Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Research Paper Example

An analysis of favorable conditions of library for individual and group study in relation to dorm or home; based on response from people using Martin Luther King Library.

Concentration is the most important factor for conducting study and for this it is necessary to have a calm and quiet environment. Library provides with a calm and quiet place of refuge for students to get engaged in their studies along with others who are engaged in similar activity. In the calmness of 7^th floor (silent floor) of Martin Luther King Library you can concentrate better by gathering your thoughts. This is because here no conversation is allowed. For serious research Martin Luther King Library provides with quiet and silent floor where conversation is either not permitted or is to be at low level and minimum. If you are sitting to study at home it is difficult to get a calm and quiet environment as others at home will be engaged in various other things and might make the place quiet noisy. There is also chance for an interruption by a visitor or you might get the smell of cooking from kitchen and tempted to taste some thing.

Motivation plays a vital role in encouraging studies and this is also available from library. In a library people can conduct their studies in group or as an individual. As all the people sitting in a library are with same aim it provides with an atmosphere of motivation. Even the atmosphere of library is quiet motivating. In Martin Luther King Library 6^th and 8^th floors are quiet floors where conversation is to be minimum and at low level only and sitting in between thousands of books, in a calm atmosphere where all others are engaged in same activity itself is really motivating. According to people using library “visually seeing the accomplishments of others is a powerful motivator in helping you to get on with your studies and research”.   You will be sitting alone in your room or dorm and will easily get distracted from studies. At home or at dorm not all are performing same activity and some might be engaged in certain activity for which you are much interested and this will reduce your attention to studies.

Further in the atmosphere of library people are also getting chance to deal with several reference materials at a time and this help them conduct research of any subject they are in need of. They can also compare between different books and make their study more effective.  People can avail various research books and journals and make their research meaningful with the aid of knowledge repository available in library and this is not possible if you are studying from home or dorm.  Flexibility is another facility library offers. Further people are of the opinion that “if you feel saturated with a particular subject it is easy to stop and put that topic away and starting another project.  This ensures optimum use of your work time”.

Even if you are making use of Internet to access library facility there is chance for you to be carried away by social networking sites of games and this will result in loss of time. Thus you will also not be able to benefit from the advantages of search speed and facility to conduct analysis provided by computer. To overcome this, students will need strong personal dedication which is in reality very difficult to attain. Further, electronic media do not provide with the benefit of dealing with books. But at Martin Luther King Library you have access to online libraries and Internet in a silent or calm environment. Here you will not get distracted by any other activity or facility over Internet.

Books are the best source for studies as it provides with the facility of comparative analysis. Searching for books through shelves and thumbing through books are of intrinsic value and this is not possible in a computer. As comparison and analysis is done by the student himself chances for remembering and recollecting what you have studied is more and this is not so while using computers. Searching through older books also provides with a feeling of history and importance of text. Touching the book and smelling it gives a feeling of being closer with author and increases satisfaction of reading and understanding.

People prefer library to home for they can sit together and conduct studies individually. If you are studying in an n atmosphere of likeminded people it will be easy to remain more focused. “The lack of casual conversation also facilitates concentration in getting on with the task at hand”. But most people prefer to study individually than in groups, though group discussions provide the benefit of information sharing. This is because in a group it is likely to loss concentration and focus. The concept is more fragmented. People prefer to meet after completing their studies and to discuss various aspects of their research. It helps for interchange of concepts and ideas and the peer review session is very beneficial. In this method students can make best use of their library time and is a persuasive method for studying. Studying in this method is far more beneficial and those following this method are able to retain information in their memory far more easily and are more successful in tests.

In a library students will get the assistance of librarian and his skill is of great use while conducting searches. Getting assistance and help from another person in any aspect is beneficial and it is more when the person is experienced and skilled. Dealing with some one who is receptive to your needs makes the atmosphere comfortable and this is not available for you at home or even if you are studying from home using computer and Internet. Online help facilities do not provide with the easiness of dealing with human being directly. While dealing with an individual you will get motivated and this is more when you are aware that the person is experienced and skilled.

While studying at library you will always be formal. This means that you won’t be lounging around or lying on bed. You will be sitting on a proper desk or workstation in correct posture. If you are home or even at dome the surroundings are so comfortable that you will get too slumber and relaxed and this will have a negative impact on your studies. Sitting in good surroundings especially motivational ones in a good posture will increase concentration. You will be able to complete your daily lessons and will not putt off your studies to another day.

Yet another benefit of using a library is the facility to conduct studies in an environment of soothing music. For those preferring to conduct their studies while listening to music of any kind Martin Luther King Library is a good option. If you are listening to music and studying from home there is chance for you to get relaxed and change the music and thus losing your concentration. In Martin Luther King Library this is not possible and you can listen to soothing music that will help to make you feel calm and relaxed. This will help you to relieve from stress and increase your concentration. Most people prefer instrumental music or classical music while some also prefer vocalist music. But most are of the opinion that vocalist music caused distraction and reduced concentration.

Conclusion

From the study conducted on the basis of interview it is understood that people prefer library atmosphere to home or dome for conducting their studies. This is because of various benefits provided by library atmosphere like quietness and calmness, motivation, referencing and analysis facility using books, facility of peer reviewing, assistance from skilled and experienced librarian, better posture and listening to music. Though computers provide referencing and comparison facility from the atmosphere of home there is chances of distraction. Further more feeling of touch and smell of books makes you feel close to writer and thus will be able to remember your research easily. People can come in group to library and conduct peer review on completing research individually. Atmosphere of home or dome is more distracting and the facilities of library are not available there and the chances of losing concentration and thus putting off studies for another day are also more.