W. L. Lyons Brown Library serves as vital study hub

By Zachary Clark

                Bellarmine’s W. L. Lyons Brown Library serves as a central hub for collaboration and study among students, offering a variety of spaces to accommodate different study needs. According to Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian John Boyd, group work for classes is a major attraction, with students frequently utilizing the library for group study and lab work.

                 “I’ve noticed that most students now generally use the library for group study and lab work,” Boyd said. “When students aren’t working in groups, they will almost always be studying or doing individual work on their laptops.”

Said first-year primary education major Chloe Chandler: “I don’t usually do group work in the library. I usually use it to read earlier in the day, then come back later and study or do classwork.” 

Chloe Chandler with a checked-out book in the W.L. Lyons Brown Library.

Students benefit from flexible learning environments at the Brown Library, which offers quiet study areas, group workspaces, and private rooms to suit diverse study preferences.

First-year nursing major Sophie Goe said she almost exclusively studies in the library because of its quietness. “I like coming here to study because it’s a quiet spot, and it’s on campus so I have that feeling that I have to study. It’s just the right environment for it,” she said.

                Goe said she uses the library on a weekly basis. “I usually come to the library about three times a week,” she said.

                Chandler also uses the library frequently. “I try to come to the library around three times in a week,” she said.

                Despite the current digital age, many students still check out physical books. Reference and Instruction Librarian Martha Lundgren said: “E-book checkouts have risen during and since COVID. Physical book checkout declined during COVID but has remained constant since.”

                Chandler said she checks out physical books regularly. “I check out books every week, and I plan to keep doing so,” Chandler said.

                Goe said: “I sometimes check out some self-reading books, but I’m mainly here for studying. I do plan on checking out some more books when I get the chance, though.”