Bring Back Quiet Libraries: Lovers of Silence Need a Refuge In a Noisy World

On a recent trip to the local public library, I discovered something distressing. In the children’s section, each computer station was occupied by a child playing games on full volume. And as I perused the stacks, I was the only one browsing. The kids didn’t appear to be at the library to discover new books or pick up old favorites; they were there to play on the computer.

More troubling than this incident, though, is the sheer level of noise at the library from visitors of all ages every time I visit. My issue isn’t with children in public spaces — far from it. Kids will always be somewhat noisy, whether they’re on a computer or not. But when I was a child — not all that long ago, I should add — librarians seemed to take special pride in shushing patrons, children and adults alike, to maintain an almost church-like environment. These days, libraries are just as loud as anywhere else, and librarians themselves are typically holding the loudest conversations in the room.

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Alexandra DeSanctis

Alexandra DeSanctis is a contributing writer at National Review.

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On a recent trip to the local public library, I discovered something distressing. In the children’s section, each computer station was occupied by a child playing games on full volume. And as I perused the stacks, I was the only one browsing. The kids didn’t appear to be at the library to discover new books or pick up old favorites; they were there to play on the computer.

More troubling than this incident, though, is the sheer level of noise at the library from visitors of all ages every time I visit. My issue isn’t with children in public spaces — far from it. Kids will always be somewhat noisy, whether they’re on a computer or not. But when I was a child — not all that long ago, I should add — librarians seemed to take special pride in shushing patrons, children and adults alike, to maintain an almost church-like environment. These days, libraries are just as loud as anywhere else, and librarians themselves are typically holding the loudest conversations in the room.