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Georgia State University’s Library Plaza is located in the core of the campus, between Pullen Library and Sparks Hall. It is one of the main common areas on campus for students to socialize and interact with each other.

The Plaza was constructed in the late 1960’s, after the Pullen Library was completed. I observed this space on a Thursday at 12:30pm and 2:15pm. When you first enter the Plaza from the main entrance stairs, there is a map/directory of the entire GSU campus.

As you continue walking, Library South (Pullen Library) is located on the left and Sparks Hall is located on the right. Along the wall of Library South, tables are lined up for students to sit at and relax or for organizations to set up tables containing information about their association. If there is not a table available for a student to sit at, there are plenty of ledges and other sitting areas available for lounging.

 

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There is a stage close to the middle of the plaza that is rented by organizations that want to make announcements of upcoming events that will occur on or off campus. You can rent the stage by going to the University Events Management webpage and calling the phone number listed to chose a time to reserve the stage. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12pm-1:15pm are the main times that the stage is used to make announcements. Being in the plaza the during these times can feel a bit overwhelming because the volume of people in this space is so great. However, any other time during the week, the Plaza is fairly quiet with the exception of the small talk of friends who happen to pass by one another or people saying “excuse me” as they maneuver through the foot traffic.

The color scheme of this built environment consists of earth tones including brown, gray, GSU blue, beige, and green. While sitting by myself taking my field notes in this environment, I felt comfortable and relaxed as I did my work. Being in the plaza, especially on Tuesdays and Thursday, gives me a sense of unification with my fellow students because we are all students of Georgia State and the Plaza is ‘our’ area to socialize and learn about the different organizations that are present on our campus.