Thursday, November 08, 2007

It's Important to See and Be Seen

I was talking to some of our circ students last night who were RAVING about the new Gleason Library. The space is pretty much one big open room with floor to ceiling windows at one end. One of the reasons they like it so much (this is after less than one week of use!...) is that "people can see you" and "you can see your friends".

I had never thought of that as an important consideration.

They then
proceeded to tell that of course, that was part of the reason that people liked to study at Carlson library -- you can see your friends thought the glass windows as they come up and down the glass staircase. I knew the windows gave the library an open, airy feel. I had never considered that the reason it appealed to students was that they could see their friends through the windows.

It's important to see and be seen.

1 comment:

LorraineP said...

This jives with what I've heard from students at RRL. Apparently, the Periodical Reading Room is where students go "to be seen to be studying." I've also been told (although I don't know if it's true) that some students will actually *dress up* to study in PRR. So, yes, it's important to be seen. :)