Library Ethnography Analysis

For my ethnography project I chose to study the life at the library located at Bryant University. A library is a key component in a culture, giving people a perfect environment to study, learn, work, and preserve important information from the past and the present. In order to maintain good grades in college, students have to dedicate a handful of their time to studying for each of their classes. Most college students prefer to study and do work in the library due to its quiet and peaceful atmosphere, compared to other places around campus that may seem to be more distracting. The library during the day can be a completely different atmosphere compared to a night. During the day, students tend to use it as a place to go during free time
On the first floor, students are allowed to do group work and talk if necessary, although they might receive dirty looks from the other students who are trying to concentrate. The second floor is strictly a “no talking” zone. When choosing where in the library I wanted to observe or an hour, I decided on the downstairs area where most people like to go. The area is surrounded by tall windows which gives a beautiful view of the fountain in the pond. There are many large tables in the middle all which have four seats as well as additional seating along the windows. The air was filled with the smell of new books and warm coffee. The environment was warm and quiet, besides the aching sound of constant coughing and sniffling due to the recent change of season. Mostly everybody in the room was wearing comfortable clothes such as sweats and all of the girls all had their hair up messily. Does being comfortable really improve their focus and make them work
A major reason why they get distracted too easily is due to their strong connection with their cellphones and the internet in general. We have grown up in a generation where technology is such a huge part of our lives and we feel the need to be constantly checking our phones and to always have it by our side. When searching the web while studying, it is extremely easy for students to find themselves on YouTube or even checking their Facebook’s which happens more often than not. Students like to be as comfortable as then can when they go to the library perhaps because they figure they will be there for a while and won’t be able to focus and hard if they are uncomfortable for any reason. The research of student behavior and work habits in libraries has been going on for years for ways libraries can be improved. Anthropologist’s Gina Hunter and Dane Ward explain, “As librarians and scholars attempt to document and understand these changes, ethnographic methods have proven insightful for gaining and in-depth look at students study habits, modes of research, and use of library facilities." Overtime there will become better ways for students to overcome being easily distracted and procrastinating. Anthropologists will continue to study this topic in hopes for