For the first time in 35 years, the library goers will see a change of scenery. Last Thursday, Feb. 11, the first floor of the Noreen Reale Falcone library received new furniture for the first time since the library was opened in 1981.

“We’ve been trying for this for years,” said Access Service Librarian Lisa Chaudhuri. “I have been here for six years now and it was in talks even before that.”  

There are two designs to the new chairs. They are both quite comfortable and intended for one person to sit in them. One of the chair designs has only one armrest so that two can be pushed together to allow for you to put your feet up. Both designs have the option of a desk on the armrest similar to the chairs in the Dolphin Den.

“We wanted to have a communal design so that people could meet in their groups or even just friends hanging out,” said Chaudhuri. “We really tried to consider what the students will use and what they want. Soft seating was our top priority.”

The library remained open all day as the furniture was delivered Thursday morning.

“It was actually pretty quick,” stated Chaudhuri. “I came in at 11 a.m. and they had been here an hour before hand and didn’t take long for them to set them up.”

The first floor received a total of 43 new chairs. The second floor received most of the chairs and couches that were originally on the first floor. The new chairs can be found in the Atrium area on the right hand side when you first walk into the library and also placed in various spots where the couches originally were.  

Since the new chairs have arrived at the library, they have been a big hit.

“The couches weren’t even set up for more than a half an hour, or maybe even 15 minutes, and there were already people in the chairs,” said Chaudhuri.

“I really like them a lot,” said freshman Suwaiba Jawed. “They are really comfy and I like the tables attached to them so that you can do work in them. I spend six to seven hours a day in the library and would sit over there at the tables and it wasn’t comfortable…. But now it’s comfortable and it has desks. I hope they don’t bring back the old ones.”  

The library moved the blue couches and some of the other furniture to the second floor to replace the worn out chairs.

“The ones that are really bad we may either get rid of, or there have been talks of putting them in dorms, or the common rooms, since they don’t have a lot in way of furniture,” said Chaudhuri.
With the addition of most of the first floor furniture onto the second floor, allows more seating. This extra seating will come in handy during finals week when most students find themselves fighting for a spot to do work.

The library hopes to have a second round of new furniture, study carrels, and tables on the second floor as well.

“This is the first stage and we are looking to replace all of the soft seating and study carrels that we have upstairs and the tables we have down here along the way,” said Chaudhuri.  

Chaudhuri and the other librarians hope that the new furniture will attract more students to come to the library regularly.

“We would always like to see more people in the library. We not only want to make people get into the door but really have more people comfortable while they’re here and make it a more relaxed atmosphere for not only working by yourself, but also group work and things like that.”