The design of academic library spaces has become a significant concern for library deans in recent years. While there is a plethora of literature on the design of library spaces, there is scant empirical literature on the influence of library spaces on student success. To fill that gap, I collected and analyzed graduate and undergraduate student perceptions of their library space needs and the benefits of studying in the library as it relates to their academic achievement. A conceptual framework was developed from the existing literature on college impact, student engagement, and library space design. From that, research questions were developed to guide the research design. To answer the research questions, an explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. During Phase 1 a survey was administered at a medium-sized state university in Southwest Florida. Phase 2 included semi-structured, phenomenological interviews. Finally, field notes were collected during the interviews for triangulation of the data. Through an analysis of the data, differences were found between graduate and undergraduate students satisfaction with library spaces. Differences were also found in the ways graduate and undergraduate students used library spaces to study independently, interact with peers, and interact with faculty. Graduate students also wanted separate spaces from undergraduate students. With the exception of a few graduate students who used the graduate study room, graduate and undergraduate students used the same spaces to study independently and interact with peers. Students did not typically interact with faculty in library spaces. Both graduate and undergraduate students agreed library spaces were conducive to academic and social engagement. Finally, students made several suggestions to improve library spaces to allow for greater academic and social engagement. Following the analysis and interpretation of the data, the original conceptual framework was revised to reflect the findings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]