CRLS students have never technically been able to enter the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) during school hours. According to student handbooks, the library has been off-limits since as far back as the 1970s, unless students are accompanied by a CRLS staff member.
In light of recent student misconduct, the CRLS administration is planning to enforce this policy more thoroughly during the 2025–2026 school year. The Dean of Students for Learning Community C, Dr. Susie Espinosa, told the Register Forum that the administration had received complaints from CPL staff about escalated student misconduct toward patrons. When asked for the specifics, she told the RF “There have been fights, not often, but if you’re in a public space, one should call the police, right?”
Dr. Espinosa added that deans and CRLS security perform rounds of the library grounds to ensure that further altercations between students and disruptive behavior with the public do not occur. However, Nikko Santos ’26 noted to the RF, “I often see students walking in and out, and I haven’t seen any security unless there’s a fight, which there hasn’t been this year.”
Elizabeth Edwards, the Communications Coordinator at the CPL, told the RF, “We strive to be a safe and welcoming place for all patrons. Our behavior guidelines—which apply to people of all ages—are in service of creating a positive environment for everyone.” Edwards emphasized that the CPL “does not have a policy restricting visit times, but we respect CRLS’s authority in making decisions about their own policy.”
Despite school policy, the CPL has become a staple in the routines of CRLS students. Unofficially, the ground floor and parts of the mezzanine serve as social hubs, where students can experience a break from the chaos of CRLS halls and lunchrooms. The second floor is a quiet environment where students can use their lunch breaks to focus on coursework.
Zein Larue ’26 is one of many students who feel that the enforcement of this policy will disrupt the groove that CRLS students have fallen into during school. When asked how he would be affected by the enforcement of this policy, Larue explained that, “the library is a great private spot to do your work. There’s not a specific place within school grounds where you can find the same quiet environment.”
Pax Huybers ’26 felt a similar disapproval, telling the RF, “For the first half of freshman year I ate [at the library] every single day. It was a really nice place to go with my friends.” He was also concerned about the potential drawbacks for students who are enrolled in courses that don’t meet everyday, such as Bunker Hill and the Harvard and Lesley extension schools. He voiced that while there are other facilities that serve this purpose, students are faced with harsh commutes and weather as it gets colder, making places like the CRLS courtyard and the Harvard Smith Center unfeasible options. “I think it’s a real pain,” Huybers told the RF. “The public library should be open to everybody since it’s a public library.”
With the school year now in full swing, CRLS students have to see how the enforcement of this policy progresses.
This article also appears in our September 2025 print edition.
