For second-year liberal studies major, Elana Gladish, the fourth and fifth floors of Kennedy Library are somewhere she rarely dares to venture.
“I like a focused environment for studying as much as the next person but the amount of quiet above the third floor [of the library] makes me feel like I can’t even breathe without being too loud” says Gladish.
As the designated “quiet study” floors of the five-story library, the fourth and fifth floors are intended for individual study. For offenders of this rule, “library staff are available to reinforce… expectations of quiet” according to Kennedy Library’s website.
It’s generally accepted that the level of noise decreases with each added level of the library.
“I much prefer to study with a group of friends even if we’re working on separate things,” says Gladish. “I’ve never personally used the upper levels but I might need them one day so I’m glad it’s an option.”
Culture at the Kennedy 