Students who desire an absolutely silent study space with no discussion or mobile phone noise are encouraged to make use of a new Silent Study Room in Central Library. For details, read more...
Central Library is providing a Silent Study Room with PCs on a trial basis for the remainder of the 2010 academic year. This is Room 1.65 on Level 1, near the Microfilm Collection. It includes 10 PCs.
Students are encouraged to use this room for individual silent study on the understanding that there is:
• No group work
• No discussion
• No noise from headphones or websites
• No mobile phone usage within 10 metres of the room
Library staff will regularly monitor the room. People not respecting these guidelines will be asked to leave.
The Library reserves the right to book this room for occasional classes. Class times will be posted on the door.
It would be so nice if the silent policy extended to the area around the microform machines – so many students stand around discussing the material on the shelves around this area – either unaware or just inconsiderate of people concentrating on reading old newspapers 🙁
Thank you for providing this opportunity to finally get some work done in this library! I am nearing the end of my degree and one of the great disappointments of this university is the level of noise in the libraries. It is impossible for me to write essays when there are multiple people within a metre talking around me!
Every other university I’ve ever been to has an enclosed dedicated silent area, where people respect other’s needs to be able to do work. This library is more like a border’s coffee shop!
Thanks for your comments.
All university libraries face many student learning and support issues in a 21st Century digital environment characterised by constant change and innovation. The silent study room trial is one way by which Flinders University Library is trying to balance the range of our students’ requirements.
I agree with Thomas Cuthill, the libraries at this university are lacking in quality quiet areas.
In particular, the medical library needs an updated policy. There are quiet rooms in the medical library but they are not effective study areas for myself and others. There is no natural light in those rooms, so they feel like caves, and the acoustics of the small enclosed spaces amplifies tiny noises. Heaven forbid that you and a stranger end-up sharing one of those rooms, and one of you has to turn a page.
It’d be wonderful if a larger portion of the open spaces near windows in the library was enforced quiet space. Perhaps the enclosed rooms could be dedicated for group work and discussion. At least then if those rooms were properly insulated then the sound from those rooms would not disrupt the rest of the library.
“No mobile phone usage within 10 metres of the room” should read “No mobile phone usage within the library by anyone who is not a member of the library staff. People [including professors] who break this rule will have their library privileges suspended until they pay a fine of $20”.
Tony English, Flinders Business School
Sounds great – if it is enforced. The silent study rooms in the Sturt library are a nice idea, but its hard to get one (normally they are all full) and so many people use them for group work. The sound realy carries from one room to the next, so if someone is using even one of the silent study rooms for group work, it is very disruptive to everyone in the area, and library staff hardly ever bother to enforce the “silent” part of this area.
This is a pleasing development, but I think it is a disappointing indictment when the library has to dedicate one small space as a Silent Study Room. What does this say about the rest of the library? I am an Honours student who has studied at Flinders since 2002 and have witnessed a decline in standards in the library over that time. Sure, it is great to have areas for group discussion, but currently the balance is out of proportion. It was disappointing when individual desks were replaced with group tables on Level Zero and it is now impossible to study there, so if you use books from 000 to 329, you have to lug them up at least two levels to get to a quieter space. In a library, surely it is more appropriate to have a strong policy of silence (including no mobile telephones) and specific designated rooms and areas for group discussion, such as exists in the Level One entry area, not the other way around. Now the casual group discussion area has expanded in the entry area of the Law Library on Level Three, the main area of the Law Library where the individual desks are should be enforced by library staff as a quiet study area. I note there are not actually any individual desks in Room 1.65, only desks with computers, which does not solve the noise problem for those who just need to read books.
Great move. While we’re at it, how about we block usage of a certain over-utilised website too? It’d get people who are using the resources for the wrong reasons out of the library altogether. There have been days where I actually couldn’t get a PC in the library, while walking past dozens of people looking at indistinguishable pictures of their friends on fa– on a certain website, in between text messages. I’ll even volunteer my services with a baton or water cannon to assist in quelling the ensuing student… and staff… riots when they find they can’t get their fix.
This should be extended to all parts of the library beyond the main floor and outside group discussion rooms.
I agree with Chris. If you can’t cope without accessing you favorite social networking site for a few hours at uni, get a 3G mobile internet device and do it on your own dime.
I don’t mind the Level 1 of the library having a ‘coffee shop’ atmosphere, but it would be nice if it could be contain to that area – all other parts of the library should be silent outside of group discussion rooms.
I’ve used the silent study room and it’s pretty good – it would be nicer to have some bigger monitors on the computers there, and some individual desks if you just want to read, though.
The Flinders Library is awesome on weekends and late at nights when it’s not crowded.
To be honest, I think that blocking social networking sites at uni would be a marvellous idea! Or maybe have them allowed on level 1 (with its coffee shop atmosphere) but not on the other levels. This would be pretty successful at clearing out people who are just wasting time between classes (which they probably talk and text through anyway!) and give more room for the people who actually want to get something done!
At last!!!! However, I do think a room with 10 computers will not be enough to service the whole university…perhaps one on each level??
So what exactly is the difference between a “Silent Study Room” and a “Quiet Study Area”?? On level zero there is a specific quiet study area although some (most) people seem to read this as a study area where they can have group discussions. This area needs to be regularly monitored, especially for those people who like the big tables to study on and dont need to access a computer. Thumbs up for the Silent Study Room, but like most people I agree it needs to be bigger.
We have now installed 22″ monitors on two of the computers in the silent study room. The remaining computers are thin clients. These have the advantage of being very quiet, but they are only able to run 17″ monitors.