“Silent Means Silent

As assignment deadlines and examinations draw nearer, concentration and peace of mind is what one truly needs. The last thing one will ever want is boisterous chatter and laughter interrupting one’s moment of tranquility.

Silence is golden. In the eyes of students, university libraries have long proven to be the perfect sanctuary. However, its status as a haven of peace is increasingly being challenged and many students can testify to it. My recent efforts to study in peace at the library have often been met with laughter from my fellow mates or the ring tones of mobile phones. All of which irritated me although I did not make a huge fuss.

Photograph of the new Business, Economics and Education Library,
The University of Melbourne.

Former UCLA student Alexandra Wallace faced a barrage of criticisms for specifically making racist rants of Asian students in the library and eventually got the sack. While I don’t condone her actions for targeting a specific ethnic group, I do agree that there is a case to be made about students disrupting the peace in libraries. From the outset, let me make this clear: library noise and chatter is not isolated to a particular ethnic group and one should not make hasty generalizations. In fact, one should approach this matter in a judicious and objective manner.

So my message to all library visitors is simple. If you love chatting with your friends, the café is where you should be. If you love showing off your mobile phone ringtones, set up shop in the CBD. If you love making phone calls, the library toilets should be your best friends. If you’re Mr. or Mrs. Popular consistently receiving text messages and causing the entire library table to vibrate with it, please get your affairs in order before stepping into the library.

Okay, I am not draconian to the points that making an occasional phone call or text message or just asking a simple question being totally a no-go. But just don’t make it one too many. Everyone has a certain limit of tolerance. So don’t test it.

At the end of the day, the library is a communal space for all to enjoy. The next time you enter the library, please think twice for your fellow mate and be considerate in whatever you do. Let us all work together to make our libraries a conducive environment for all to learn and grow.

= This article first appeared in Melbourne RiffRaff on 11 September 2011.