Don't ever interview at an academic library, then. It seems to be the only way we do interviews at mine, and I gather it's not an unusual practice in this field.

That said, I have participated in group interviews when I still worked in the tech industry, and I have found I prefer it to 1:1 interviews. As an interviewer, it feels more conducive to behavioral interviewing, and more people get to weigh in on the hire. As an interviewee, I found it makes the interview more conversational and sets me more at ease. I wish it was more common.

On. I appreciate a company that isn't going to waste two days of my time with a succession of people asking the same questions over and over.

Also, I want to meet my potential co-workers so I can decide if I want to work there.