Herrick Library: The Book End

The empty husk of a service counter and a glowing neon sign are almost all that remains of the now defunct Book End Café in Herrick Library.

The Book End, which opened as “The Herrick Café” at the end of the 2007 fall semester, was “Alfred University’s attempt to encourage students’ educational efforts,” according to an article published in Dec. 2007.

The purpose of the café was to give students a less formal, serious environment to study in. Students could enjoy coffee, tea, muffins and even salads or watch television in the corner near the front desk.

In a Fiat Lux issue published in Feb. 2008, an article was published about a contest which encouraged students to personalize the café by way of a naming contest. The contest, judged by Herrick Library staff, ran until early March and winners were announced on the 21st of the month. However, there was no article in later papers on the contest winner, so the student who came up with “The Book End” will be lost in the annals of Alfred’s history.

The contest failed to garner the hype that library staff hoped for, but that wasn’t the only problem with The Book End.

The Book End’s hours, though consistent, were inconvenient for a lot of students, professors and town residents. The café was open from 8-11 a.m. and then from 8-11 p.m.

The café also never accepted dining dollars offered on the AU meal plans. Students did not want to pay “real money" when they could just go to the Li’l Alf Café in Powell Campus Center, a short walk away from the library itself.

Future plans for The Book End space are unknown at this time. Currently, the space is host to Team Trivia night at AU. The Writing Center takes over the tables during their Sunday time slot and town residents have made the abandoned service counter the perfect spot to finish 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles.

Brittany Gardner, a student worker at Herrick Library stated that she was not disappointed when the Book End closed down.

“I didn’t use it much, so I wouldn’t be disappointed,” she said. “I would rather not spend money there… Stuff was pricey.”

Another anonymous student said that she did purchase from The Book End once and that she was mildly disappointed when the café ended its rather short run. She said that if the café were to ever re-open, the things it sells would have to be cheaper and more welcoming.

However, the chances of The Book End opening again are slim at best.
While the space is still there, it is simply a shell of its former self.