Ssssshhhh, you’re in the business school library! Not entirely sure what you’re doing there? (Hopefully you’re pursuing a business degree of some sort.) More importantly, you are making use of the many resources, from the librarians to the databases, books, and journals to perhaps a fellow student, that are there for you to get the most out of your business degree.

A colleague of mine got his MBA in Boston so I asked him to name three things that immediately came to mind about if, how, and why he used his business school library.

1. Quiet

Yes, perhaps “quiet” is the obvious answer, but that doesn’t make it any less important. After all, libraries are designed to create an ideal environment in which to study, and in an MBA program, you will be no stranger to studying.  So, your quiet business school library is a very important place to become familiar with, because, as my colleague found, trying to concentrate at home or in a dorm room or coffee shop can be close to impossible.

2. Resources

My colleague also said that his business school library resources were excellent. Even so, he also took advantage of the fact that he had other business libraries in the area. Sometimes he used the resources at his own school library; sometimes he went into downtown Boston to use the Kirstein Business Library, and he also found helpful resources in the business school library at Merrimack College. This is a great lesson in broadening your horizons and keeping your eyes out for every opportunity to excel in whatever you do. Why limit yourself to one library when you can use three?

3. A Meeting Place

The business school library is a great place to meet up with fellow students to work on group projects. With the resources and the atmosphere, the business school library was not only a central place to meet, but a good place to discuss management cases. Many business school libraries will have special meeting rooms that allow you to book the space in advance so that you can study with your group without disturbing other students.

It seems that there are no cons mentioned here, only pros. Perhaps it’s time to take a stroll (soft shoes, please) down to your business school library to see what it can offer you. After all, the business school library may be your home away from home while you pursue your MBA or other business degree, so learn your way around, make friends with the librarians, and leave no book unturned!