Ii think it's great that your centers are lively and your students are engaged and
encouraged to not whisper.
BUT
I work in a public library right next door to our high school. While encouraging
your students to "be themselves," please remember to instruct your students that
the voice level and behavior that is tolerated in a school media center is NOT
appropriate in a public library setting. This way, they won't be surprised and
upset when they get shushed or even tossed out.
I am good friends with the high school librarian, but her role and mine and the
roles, missions, and expectations of our two libraries are quite different. Many
kids are simply coming into our library after school and have not been made aware
that they cannot talk in a normal speaking voice, call out to each other,
horseplay, and act silly. They get thrown out by the off-duty, uniformed police
officers that we hire. Their behavior, which is appropriate in the school setting,
is disturbing and distractingly intrusive to our other patrons and staff.
I, for one, do not get a "planning period," and am on the floor of the library 40
hours a week, during which I have to perform collection development duties, field
reference questions, plan programs, etc. The behavior of unruly patrons of all
ages is distracting and compromises my (and my co-workers) ability to do our jobs.
In the public library, we DO shush people.
Dawn M. Sardes
Teen Services Librarian
Euclid Public Library
Euclid, OH
dawn511@adelphia.net
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