Lebec Reading Room at Bobst Library

Lebec Reading Room at Bobst Library:

I spent lots of time here at the end of first semester because of the 24/7 library hours; I really, really like the library at night and nobody was here after roughly 2 A.M. usually, so you almost have the entire 14 floor library to yourself, and you really feel this in this giant reading room. The large ceilings (the reading rooms use 2 floors worth of space vertically) and expansive area really emphasize space – this is also seen in the atrium; rather than a waste of space, it emphasizes something, I think loftiness and ability, but I’m not certain. At night, the empty desks also contribute to this feeling – during the day, I’m sure the full desks would contribute to a vibe as well. Also, worth noting is these large spaces, like the atrium and reading rooms, and their lack of books, and what that says about this specific library. Also, the general utilitarianism aesthetic of our library is betrayed slightly in these reading rooms, with wooden chairs and tables (wooden chairs are featured in most reading rooms at Bobst, but not Lebec) and lighting that makes it seem like there are hints of aesthetic interest – you can feel slight desires to be like old, historicized libraries that you usually don’t feel at Bobst. Also, the bubble of not talking that’s enforced by culture is really cool here; like, this is a space where it’s culturally unacceptable to talk, and this rule is enforced by implications (I tried playing music once here in an empty room and felt really guilty). A common sentiment is the best galleries are the ones where you don’t realize you’re in a gallery, and I think that is echoed in the Lebec Reading Room, in Bobst Library.