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Noise in Sheffield libraries


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Perhaps I am unduly sensitive or overly critical but I am continually surprised by the following:1)When I visit the central library I find they have the radio playing.2)Also at the central library the phone rings and rings unanswered.3)At Hillsborough library one of the librarians spends the whole time talking loudly, seemingly encouraging others to do so as well.

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You should try the library at Hillsborough College. Actually, I got a dressing down for calling it the 'library'. It's the Nu-Labour-Edu-Lite-Learning-(Ironic)-Resource-For-Downloading-Shakira-Lyrics-Center-(Who-Needs-To-Spell-Properly-Anyway)-Petting-Zoo.

 

It's about as restful as King's Cross concourse on a Friday afternoon. When I asked the Workers-Formerly-Known-As-Librarians why they weren't asking all the teenagers to be quiet and stop nurturing their Tourettes and ADHD, she looked at me with horror and said 'This isn't the eighteenth century'. That would explain why they're dumping thousands of books, because no-one needs books to study things anymore now we've got Wikipedia and Popbitch. Or is it because being able to read is now politically incorrect? I just hope to god the students are majoring in Premier League stats and comparative-lip-gloss-and-hair-straightener studies, because those are the sorts of topics they appear to be learned experts in.

 

It's also been designed to be fully up-to-the-minute in terms of its acoustics, inspired by the shrill tinny screech of crappy R&B squeaking out of mobile phones on a bus. Every utterance bounces round the space and sharpens into a laser-strength white noise that makes your teeth shatter and stabs you with a blunt rusty skewer right in the temples.

 

Or am I just being old fashioned?

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You should try the library at Hillsborough College. Actually, I got a dressing down for calling it the 'library'. It's the Nu-Labour-Edu-Lite-Learning-(Ironic)-Resource-For-Downloading-Shakira-Lyrics-Center-(Who-Needs-To-Spell-Properly-Anyway)-Petting-Zoo.

 

It's about as restful as King's Cross concourse on a Friday afternoon. When I asked the Workers-Formerly-Known-As-Librarians why they weren't asking all the teenagers to be quiet and stop nurturing their Tourettes and ADHD, she looked at me with horror and said 'This isn't the eighteenth century'. That would explain why they're dumping thousands of books, because no-one needs books to study things anymore now we've got Wikipedia and Popbitch. Or is it because being able to read is now politically incorrect? I just hope to god the students are majoring in Premier League stats and comparative-lip-gloss-and-hair-straightener studies, because those are the sorts of topics they appear to be learned experts in.

 

It's also been designed to be fully up-to-the-minute in terms of its acoustics, inspired by the shrill tinny screech of crappy R&B squeaking out of mobile phones on a bus. Every utterance bounces round the space and sharpens into a laser-strength white noise that makes your teeth shatter and stabs you with a blunt rusty skewer right in the temples.

 

Or am I just being old fashioned?

 

 

Keep on being old fashioned :thumbsup:

 

You sound even grumpier than me!

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When I worked at Portsmouth Central Library in Hampshire, I was perceived as a bit of an ogre. I may have tattoos and body piercings, but I believe libraries should be treated with respect. Books are knowledge, and knowledge is power.

 

I thought nothing of asking people to turn off their mobile phones, stop talking loudly, putting their feet on the chairs, watching TV programmes on the Teletext TV, surfing porn sites on the People's Network computers, damaging library property........

 

When the Government said libraries had to provide enough computers to cover a percentage of the populous in the catchment area for that branch, I cringed. I, and all the other library staff knew what was coming.....

 

Yes, we got more people through the doors, but they were the ilk who didn't know that information came in mobile format and didn't require a power supply. We instantly became the equivalent of an internet cafe, and were subjected to abuse when asking people to abide by library rules and regulations.

 

I went to work in a library thinking the people who frequented these establishments were those who wanted to better themselves, or exercise their grey matter......how wrong I was. I was subjected to more abuse there than in any other employment I've undertaken.

 

Through tracing my family tree here in Sheffield, I use the Local Studies section at the main library in town. Most recently I asked to use a PC in there to check some information on the Ancestry website. I had to compete with youths who were more intent on chatting to their mates sat next to them than using the PC, and I was then kicked off so they could continue their conversation whilst they BOTH surfed the Internet.

 

Another gentleman was asked to leave the Local Studies section after disregarding many requests to be quiet and not treat the furniture as if he was at home. He left without causing any trouble, but if looks could kill.....!!! Why do people assume it's their right to make as much noise as they like and mistreat the facilities in a library?

 

I blame the fact the Government has turned them into internet cafes and has stated they're now to be known as "Resource Centres". I fear for the quiet sanctuary of libraries........:(

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