By Juliet Bu ‘23, Editor-in-Chief

Photo of Veera Jetley ‘25 Studying in Hawkes Memorial Library by Juliet Bu

The Hawkes Memorial Library used to be my study haven: the letters scratched into the yellow wooden cubicles, the “rocking” chairs, and the couches that were always taken by one of the many students who didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Yet in my senior year, I’ve found myself heading there less and less. Part of the reason is my newfound love for the College Office and my lack of motivation to be productive during my free periods, but overwhelmingly, I just don’t find the same comfort in the place where I spent countless hours waiting for my sister or cramming for my next period test. This year, instead of the quiet, peaceful environment I expected from the library, I found myself turning up my music to the highest volume trying to drown out the conversations of those around me. The reality is, nobody knows how to use a library anymore.

I stopped into the library the other day during 5th period to talk to the patrons. Going from group to group, I asked them a few questions: “Why do you come to the library?” “Would you say this is a more social or academic space?” “How has the library changed this year?” Their responses were telling. Most people told me that they came to the library to “work and talk with [their] friends.” They primarily described it as a social space they went to because “everybody else was [there].” One girl I spoke with said bluntly, “Last year, people were quieter.” 

So, what happened? One difference many students brought up was the new layout; the couches are now in the middle of the library, arranged in a sort of circle. “The library is like a living room. I’m not a fan of the layout. It feels like we’re at home,” two sophomore girls admitted. Perhaps then, it’s the comfortable environment that prompts people to treat the space as a casual “hang-out.” There’s no problem with feeling at home when you’re at school, especially in the building where we spend almost 7 hours a day. But, as a fellow senior lamented to me, “the library is the only space in the entire school designated for studying, and all the underclassmen just go in there to hang out when they could literally hang out anywhere else. The library is supposed to be for work.” 

As an outgoing person, I love social environments, and I understand the appeal of doing everything, including schoolwork, with your friends. Yet when it comes to studying, I, like many others, focus best in a silent space. One senior tells me that he has “a naturally hard time concentrating,” and that he feels like the volume in the library “is especially unfair to those who have a tougher time doing work in loud environments.” With all that goes on at Newark Academy, the library used to be a sacred place where I could reliably be productive. These days, I float around as a lost academic avoiding the chaos of the library during 4th and 5th period.  

In our school, there are countless spaces for socialization but only one designated work space. Before sitting at a table, students should consider what their true intentions are – do they want to get work done, or to converse with friends? Simultaneously, the administration can also help to bolster the learning environment of the library by making open rooms accessible to us during lunch periods, as they were during the pandemic. This would offer groups the opportunity to sit down and collaborate without disturbing others. 

When I spoke with Ms. Moroz, our Head Librarian, she told me that the purpose of our library is “to provide a space and place for personalized learner success.” She also added that the library has been “changing for the last six years due to the strategic plan making it more conducive to education.” When I asked her about consequences for groups misusing the library, she said that after an initial warning, library users may be asked to leave if they continue to be disruptive. Ms. Moroz clarified that not all noise is equated to being disruptive; instead, the librarians evaluate to see whether those around a loud group appear to be disturbed, and if so, the librarians attempt to address the problem before someone complains. 

I love the Hawkes Memorial Library, and I’m glad others enjoy its charm as well. The library is an undeniably fun space featuring a variety of books and the occasional Candy Corn Guessing Contest. At the end of the day, however, it should be reserved for “serious fun,” and I hope we can all work together and return it to the chill, quiet place it used to be.