Six reasons why the Marj is better than the Robbo

It’s time to accept the facts

3 years ago

During your time at Newcastle Uni, you may have been led to believe that the Philip Robinson Library, more commonly known as ‘the Robbo’, is the king of all libraries in the city. We however, believe that Marjorie (the wife of Philip and therefore the ultimate queen) is head and shoulders above her competitors. The Marjorie Robinson Library is often slept on; after all, you would never cheat on your beloved fourth floor window seat in the Robbo, would you?

Perhaps you should consider a change – put your adventure hat on, break away from the crowd and head to the Marj. If these six reasons aren’t enough to convince you, then we don’t know what will.

You’re more likely to get a seat

The pandemic has changed more aspects of life than we can even begin to count. Spontaneity is a thing of the past as everything needs to be booked 3-5 working days in advance, and the library is no different. Perhaps one of the most annoying things about post-Covid uni life is the need to pre-book your seat. We hope you’re organised, because this year, there’s no such thing as a last minute caffeine-fuelled library sesh to finish your assignment.

Making the Marj your library of choice will make your life slightly easier. Compared to the Robbo, where the seats are booked up to a week in advance (who knew us students were so dedicated?), the Marj offers a choice of last minute seats that the Robbo could only dream of. Did you forget that essay plan that needs to be submitted tomorrow? The Marj has got your back.

The lighting

We don’t get very much sunlight during the cold winter months, hence why it’s important to make the most of what we do get (don’t forget your Vitamin D folks!). Unlike the Robbo, which has a shocking lack of natural light, each wall of the Marj has a window for you to look out at the beautiful Newcastle skyline. Not only does this offer a great opportunity to avoid actually doing any of your work, it also helps you feel a little more sane as you begin your 5th consecutive hour of research… procrastination? Who is she?

The desks

Though this may seem insignificant, the light brown desks at the Robbo with purple/green dividers remind slightly of being sat in a year 9 classroom. If you want to feel like a true university student, take a seat at one of the dark brown desks on the fourth floor in the Marj. The black desk dividers add an element of class and sophistication – and the icing on the cake… the coat racks. When you’ve trekked to the library in the rain, ready for a long day of studying, the last thing you want is having to lean back on your wet coat hanging over your chair. 3 – 0 Marj.

Not as many annoying whisperers

Please, no one wants to hear how drunk you got the night before. In the Marj, silent study means silent study. The Robbo might be as much of a social occasion as your Wednesday night sports social, but this is not the case at the Marj. The inevitable evil stares you’ll receive will get rid of the temptation to walk about whispering to everyone you have ever met. The atmosphere will have you hunting for your productivity hat and smashing out those essays faster than you can say ‘is it lunchtime yet?’.

Less people to bump into

Speaking of annoying whisperers – you’re far less likely to bump into your friends at the Marj because they’re all whispering away in the Robbo. Whilst on the surface this might scream FOMO, you’ll be the one laughing when you’re curled up in bed watching Netflix whilst they’re still slogging away until the late evening. Bumping into your weird course mate you were put in a group with in first year? A fear of the past because they’re definitely at the Robbo.

Shorter opening hours

On the surface this might seem like a negative, after all, surely the longer the library is open the better, right? But think about it, there’s no pressure to get there for 9, or leave any later than 4 because you don’t have a choice. With her Monday – Friday, 10am-4pm opening hours, our queen Marj is basically telling you to go home, relax and don’t even consider going in at the weekend. We’ve all felt the familiar ‘I should be doing more’ feeling, but if the Marj is your go-to, 10-4 is your only option and you’ll feel so much better when you’re literally doing the most you can.

There isn’t that much to get excited about at the minute, so why not spice up your life by heading to the Marj one day. Who knows, you might never look back.

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