The LSU Library is not at the standard it should be and isn’t equipped to provide students with a productive learning environment.
This is the simple and unfeigned truth. The LSU Library is in dire need of upgrades. Despite the future plans made present in LSU’s master plan to demolish the LSU Library and build a new library in forthcoming years, there hasn’t been much action toward improving the library so far. The current master plan was released in 2017, according to LSU’s website.
The master plan goes into great detail about wanting to restore the quad to its historical roots. It details how the quad used to be an open space and not surrounded by buildings as it is now.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the library was built in the center of the quad, disrupting the main gathering space on campus.
Compared to other universities’ libraries, LSU’s library is very subpar.
The University of Akron, located in Akron, Ohio, recently added nap pods in their library and other various locations over campus. These nap pods have been proven to be effective by Akron students stating they boost “their moods, creativity, and focus,” according to the University of Akron’s website.
The University of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, has a library that features a unique environment. The library has a room that is known as the Grand Reading Room, according to the University of Chicago’s Library website. This room provides students with a different studying environment. It’s shaped like a dome and allows natural light to shine through.
This would be beneficial to the students of LSU because many students can attest to feeling tired or overwhelmed throughout the day. Having this resource could provide students with a well-deserved break to prepare them for their next class.
The only notable resource in the LSU library is the Shell-Tutoring Center.
This resource is beneficial for students that require outside instruction from class with the help of students who have already passed that specific class.
What about the students who want to seek help from their peers outside of the tutoring center?
There is extremely limited space for study groups. Not only is the space limited, but it’s also not welcoming or productive for learning.
The list of upgrades that the library needs ranges from fixing the caved-in roof, providing more seating for students, and creating a more productive environment overall.
There are much more upgrades that need to be done, but this would be a start.
Studying in a library is often more effective than studying at home due to the lack of distractions, but the library needs more amenities to cater to students’ success for this to become a reality at the LSU library.
The problem is that in LSU’s library, students cannot focus. The library is very underdeveloped and chaotic, making it impossible to focus. It’s rather easy to get distracted by all of the imperfections.
When the master plan finally goes into effect, it will likely become a much better resource than it is now, but LSU has to break ground on the project for that to occur.
Lindsay Bickham is an 18-year-old Mass Communication Freshman from New Orleans.