Hear that rumbling?  It’s not an earthquake, it’s not SEPTA, it’s Insomnia Cookies.  Not that I’m trying to sleep next to their truck, but isn’t that an ironic name, given their constantly running generator?

So, Drexel: is insomnia cookies worth a 70db engine monotone all day long?  If they get this privilege, then I want free reign to set up my grunge band in the middle of Chestnut and rock out.

Why, now that you mention it, I do hear that rumbling, as do many of our library users and staff members.

You’ve probably guessed that this is an ongoing issue. Several students have complained, and the problem has come to the attention of the Dean of Libraries, Danuta Nitecki. She has asked senior staff to resolve it. So I can’t tell you that the noise will cease immediately, but I can tell you that we consider this a problem, and we are working to fix it.

As for your grunge band on Chestnut Street, I’m very sorry, but there is nothing I can do, other than start the mosh pit.

The library—particularly the computer area—get really loud with people talking on the phone. For those of us without computers who must use Hagerty’s this is somewhat stressful. Is there a way to keep the library quieter? There are more social areas than study areas at Drexel.

Thanks for your comment. Here at Hagerty we are constantly trying to strike a balance between those who need quiet and those who need to make some noise—either to work in groups or to spend five or ten minutes taking care of some business before getting back to writing their papers.  In general, we ask that people not use cell phones in the computer areas, and if we hear someone talking loudly in a quiet area, we will say something to them. If you hear someone on the phone, please feel free to ask them to move to a non-quiet area, or to hang up.  You can point to the “Quiet Area” signs around the computers as your justification. If that doesn’t work, please come find a library staff member and we’ll back you up.

Please make the entire library cell free. There is no reason patrons cannot take their calls outside. One third of the patrons come to the library to talk on their cell phones.  Thank you.

Thanks for the good idea. The noise level at the library is a constant issue. We want people to be quiet so everyone can work, but we also want people to be able to do group work. Also, we don’t have the resources to constantly police the noise level. Clearly, cell phone use is a noise issue, and when we see people loudly talking on their cell phones, we do try to control it. However, it’s difficult for us to make rules we can’t enforce.  If someone is disturbing you with a phone conversation, and if you’ve asked them to stop and they won’t, please ask a library staff member to help you. We will do our best to help.

I have consistent issues with the quiet room in the basement of the library.  People answer their cell phones, listen to their head phones very loud, whisper, and even have full conversations.  I realize that college students should realize and respect what a quiet room is, but I was wondering if it would be possible to have clearer signs so people are reminded that this behavior is unacceptable.  It’s distracting to listen to it, or to constantly ask people to be quiet.

Thanks for writing. I’m sorry you’re being disturbed by the noise. If you can’t get people to pipe down in the designated quiet areas, please find a library staff member–we’ll do what we can to resolve the problem. We’ll also put up some new signs to help people remember the rules.

Also, the third floor will reopen to all the Drexel community on Monday, November 9th. It’s usually very quiet up there, and if it’s not, the law library staff will remind people to simmer down.

I go to the library to concentrate, yet it seems like I should just give up and study at my apartment. Yesterday a loud alarm went off in the basement (it does so frequently) for 15 minutes straight and no one at the front desk had a key to turn it off. Even when a guard came to try to fix it, the alarm kept going off.

We are very sorry for this disruption. Believe us, we hate it too. Public safety recently changed the alarm, and since then we have been working with them to implement a system to get the alarm turned off quickly when it gets accidentally set off. If you hear the alarm for more than 30 seconds, please come to the circulation or security desk, and if they have not already called to have it turned off they will do so.

10 ways we can help you get maintain your wits during the exam crunch.

Noise Reduction Snoring to the left of you and giggling to the right? Drown it out. Line up at the circulation desk to borrow a pair of headphones for listening to your best study music on your computer. Or take the old fashioned route and avail yourself of our good old fashioned earplugs. Squish them into your ears and discover quiet, study-inducing tranquility in the midst of frenzy.

I tend to use the library computers to study because, in theory, it should be quiet here.  But although both the upstairs and downstairs computer areas have QUIET AREA signs posted all over, there are always people on cell phones and people talking well above a whisper.  These quiet rules are never enforced and it makes studying difficult.  There is a large group study area in the basement.  It seems unfair that people who want a quiet area to study on a computer have to put up with this every day.  Can’t someone enforce the rules?

We appreciate you expressing your concern.  If you feel uncomfortable addressing the disrupters yourself, please let the Circulation Desk staff know and we will speak to them.  Unfortunately, we could spend all day shushing people in the library, so we generally only enforce this when someone makes a complaint or if someone is being particularly disruptive.  I would also suggest checking out a laptop and Ethernet cable and heading to the glassed-in room on the lower level- this room is always very quiet.

I wish there was a better way to enforce noise levels, especially on the second floor. I leave my apartment to come here for absolute quiet (since it’s a library), and I find myself in a situation where students feel free to socialize!! I’ve been to other libraries outside this area, and you can hear a pin drop. Sadly enough I cannot say the same for here.

Thanks for expressing your concern. Due to the recent construction on the third floor, we realize the second floor has not been the best area for quiet study. Now that the construction on the third floor is ending, the second floor will hopefully be quieter. We will ask staff to periodically walk around the second floor to enforce the courtesy policy for noise. If you notice student conversations are a problem, please let the staff at the Circulation Desk know, and they will be happy to address the problem.