Your comment: I use the individual study rooms a lot in the library as I prefer to have a different change of scenery when doing work. I also like silence when I am working, which is why I book the rooms as it is supposed to be silent study. However, every single time I am in the library someone is either talking, laughing or playing videos. Every time without fail. I cannot keep asking the librarians to tell them to be quiet and I don't think I should have to considering it is supposed to be silent study anyway. It has made me see how disrespectful other students can be at times. As I am writing this now all I can hear is a group of girls talking and laughing. So I think either the rooms need to be soundproofed or something needs to be done about these disrespectful people. I can't work well with earphones in, but sometimes I am forced to as I cannot focus when people are being that loud. It is just getting to the point where I am starting to find working conditions in the library worse than at home, which is a real shame.
Our response:
Thank you for your feedback and I’m sorry you are being inconvenienced by noise when studying on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library.
Librarians walk through all the study spaces in the library every hour or so between 10:00-17:00 Mon-Fri to enforce noise levels in the silent study areas on Level F and to ensure appropriate use of all the study spaces. They also respond to the noise text alerter service as required:
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/library-services/study-zones/ While we do ask people to be quiet or move from the Level F silent study area to the Iris de Freitas room or Level D if they would prefer to work in a group, we are aware that noise can start up again once the librarian has moved away which is why we have the text alert system as well. And we do encourage students themselves to let your fellow students know if they are disturbing you - if you feel comfortable doing this. Being made aware of how they are disturbing their peers by their peers can be a much more powerful message than having a librarian come and enforce quiet.
We do understand that different people have different tolerances for noise while they are studying which is why we do what we can to ensure Level F of the Hugh Owen Library remains as quiet as possible while providing a range of other study spaces. We are hoping to get funding from the University to refurbish Levels E & F of the library and as part of this work do plan to have soundproofing for our single and group study rooms – but I realise this not a short term solution.
Please accept our apologies for these issues and please do use the text alert service or continue to seek help from library staff if you are experiencing disturbances.
