By Fiona Rowlands
Study rooms 122 and 123, located on the first floor of the Rebecca Crown Library, have now been converted into offices for Student Success and Engagement staff members. The head librarian declined comment.
The decision to turn these valuable spaces into offices was administrative and did not come from the SSE office. However, students have created a petition to reclaim the spaces.
Leah Knobbe, a computer science major and a library circulation assistant, voiced her concerns about the decision.
“As a student, it makes me angry because these rooms are supposed to be for students,” she said. “As a library worker, I have turned away about 10 people just this past week. We have rooms up on the second floor full of boxes that could be used as offices, but they instead decide to use the study rooms.”
When finals approach, there are usually enough study spaces in the library for everyone.
For the past two years, Dominican has broken records for enrollment, but the growth of students has caused a decrease in available study spaces.
Jennifer Lopez, a senior majoring in behavioral neuroscience, said she studies at school due to difficulty concentrating at home.
“It is a resource students use to focus,” she said. “Taking that away from us does not seem beneficial for students’ academic journeys.”
If this change has impacted your ability to study or makes you disappointed, you can sign the petitions on the first and second floors of the library.
