A space to think, a second home, a cup of coffee, a work in progress
Whether you are seated on the first floor or on the fourth, at a table or in a study room, studying in the middle of the day or late at night, Ralph Brown Draughon Library has a combination to best fit each student at Auburn University. Some students dread entering through the front doors with their heavy backpacks in tow, because it indicates that the time for studying has arrived. Other students flock to RBD, excited to sit in silence and drown out the world around them. Sophomore Hayden “Bucky” Buckhalt enjoys the accessibility of RBD: the open environment, the private nooks and the coffee just around the corner.
RBD has gone to great lengths to provide students with the best resources to excel at Auburn. However, a new printing process stirred frustration among students, and confusion ensued as students returned to campus in the fall. Though there were some complications in the beginning, students were grateful for the more convenient system and for the unexpected month of free printing in September.
The Miller Writing Center, located on the second floor of RBD, provides in-person peer reviews of any writing assignment; this has proved to be very helpful for pulling that “B” to an “A.” Students appreciate the second opinion that the writing center offers and are thankful for the honest feedback.
Caribou Coffee, the coffee and snack shop on the second floor of RBD, serves as the lifeline for students who spend long hours and late nights studying. Students who need a break wander to Caribou looking for a pick-me-up. Drink options decorate the wall behind the counter where fruit, sandwiches, and sweets fill the display case. The music resonating throughout the little café provides a pleasant change from the silence of the library. Freshman Haley Todd said, “I love Caribou Coffee! It was one of my favorite coffee shops back home,” so as a prospective student, she was excited to find out that Auburn had a Caribou in the library.
The construction of the Mell Street classrooms next door and renovations inside the library have increased the noise level in RBD, slightly altering the solemn atmosphere. However, the clanging construction commotion has not prevented RBD from being the best place for classmates and friends to bond over late night study sessions.