One of the annoyances of studying in the Library is the constant buzz of conversation going on all over the hall. Part of this is entirely needless and part, at present, is unavoidable. A considerable portion of the patrons of Widener are day students who have no other place to get together except the Union,--and the Union, however democratic and universal, has dues. Also it is somewhat out of the way as a place to drop in between classes. Accordingly, the only common place of meeting left is Widener.

Much, if not all of this inconvenience could be eliminated entirely if a plan were adopted similar to that in operation at Austin Hall, in the Law School. Here a special room is reserved as a smoking room where men can do just this sort of thing,--get together and talk between hours. In the Law School Library, (the same building), silence is required and maintained, largely because those who wish to talk have only to take a few steps to find a room in which to do it, disturbing nobody.

The same result could be easily obtained in Widener if some room,--for instance one of the lecture rooms on the top floor, unused a large part of the day,--were assigned for this purpose. If there is no space in Widener available, there are odd rooms in some of the other buildings in the Yard which could be converted to this sort of a common-room for day students without much expense or trouble. By establishing such a room in a central location, without the dues contingent upon--membership in the Union; the present "conversation-tables" could be eliminated from the Reading-Rooms, silence could be enforced, and the "atmosphere of study" which is now supposed to permeate Widener would become a fact.