It’s time someone said it: the JHB should not be open to the public

If you’re a regular user of the JHB, you’ll know the struggles you face on a daily basis trying to get a table. Bagging a pod in the forum is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow unless you’re there at 8:30am every morning. The matter of fact is, JHB shouldn’t be a public library. When there’s students scouring up and down the corridors just to find a space with a plug in only week six, it’s clear that something is wrong.

When you do find yourself in a group work space, you’ll likely be faced with all the problems you shouldn’t be in the library. Countless numbers of sixth form students are hanging around with their loud conversations and domino’s pizzas (no need to rub it in that you don’t have an overdraft yet). Not only are they taking up valuable table space, but they’re distracting, noisy and swearing at the top of their voices.

This isn’t really a dig at the old men who have their Starbucks and read their newspapers in the forum, but it kind of is, because why are you here? You’re taking up a whole table of four to yourself and four plug sockets. The JHB is a space for students to work, have mental breakdowns, and then work a bit more. The fact is, we’re paying £9000 to listen to rowdy school kids play Skepta outloud on their phones. If you’re not paying extortionate fees to use the books, leave us be and get your cappuccino in the Costa in town, like a normal person.

If you’re going to allow anyone off the street into the library, then at least impose some rules. For some reason, the library randoms always seem to congregate around week eight- when exam season begins to roll around. Don’t allow any Tom Dick or Harry in after week six. Currently, the public can come in until 9pm. Surely it should be the other way round- the public can’t come in until; after 9pm.