No Food, No Backpack, Just Grab A Seat and Read -Richard Ho

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“Excuse me, please leave your backpack in the lockers on the hallway.”

“My bad, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, make sure you bring a quarter.”

This was my first experience on the fifth floor at Hamilton Library.

On my way to the fifth floor, the elevator stopped on the third, and as the door opened I could hear the laughers coming from students, collaborating on their work. As the door closes and makes its way to the fifth, I immediately sensed a different atmosphere. The dim lights and the quietness almost prevented me from stepping out of the elevator.

I progressed into the room and began to take mental notes on how the individuals in the room are situated. I noticed that almost everyone likes to sit on the side of the room with the floor to ceiling windows. I imagined these hardworking individuals are going to be here for a while, might as well grab a good seat to enjoy the view.

If I were to compare Hamilton Library to a Shaolin Temple, the students on the first floor would be the trainees, with the weakest level of concentration. As the floor ascends, the level of focus of the individuals increases, and the room gets quieter. Moving towards the peak of the temple, the students on the third floor would be the apprentices, and finally, the few scholars on the fifth floor would be the veterans, perhaps the masters, that mastered the highest level of concentration.  

Unlike Farge, I do not share his experience of scrambling for the perfect place to dive into these historical documentations. However, I do find the will of these individuals fascinating. Just the thought of staying in the same seats for hours gives me the chills, so I tip my hat to these brave souls for dedicating their lifes in the name of history and research.