Finding a quiet area that has an outlet in the library can sometimes be harder than choosing your adventure at Iowa State.

Students with heavy backpacks are in and out of Parks Library all day attempting to find a tier that is not overly crowded. The tiered floors are the most common area for students. The tiers are occupied with rows of tables and many faces. Finding a study spot is nearly impossible in the tiers during finals.

Believe it or not, there are other areas in Parks many do not know exist. After wandering the floors of Parks, it became clear not everyone takes advantage of these hidden spots.

”I like to go to fourth floor behind the bookshelves because there’s a table and they just recently put an outlet in it,” said Stephanie Blazejewskic, senior in animal ecology. She works at the help desk in the library.

Students at Iowa State would probably be surprised to learn that beyond the bookshelves there are hidden tables on each floor. They go unnoticed because there isn’t much chance to stumble upon these secret areas unless one is intentionally looking for them. Even the basement level has a similar setup — it’s not just a media center like so many people assume.

“Third floor gets pretty noisy,” said Maria Lukawski, the media center supervisor. She explained that the basement is usually the most vacant and unknown space in Parks, other than the East Reading Room across from Bookends Cafe.

The room leading into the Reading Room by Bookends has recently been updated with more study space as well. There are now more tables for students along the side that was once occupied by books.

The rooms on the third floor are not just for tutoring purposes. Students can use their student ID at the front desk to rent them out. These rooms are equipped with windows, outlets, a whiteboard and a screen.They’re nice for studying with multiple people or when you need a lot of room for a project.