by Alana Laanui |
“Shhhhhhhhhhh!” This is usually what you would hear during finals week in the library, but a new system hopes to change that.
During the week of finals, the Clark Library has traditionally hosted a “Whisper Week,” when all three floors of the library are to remain quiet. Library staff have found this expectation unrealistic and are now implementing the “Find Your Zone” technique for the week of finals. Instead of having the whole library be a quiet space only the lower floor, library classroom and digital lab will be set aside as quiet zones.
This will allow for group projects or study sessions to be held on the first and second floors of the library without disturbing those seeking some silence. For those students who still prefer to work in the the louder collaborative spaces, they will have the option to check out headphones. Free earplugs will also be available. Librarian Diane Sotak hopes the new system will effectively help students get through finals week.
“Instead of the whole building being a quiet place, students will have choices,” Sotak said. “This allows students to come in one day to work with a group and then come in the next day and study in a quiet zone.”
Alana Laanui is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at laanui18@up.edu or on Twitter @AlanaLaanui.
