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.

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.