In March, I wrote an op-ed amid Snell Library’s renovations, voicing concerns that the project would not address the pressing issue of the building: too many students and not enough space.
Now, seven months later with only the second floor left to complete, I can confidently say that I was right. The four floors of Snell certainly do not have enough space to handle the needs of the Northeastern student body, no matter how you try to modify them.
The first floor’s layout and seating arrangement remain largely the same as before the renovations. The third and fourth floors, however, feel almost unrecognizable with their excess of bright colors and booth seating. While it’s obvious that there are physically more places to sit on the upper two floors, they feel more crowded than ever, even without students filling the space.
It seems that when the administration announced it would be improving Snell through renovations, they really meant that they were going to see how much furniture and how many students they could try and fit in the building. Now, when students go to the library, it’s inevitable that they will be surrounded on all sides by others. Students are in closer proximity than before, increasing distractions and decreasing productivity.
That’s not to say that the renovations didn’t give Snell a much-needed facelift; the library looks noticeably newer and brighter than it did when I was a first-year. However, that doesn’t achieve what Northeastern students really needed — more space, not seats.
I stand by the idea that the university needs another library and, at that, one that looks and feels like an academic library.
Snell hardly had character to begin with, but the renovations depleted it completely. From the strangely futuristic entrance to the continued lack of books across any of the main floors, the building feels more like a factory than a library.
Failure to address the actual issues of Snell Library deprives students of a necessary campus resource and leaves me with the same belief I had seven months ago. I hope that the university eventually realizes the need for another library and commits to expansion of the Boston campus, not just elsewhere.
Kara Orsini is a fourth-year health science major and columnist for The News. She can be reached at [email protected].
The Huntington News is dedicated to serving the Northeastern University community with original, professional reporting and creating an environment in which student journalists can learn from one another. Support an independent, free press at Northeastern University with your donation today.
