By Rebekah Markillie |
There are few things more frustrating than, after a long day of classes and a pile of homework to start, going to the basement in the library for some peace and “quiet,” only to be met with bursts of giggles and whispering (read as hushed shouting).
The Clark Library is a beautiful facility with a variety of spaces for different styles of studying. The main floor is open to chatter. The tables and booths provide a nice area to go over material for exams in groups and help your friends out with homework. Also, you can reserve a study room online for up to four hours. Nine of the 19 study rooms are equipped with TVs that can hook up to laptops so powerpoints and online tests can be viewed as a group. The closed door also can provide more privacy and quiet if that’s what you want, or a space to talk without disturbing others.
The basement, however, is reserved for students who are looking for quiet. So while I’m studying for my biology exams on the quiet floor, I don’t need to hear all about how your sister got asked to homecoming or how much you hate your professor. You can save that for one of the upper floors where talking is okay, or you can find yourself a nice study room (but remember, no shouting — the study rooms aren’t soundproof).
Maybe it’s because students haven’t had a library for so long that they forget what library etiquette is, what a six-inch voice is or what a “quiet study floor” is. But here is a quick reminder:
1) No talking on the quiet floor. I mean, it’s reasonable to sneeze, ask someone where the bathroom is, zip your backpack up or ask if anyone is using a seat, but it’s rude to carry on a full conversation in an open area where people around you are trying to study quietly.
2) When talking ,used a hushed tone. For group work be considerate of the people around you so try not to start a talking-louder-than-each-other war.
Maybe I could throw out this list and just say please be considerate of other people in the library. Respect general library rules and try to make the space around you as pleasant for other people as it is for you.
Rebekah Markillie a freshman nursing major. She can be reached at markilli17@up.edu.
