Hello, It’s midterm time and the law school (third floor) is closed to everyone except law students. Today in the afternoon, the rest of library was full. Me and my friend couldn’t find a table or chair anywhere, so we decided to go to the third floor. There had to be seven students up there with dozens of open tables and chairs. We sat at a table and started studying for our midterm that was going to take place in a few hours. We weren’t talking to each other or doing group work, just reading over notes. The law library supervisor came over to us and asked us if we were law students. Of course we said no, but we said there isn’t anywhere to go. He kicked us out and told us to find somewhere off campus.

We are both commuters and the library is the only place to really go to study. We walked around campus for a good while until we found somewhere to go, but there wasn’t much study time left. I get it the third floor is only for the law students studying. But during these peak hours I think if the first three floors are saturated and the law floor is barley occupied, some student should be aloud to study there as a quiet area or something. Thanks.

Thanks for writing. I’m sorry you had such trouble finding space to study for your exam. I understand that space is in extremely short supply here at the library and around campus. The law school is in the midst of its accreditation process, and in order to get its full accreditation (which includes having law library resources) the law library must have dedicated spaces for law students only to study and conduct research.

We have record numbers of students here at Drexel this term, so this restriction is especially difficult right now. The university recognizes the severity of this problem, and is working to significantly expand study spaces before Thanksgiving. Please keep an eye on the library log on the homepage for announcements about new study space.

Here’s another comment from a recent blog posting about restrictions on Hagerty’s 3rd floor.

…I think that this restriction blocks everyone else us from having the opportunity to study in a non talkative environment. The other levels of the library tend to get really LOUD especially with people holding conversations and talking on their cell phones. Some of us do really want the opportunity to study in a quite area; and the only way to truly get that is to study on the 3rd floor. Thank you.

We know it can get really bustling and noisy in the library–especially when everyone’s packed in so tight. There are designated quiet areas throughout the library, including in the enclosed room at the bottom of the stairs on the lower level and the computer hub area on the first floor. If you are in a quiet area and you feel the noise it too much, please see a staff member at the circulation desk, and we will seek to resolve the problem. In addition, you can check out headphones or pick up a pair of earplugs at the circulation desk to drown out some noises.

Find another recent comment about the 3rd floor restrictions here.

People are commenting about Hagerty’s 3rd floor restrictions. Here’s what one student has to say:

It is messed up how the 3rd floor is about to be restricted again. We should have access any day in the year. We have exams and tests and need room to study as well. There is no reason that we can’t use it while there’s only 5 people using the whole floor. Kill the restriction, or we break it.

Thanks for your comments. Although they are in the same building, the law library is a separate library from Hagerty with its own policies, rules, and procedures. For this reason, they have different rules about who can enter and when. Just as Hagerty restricts access to Drexel students only during the university’s regular Drexel exam periods, the law library restricts access to law students only during their exams. We know there’s a space crunch, which is why during this time we’re closing Hagerty to the public and restricting computer use to current Drexel community members only.

We’ve recently received several questions from non-law students asking why Hagerty’s third floor is closed during law school exams. We understand your frustration. Drexel is growing fast, and as a result we’re all cramped for space. During the law library’s temporary occupation of Hagerty’s third floor, non-law students are welcomed to take advantage of the space. But during exams, as at other law schools, the study space must be reserved for law students only. If you are looking for another quiet study space, check out the designated quiet areas on Hagerty’s lower and first levels. Wireless access is available, or you can get an Ethernet cable from the circulation desk and plug it into one of the many jacks distributed throughout the building. We have new Ethernet jacks in rooms 127 and L01—both of these rooms are designated quiet study areas.