MacRae Library- Dal Agricultural Campus
Located in Bible Hill on Dal's Agricultural Campus, the MacRae Library is open 8:30-4:30 each weekday during the summer, and during the university's fall and winter semesters has even better hours, which you can find here.
During the summer, which is the time I am hanging out in Truro, this place is as quiet as Doug Wheeler's Guggenheim exhibit. OK, maybe not that quiet. But pretty close. I have not really been to the library during midterm or exam season, so I can't say how quiet it is then. But on Monday afternoons in the summer semester it is a tranquil place. It is not exactly the most ambient space-- it lacks the decor of some of the other spots mentioned in this post-- but if you you just want to minimize distractions and get some work done, this is absolutely the place.
Depending on where you are in the library, food and drinks are permitted. There are three floors to choose from. You can go in the basement among the stacks, but your cell probably won't get any service. Also, basements tend to be depressing. The main floor, where you can find the information desk, has a lot going on even in the quietest times of year, and is not generally the most silent locale. The top floor has a lot of options for quiet or group study and it tends to be the place I go.
Note: If you want to get on the wifi here you have to have a Dal i.d. OR be enrolled at any other institution that has eduroam.
Another note: Last I checked, they are doing renovations on the top floor.
Bonus of MacRae library: I have seen a deer outside on multiple occasions. I have such mixed feelings about deer. On one hand, they are CUTE, and we humans have systematically destroyed their habitat. On the other hand, they have this habit of jumping in front of cars and also eating the vegetables from our garden. Stupid deer.
NovelTea Bookstore Cafe
Opening in 2014, NovelTea has quickly become the best hangout spot in downtown Truro. When it opened, honestly, I was not sure it was going to last. As a longtime resident of Truro, I remembered the particular piece of real estate it occupied as one of those spots where new businesses are always trying to open and never succeeding. But it's three years in and NovelTea is still going! And it's expanded! And it's always getting better. Truro is a pretty small town and I have lived here for much of my life, so I am not exaggerating when I say that I see someone I know every time I go there. The community feel of NovelTea is one of the things I wish we could expand to the entire town of Truro.
Without a doubt, this is the most instagrammable of all the study spots.
If you like studying with music, NovelTea is the place to go. Their background playlist is really chill and is part of the great atmosphere there. Of course, any time you study with music there is this paradox, because if you want to have the music in the background you are also hearing all the background noises: espresso machines, conversations that you are REALLY trying NOT to eavesdrop on but it just ends up happening.
So although I love NovelTea so much, it is not the best place to get some quiet work done. There are hardly any outlets though and it can be a bit noisy so it is best for meetings.
But often, despite the fact that it is really not the best place for quiet work, I am lured there for that very thing by their delicious drink selection and mouthwatering brioche from Red Knot Bakery. I am ashamed to say how many stamp cards I have filled up at that place.
Aroma Maya
If you can manage the transportation to get a bit father out of town, Aroma Maya is a pleasant place to do a little work.
When I first drove in, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Aroma Maya is on the grounds of RiverRun Golf Course. I can't think of a time I have been to a golf course before. To me, golf courses are for rich old men. I am not a rich old man. But it turns out golf courses are beautiful! I kind of want to take up golf now just for an excuse to be outdoors and enjoy the views. Which maybe is why so many people like golf. Who knows.
The views... oh, the views. Aroma definitely wins for ambience. Green rolling hills-- is there anything better? A butterfly flew by the window while I was writing- a butterfly! This is the perfect place to study on a beautiful day. Of course, the paradox is that all the people will be out golfing on a beautiful day and the cafe may be busier. Oh well, it is still worth the drive out of town.
Also, I tend to like Aroma Maya because it is run by people who went to Acadia with me. In case you needed any reminders of how small a town Truro is-- you will always find people you know, wherever you go.
Another thing I like about Aroma Maya: so many outlets! I love NovelTea but it is sorely lacking in the outlet department, which is tough when you doing the majority of your work from a laptop.
The cons of Aroma Maya is it has a bit more limited hours than some places: normally just 10-5pm. It's new, though, so maybe once it gets going more their hours can expand.
Public Library
Back when this library was a brutalist, concrete building, it became a second home to me. It was a place of discovery, a place where I am pretty sure I read every book in the children's and youth section, opening up new worlds to me. It was also where I had my first job in high school, and I spent the afternoons putting books back on their shelves. I learned how to use the microfilm machine while working on school projects; I recognized the 'regulars' by name. And despite the fact that the building itself was unwelcoming, cramped, and ugly, to me it was warm, familiar, and a place that was a gateway to knowledge and learning. I loved that old library.
The new library, which opened last fall in the old Normal College building, has all the features that I loved about the old library, but it smells much nicer and has added loads of new and beautiful elements. It is a much more pleasant place to study than the old place, with free wifi (spotty at time I find though- would like to hear other's experiences), and bright, open spaces. There are plenty of outlets, and even USB outlets.
The hours are also fairly good: in the summer" 10-4 on Monday, 10-8 on Tuesday through Thursday, 10-5 on Friday and Saturdays, but unfortunately closed on Sunday.
The aesthetics of this place are just stunning.
Cons: The climate inside can be a bit cool and dry during the summer, which can sometimes be a bit TOO cold for me! Also, the wifi has not always worked for me, which can be frustrating as a lot of work may require the internet.
Home
And sometimes, home is a good place to work, too. You can play music as loud as you please (if music while working is your thing), and make as many cups of tea as you like. The computer automatically connects to the wifi, and you can work in your pajamas.
