Beginning this semester, students who wish to use individual study rooms in the Torreyson Library will now have to book the rooms in advance.

This service is an expansion of the group study room reservation process that began in fall 2021.

Torreyson Library Director Rodney Lippard said a major benefit of the new system is that students no longer have to search the library for open study rooms.

“Before you even come to the library, you can see online what rooms are available and quickly reserve them,” Lippard said. “This can especially be beneficial for students who have a specific time they need to use a room either for an online class, test or meeting.”

Additionally, Lippard said that all students will have equal access to the study rooms.

“Finding one is not a matter of luck, good timing or bartering,” Lippard said.

The sudden switch from individual study rooms being first come, first served to them having to be reserved has upset multiple students across campus.

Students like sophomore art major Lexi Hoyt say making a reservation is not as fair as the system intends.

“This makes study spaces no longer as accessible as they used to be. For instance, someone could easily reserve a space for multiple days and not show up, making a room not available for those who need it,” Hoyt said. “Also, most people don’t know how to reserve rooms so it will be limiting the ability to get a quiet space as easily as before.”

English education major Sebastian Queen, a junior, shared a similar sentiment.

“I think it’s ridiculous to make a studying environment available by reservation. The library is a public space, and by all means, the studying centers should reflect that,” Queen said.

Queen said that making a reservation will deter people from using the study rooms entirely.

“People will most likely just not use the study rooms out of the inconvenience it poses as opposed to making a reservation.” Queen said, “Also, you have to study when you can, and that can’t always be scheduled. Why fix something that was never broken?”

English major Allison Toomer, a junior, said she believes the change is counterintuitive.

“It was nice being able to find a spot and grab it after class or something to sit down and study, but now you have to reserve it and plan ahead of time to use it, which, let’s be honest, no one plans ahead of time where they’re going to study,” Toomer said.

Not all students oppose the idea of having to reserve study rooms, however. 

Mack Stacy, a junior double majoring in English and history, said the move is a step in the right direction.

“I don’t see a problem with the doors getting left open because whoever reserved it can just let the person know that they have that room. But this way, it’s possible to get one, whereas before, they were always full. If you walk in and there are empty ones, you can just go online and book it right then,” Stacy said.

In response to the criticism, Lippard said, “As with all of our library programs, we are always on the lookout for indicators of success and for things that need to be adjusted. Since we are at the very start of this program, we know that things may not be perfect. We’re always happy to listen to constructive feedback about how we can improve our services, and we welcome ideas about how to make Torreyson Library an even better place to be.”

The process to reserve individual study rooms is the same as reserving group rooms. To reserve any study room, students can go to https://uca.edu/library/ and click on the ‘Study Rooms’ link on the right side of the library’s homepage.

Students can also reserve study rooms on the desktop computer facing the checkout desk to the left of the front entrance.