Navigating the AOK Library by Arbab Khan

The Albin O. Kuhn (AOK) Library and Gallery is one of the many resources that University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has on campus. It is located beside the pond right in front of the Erickson Field and behind the Walker Avenue garage (see map to right).

The existence of a seven floor library at UMBC is a reflection of how important the study environment is for this school. Students should be aware that each floor has a different noise-level requirement. Starting from the bottom going up, the luxury of being noisy decreases and the floors become "absolute quiet" so that the no one gets disturbed while studying.

Floors two, three and four are floors where talking and group study are permitted up to a certain extent. The seventh floor, on the other hand, is a quiet floor where talking can be kept at reasonable levels and others are respected. To accommodate students who need a completely quiet study environment, AOK has designated the fifth and sixth floors as "absolute quiet" floors. The quiet rules for these floors are more stringent. On these "absolute quiet" floors, there should be no talking above a whisper and cell phone usage is not allowed. Below is a picture that explains the specifications and requirements regarding noise levels inside the library.

Every floor has numerous study rooms, and students can gain access to them by attaining keys from the front desk in the lobby. There is a white board in every room that can be used by the study groups. Besides giving easy access to several books and computers on every floor, the library also has several other resources from which a student can benefit.

In the main lobby inside of the security gates, there is a Retriever Learning Center (RLC) that is open to students 24 hours, 7 days a week. The RLC is an open study zone with tables, white boards and computers easily accessible. The Math Lab is located just beyond the reference desk, and the Writing Center is located in the RLC on the first floor. Both resources offer students tutoring by experienced students and staff by giving advice on writing assignments. This support helps the students in variety of ways when they are struggling with homework and assignments. 
  Due to the presence of a lot of computers and the luxury of talking on the seventh floor, most of the engineers are found working here. Be it the sophomores, juniors or seniors, everyone is engrossed in their studies, working individually or in groups. The seventh floor is a great go-to spot for all the engineers as it can help you get connected with other engineers in your major and you can actually talk to them about your classes and studies. Below is a map of the seventh floor (see map to right) which has a different feel when compared to other floors. You can talk, work on computers, work in groups and have access to a bunch of books of your choice.