10 Reasons Why Working at the Library is Better than the Coffee Shop
If you are a typical freelancer, your office may range from your home to your car to the local coffee shop. While I used to inhabit my local coffee shop—to the tune of having my drink waiting for me at the counter before I even got there—I am now a convert of working at my local library.
Here’s Why
- Free high-speed WiFi. Yes, my local coffee shop had free WiFi, but it also seemed to have every online movie watcher and gamer there too hogging up the bandwidth. Their “free high-speed WiFi” was usually quite slow and frustrating. This hasn’t been the case at the library.
- A quiet place to work. Coffee shops are usually so loud I can barely think, let alone create. With people talking, orders being shouted, blaring music, and coffee grinding in the background, the cacophony could drive you mad. The library has enforced quietness, which I like.
- It’s free! Yes, you can technically work for free at a coffee shop, but you are expected to order something, making a day in the coffee shop very much not free. The librarian doesn’t care if I sit there for eight hours doing my work and there is no charge — ca-ching.
- It’s healthier. By my third cup of coffee (a pretty much required order if I am sitting in a coffee shop for hours on end), I feel like I need to go sprint around the block to burn off some of the caffeine. At the library there is a strict no food and beverages policy except for bottled water. So no caffeine buzz, no fattening beverages, and no temptation to buy a double chocolate mocha brownie.
- There is more to do than sit and work. At the coffee shop you are limited by the items you bring with you. At the library, I can get up and walk around, peruse some books, read a magazine for inspiration, or check out their classroom to see what is going on. Sometimes variety gets me out of a writing rut.
- I can still meet with people at the library. Our library is divided into a quiet section, a talking is OK section, and private rooms (which you can use for free if you want to have a meeting). Meeting people in a coffee shop is fine except you have no privacy, sometimes it is crowded and you have no place to sit, and sometimes it is so loud you can’t hear your companions speaking.
- I am pretty much forced to work. I associate the library with working (it may have been all of those late nights at the library during college but who knows…). I associate a coffee shop with being social. As soon as I sit down at my table in the library I am instantly in work mode.
- The library is more relaxing. There is always a “buzz” at the coffee shop with people coming and going (or maybe it is just the caffeine). The library seems much more relaxing (maybe it is just the enforced quietness).
- I can’t answer my cell phone. The library has a no cell phone policy too so my phone gets silenced the minute I walk in the door and all calls go to voicemail. At the coffee shop it is always on and when it rings I automatically answer, thus creating interruptions and bumps in my “flow”.
- The people seem nicer. The baristas in my local coffee shop were nice enough, but it is a money-making venture, and I always felt like I was taking up a table that could have been used by higher tipping customers. At the library they seem to be happy to have me there, no tipping required.
Over to You
What’s your preference: coffee shop or library?
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Coffeeshop. Seems like the days I want to go to the library it’s closed. Also, they’re Internet is sloooow.
I find it hard to focus in a library. Don’t know why. A coffee shop (provided it has wifi and a place to plugin) works better for me.
Here in Arizona, we have a third option: a collaborative space known as Gangplank. It’s free. You can work and/or network with others there (many of whom are in computer or tech-related businesses. And the sodas are only a quarter. Seriously.
Currently Gangplank has locations in Chandler (on the east side of the metro Phoenix area) and Tucson and is about to open a third location in Avondale (west side of metro Phoenix).
The library is my favourite place to work besides home. Don’t forget to secure your connection at either the library or the coffee shop. I use a VPN to my home computer so no one can snoop logins.
A library is great! Something about being surrounded by all those books gives you an amazing feeling… All that knowledge, all those words, all the great minds of the world together in one place – with you!
I absolutely agree with 8 out of the 10. The other two, “it’s healthier” and “I can’t answer my cell phone” are necessary for me.
It may be healthier to not have the temptation of ordering a venti 12 pump caramel mocha with whip, but not being able to have any food or beverages is more of a distraction. You have to leave the building for lunch, and sometimes a cup of Joe or two is necessary to stay awake (especially if you’re on your computer all day). I’m also a health nut, so I’m constantly snacking.
The no cell phone thing I guess could be both good and bad. It’s nice not to have that distraction, but some phone calls may be important enough to interrupt your focus for a few minutes.
Other than that, this article is great! I’ve actually been debating lately on whether or not to get a library card just for this purpose. Now I think I’ll head over to my local library tomorrow and sign up … Thanks!
I agree – i’ve always found a problem with the culture of working in a coffee shop.
the only problem is that libraries don’t keep the same late hours, and sometimes it’s really hard to find a seat at some branches.
I couldn’t agree more. I rent a little studio space at SPUR studios in Ypsilanti (next to Ann Arbor) and get most of my work done there. But I like to mix up my environment because it helps me focus.
About two weeks ago, on a whim, I decided to take my laptop to a library in Ann Arbor. I was so productive and the environment was so much better than the coffee shops in the area. I’m thoroughly converted to working at the library.
I’m a coffee chugger, so I can roll through like 4 to 8 mugs of coffee in an hour and half, so it seems like I’m constantly up at the counter asking for refills… waiting in line, over and over. Your problem might be the fudge mocha triple chocolate brownies, but for me it’s the sandwiches. You know, the ones that are 85% lettuce with a little teaspoon of tuna salad that cost $7.50? Yeah, I usually have at least two those. Plus, the sound of the espresso steamer makes my head hurt.
I have a weak wireless card on my old MacBook so its extra stressful because I usually need to be as close to the router as physically possible. And yes, there is definitely more to do at the library. Every so often, I get up, stretch, look through the cds and I always end up going back to my laptop with a couple albums I wouldn’t have listened to otherwise.
I absolutely agree with your last point. It’s unsettling to set up shop at a busy coffee shop for the day—especially when lunch time arrives—when seats are scarce, and everyone that walks through the door eyeballs my table, and gives me that exhausted look that says “if you’re going to be zoning out on your laptop for hours and hours, couldn’t you please plop down your portable office where space isn’t so valuable… Like a library or something!?”
Thanks for the post. I appreciate the insights!
You should get a wifi USB adapter like this one: http://www.amazon.com/EnGenius-EUB9706-Wireless-USB-Adapter/dp/B002DHS74Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324184991&sr=8-3
Engenius makes a bunch of high powered wifi stuff.
Your wifi range problems will be a thing of the past.
For me, it’s coffee shop all the way. While it’d be nice to have a WiFi that’s actually usable, I’d drive mad in such a quiet place. The cacophony found in coffee shops actually makes me focus better and makes me happier.
Not being able to answer the phone would make me very anxious as well. I rather take 2 minutes to answer and check things are ok than worry if something urgent has been sent to voicemail.
To each it’s own.
Point is to get things done.
I have to agree with Enrique, I choose coffee shop. For some reason i get a buzz off the coffee shop atmosphere, and that’s what i want when i’m working – although by work i mean writing, and by writing i mean writing i really enjoy doing.
I’m also obsessed with coffee shops which may explain further…
I must admit that I never thought about using the library for work. I have worked at a few coffee shops, along with the local Panera. However, it is true that a library is free and there are plenty of tables to go around.
Good timing on this – I just spent an afternoon writing at the library instead of the coffee shop for the first time, and it was great!
I also prefer the library. More specifically the National Library of Estonia.
High speed ethernet and wifi. I can be there with my friend or classmate and both of us still get 100Mb/s up and down. The rooms are well lit and are calm, there are several rooms (with categories) on several floors. Drinks are mostly allowed, except alcohol of course, food is still mostly not allowed, but I’ve seen people with drinkable yogurt cartons. Also here (Estonia) the silent policy isn’t as strict, you are allowed to talk and answer phone calls, probably the only requirement is that you don’t disturb others, are calm and don’t talk too loud.
Problem again, on workdays, except Wednesday and Saturday, the library closes at 18:00. Closed on Sunday.
I guess I’m lucky in that way
Little correction:
.
Have been away from Tallinn for a few months and it’s now open on the later hours as well
Check out the gallery on the top-right corner http://www.nlib.ee/en.
I know I’m kind of rubbing it in. Entry fee at least was a few years ago 3€ (or 4.5-5$) for 3 years for which you get a card that has your name and a bar code on it!
This is such a “personal preference” type of subject area that technically, I could agree with each and every one of April’s points about working from a library. But I’ll have to side more with Enrique on this. I do have some of my own reasons the library is a no go for me.
1. I have fond memories of my days studying in my University’s library. But I also have not-so-fond memories. I prefer not to dredge them up again…like I did just now as I was typing this. <>
2. It’s too quiet. Like Enrique, I thrive on bustle…people watching…drama. That’s a coffee shop. I’m pretty sure I’d spend more time napping than working in a quiet library.
3. I can take calls in a coffee shop. This is one of the unspoken-but-oft-written-about rules of what I’ve been calling the Coffice; I sit on the fence about what one can/cannot do…but I lean towards the can side. If you can have a civil conversation with a person across a table, chances are you can do the same when that person is on the other side of a cellphone conversation. If I so much as even breathe too loudly at the library, the “shushes” start flying. No thanks.
I’m sure I can come up with a few more reasons, but in the end, as Enrique says, to each their own. If you can harness what a library has to offer to get your stuff done, good on ya.
In fact, even if you DO work from a coffee shop regularly, I’d recommend having a plan B destination. If that’s a library, great. Personally, I’d rather keep looking for another coffee shop.
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I’m a librarian and just want to add some info as an FYI: not all libraries have the same policies and many allow drinks, food and cell phone usage. Some libraries have a coffee shop in the library. In Ann Arbor we allow drinks, food in designated areas available at each location and we allow cell phone use as long as you’re not louder than the general area you are in. Keep that in mind if someone is considering the library – or NOT considering it because of perceived limitations.
I’m from Ann Arbor as well, and I’ve found this to be true too, so thanks for pointing that out Erin. I’ve recently waltzed into several of the libraries around here with my refillable mug full of coffee and the librarians (possibly Erin in the previous post, even) pointed out that the only stipulation is that I keep the lid on, which I planned on doing anyways. It’s like bringing a little bit of the coffee shop environment with you. It’s a pleasant mix
It depends on the library and coffee shops available. My library gives residents 90 mins of WiFi access only and sells it’s own cheap, but not brilliant coffee from a vending machine. The books are a plus, and the quite certainly can be.
Coffee shops here (rarely) do free WiFi. It’s either non-existent, or a separate purchase. In the case of McDonald’s is super-slow even at quite times.
The plus side is coffee shops are often well designed/decorated and are full of stuff with good graphic and packaging design. Libraries can be a bit clinical.
I consider the cost of a coffee shop to be “office rent” when I don’t want to work from home
I couldn’t agree more!
I often call the library my office away from my office. I have found that my local libraries are not the silent tombs they were in my college days, and the soft noise of whispered conversations or small study groups is much more relaxing than a busy, often loud, coffee shop. And, the real perk is that most of our libraries have coffee carts located somewhere in the building! A win-win!
We can eat and drink freely in libraries around here….
A toughy. The coffee shop for its ice-breaking nature – its hard not to be genial and friendly over a vanilla white chocolate frappacino. Or something like that… Otherwise I totally agree about the library. Sneak a few snacks in, and a brew in a non-spill mug (get to know the librarians and show them your mug – bring them food bribes of you have to). Free, fast WiFi is a god-send without the interloping gamers. And it’s faaaaaar cheaper than paying a subscription to Regus or Servcorp, or other temporary office agencies.
it is really much nicer to go to the library because of the silent and good vibes.
it is a very concentrating place when you are in the library.
nice tip, thanks.
Have never considered working at a coffee shop, it’s loud and uncomfortable. But a library is a very good place. It’s quiet and you can focus on your work only. I’d choose this in a heartbeat over any starbucks
Good idea
When my old desktop went down a couple of years ago I was able to finish an assignment using one of the bank of computers at the local library. It’s a great resource not just as a place to work, but as a research facility. The librarian has from time to time been able to find information for me that I couldn’t readily locate on the web.
I have 2 hours in library every day. LOL
I have a home office that I work out of and I’m super comfortable in that. So it’s extremely rare that I choose to work elsewhere.
If I had to make a choice, however, I’d choose the library. I need silence when I work or nothing gets done.
I generally go for the coffee-shop first, when I start to feel I’ve been talking to my cats too much. One of the main reasons I want to leave my house when working is to remind myself that there are other people in the world. I like the community feeling of a bunch of folks talking and working together.
I think I’m lucky to live near a really “sit-for-hours”-friendly shop. That staff and clients are all local to our neighborhood, and no one cares if you sip 1 tea for 4 hours.
For creativity, i think its important to go to both. I think it really helps
I live in Egypt so it might not be the same way with libraries, but the nearest one is about 30 minutes away if traffic is normal. On a Friday (which is the day off here in Egypt) The library is very nicer than a Coffee shop.
great topic
thanks and greetings from Egypt 
It’s interesting to me that no one mentioned the appropriateness of working in a coffeeshop. Coffeeshops exist to serve customers and make money. If you are working in a coffee shop, you are taking up space that could be filled by a paying customer. You are depriving the coffeeshop of the chance to make money and occupying space that someone else my want to you to actually have coffee. Libraries, on the other had, intend for people to stay there and use their facilities.
When I need to get away from the Distractatron (aka the Internet) and do some deep thinking, drafting of written material, or sketching of ideas, I go to the library. It’s forced time away from the telephone, e-mail, and the Web. And, quite frankly, that’s what I sometimes need if I really want to buckle down to work.
Definitely the library! I can eat and drink in the libraries in my area, which is a plus, in my opinion — hard for me to work without coffee. But prefer the library for all the other reasons you’ve mentioned.
Library all the way. Since I’m a freelance writer, I have to be able to really concentrate on what I’m doing – I find that having conversations in the background, television, radio, or even most music is really distracting when I’m trying to find the “voice” of a particular piece. When I try to write in coffee shops, I end up having to put in headphones to concentrate, but then whatever I’m listening to can end up being distracting.
The only downside to working in libraries is that they tend to close pretty early, and I am very much a night owl. I guess that’s what my home office (aka bedroom) is for!
The funny thing is that I’m also a freelance illustrator. And art? Pfft. I can make art anywhere there’s space. I can have conversations or watch TV. Noise isn’t a problem at all. I don’t even care if people walk over to watch or ask what I’m doing. Maybe I need to get more art commissions…
I Love library very much it enhance learning process and i do not have to sit all the time in front of my computer to update myself. A coffee shop may have a lots of different types of people on the other hand a library most of the time observe book lovers. So my personnel preference is library.
High speed internet at a library ? Good one…
If by high you mean none or slower than dial-up, then yes, libraries have high speed internet.
That depends so much of the library, as it seems the food/drink policy. Like I said mine has 100Mb/s, effective download speed is usually around 5MB/s and there are other people in the room, not to mention in the building. Good place to download heavier files and updates. And since it’s located in my countrys capitol the latency to other parts of the world is just amazingly low (that is a good thing).
What a great conversation! Howdy, Peeps!
IT’S SO PERSONAL, REALLY.
It really boils down to what kind of work you are doing, what part of your brain you are using, what YOU need to function optimally, and how each of these locations can serve you and you can serve them. You’ve inspired me to put my experience to words…
ODE TO THE COFFEE SHOP
- I’m highly conscious of knowing I’m paying for the luxury of the coffee shop space by purchasing a goodie. It’s my occasional “office rent”.
- Choosing down times of the day and sitting in the window, I help demonstrate the shop is popular, comfortable, and occupied. When it gets too crowded (hee hee, I’m THAT good!), I share space, I buy my next meal, or move on out so as NOT to prevent the business from doing more business.
- I choose the coffee shop when hours alone in my office are driving me crazy from the silence and I want to really focus on getting one thing done or starting something new. New environment = fresh inspiration.
- Since I’m happier working in a group than working alone, the din actually helps me focus inward on my work because I’m not responsible for anything around me except the space I am occupying…while at home, family, cats, chores and other “shoulds” randomly make demands.
- Different coffee shops give me access to different experiences. Each provides different visual distractions (pretty products and lovely packaging designs!), random acts of inspiration (2-year-olds are geniuses!), overheard conversations and fashion statements that let me observe living trends, a delicious treat I don’t get to make at home, and another connection to my (or a new) community.
Which helps me in my business.
And the coffee shop gets my repeat business.
Win/Win!
LIBRARY.
I actually find the lack of silence at the library more distracting than the din of the coffee shop. Coughing, loud whispering, sudden laughing, plastic rustling — all feel like giant invasions into the emptiness of the sacred silence. I actually use headphones and soft music to drown out library noises. (I’m weird, huh!)
And the periodicals rack? A bad place for a magazine junkie like me! Talk about distraction! Omigosh, that’s all the rides at DisneyLand for free!
Just wanted to say Thank You for this list of Pros of doing work at library. I have been pulling my hair out trying to be efficient at doing my work in my home office….but between my three small fur babies and now my mother in law living with us….my ability to focus has dropped to like 10%!!!!
no one gets that I’m “working” and not available to talk or answer questions or listen to problems or what’s on Dr. Phil!!!!!
I am soooooo ready to do my work at our local library……today is Sunday but I wish it was already Monday!!!!
Thank you again!!!!!!!