Students are often too familiar with the illusion of productivity during study hall. Backpack unzipped, homework laid out, pencil sharpened- everything is ready except for the student’s mentality. How can this issue of procrastination be fixed?

The answer lies in a refuge from distractions: the library. Ladue’s library currently requires students to sign up online for library space during Seminar. But with just 30 spots and a student population of 1300, the current situation only provides two percent of students with a quiet workspace to finish homework.

Last year’s shift from free-traveling Academic Lab to Seminar’s three L-periods marked the beginning of set library rules. The library Seminar enforces one-person-to-a-table and silence rules, which have decreased the noise level from previous years without a controlled flow of students. Too much noise interrupts concentration and leads to stress and fatigue, according to Cornell University. However, a greater range of students could benefit from the library’s productive atmosphere.

Why limit the number of students? The concern lies in too much noise, but the kids who come to the library are usually the studious kind who intend to work silently. The rowdier teenagers typically visit their friends’ Seminars or stay in their own. Assigning one student to a table leaves many seats empty while students who enter the library but forgot to sign up must leave. Letting multiple people stay at a table would increase the number of students who benefit from the Library Seminar Sign-up. To counteract the fear of chaos, the silence rule should still be upheld. This way, more students would be able to make productivity an achievable reality.