[Access-ip] question about maintaining quiet reading spaces in your flagship libraries

[Ann Snowman]

Jim,

At Pattee-Paterno Libraries the various spaces have cultures of their 
own.  The Paterno Family reading room 
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/gateway/vtour/humread.htm is nearly silent at 
all times.  A few years ago the student government requested that we 
address cell phone issues and we designated certain areas as cell 
phone-acceptable.  Signs are posted to that effect.  I published a short 
case study on this initiative.
Developing a Library Policy for Cell Phone Use. Library Administration & 
Management v. 18 no. 4 (Fall 2004) p. 203-4 if you are interested.

In recent years we have allowed drinks in approved containers.  We have a 
student lounge, badly in need of rennovation, with vending machines that is 
meant to be used as an eating area. It is not used much because  it is 
remote from study areas and unattractive.  Next semester we will allow 
snack foods in designated areas that are discreet from stacks areas. [This 
change is a direct result of marketing surveys.]

Our code of conduct is posted at 
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/pubinfo/policies.html.  The link to other 
policies will take you to our cell phone policy.

Our staff do respond to complaints about noise.  Foodstuffs in 
inappropriate areas are often challenged.  We practice a bit more leniency 
during exam periods.

Ann


At 04:51 PM 12/21/2005, Jim Vaughan wrote:
>I write to ask if you have special staff or special procedures in place to 
>ensure that reading rooms in your flagship libraries remain quiet study 
>and reading spaces.
>
>At Chicago, we have not officially designated quiet zones within our 
>flagship libraries.  With the exception of one floor in our humanities and 
>social sciences library which houses a large number of open group study 
>spaces, there is an expectation that all other areas will remain 
>relatively quiet.  To date, we have relied primarily on self-policing by 
>users.  If there is a particular problem that is brought by a reader to 
>our attention, circulation supervisors or floor staff deal with the 
>situation.
>
>During midterms and finals (when the reading rooms in our flagship 
>libraries are very crowded), we place table tent signs around the building 
>that remind readers that
>    * Reading rooms are for quiet study and research
>        * that users should select a silent mode for their cell phone 
> while in the Library
>        * that conversations on cell phones should be conducted from the 
> 1st floor lobby only
>    * Eating is allowed only in the student canteen (and that only drinks 
> in covered containers are permitted in the reading rooms)
>I should stress that the Library does have policies relating to food and 
>drink ( http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/facilities/food_drink.html ) 
>and cell phone use ( 
>http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/facilities/phones_pagers.html 
>).  However, we are not actively enforcing these policies to ensure that 
>our reading rooms remain quiet at all times.
>
>It would be helpful to hear what you do to ensure compliance with your 
>policies regarding noise, cell phones, eating of food, etc., particularly 
>for those readers who want to work in a quiet environment.
>
>Thanks for sharing, and happy holidays!
>
>--Jim
>
>Jim Vaughan
>Assistant Director for Access & Facilities
>University of Chicago Library
>773-702-8351
>j-vaughan at uchicago.edu
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Ann Snowman
Head, Access Services
University Libraries
The Pennsylvania State University
208-B Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802-1812
E-mail: ams32 at psulias.psu.edu
Phone: (814) 863-1362


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