April 22, 2008
Flashing Lights Warn Library Visitors to Be Quiet
To tamp down the noise level in their libraries, some colleges are considering installing a warning system that looks like a traffic signal. Called the Deluxe Yacker Tracker, the device flashes a yellow light to indicate when the noise exceeds a certain level. When it exceeds the level by at least 15 decibels, the red light illuminates and a siren can go off, too.
What ever happened to just approaching students and telling them to keep it down?—-Andrea L. Foster
Posted on Tuesday April 22, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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They have these in school cafeterias sometimes. Nice that college students have to be treated like elementary school kids.
— Evan Apr 22, 12:47 PM #
This will work because undergraduates across the country will not enjoy seeing exactly how loud they have to get before the lights and sirens go off (he said, sarcastically).
— RKA Apr 22, 01:06 PM #
It would have been nice if Andrea Foster had actually contacted a library using this technology. This may be coincidence, but I just blogged about our using this product yesterday. Her last sentence in the story is entirely off the wall. We do ask. The device in our learning commons is not set to use the siren. I invite Ms. Foster to come into our library when it is noisy and find out how much fun it is asking students to be quiet. It is certainly a great use of highly trained professional librarians to have them going around saying “shhh!”
Bill Drew
Interim Library Director
Tompkins Cortland Community College
— Bill Drew Apr 22, 03:50 PM #
We had one of these in the lunch room when I was in 2nd grade…
— Joel Goodman Apr 22, 04:02 PM #
As a librarian with more than 20 years’ experience in libraries catering to young “adults,” I wanted to echo Bill Drew’s comments about the “fun” it is to ask noisy students to keep it down. He has it right.
— Liz Cooksey Apr 22, 06:09 PM #
So, a SIREN to indicate that THINGS ARE TOO LOUD…. LIKE, FOR INSTANCE…THAT SIREN! Hard to know whether to laugh or cry.
— Nick Apr 22, 06:43 PM #
Just came in by train from NYC.
A young woman seated behind me managed to speak in a quiet tone to her seat partner but when her cell phone rang (which was often) half the car had to hear half of her inane conversation. I was tempted to smack her but am too old to go to prison.
Time all those cell phone people learned a little about being polite.
As for driving while babbling … well we all know about the probable outcome of that bit of stupidity.
— AW Apr 22, 07:22 PM #
Will the siren work on the library staff as well? Too often it is the staff in the library carrying on personal conversations that are the most distracting.
— JJ Apr 22, 11:16 PM #
Ha, this must be a joke.
What happen if your library has patrons who love to sleep on the cough?
We installed a sound frequency device to detect the sleeping sound frequency level.
— Hazman Aziz Apr 23, 04:11 AM #
Our library is mobbed with students at all times of the day and night, which is good. Our 1971 facility has completely outrun it’s programmed life and just isn’t set up to meet the needs of students today. Our biggest complaint is noise, and we make a big effort to control noise on the quiet floor.
As we move farther and farther away from the traditional model of a library we are going to have to find creative solutions to create quiet preserves for patrons who need quiet to think.
The alarm system might work; on the other hand, if it went off, the students might think it was a fire alarm and run out— then I would really get complaints. This is a rather heavy-handed solution, but maybe a workable option for some. Having your supervisor, or more likely, your student employee floor monitors intervene with chatty students creates tension and conflict too.
If you have a busy library and the culture of your library is boisterous, you can try to raise consciousness through advertising and discreet intervention, but there really is no substitute for good architecture and intelligent interior design.
— Philip J Tramdack Apr 23, 06:55 AM #
After over 20 years as a college library director, I am of the opinion that it is much easier to ask a group of students to cut the noise level than it is to get them to come into the library if they don’t feel welcome.
As for a noise signal, it’s much better to have library staff out among the students in an open learning environment.
— Cy Dillon Apr 23, 08:55 AM #
Our library often erupted in boisterous talk and we didn’t know if there was a need to request silence since everybody was talking. We took a campus-wide survey and found that noise was the #2 problem in the library (after “not enough computers.”) The open-ended responses were very emotional. We shared our survey results with the campus and resolved to change the climate: We got more serious about enforcing quiet by banning cellphone conversations and intervening whenever necessary. This transformed the library into a much quieter place and we’re still full much of the day—with students who are actually researching, studying and writing.
— Dan Suvak Apr 23, 08:57 AM #
Wouldn’t it be better to text all the students using our fancy alert systems and warn them about the potential for danger to their academic and emotional futures if they are unable to keep the noise levels down?
— Matthew Apr 23, 09:19 AM #
How about having designated sound proof ‘group study’ areas? That way groups can meet and talk, while using library resources, but not disturb others if they get boisterous.
— a different Dan Apr 23, 09:46 AM #
Shhhhh
— DF.bikegrrr Apr 23, 10:11 AM #
Concur with Mr. Tramdack that “there really is no substitute for good architecture and intelligent interior design.” I can vouch for it, too, fortunately!
— Andrew A. Apr 23, 10:50 AM #
They should add a little duct tape dispenser that spits out mouth sized pieces when the siren goes off.
— Dave Bilyeu Apr 23, 10:56 AM #
So, to get this right, I’ll have to yell “Red Alert!” at 15 decibels.
— John Apr 23, 11:50 AM #
Somewhere the Google Lords are smiling. In open office spaces, the problem can be that there is not enough noise. In low noise situations, every word is heard and becomes an annoyance. Often white noise generators are used to increase the noise. At reasonable noise levels, people tune out the background and can concentrate better. There is a whole field of study on this. Libraries may be taking the wrong approach. Many people believe they need quite to concentrate, but that may not be the best for all. Some students also listen to music while they study. It probably provides the background noise. It would be interesting to provide a mix of environments to see what worked for whom.
— -larry Apr 23, 12:40 PM #
Our library stays fairly quiet — common courtesy is pretty well obeyed..When we had these traffic signal devices in the classroom (I used to teach) the kids usually never paid attention to it..The threat of no recess worked better..Can’t say that college folks would respond as well..
— Joanne Romano Apr 23, 01:00 PM #
Isn’t it nice to see that the Chronicle has such a warm and fuzzy relationship with an education vendor that they can act as a shill for the company’s products?
— Norm Apr 23, 02:42 PM #
I like the idea that there’s a DELUXE version of the Yacker Tracker available for when the standard version just won’t cut it.
— Dave Apr 23, 02:46 PM #
RE Bill Drew’s comment, Ms. Foster often appears more interested in sounding clever than providing solid reporting, in my opinion.
— Adrian W. Alexander Apr 23, 03:43 PM #
I thought that “modern” forward-thinking libraries focused on collaboration, not silence.
Did I miss something?
“a different Dan” (#14) has it right. Have a few designated quiet areas for people who are studying. The rest should be a welcoming place for students to gather and work together.
— Anonymous Apr 24, 09:22 AM #
We are focused on collaboration. Collaboration does not give a group the right to disturb others. We do not allow high levels of noise. i don’t understand why some don’t get that.
— Bill Drew Apr 24, 01:20 PM #
Only 15 decibels? I would think that is low enough setting that even a photocopier or printer would set it off.
— Brian Gray Apr 24, 08:38 PM #
In response to 26, it is 15 decibels above what is set for being an acceptable level. We have ours set for 80 db.
— Bill Drew Apr 25, 08:42 AM #
Thank you, Bill.
How does your library balance the noise created by collaboration with other acitivities? Do you have areas set aside for discussion versus quite study?
— Brian Gray Apr 25, 12:52 PM #
the loudest sound in the library : To be honest : sometimes we are while “conversating”…
Just asking friendly to use a classroom is enough. You reach more with a “wink” ;)
No sirens please, our severe image is bad enough….
— veerlet May 6, 03:47 AM #