When I arrived on the third floor, I was immediately drawn to the artwork which was part of a large Native People’s collection. I especially liked a stone-cut piece near the first study booth on the north wall. “Camp at Kangiak Jamarie” depicted people bundled up in parkas, a group of tents, a laundry line of drying mukluks, some kayaks, and seals in the water.
As I walked beside the study cells, booth #5 suddenly became available, and I lit inside without thinking. My instincts had responded to a rare opportunity to occupy a coveted piece of library real-estate. Settling in more deeply, I sat down and placed my backpack and canvas bag on a high wooden shelf in a proprietorial manner. Then I breathed in the pleasure of briefly “owning” this quiet, private room designed for concentration and productivity. The very name “Study Booth” was an ideal to live up to. I knew I shouldn’t play games on my cell-phone or take a nap because it would disrespect a chamber devoted to preparing for important exams or crafting compositions. And with the door and its wall made of glass, my study behaviour was also an example to passing scholars.
After I reluctantly emerged from my booth, my last stop on the third floor was the large newspaper collection. A prominent sign showed a large pair of scissors imprisoned by a thick red circle and a diagonal slash mark. Surreptitious article-clippers beware!
Failing to note any naughty scissors at work, I descended to the second level, Language and Literature.