Blog Post #1: Observing People in Hamilton Library

Amity Tran

HON 101

Schultz

1 September 2016

Blog Post #1

I entered Hamilton Library. Relieved to be out of the scorching heat, I enjoyed the air conditioning for a few seconds; then, I started feeling confused and anxious. Where do I go? What do I do? Too scared to ask for help, I walked downstairs. Nope. Nobody here. Too quiet. Too scary. I speed walked back to the first floor. Since that did not work out, I walked upstairs. I cautiously wandered around the second floor. After aimlessly wandering, I walked to the elevators. I saw the elevators on the first floor, but I was not sure if I was allowed to use them. Unlike the first floor, there was nobody around on the second floor, so if I was not allowed to use them, nobody was there to tell me. I pushed the button. The elevator arrived. I got in and pressed 5.

The elevator got to the fifth floor. I mentally prepared myself for the unfamiliarity of the reading room. I entered the room. It is quiet, very quiet. I heard every click of a keyboard, every scratch of a pencil against paper and every turn of a page. I carefully chose a seat away from the other students. Not wanting to look creepy as I observed people, I opened a book and pretended to read. My eyes turned to a man bent over a textbook, head leant on one hand. It was only the second week of school, but judging from his expression, I could tell he was already drained. My gaze then took me to a woman on her laptop. I do not know what she was doing but she was intensely focused on her screen. She was facing toward me. I was hoping she would not notice me observing, so I quickly looked away. Another student entered the reading room. He stood at the entrance and scanned the room for a few seconds, then he walked back out. A few minutes after he left, I, too, decided to leave.

After observing the students in the reading room, I remembered what Farge said of the archives on page 52,”This is where our work begins.” This sentence gave me a newfound appreciation for the library; I should not think of the library as a scary place. The library provides me with the knowledge and resources I need to earn my degree. The library is where I make sure my tuition is well spent. The library is my go-to place to study and focus on tasks that need to be done. The library is where my work begins.