STUDENT WRITING: Observation by ARTURO GARCIA

UTEP’s Library

When I hear the word “library,” my mind automatically registers: tranquility, peace, silence, and books. However, now that I am in UTEP’s library I notice that the concept that I had is wrong.

When I was in my university, you could see just smart guys in our library whereas here everyone is different. They do not have a specific pattern. I can see people who look like smart students but others look as if they were going to a rock concert. A kind of peaceful place it is not exactly.
Some people seem to think that they are in the Chamizal Park. For example, there is a young couple of students behind me who think that they are on a park bench. They are watching a movie on a library computer. Every thirty seconds, they kiss each other, and the man is sharing food as if she were a baby. Maybe they have forgotten that they are in the library.

I also notice that this library is not a silent place because everybody talks a lot. Instead of whispering, they are talking however they want. For example, there is a help desk in front of me where a female worker stands up every time that she sees a chair or table in the wrong position. She walks in front of me wearing a pair of brown boots with big zippers that sound like bells and she has a large amount of keys hanging from her belt loops. Can you imagine this kind of person working in a library?

It is funny to see how we disrespect the purpose of the library and we do not respect the rules, not even the employees do. For example, there is a sign on the wall that says: “Please use cell phones outside the center,” but everybody is talking on the phone inside. It looks like an AT&T customer service center.

In addition, this library is divided into two sections. One is the park that I have already mentioned and the other is where the books are. In this specific section, there are no people. Nobody wants to take a book when they can use a computer which has the same information. Obviously, some students have to check out some books, but most students go to the computer room to enjoy their time in the library.
I like the library. It is very organized and everything is clean. It has a lot of very nice details. However, I think that the name “library” is a misnomer; I would call it “The Fun Library.”