Name:

Professor:

ENG 105

April 20, 2019

Feedback: using formatting of MLA in the paper; the 1st paragraph is too long, separate it into two
paragraphs.

University of Miami Library

In recent years, the world has witnessed an unprecedented advent of technology, which has particularly
been demonstrated by the adoption and widespread use of digital technology in day-to-day activities.
With this in mind, as instructed by professor XXXXX, I decided to conduct an observation of the
University of Miami’s Otto G. Richter Library at the Coral Gables Campus to determine how the growth
of digital technology might have affected studying habits as compared with my past experiences of
attending libraries in the past. The rationale behind choosing the UM library as the focal point of my
observation essay was informed by the idea that human advancement has been facilitated by ideas
learned from scholarly establishments such as libraries. In the past, much of scholarly knowledge was
only accessible through word of mouth and through written texts. This leaves, one to wonder how
students in the information technology era choose to gain knowledge and how the accessibility of
information technology has changed the learning process. Besides, in light of the fact that individuals
can opt to study elsewhere besides the library, I felt that it was imperative to observe what might
motivate them to study in the library instead. The University of Miami operates several libraries that
offer student and staff ample and conducive space to pursue their academic endeavors with utmost
efficiency. Among them is them is the Richter Library which I choose for convenience purposes. To gain
a comprehensive insight into the ongoings in the library, I decided to0 visit the library twice as suggested
by professor XXXX. While the professor did not suggest any specific days as most appropriate for
observation, I intuitionally decided that weekends are most appropriate since students have much less
in-class activities, thus a larger number might opt to study in the library, which I felt might provide me
with more generalizable observations. Consequently, I decided to make undertake observations on
Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April 2019 between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. From my observations, mi
determined that the while use of digital technology has provided a more efficient study platform for
learners, it has also given them a room for engaging in activities that distract them from studying. In
addition, in comparison with observations of students studying elsewhere alongside my personal
experience, libraries, the Ritcher library, in particular, provides students with the most conducive
environment for studying.
Friday 26th April 2017 was a pleasant day in which I woke up with a jovial mood and an eager readiness
to undertake my ENG 105 class project. As I walked between the majestic palm trees that adorn the
beautifully gardened walkways of the University of Miami, the sun pierced through the leaves and shone
brilliantly as if to signal a pleasing experience ahead. In the walkways, in their droves, students walked
purposefully to their daily endeavors, painting a picture of a world-class institution of higher learning. As
a student at Miami University, the sense of belonging to this outstanding institution made me feel proud
and privileged. I could have stood there and savored the moment but I knew I had an insightful task
ahead of me, so alongside my comrades, I marched on to the library, paper, and pen at hand, ready to
record my observations.

Opened in 1962, the Ritcher Library has been an exemplary hub for intellectual advancement for many
scholars in the United States and beyond. As I approached the library, I could not help but notice the
symbolism of the library building’s wide windows and doorway to the library's history of opening new
insights into knowledge. On this day, I chose to make observations on the first of 2 floors of the
extensive library in order to retain focus and make comprehensive observations. On entering the library,
I could not but notice the intense silence that I found almost distracting. Everyone appeared focused on
either reading from a text or a laptop while others were keenly browsing through the thousands of
books on offer at the library. I choose to sit in the middle of the reading area where I felt was a vantage
point for making observations from all directions. I must admit I was noticeably odd sitting there staring
at others as they focused on their books and personal computers as I periodically scribbled some notes.
Notwithstanding, those who noticed my oddness seemed to lose interest after a short while before
drifting away into their interests.

Traditionally, libraries only offered hard-copy reading materials. But as I noticed, from individual who sat
in close proximity, one can no access the electronic library database from their personal computers. In
the assumption that some of these readings were available in hard-copies at the library, felt it was
important to understand why students would choose to read digital copies instead. Intuitively I
hypothesized that it was due to the convenience of the e-library. Indeed, I noticed that it took readers
more time to locate books on the physical library's catalog while their counterparts swiftly gained access
with a few keystrokes on the keyboard. On the other hand, I wondered why people would choose to
come to the library instead of accessing the electronic library through the internet in the comfort of
their personal spaces. For that, I got the answer as I shifted my glance from one direction to the other.
On the library, walls are well-placed notices urging people to observe silence in the reading area.
Indeed, the library is deafeningly quiet except for the occasional rustle of papers as readers perused
through pages. On occasion, the pleasant silence and the intense focus of the readers would be rudely
interrupted by a ringing cellphone to which the readers would react by looking at the culprits with
disdain. Nevertheless, it was evident that the library provides a sanctuary where people can learn with
fewer distractions. As testimony, I sank so deep into observing others that time noticeably flew faster
than normal and soon lunchtime arrived. As students began leaving to go and satisfy their hunger, the
library became less occupied I felt that it was also a good time to take a break.

At 3:00 pm I returned to the library to continue my observations. This time there were more students at
the library but they seemed less focused than before. Few could be seen whispering in groups and
occasionally bursting out in laughter. Others would doze off as they read, perhaps from having a big fill
for lunch. I could not blame them as I also began feeling sleepy myself. Consequently, I left my
observations for the following day instead.

On Saturday 27th, I headed to the Ritcher library at 1 pm, where I found fewer individuals than on the
previous day. On this day, I chose to observe activities on the second floor where I hoped to get a
different outlook. Indeed, the second floor was quite different as readers were less focused on reading
academic materials. I noticed that while readers did some reading, the frequently visited social media
websites on the phone and on laptops as suggested by Facebook's characteristic blue interface. I made
efforts not to invade personal privacy be refraining from reading what the readers were engaging in on
social networks. Having visited the library before during weekdays, I noticed that readers are much
more focused during weekends perhaps due to the absence of the hustle and bustle that accompanies a
larger number of individuals in the library. Having made conclusive observations, I left the library at 3;30
pm alongside other students as they headed home for their weekly rest.

Indeed the Ritcher library stands out as a world-class source of knowledge and its ability to offer an
enabling environment for learning. In doing so, the library is in trend with the times where it has
adopted digital technology to improve the learning experience and cater to different readership needs.
However, it is clear that while the internet is an essential tool for learning, it can at times distract
learners from engaging in the activities that the library is designed for. I believe the Ritcher Library has
done its part in proving an enabling environment thus it is up to the users to cultivate a better learning
discipline.