Is the SMC library turning into a nursery?

Walking through the library, anyone looking to study in a soft, plush chair will be sorry to see all of the seating taken up by “student nappers.” Most college students can agree that we do not get enough sleep, and that even a brief nap in the library can be crucial to a student’s sleep schedule, but SMC should designate a specific area to nap in, so other students can get actual schoolwork done in the library. The SMC library should crack down on this behavior so that students who need the library for study purposes can do so. After all, that is what the library was built for.

“It’s frustrating not finding any place to study,” said Jonothon Diaz, an SMC student. He goes on to explain that he does not mind other students sleeping in the library, just the amount of space they take up doing so.

Others will disagree and maintain that the library should allow napping because of the large workload and lack of sleep that many students face.

Not everyone thinks students should be restricted from sleeping in the library. Common human experience proves after all that the mind needs rest to function properly. A little nap between studying for tests and attending classes goes a long way.  Sleeping in the library might be a hassle to students who come to study and do not find a place to sit, but at some point in their academic career they will be those students whose eye lids get heavier in the middle of the day.

“I think they should have a place for others to nap because it’s kind of annoying not finding a place to study when I have work after school,” said Marissa Estrada, another SMC student and frequent library-user. “I like to get as much work done as possible at school so I can rest at home.”

The SMC library does not have any future plans to make a special place for students to rest, so it looks like sleeping students will continue to dominate library seating intended for studying for quite a while.