Saratoga News

What's needed is some library etiquette

By Lisa Kuto

I am moved to write regarding the noise factor at our community library. I, too, had experienced the noisy behavior of the young people gathered at the library after school. In my mind, their behavior was not only inappropriate but rude, and I rearranged my schedule in order to avoid a situation I deemed to be part of the new and more permissive society, of which I am obviously not a part.

I was quite surprised, then, to read both the letter of complaint and the response from the librarian. And it is to these that I wish to respond.

I feel strongly that the community is missing a great opportunity if the situation described by the librarian is not remedied. If, in fact, the children have no other place to congregate after school, I certainly agree that the library is a safe and appropriate place for them. But why punish the rest of us at the same time? Surely the library can be used by various age groups at the same time. What becomes immediately obvious is the need for the children to be exposed to some education in library etiquette. I'm a firm believer that one must not be disciplined unless the rules and the penalties for disregarding those rules have been made clear first. There's no sense in scolding the children when they haven't a clue about what is expected of them.

Since school funding has been so severely cut of late, perhaps the library, instead of the school, is the better place for such instruction. There must be a retired teacher or librarian in the community who would be willing to donate a few hours to working up a presentation and reviewing it with the librarians, then presenting it at the library after school. Attendance, of course, would be mandatory. A stamped card at the completion of the "class" would exempt the students from any further attendance once a satisfactory level of data retention had been demonstrated. Library etiquette requirements could be posted throughout the library as reminders. Violations would incur marks on one's card as further reminders. Three marks, and it's back to class again. And, during any interim period between the suspension of privileges (i.e., freedom of the library), offenders would be relegated to a place where they could read or study--alone, also the place where those not wishing to participate in the instruction could read or study in silence. A single area could be designated--I suggest near the preschooler area. Those who wish to behave like toddlers should not be granted the same privileges as those willing to be responsible citizens.

Perhaps the "class" could begin with copies of the two letters mentioned above distributed, read aloud by the facilitator, and discussed by all the participants. The data gleaned from the students' responses should provide ample sources for accompanying instruction. Students might also be given a chance to view their behavior as seen by others during role playing. Any drama buffs out there? And certainly we must expect that students will have the right to confront (nicely, of course) any persons, students or adults, who fail to live up to the library etiquette expected of all who uses it.

The library is a place expected to be shared by all, and those of us who respect the right of others should not be punished by restricting our use of the facility because of a few who may not even know they're being nuisances. Let's give the kids a chance to learn and to grow and to become the thoughtful leaders we know they can be.

But they will need a helping hand from the rest of us. How about it, Saratoga? Let's not let this opportunity pass us by. The kids deserve our time and attention.

Lisa Kuto, a frequent library patron, lives on Sea Gull Way.