Dear fellow students,
With this letter I want to express my deep dissatisfaction with the behavior of many students in the Library.
On several occasions throughout the term, I needed a quiet place to study on campus, so the Library seemed to be the logical choice. However, every single time I was forced to leave within minutes because of the noise levels generated by the rest of the students there. Always the loudest spots are the tables on the fourth floor, including the new ones next to the rooftop garden, which is a designated Silent Zone. Since I can easily hear what those people are talking about, I have noticed that the topic is almost never school projects and classes, but gossiping, sport, make-up—you name it. I am tired of telling people to keep it quiet every five minutes. It is impossible to concentrate and study in such environment, so that is why I am forced to leave and look for other locations on campus, which turn out to be just as loud.
I don’t know if the library staff has the responsibility to control the noise levels in the Library. Even if they do, they have to have at least five people whose sole job responsibility will to be to just walk around and warn students to restrain from loud talking. Of course, there is one, much easier solution to the problem—people should not make so much noise.
By that, I mean (and I have experienced all of these in the Library):
* no music from your phone, which includes listening it on mega-loud headphones;
* no chatting over current celebrity issues;
* no presentation rehearsals in the middle of the fourth floor Quiet Zone (yes, I have seen even that);
Even though our campus is small, there are many wonderful places where people can go to chat. If someone needs a list of them, I will be happy to provide one. The Library is a place to study, to concentrate and think. To do research for projects. To read a book (some people have forgotten that main Library function).
Keep my advice in mind next time when you meet with your friends to discuss the latest episode of your favorite show or yesterday’s Leafs game. The person next to you is having a test, presentation and a midterm tomorrow.
Zdravko Dimitrov
UTM Student, BBA program
