To the Library

“Where is the library?”

This was the question from the clueless blonde (me) in class last Thursday upon receiving a list of research sources for our upcoming Media Plan Project.

Most research is done online now (first big change from my undergraduate days), but there are still some print periodicals and such that you can find at an actual book-filled library. And so, as I am still in eager pursuit of the drastic, new adventures in the World of Graduate School, I decided to start there.

Then: My undergrad “campus” was one building in the heart of downtown. I lived in the dorm across the street. The library and bookstore were across the street in the other direction. Basically, I spent my entire life within 2 blocks. I could get anywhere within 3 minutes. (Of course, when it was snowing and below freezing, it felt more like 10.)

Now: My grad campus is almost literally an entire city itself. Every time I go to campus, I take some sort of urban hike (longer if I park, shorter if I take the bus) to get to where I need to go. The main library, I discovered is on the other extreme side of campus from my parking garage and all the other buildings I’ve had to frequent. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind walking and I’d rather schlep around in the heat than the cold, but it’s the time it takes that I can’t get over. 3 minutes? Try 30.

Then: I’ve written about the culture of performance majors at hard core music conservatories before. We used the library for the following reasons: to check out new musical scores to play around with, to check email, to find the friend we’d been looking for and hadn’t found after scouring all 5 floors of practice rooms, but most frequently to hide out in the listening room and listen to recordings (sometimes for a class, but more often for fun.)

Now: People go to the library to study. There were actually people besides Ph.D. students sitting at the tables and carrels! Thank God the people are generally nice here. After all, someone had to show me how to, you know, find a book. And how to use the copy machine.

Then: Staying too long at a university library-with all of the whispering, quiet concentration (HOW can people develop ideas this way?) and the stillness - made me feel mentally claustrophobic. At some point, I’d be completely consumed with one thought: I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!

Now: Staying too long at a university library-with all of the whispering, quiet concentration (HOW can people develop ideas this way?) and the stillness - makes me feel mentally claustrophobic. At some point, I’m completely consumed with one thought: I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!! I mean for the love of Pete, there’s no teen fiction in this library!