Quiet libraries- a thing of the past

After the Growler was added to the high school library, and many students started signing up to go there for flex time each day, the library lost the traditional feel of a quiet study area. During flex, the library is bustling with students eating their lunches, hanging out with friends, and some even finding a good silent place to relax. The only problem for the person who wants a quiet place to read is that it is unlikely. Due to the other people coming to the flexes for lunch or to chat, the library has become a more social and busy place as opposed to the quiet libraries we all used to know. When The Growler first opened, the library experienced more issues, such as people leaving their trash behind or shoving it into the bookshelves.  It is important to question whether or not this issue has become better or worse. If a student goes to the library in the afternoon after flex, they will most likely find crumbs on the tables and sometimes even empty bottles in the bookshelves. The Growler first opened at the beginning of 2015 school year, and since then it has caused a plethora of people talking and eating in the library. In the student handbook it said students who misbehave in the library will face disciplinary measures, and this should also be towards students that litter in the library or talk too loud. Every day the library fills up with people who just want to hangout with friends or eat their lunch, but what they’re harming is the true reason for a library, which is a quiet place for people to study, read, or find a book they enjoy.

A possible solution to this problem is that during A and C flex students will be able to hangout with friends or eat, and during B a teacher other than the librarian would watch over a silent period of time for students to study or read; similar to SSR. Students who eat in the library will only be able to eat in The Growler section and will not be able to bring their food into the library to eat. This will prevent noisiness in the library and food left behind in the shelves and tables.