Up All Night '07

It's been a year since I spent the night in the library--as the librarian on duty during finals week of course. I blogged my way through the night then and thought I'd do the same tonight. It helps pass the time and provides a record for the others who are crazy enough to volunteer to do this!

Once again when I arrived at 11, the parking lot behind the building was full--fortunately someone pulled out just as I was getting ready to drive past to the lot by PT. After I dropped my Diet Coke off in my office (a girl needs something to help stay awake), I checked out the situation. This place is stuffed to the gills--people everywhere! A handful have already succombed to sleep--but most are working. I don't expect to have much trouble staying awake--I had a nice nap before I came in.

I'm planning on working on statistics when I'm not trolling the floors or at the reference desk. What kind of plan is that, though, I'm finding myself asking. Statistics at 2 am? Yikes!

1:15 a.m. I just walked around the building. There are still way too many people to accurately count--but I know there are well over 200. I counted over 80 on the 2nd floor alone. All the floors seem full. The third floor is staying pretty quiet. I had to ask one small group to either keep it a down a bit or move to another floor. They were very responsive. One group asked me if I was here all night and offered to share their Mountain Dew with me! Most people seem to be studying--although I did see some flickr pages and some email when I was walking through. The pizza break evidently went well earlier. I noticed stacks of empty pizza boxes by the loading dock door when I came in--and there is definitely more trash in the waste cans than usual. Thanks again to those of you who put that together.

Despite my nap earlier, my body seems to see past the ruse. I'm feeling more tired than I thought I would...and it's still early. I may need to go back for some of that Mountain Dew!

2:30 I just walked around and counted about 110 people left. It's really very quiet...there are a few small groups working, but they're all on the 1st and 2nd floors. I've seen several people making themselves very comfortable--spreading out on the floor, wrapped in a blanket on a chair, or wearing their slippers or socks...but only a few are sleeping. There seem to be a fair number frantically putting final touches on a paper or project. A couple are talking quietly on their cell phones in remote corners--just like last year, I find myself wondering who there is to talk to in the middle of the night!

4:00 am We're down to about 75 students now. Still a lot for so late. I imagine a lot of them are here to stay now. A few more are sleeping--I'm feeling pretty brain-dead myself. It's nice to know that my 8 hours are more than half over.

5:00 am Fifty patrons and holding. Some are settling in for a "long winter's nap," complete with pillows. Others are doggedly working and studying. Studying would be impossible for me at this point. While morning is definitely over the horizon, my brain is still fogged in.

6:00 am Final count: about 30 students in the building. A couple of early birds have wandered in in the last fifteen minutes or so. Overall it was a quiet night--people were respectful of others who were studying.