According to a previous Chimes article, Blackmore Library and Bexley Public Library are two of the most common study spots for university students, most likely because libraries are quiet spots intended for concentration.
At least, that’s how they’re supposed to be.
Students who frequently study at Blackmore know that it is as loud as hang-out spots like Capital Grounds or the Harry C. Moores Student Union lobby. It is nearly impossible to be silent at any location, but there have been too many instances where students are almost yelling as they talk to friends.
Often, those speaking at loud volumes are not studying and/or are Blackmore staff.
When potential students tour the university, they are told that Blackmore Library gets quieter at each floor level: the first floor is a normal talking voice, the second floor is a whisper and the third floor is silent.
One would be lucky to hear students dutifully following each floor’s volume etiquette; however, people on the third floor are usually good at being silent, which might be due to there rarely being anyone on the floor.
Some may ask why students who are bothered by the noise on the first two levels don’t just study on the third floor, but it’s not that simple..
For starters, the third floor is the third floor: it’s three levels up. Although most students on campus are capable of walking up stairs —if not, Blackmore has elevators —those who want to respect the one thing everyone knows about libraries — that they’re quiet — shouldn’t have to sacrifice extra time to make it to the third floor.
Additionally, the first floor has the highest concentration of computers in Blackmore. Those who need printer/computer access and/or prefer working on assignments on desktops often need to be on the first floor to work.
A student who needs printer/computer access and a quiet place to study cannot have both with the way Blackmore is currently.
Since the only thing separating the first floor from the second is the railing, they are both essentially the same level, leaving the third floor completely closed off. If anything, the first two levels should be the quiet ones, and the third level should be where students can yell at each other about things like whether Peanut M&M’s are good or not, which has actually happened before.
Students who want to hang out with their friends don’t need to be in a library to do that and should instead hang out in other, more public, campus spaces like One Main Café, which has no restrictions on how loud students can be.
While libraries as a whole are shifting from quiet spaces to community hubs, university libraries on the edge of a campus designed entirely for education should be a quiet place where students can immerse themselves in their studies.
