Make Libraries Quiet Again

I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable or pedantic, but I’m genuinely so sick of this. Sorry if it’s a long read.

I go to my local library a lot to study (I go to other libraries too), and lately I’ve been noticing that libraries are getting really loud. And this isn’t just babies or whatever, it’s grown adults who have no spatial or social awareness to at least lower their voice when they are IN A LIBRARY. 

To preface, I’m not talking about like “I want there to be 0 talking in the library”. Like no, that’s unreasonable. I talk in libraries too. BUT WHISPER PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. EVEN IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WHISPER, JUST SPEAK QUIETLY! WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING AS IF YOU’RE TRYING TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO’S ON THE OPPOSITE END OF AN OVAL?!?!

WHY DO I HAVE MY HEADPHONES IN WITH MUSIC BLASTING AT THE HIGHEST VOLUME, AND I CAN STILL HEAR YOUR EVERY WORD AS IF I HAVE NO HEADPHONES AND YOU’RE STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO ME??? 

Like I’m sorry, I was under the impression that libraries are quiet??? And the librarians literally don’t do anything about it! What happened to librarians shushing people? 

I’ll go through a few examples. 

Babies/ Small Children:

 Most libraries host small activities for children, especially on weekends and holidays, which is great! That’s fine, libraries are for everyone. But when your child has been screaming and crying for the past hour, can you leave? Like ffs. I’m trying to study for my exams or whatever it is, and I can hear a baby screaming and crying for an hour, with their parent screaming “SHHH” every 5 seconds. To be clear, this is not AT ALL comparable to babies on planes. I am completely in support of parents with babies on planes. Because planes are not inherently for enjoyment, nor are they expected to be quiet. Planes are a necessity to get places, and I have complete sympathy for parents taking care of babies on planes. BUT!!! IN LIBRARIES!! When you bring your small child to a library, you’d assume it’s for THEIR enjoyment. SO! If your child is screaming and crying, that’s a pretty good indicator that they are not enjoying themselves! So maybe leave? And stop making the rest of us suffer?

Also, with the sessions where someone comes in to read a storybook to small children, TELL MY WHY TF IS THE STORYTELLER SCREAMING THE BOOK OUT LOUD, AND WHY ARE THEY LOUDER THAN ALL OF THE CHILDREN COMBINED? LIKE STFU OMD. WHY CAN I HEAR YOU FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS HUGE ASS LIBRARY? IF I CAN HEAR YOU, THE CHILDREN CAN HEAR YOU! Be enthusiastic, sure, but STOP YELLING!

Exam Season:

If you’re going to be loud the whole year, fine. But please, please, PLEASE, just be quiet during exam season. 

Last year, when I was studying for my Yr 11 exams + my 3/4 exam, I went to my local library (which has 3 floors). And I was literally fighting demons after this one exam, and also studying for the next, and suddenly through my headphones I hear some sort of singing? So I take my headphones out, and I can hear like a group of maybe 10 people singing, but I can’t see anyone. So I get up to go to the bathroom and I look down at the ground floor. TELL ME WHY THERE’S A GROUP OF SENIORS SINGING “ONE CALL AWAY” IN AN ACAPELLA ACTIVITY THAT THE LIBRARY IS RUNNING FOR SENIORS. LIKE PLEASE! The library usually has some activities for seniors throughout the year, but it’s literally always just like sitting down and having tea and biscuits and having a chat, or board games and stuff. And suddenly during exam season, they decide to hold A SINGING ACTIVITY.  

Online Business Meetings and Phone Calls:

I genuinely can’t comprehend why people think it’s okay to be on their BUSINESS MEETINGS with NO HEADPHONES and FULL VOLUME ON THEIR LAPTOP, and speak SO LOUDLY, IN. THE. LIBRARY. 

I’m actually so tired. And they choose to sit in the quietest area too, where everyone is studying, and EVEN AFTER RECEIVING MANY SIDE EYES FROM TIRED STUDENTS, LACK THE SOCIAL AWARENESS TO BE QUIETER OR MOVE SOMEWHERE WHERE IT’S A LITTLE MORE ACCEPTABLE IN THE LIBRARY TO BE IN A BUSINESS MEETING. 

Tutoring Sessions:

I understand some people go to the libraries with their tutors. So valid, so fair. BUT WHY ARE YOU YELLING??? IS IT NO LONGER COMMON SENSE TO BE QUIET IN LIBRARIES??? AM I GOING INSANE OR SOMETHING?

Anyway, that’s my little rant. Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but I’m genuinely so over this.