Longing for the libraries of yesteryear
Before and after school or during lunch, the library can be crowded and loud which has columnist Megan Lin longing for the days when a libraries were quiet.
December 8, 2015
Students are looking for a nice, quiet place to study for that history test. The cafeteria is incredibly loud so they head to the library. Little do they know, the library isn’t as peaceful as it might seem.
As they walk in, they see clusters of other students scattered all throughout the room. Nearly all of them are chattering, with the select few that are actually trying to focus on the textbook in front of them. Some students sitting in the corner look on, annoyed, while the pages of a book in their hands remain still.
A couple girls sitting together in chairs gossip while sipping coffee, a bizarre image most wouldn’t think they would find in the library.
Some expect the librarian to say their famous line, “Shh..” but it doesn’t happen. They find a table, sit down, and frown as a group of students behind them laugh at someone’s joke. What’s even more disturbing, everyone seems to be okay with it.
In the end, studying for a history test became reading the same sentence over and over again because of various distractions from yells across the room to raucous laughter. The bell rings, and students gather their things and suck in a breath as that loud group passes by.
The library has become the exact opposite of its purpose: a hive for socializing. It might be because the cafeteria is getting a little crowded and the library is the only other place people can think of.
And of course it’s understandable: a lot of students like to study in groups. It’s more enjoyable than studying alone. Not only that, the library becomes a more interactive and collaborative environment, according to a study. But since when has that become an excuse to transform the library into a headquarters for gossip?
Other than the library, the school doesn’t really offer any other places suitable for studying or reading. That limits students’ options as to where they can go before or after school.
It’s not fair to the students who actually treat the library with respect that others just come in to talk loudly while they’re trying to study. Certain places have certain purposes, and the library shouldn’t be just another common area where volume isn’t an issue.
A viable solution is to renovate the library where it has separate spaces for different activities. A majority of people in a recent survey want this to happen so people looking for a quiet place and people looking for a place to work can both coexist in the same room.
However, the environment of the library is leaning towards a more collaborative space as technology continues to advance its way into the setting.
There are those that go to the library to actually work and study in groups, but there are also those that treat it as another place to socialize by using the excuse of group work.
The bottom line: please don’t go to the library simply to talk. That’s what the cafeteria is for. Save the library for students looking for a quiet place to study.
