Honnold-Mudd library holds more than two million bound volumes, making it the largest liberal arts college library in the United States. While this is an incredible resource for the students of Pomona College, it suffers from its disconnected role in campus life and short operating hours.

For many students, the Claremont Colleges’ central library is little more than a place to pick up a book before returning to their rooms to study. While this pattern of life suits many students, the library can and should be an intellectual center for the Claremont Colleges. This can easily be accomplished by providing more comfortable and inviting reading and studying space for students.

While the Claremont College’s main library has uncomfortable padded wooden chairs, the Williams College science library and Stanford University Law School library both have comfortable and ergonomic Aeron chairs in their study areas. It is not necessary that Honnold-Mudd Library resort to this kind of extravagance in improving the comfort of library facilities, but it should renew its efforts to make the library a comfortable and inviting place. The reupholstering of uncomfortable furniture from the mid-50s, which was completed earlier this year, was completely inadequate. The library needs to replace its old and uncomfortable furniture with comfortable armchairs, couches, and desk chairs to create an atmosphere that will draw student from throughout the Claremont Colleges.

Not only does the desirability of the library as an intellectual and study space need to be improved, but it needs to become more accessible to students as well. The ASPC Senate’s efforts to expand library hours are particularly welcome in this effort. Claremont College students often require library resources after midnight and the library’s early closing time makes it extremely inconvenient for students doing research and facing tight deadlines. These improvements to Honnold-Mudd library will certainly require cooperation between the Claremont Colleges and a willingness on the part of the Colleges to meet the required expenses of making the facility more comfortable and accessible. Nevertheless, the library’s potential to bring the colleges together and to provide an inviting and unified study space for all of the 5Cs make this expense and effort fully worthwhile.