By COOPER STANLEY, Student Writer
Library Etiquette Story-Cooper Stanley
The library at Northwestern has few written rules for students to adhere to, however students must understand that proper library etiquette is expected.
There is an expectation to behave in a respectable manner and have common courtesy to others when in Northwesterns library. The library is not for any one student; the space is a scholarly environment that all students should be confortable learning in.
Library etiquette is something that the library doesn’t exactly have a long list of specific rules set in place, it is more so expected to be known, more so unwritten rules. Shannon Leaper, research and instructional services librarian at Northwestern said “while there is no rule that you cant be on your cell phone, we expect each other to have common courtesy, and to silence their cell phones, and to take a call outside or elsewhere.” Leaper explained this an example of how to properly act in the library.
Leaper also said that the library although is expected to be a relatively quite place, expecting the library to be dead silent is an unrealistic expectation. With classes coming through, students coming in and out of the library, students have to talk to one and other to accomplish their scholarly endeavor; which at the end of the day is why many people come to the library in the first place.
If a student truly feels that another student or group of people are distracting their ability to study or learn in the library they can go to anyone of the multiple librarians or front desk workers at the library. Leaper also said that if she can hear a student or group of students who are getting a little loud she has on many occasions politely asked them to keep it down and has never had a problem with doing so.
The simple answer to proper library etiquette at Northwestern is just be respectful and mindful of others, appreciate the scholarly space the library is, and to understand that the library is seen to many if not all as a place to study or do work in peace.