Are the "quiet study" zones intended to be quiet or silent?

Submitted on Wed, 2012-09-05 09:27

There is an ongoing issue with students talking in pairs (and on mobile phones etc.) in many of the library "Quiet Study" zones. This happens so frequently that one single student in an area could not possibly reprimand all the students without being hated by a good number of people in the zone. This issue has become more pressing as mobile phones etc. invaded the earth, and the pontential for distraction is higher in libraries. Other university and public libraries have strict rules and signage so this is a public issue that affects many people.

Does the UQ library agree that this is an issue?

In this case I might suggest that the signage been changed to "Silent Individual study" and "No Mobile Phones", because it is clear that a significant number of students incorrectly misinterpret the "Quiet Study" signage as "It's ok we talk as long as we talk quietly". Better signage means that no misinterpretation can occur.

However, if I have incorrectly misinterpreted the signage, and it actually means "Quiet study", which actually 'little to no noise' - and is of course open to interpretation, where does this leave students who want to study in complete silence?

Are we able have some strictly silent zones?

Thankyou for any comments/suggestions.

Comments

Submitted on Wed, 2012-09-05 10:40.

Thank you for your comments about studying in the Library. Quiet study means study that does not interrupt the activities of other students in the space. If others are inhibiting your ability to study effectively, you should assertively, but politely, bring this to their attention. This will always remedy most situations. If noise continues to disturb, please seek assistance from a Library staff member.

Glen Dalgleish

Submitted on Sat, 2012-09-08 13:56.

Thank you for your reply.

I believe that your solution assumes that the issue of distracting students is fairly isolated, however this is not the case. As I mentioned previously, on a daily basis it has become relatively common to encounter students who talk in pairs, and converse on mobile phones in quiet zones. So much so, that it is impossible for a single student to reprimand any given number of students on a daily basis. As a result I have become most dissatified with the slow deteroriation of the standard of the noise level over the years (especially in the SS&H), and unfortunately, I feel as though I can no longer rely on this space for my study needs.

This high standard existed because the library staff set and enforced standards of silence, or the cohort of students were more respectful or well-informed regarding the standards of silence in the library. I do not believe that it is the responsibility to students to enforce a silent environment where one never existed in the first place. I believe that my suggestion for more appropriate signage may help address this issue.