Unspoken Rules of Newman Library

The Newman Library is one of Virginia Tech’s top locations for studying, grabbing a book, or just hanging out. Everyone knows the basic rules of “don’t be noisy on the quiet floors” and “clean up after yourself,” but the average newcomer might not know the rules of the library past that. Without further ado, I present you with my top 5 unspoken rules of the Newman Library. 

1. “Public” Utilities 

There are a number of rolling whiteboards on the library’s 4th floor, which at first glance appear to be open to everyone. This however, is not quite true. The first unspoken rule of the Newman Library is that these whiteboards are reserved for Biology and Chemistry majors. Specifically, those who have handwriting so immaculate, you question if they are actually studying calligraphy. If you intend to use the whiteboards for any activities other than drawing the cell cycle and organic compounds, you will need to wait until a whiteboard is no longer in use, or get up to: 

2. Allowed Activities 

You can do essentially anything in the library without being questioned or stopped, including taking those whiteboards down the elevator and out the door to keep them out of reach of the Bio and Chem students. You can take a nap on the couch, stand on a table, or even talk on speakerphone like a mom at a grocery store without fear of judgement! Sobbing loudly is perfectly acceptable, and often expected during finals week, but on the quiet floors you should cap your cries to five minutes. For rules applicable to all floors, consider: 

3. Mandatory Activities 

All Virginia Tech students are required to report working bathroom stall locks, stocked soap and paper towel dispensers, and clean bathroom floors within Newman immediately before doing their best to “correct” the situation. At least, that’s what it seems like. None of the locks on the bathroom stalls work. There’s often no soap or paper towels, and the bathrooms are perpetually disgusting. How does the school have $6 million to fire Pry, but can’t pull together the funds to maintain some of their most-used public restrooms? I wish these were not allowed, just like: 

4. Restricted Activities 

It is highly frowned upon to make eye contact with anyone on the elevators or throughout the quiet floors. It is recommended that you refrain from any activities which may create adverse noise when locking in on the highly-studious Torgersen Bridge, such as eating food, drinking from plastic water bottles, typing on a keyboard, or breathing. You are also not allowed to use study spaces that are currently reserved, unless you are simply more stubborn and patient than whoever comes banging on the door to claim their room. Unlike these, there are no restrictions on: 

5. Taking out Books 

As far as I can tell, the limit of what you can take out from the library is as much as you can carry. I once came out of the library with a dozen books on pianos, piano tuning, and music theory in my arms, all checked out in the same session. They must have weighed 20 pounds all together, and I was barely able to get them from the library to my dorm without dropping them all over the sidewalk. I probably would have checked out even more to read, but a combination of no bag, my small frame, and my limited strength is ultimately what capped me at 12 books, not the library system. So, the next time you plan to dive deep into a subject, take out multiple series at once, or just go on a general rampage through the library, make sure to bring your gym bro friends along with you! That way, you can check out as many books as your heart desires without worrying about the limits of your mortal flesh. 

Photo Credits: Virginia Tech