I am so exhausted. Amidst the frantic putting up of posters, table signs, and exhibitions at the Central Library lobby, there is that nagging feeling that all would be for naught. When the idea of having an awareness campaign to highlight to students certain desirable and undesirable behaviors in the library first came about, I got really excited. I told myself that this was a great opportunity to dialogue with students, and to seek their cooperation in making the library a more conducive and pleasant place.
The campaign focused on 4 areas which concerned us the most: noise, cleanliness, seat reservation, and card misuse. While we wanted to get our message across, a wise lady also reminded us to consider our approach. Our users are after all, she said knowledgeably, no longer children but young men and women who would respond better to persuasion rather than to coercion. So, we decided that our campaign would be a subtle one, i.e., one that appeals to our innate civic-mindedness.
After happily putting up the material, I rested my weary self at the Information Desk and lo and behold, what do I see? A student chatting loudly on her hand phone directly in front of my nice poster pleading for less noise, followed by 5 students walking down the steps telling each other (or the whole of level 5 for that matter) about the new pasta at Café Cartel that was oh so delicious! In that horrifying moment, I thought to myself, gosh! Perhaps there such a thing as being too subtle! Needless to say, I was disturbed the rest of the day.
Sometimes, I wonder whether students know that these campaigns, these rules, these seemingly inconvenient regulations that the library has, are really there to protect their interests? While we all want users in the library to have a great time, it is after all primarily a venue for research and study. Students may chat, discuss, watch youtube videos or even belly dance but not to the extent that this interferes with other users’ enjoyment of our quiet and conducive environment. This is something I hope our subtle campaign can bring across.
For now, I’ll just wait and see what the end of this month brings. Mmm…perhaps that nice bowl of Laksa Yong Tau Foo at the Arts canteen will be just the right thing to soothe my frazzled nerves.
Gerrie Kow
To find out more about Library Etiquette Month, click here.
April 24, 2008 at 3:10 pm
In this day and age, subtlety just dont cut it anymore but then what? Hit them with a sledge hammer? Please…spare me the dramatics. What works for me is humor. If we can laugh about it, we can certainly remember it. Doing it is another story.
April 25, 2008 at 1:21 am
Take heart! Government anti-litter campaigns running for decades but we still have loads of trash on our shores! More so after weekend campers visit.
Some things take time, I tell myself.
NUS Central Library has sacrificed a draconian approach for a more encouraging strategy. It rewards the silent majority (heh, could not resist!) And boy oh boy, does Central look and feel lovely now. My jaw dropped when I finally revisited last year.
I was also very tickled by the handphone-use enclosure!
April 27, 2008 at 10:08 am
You go to level six floor, and behind the nicely painted glass door, you observe hilarity, craziness and sparks of “hahaha” “hihihi” “hohoho”, really disturbing at times. What can we do ?
Well, we can put a warning system, like a speaker inside the discussion rooms. If the noise level goes beyond a certain level, the speaker will yell “Shut Yer AsS off”.
Should be easy to implement, because you already have the speakers, you just need the sensor equipment