I HATE "shhhh-ing" libraries....I realize that there has to be a balance, so
I have designated quiet study areas and more moderate working areas where
students can talk---usually I am among the "talkers." However, when
students and teachers are working together on projects, I try to collaborate
with the teacher before they get to the library which gives me an advantage
when it comes to classroom control also.
If I need to control classroom / library noise, I use "imaginary peer
pressure" to get groups to quiet down in the library. If one group seems to
be too noisy, I will walk closer to some of the louder students (even with
the teacher there) and say, "You'll need to keep your noise level down.
There are others working and you are disturbing them." Then I go to the
other group and tell them the same thing.
Usually I infer that one group is complaining about the other group
(luckily, most of the students don't become so rude as to intrude in another
teacher's class activity or start getting smart about it.) It usually ends
with both groups (and teachers) acknowledging the other and then working
quietly. I've also offered closed rooms (in our library) or other seating
areas, as examples of where to go if they "must" work noisily.
Finally, when there are times that I am the only adult in the library with
students and I have students who are obstinate (usually boys who aren't
regular library users and want to cause problems with others), I will be a
bit more abrasive. When there are problems, I walk up to the student and
ask their name, what they are doing in the library, and remind them that
this is a place to work quietly or study. If they argue with me (and I have
had them do this when they are upset about something else and come to the
library to start fights or cause problems), I tell them that "this is MY
house and their attitudes will be 'checked at the door.'" If they tell me
that they can't be thrown out of the library or if they continue to disobey
any request to be quiet or leave, I physically point to the door and tell
them that they can leave on their own or I will be more than happy to remove
them from "my house."
Since I'm 5'10" tall (and not willowy), it takes a pretty brave young man to
call my bluff--it also helps when you have an 18-year old son to practice
those "mean stares" and "I'm gonna take-you-down voices." (Of course, I've
also had a freshman boy pull a gun on me once when I was a classroom
teacher....in my anger (because he continued to disobey and talk back to
me), I told him to, "Go ahead...make my day! There are 30 witnesses in this
room...if you shoot and I die, you fry!") ---the kid ended up in juvenile
detention.
Luckily, in the library there haven't been many incidents of violence or
defiance. I'm pretty relaxed about a lot of things, but when students come
in "acting stupid," I try to remember the rules of approaching patrons (go
in pairs, ask at least three times before you move toward a serious removal
threat, contact a male adult to help, if necessary, and know how to contact
security guards or police immediately if there are problems.) Again, my
situations aren't violent most of the time....just a little noisy and
sometimes, mouthy.
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deb Ennen" <dennen@ISD2135.K12.MN.US>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 12:36 PM
Subject: noise control in library
> Hi
>
> I have been reading the thread about the shushing librarians and have a =
> question. What do you do when there are 2 or more classes working in =
> the library (high school), and the teachers are allowing the kids to be =
> really noisy to the point where the atmosphere is not one of getting =
> work done? Do you ask the teachers to quiet their classes or do you =
> quiet them down yourself? What about if there are study hall students =
> mixed in? I can't always tell which kids are with which teachers and =
> which are study hall students. I would really appreciate any guidance =
> on this matter.
>
> TIA for your assistance!
>
> Debra Ennen, Media Specialist
> Maple River High School
> Mapleton, MN
> dennen@isd2135.k12.mn.us
>
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