Portrait of a College Library Patron

In the past 1.5 years, I've spent more hours in the good ol' Harold B. Lee Library than I'd like to admit. Over these months, I have observed many different library types or personalities. Because random ideas like this come to me when I should be working on other things, I'll share with you my findings. As I said, these findings come from hours of qualitative, ethnographic observation, so they cannot be generalized to a larger population:

The Dramatic Typist 
This is the person who, even though she is using a laptop with quiet keyboard, pounds the life out of the keys while typing what seems to be a very important paper. Many people go quietly on their way, and type quietly on their way, but this person prefers all in their general vicinity to know they are working under a deadline by making more noise than the guy snoring at the next table. And that brings me to my next type—

The Sleeper 
In my undergraduate days, I was all about the quick nap in the library. After all, 5 hours of sleep every night is hardly sustainable. I don't sleep in the library anymore, but many people do. My favorite version of this species is what I call the "Sleeper-non-Studier." These are the people who plop down at a table, and without so much as unzipping their backpack, fall asleep at the table. I have seen the phenomenon more times than I can count. Then, if you're having a good day, you'll see this same person, wake up with a jolt (usually with a string of spit from the table to their mouth) and leave the library in a rush. Keep in mind the backpack has still not been unzipped. Those poor, underutilized books in that poor, zipped-up backpack. These people seem to be oblivious to the main purpose of a college library. Speaking of oblivious . . .

The Blissful and Clueless
These are the people who merrily skip into the BYU stereotype of the student in love. Yes, these are those boyfriends and girlfriends who, beyond the annoying PDA, share a chair (despite there being an abundance of chairs available), whisper loudly to each other while their neglected books remain uncracked (those poor forgotten textbooks), share headphones while catching up on their Hulu shows together, and exchange googly-eyed looks with each other. Let's just remember this all goes on with 35–70 other people in their near vicinity who are all trying to ignore the annoying couple in the middle of the room.

The Socializer
These people come to the library to hang out with friends or roommates, or to find a date. The girls show up in their 4-inch Jimmy Choos (how anyone can wear 4-inch heals around campus baffles me), freshly applied lip gloss—and that on-the-hunt look in their eyes as they espy the table with the best-looking guy(s).
These are also the folks who sit eight to a table meant for four simply because they can't leave anyone out—except their poor textbooks, which still never get opened. This can also include guys who ask for help on simple Microsoft Word functions merely to get a date. (I may or may not have personal experience with this one.)


The Fidgeter
The fidgeter is among the most interesting library species. They hum to the music they're listening to, sway back and forth for no apparent reason, tap their pencil on the table, jiggle their legs to cause the entire table to shake, and mutter nonsense to themselves. They generally seem to be oblivious to the socially acceptable practice of library patronage—namely, to make yourself as inconspicuous as possible so others can concentrate on their studies. 

The Food Rebel 
It is a truth universally acknowledged that food is not allowed in the library. Recently, the HBLL has opened a snack zone where *gasp* food is allowed. For centuries, people have been sneaking in full pizzas in pizza boxes*, bowls of spaghetti*, tuna sandwiches*, and burned popcorn* to get them through their long study sessions. And for some reason, these furtive foodies must eat these items somewhere besides the approved snack area. Perhaps it's the thrill of the unapproved act that leads them do such acts, but I will probably never know for sure.
*I have seen or smelled each of these personally in my library experience.

While there are other library species, these are among the most prevalent and interesting in my recent experience.