BY EILEEN LORZ

If you think all libraries are quiet spots reserved for heavy thinking, you haven't hung around at Thacker and Graceland lately.

The Des Plaines Public Library may look boring from the outside, but a wide variety of people can be found inside.

First, you have people who are obsessed with the library ‑ library addicts. They just can't seem to make it through the day without saying hello to a friendly librarian or flipping through the card catalogue. These people are easy to spot since they do everything but walk around in their underwear and bedroom slippers, to make themselves at home.

Second, you have the people who use the library to just relax and take it easy ‑ library sleepers. They come into a library, pick out a comfortable chair, perhaps a good magazine to use as a blanket, and then they become dead to the world. Occasionally, they can be found mumbling to themselves or walking through a row of books like a zombie.

Of course, we can't forget about the library rug rats. Those adorable children who always manage to be in the wrong place at the right time. Whether accompanied by their parents or wandering about alone, they make their presence known. Rides up and down the elevator, races on the stairs, and rearranging books are some of their favorite hobbies.

Last, but definitely not least, is the average student. The average student visits the library only when it is absolutely necessary. Most of the time, it is either because their parents have forced them to return a book that was due a month ago (the last time the student was in no doubt) or because they have postponed a big project that is due the next day. These people are also easy to spot since they spend the majority of their day trying to kill time. Several trips to the drinking fountain and continually reading back covers of books are a few of the symptoms.

Whether you enjoy going to the library or not, it's worth the trip. If nothing else, you get to see a lot of interesting people.