places such as the library and Ryley Room come into play. Students complain that these retreats are being taken away from them, but is that really the case? During the renovation of Commons, the Underwood Room will be converted into a temporary student center, complete with furniture moved from Ryley and a stage set up for future dances. On the other side of the issue, supporters of strict library regulations insist that the Garver Room should be a place of complete silence, with the argument that it is hard for students to find a place to study quietly when others around them are being loud and creating a disturbance. But the Garver Room is not the only place on campus students can study. Many people often forget that facilities such as Graham House, the basement of the library, the Brace Center for Gender Studies, and even those comfortable armchairs in Gelb are all often-overlooked places open for student use. To put it plainly, we are making a mountain out of a molehill in regards to the library. Discussing this issue has been beneficial in that it allows us to see the entire picture, but the time has come to gear our focus on something new.