Upon the closure of the Lydia M. Olson Library over winter break, there has been a widespread concern across campus: where will NMU students go to study without a library? The library had a culture that some could consider irreplaceable, a calm and peaceful setting that could not be found in bustling academic buildings. Now, students have no choice but to migrate and find new study spaces around campus.
A few weeks have passed since the winter semester started, meaning that many students have already found new places to work. Not only must they study somewhere else, but they also have to adapt to the displacement of library books. Students now have to venture the basement of Gries Hall to access books and other library resources. With further to walk and fewer places to study, some have had trouble adapting to the change.
“I did usually have multiple spots where I would float around to study, but I found that the spots that I would normally go to are busier,” Ali Myers, a third-year environmental science major said. “The people who would usually use the library are all over the place. At first, I thought it’d be fine because I’ve got other places that aren’t the library to go and study. But now, I’m finding that even the atrium over in Weston is busier than usual.”
Myers has not found a place to study consistently yet, but she is happy to find herself exploring Marquette.
“I’ve definitely had to switch it up more, and then I’ve also found myself trying to find other places off campus, just because of how busy other places have been,” Myers said. “I’ve gone to the public library, but it does switch up my normal habits.”
Academic buildings have been filled with students at all times of the day, with many studying on each floor of Jamrich Hall, Hedgecock, Weston and in Starbucks. While there are other places besides the library that people can settle down in, the serene nature of the library is absent.
Some students have also struggled to access books and library resources since the closure. For others, they did not have to do much adapting.
“I only used [books] like once or twice even when I had access to the library,” Myers said. “I do mostly use their online features, and there hasn’t been a change with that.”
For some, the library’s closure has had little to no effect on them. Freshman Taylor Zima rarely goes to the library and is satisfied with studying elsewhere. She often finds herself in Jamrich because it is where she parks, and it is convenient because she has classes in the same area. She recognizes, however, that difficulties can arise for other students.
“From what I’ve heard, the second floor of the library is the best place to study,” Zima said. “[Workers] should have probably started [renovating] in the summertime and [gone] into the next academic year, and not the middle of the year.”
Although some students preferred to study in alternate locations already, the library’s renovation has caused many people to change their study habits. NMU students will have to continue to find new places to study until the library reopens in January 2026.
Find updates on the progress of renovations and resources from the library here.
