By Kate Rickman
A new online reservation system designed to eliminate waitlists is in effect this semester for checking out study rooms at the library.
Instead of checking out a room upon entry, like in previous semesters, students must now reserve a study room on the library’s website on a first come, first serve basis. There are 16 study rooms available for three-hour blocks. Library employees are not allowed to provide a key until they see that the student has a reservation and their student ID.
With the previous system, students signed a waitlist with their name and phone number if the study rooms were full. Once a room became vacant, a front desk employee called to inform the student it was available. Waitlists sometimes became extensive during midterms or finals weeks.
“The new system should be combined with the old one,” said Anabella Keim, sophomore mass communications major. “You should be able to reserve a room, but you should still be able to walk in. I feel like I can’t even use them anymore.”
Adriana Barnes, a junior English major, feels it “takes so much extra time” to do an online reservation and that it’s much simpler to “just show up and give them your ID.”
Several students now feel discouraged from using the rooms, as they say it feels like an inconvenience.
“I like it because you are probably going to go at a certain time anyway,” said Theo Lomardi, sophomore accounting major. He said he prefers the freedom to choose the room, like a quiet one on the second or third floor.
Each time a student checks out a study room, they must choose the room capacity needed, the specific room and the time. They are required to confirm the reservation through their email each time.
It seems to be a general consensus among students that the first come, first serve policy is an ideal way of checking out rooms, regardless of whether or not the student regularly checks out rooms.
Adam Arbisi, a junior mass communications major, believes that first come first serve is “most viable,” but online booking should not be mandatory.
To reserve a study room through the library’s new system, click here.
