Harvard Undergrads Flock to Lamont Library For a Last Week of Studying Before Exams

Students crawled out of their rooms and squeezed into Lamont Library as the second week of reading period got off to a cold start yesterday.

"Jesus, this place is like sardines," D. Fairchild Ruggles '79 of Eliot House said of the library yesterday.

Although most people were able to find a seat with little trouble, Lamont was busier than usual for a Monday afternoon, library workers said.

However, there were some people who were surprised at the lack of students they encountered at Harvard's busiest undergraduate library.

"There are not as many people here as I thought there'd be. I figured this place would be chock full of people, but I guess they all went to Cabot," a freshman who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday.

One library worker who felt the Lamont atmosphere was becoming "tense" said, "You know how they have fast-food? Here we've got fast-books!"

Sophomores did not seem overly concerned about their second reading period. Diana M. Gamser '80 of Quincy House said reading period "hasn't hit me yet. I hope it never does. There's no reason for it (reading period) to instill fear."

There were mixed feelings over the noise level in the library, and as always, comments addressed the issue of squeaky shoes.

"I really don't mind people's shoes squeaking," Kathryn R. Abrams '80 of Quincy House said yesterday. "At least the noise interrupts you so that you can look up and see your friends."

A freshman who wished to remain unidentified said he thought that the best way to solve the noise problem would be to ask people to take their shoes off at the doors.

"I used to come to Lamont because it was quieter than my room. Now I try to stay away because my room is quieter than Lamont," he added.

At least one freshman in the midst of her first reading period found something to be happy about.

"This is the first time I've been able to see half the freshman class at once," Leslie Miller '81 said yesterday.