Quiet – Please, Please, Please

Please please please start enforcing the quiet zone rules! I’ve started off in the tech center, which became to loud, so I moved to the library which was okay for awhile. But now people just come to the quiet zone because it’s quiet enough for them to talk or do group work.  Please hang up more signs on the table and walks  or even get someone to walk around to maintain silence. Thank you

 Thank you for sharing your concerns about the noise you are hearing in our library quiet zones. It is unfortunate that students are talking and doing group work in these spaces. While the library staff are not about to become a team of roving quiet police, there are a few things to share that might be helpful when this happens.

When you are in a quiet zone, there should be “quiet zone” stencils in the area. We put them up not only to indicate where the zones are – but also to help students who are seeking quiet. If you are in the quiet zone and other students are not respecting the quiet, simply get their attention and point to the “quiet zone” stencil. Remind them where they are in the library, and you might also mention that the 2nd floor east is the noise tolerant space for groups or those who like to talk in the library. If other students are ignoring these very large “quiet zone” signs and the signs on the stairwell doors, more signs are not going to solve the problem.

According to experiences here and at other similar libraries, student self-policing of noise and other annoying behaviors is far more effective than asking library staff to enforce rules. If you feel uncomfortable asking others to be quiet, then by all means seek out a staff member who will do this for you. All staff will be reminded that they should assist students who need help with a noise situation. I hope this will help to improve the problem.

2 thoughts on “Quiet – Please, Please, Please

  1. Last time i followed your student policing suggestion, this person threatened me.
    I really wonder how you guys came up with that suggestion. If a fight breaks out because of your suggestion temple library could be held the responsiblility for that.
    Even a free library librarians in my township police people around to keep the noise and people eating.
    How difficult to hire one more security to patrol the floors? Im not even ask them to be there 24/7.once a hour have people to walk around.

  2. Thanks for sharing your comment and concerns Dan. Sorry to hear that another student threatened you. I think what happened to you is much more the exception than the rule. My personal experience is that most students are willing to cooperate with their fellow students, not threaten them. If you or any other student is threatened by another student, please report it to a staff member. We will call the Temple Police and have them deal with the situation. There’s no reason for a fight to break out in the library.
    We have to trust our students to make good decisions and behave appropriately. To our way of thinking, spending your tuition dollars on a security guard who will shush students and take away their food is not only a bad use of your funds, but will ultimately drive students out of the library. As the original post says, if there are students creating a distraction in a quiet zone, please notify a staff member – and all library staff have been asked to speak directly to students making noise in a quiet zone when they encounter it.

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