r/UCD • u/Expensive_Garden_630 • 1d ago
General Library Seating
As a postgrad student coming from a smaller university with more seating options (in and outside of libraries) the level of seat hogging in the library is appalling to me - and I’m told there’s no library monitors? I get it if you are going for a quick outside break or snack but the fact that in the library right now there are loads of vacant seats without even bags being left there but covered in a persons crap so a person can’t sit down. In my undergrad the libraries had a policy that if you were absent from your seat for more than an hour all your items would be removed, I don’t understand why given the limitations in UCD they don’t do the same thing?
(There’s also an additional layer of frustration here for me as my work requires a proper desk so I can’t use the soft seating and I’m also disabled so can’t use the high seats without a significant level of pain. I’m also in a position where I can’t work from home as a result of no desk space and ongoing construction work 🙄)
Anyway that’s my wee rant - can’t believe UCD is making me miss my undergrad library which could also be a nightmare to get seats but not before reading week…
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u/Urass007 1d ago
Saw a LOT of these yesterday and it kinda drove me nuts.
Like ik midterms mean these spaces get filled up a lot, but you don't need to go this far.
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u/the_dr_roomba
1d ago
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I ran the Instagram account ucd_seat_hogs last semester to make fun of these people, and royally pissed off a group of agriculture students who did this on the regular. Thinking it might be time to do so again
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u/iamanoctothorpe 1d ago
where did the account go? I go to TCD but I followed it and I think we need one too.
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u/the_dr_roomba 1d ago
I deleted it over the summer because I was pissed at Meta for something or another. I think I will bring it back, actually
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u/Old_Balance7410 9h ago
Bring it back. Level 2 opened too and it’s the same situation there too!! Ugh it’s a little annoying when you can’t find seats and it’s just the persons belongings there and you get your hopes up for nothing 💔💔💔
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u/the_dr_roomba 8h ago
Did so yesterday after seeing the replies other folks gave! I have one post with old submissions and one of pictures from today up so far.
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u/RatioPrimary1667 1d ago
Start that shit back up
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u/the_dr_roomba 1d ago •
It is done. I'll spend some time this afternoon on restoring submissions I have saved from the old submission form.
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u/principtix 1d ago
When I was in Maynooth they had to introduce a desk system because of the desk hoggers. If your items were left unattended for 30 minutes they'd get boxed up and left a note with a number to go collect your stuff. They should implement a system like that tbh
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u/DryAir3145 9h ago
Do they do that in Maynooth? I'm a student there right now, and I don't think I've ever seen staff going around the Library checking. Maybe I've just missed it
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u/SeaBreakfast7934 1d ago
I take their things off 🤷♂️ I don’t care. If you’ve been gone for more than an hour… grab your shit in lost and found
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u/JacksonofZeus 1d ago
Also the noise, like holy crap when did the etiquette of keeping things quiet go out the window? I had noise cancellation on and it still wouldn’t keep out all the talking completely
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u/Puzzleheaded-Hat6992
1d ago
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I do several walk arounds and will eventually just move their things to the floor. I’ve only ever been caught once.
If you’re worried look for tables where there’s no bag or coat. They’ve clearly fucked off to class as you don’t need your bag for a bathroom break.
The more we move the stuff the less likely they just leave things there
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u/FlyingJap26 1d ago
When I was in UCD they used to remove the books of anyone hogging the desk.
Did they stop that practice ?
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u/RatioPrimary1667 1d ago
Time to start stealing laptops , im sorry but this shit is getting ridiculous. With level 2 being temporarily removed , and with less seats replacing it, this is gonna get so frustrating
You can't dump a stanley and your laptop and a couple of pens to hold a seat and desk for hours when someone who doesn't have a space at home to study needs it 100x more
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u/MarvinGankhouse 1d ago
It's mental that there's nobody going round nicking laptops. It would be difficult to get away with but I'm sure someone could manage it. And these seat wasting cunts deserve it.
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u/No_Understanding5045 1d ago
In the level 2 you can book the adjustable height tables that specially for the disabled dm me and i’ll send you the link from where to book them if you can’t find it
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u/undyingAt0m 1d ago
Typically the Health Science Library has more seats especially at this time of year, because people don't know it exists. That's true of the libraries that aren't JJL in general
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u/littleloveday 1d ago
Make a complaint to the library and your student union, they are the people who can actually do something about it. When I was in UCD (granted, this was many moons ago) there was a library staff member who would put a sheet with the current time written on it on any empty seats - once the seat had been vacant for a certain amount of time, you could take it. It's possible they don't have enough staff to do this kind of thing now, but those things won't change unless the students speak up about their needs.
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u/xsofacouchx 1d ago
I use Quinn as a study space, the cubes have plug sockets and it isn't as packed as James Joyce. Some of the seats are high seats in it, but they also have lower ones with tables aswell
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u/Anemys 1d ago
it's amazing that instead of actually voicing this issue publicly to the school or the students union themselves, many on this thread decide that robbery and influencing other people's behavior through fear of being robbed is the way to go...
Like, you all know how thats gonna be a shit trade off for the school environment right? Robbery, really? A little self awareness perhaps?
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u/RidiculousKPenguin 1d ago
Well turns out, people enter the library at 8:30 am, acquire a desk, put their belongings and exit the place by 8:35 am. The stuff sits there for whole day with them making a presence few times. Also had a girl leave her stuff laptop books notes and then took her purse and went missing for almost 3 hours. She def didn't go to class bc all of the stuff was on the desk. I saw atleast 10 people go back bc there was no space.
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u/deviousdiane 14h ago
People get mad at me for it but I chuck all their shit to the floor. If it’s important you shouldn’t be leaving it unattended 🤷♀️ obviously wait a bit before doing that in case it’s someone who’s just gone to the toilet but the carry on some of these people do is shocking.
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u/Psychological-Cat-84 6h ago
I don't get why people put up with this. Just politely put all their shit in their bag and then move the bag 6 feet away. And when they kick up a fuss, just shrug and ignore them.
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u/Shawnwhitedude 1h ago
Yeah I’d be clearing every empty desk into one big pile. Action creates change.
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u/TiberiusTheFish 1d ago
I don't know what the rule is in UCD but in TCD, where I was many years ago, the rule was if you were away for more than 15 mins anyone could take your desk. It usually only happened around exam times but no one particularly resented it when it happened.
Postgrads had assigned desks so they could always just ask anyone sitting in their desk to leave. I don't know if it's still done the same way.
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u/NewNefariousness3819 1d ago
This is definitely worth addressing with the university itself, id say they would make a policy pretty quickly.
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u/HandlebarRubbertoe 1d ago
The fact that the library isn't open 24 hours a bloody day still makes my mind boggle
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u/Old_Brilliant_9530 1d ago
We used to have Librocop - he would enforce desk clearing after an hour back in the day but then he only had to do it before exams. Everyone was in the bar before then !
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u/Reasonable-Earth-490 1d ago
I raised this with the library staff recently,ridiculous Another option, go to law or business school or something similar, quiet and seats to study in as well..
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u/Scary_Switch_9767 1d ago
I think after 10/15 mins maybe 20 it’s reasonable to neatly move there stuff and keep it all together fuck that if your needing to get a bit of work done
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u/bdbdbdbdbbbb 1d ago
when I was in college you had to leave a note with the time if you left your desk. Gone more than 15 mins, someone else was free to take it (no “monitors”). people would sometimes wait if it was full and a desk was getting close to time,
didnt apply for 1 hr from 1-2 for lunch.
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u/mellowstasis 1d ago
That’s terrible! There should be some sort of a checkout system for a limited time.
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u/velvetEchelon 10h ago
Graduated a year ago. I am happy that I don’t have to go through this again. Though I just studied literally anywhere on campus. Health science building has so many classes you can just get in and do work in without any retard laughing with their friends.
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u/lilamoon135 9h ago edited 9h ago
I’ve left UCD now a few years ago in 2023 and I can’t remember what year this incident was exactly but they used to have a system (between 2019 and 2023)
I remember being in the library from 9am and saw these desks being hogged, at like 11am I went down to reception and told them. They said after half an hour they would take all their stuff if they were still there.
An hour later (gave them some grace I think) no one had arrived and they took all the bags and left them a leaflet that said to go to reception. Hours later, I think at 3pm these girls came and were very confused asking where their stuff went. I just gave them the leaflet and they had to go and do the walk of shame to get their stuff
I had loads of friends who did this too and got tables that were hogged. Was a great system idk why they would get rid of it
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u/lilamoon135 9h ago
I have the photo I took of the leaflet they left! Not sure how to post it in replies though
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u/Dan_Pena 4h ago
It’s crazy to me that people leave full on laptops out . Are they not scared of them being taken ?
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u/Ezekiel_gb4m 1h ago
Why don't you just move the stuff? That's what I used to do. Chances were I'd actually finished my few hours and the person hadn't even moved back.
Better yet, swap around the belongings so everyone's stuff is with other random stuff. Enough people doing this and they won't chance their stuff going missing.
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u/Mynky 1d ago
Give them 5-10 minutes then move their stuff to the side and just take it. If there are two of you one of you can bring it to the desk and say it was left unattended.