Originally published in print, September 2021.

Illustration by Linde Vergeylen. 

 

Over the past year and a half, it was not the lack of in-person tutorials, lectures, coffee from the perch or even my weekly burrito from Mama’s Revenge that made me miss campus. It was the lack of access to the library that really did it for me. 

 

I thought I would not miss the packed Lecky, that was always too loud for my liking, or trying every floor of the Ussher to find a spot to sit in and eventually settling for the Lecky. At least I did not think I would miss it for a while, but to my surprise, and quite early on in my stay-at-home period, I developed a real need to visit the library once again. 

 

The library is not only a great working space to ponder over my essays and take out books that often turn out to be less useful than one had imagined based on their titles, it is also an essential part of college social life. 

 

I miss being able to take a whole row of seats in the Lecky with my friends because we would be “studying” hard while sneaking in food and hot beverages past the security guards. Or bumping into one of my friends unexpectedly and having a chat about a module. It also served as a reflective space for me, I would browse aisles upon aisles and reflect upon my modules. There is an inevitable essence to the library that makes one think, solve and investigate. 

 

Don’t get me wrong, there are parts of the library that would always drive me mad, like the queues to the bathrooms or the water fountain, trying to figure out the printers  and the seat huggers who would drive me insane during exam season. In truth, I even miss those things that drove me mad, but most of all, I miss the crowds of people going in and out from the library, because it is the energy created by people that has always made the library such a vital part of college life. Now, the library experience seems much different. 

 

Last year, I didn’t bump into any of my friends in the library. Instead, I had to fill in a specific time that I was going to arrive there and hastily search for books that were essential to my study. This has taken all the joy out of the library, as it has become a security fortress, albeit a necessary one, for our safety. Despite the fact that the library lost its essence due to entry restrictions and implemented social distancing, the library staff made it as accessible as possible. I visited the library sparingly last year and it was very efficient and safe for me and others. The time restrictions on study spaces, although frustrating as I couldn’t really get into the study mindset, were necessary for everyone to remain safe and gave a chance to all students to get some study done, even if it was limited. Because let’s be honest, none of us want seat huggers during a pandemic. 

 

 I know it will remain that these restrictions will remain until at least Reading Week. But my God, I hope that this will be temporary, because to me, the library is the soul of the entire campus.