I've been a library purist for a long time. I hold sacred these ideals:
1. The library should be quiet. Shushing and evil looks are appropriate when someone is noisy.
2. The library should have lots of books available for browsing, and chairs to read them in.
3. Cells phones should not be used in libraries.
4. Food and drink should not be used near books or computers in the library.
5. Librarians should have all the answers, or at least know where to find them.
Unfortunately, many of these "rules" are bent or blatantly ignored everyday in the libraries I frequent. "Silent Study Floors" are plagued by the guy in the stairwell talking to his girlfriend on the cell phone. Food wrappers crinkle, and open bottles of pop sit 2 inches from someone's elbow while they search through a journal.
Over the years, I have become accustomed to the loosening of restrictions, and have to say that snacking and drinking water are things I've done among the stacks. HOWEVER, I am responsible about it, taking care not to leave greasy fingerprints on books and even more careful about keeping liquid tightly closed anytime it is within two feet of a book. Sadly, not everyone is as careful as I. Today I watched in horror as the guy sitting next to me knocked over his opened bottle of Mt. Dew right onto my computer. Not the library computer I was using, MY COMPUTER!
The thing I don't understand is that he was also using his laptop computer right next to me and did not feel the need to put the cap back on his drink. What if he had poured it on his own computer? What if mine was more than just sticky in the aftermath? (Luckily, it missed my keyboard and just hit a (hopefully) sealed portion near the back) Frankly, I'm surprised that the library allows "closed containers" in the stacks or the at the computers. Accidents like this could happen all the time! And who fesses up to the Coke stains on the Complete Works of Oscar Wilde? No one. The library eats the loss.
I feel like this is a huge dereliction of duty on the part of the library. Preserving books so that all may read them? Nah, we'll just let everyone do whatever they want and see how long our bookshelves remain full. I mean, there are already penises drawn on every carrel, why care about anything else?
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1 comment:
as you are probably aware, all of the issues you raise trace to one: money. library budgets are constantly cut. the way we prove to bean counters that we are worthy of money is by showing how many people use the library. more people use the library when they can be noisy, eat, use their cell, destroy materials, etc. if money were not an issue, libraries would be much more as you envision them.
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