Traffic at libraries will inevitably cause noise
Libraries are not what they used to be. Days of just sitting and reading are long

gone. Libraries are now multifunctional facilities where many different ages gather for a variety of reasons. However, none of those reasons is an excuse for running around, screaming or intentionally disrupting someone's library experience.

During a recent visit to the Audubon Branch we noticed that many families were using the library for the morning programs. Although the noise level was higher than one would normally associate with a library, it was by no means disruptive to our task.

Anyone looking to use the library as an absolutely silent, no-noise sanctuary can check with their branch for the children's programming schedule and plan to visit at another time. If you are dissatisfied during a visit, Amherst Library Director Mary Bobinski encourages

visitors to speak with a staff member, who perhaps can suggest a quieter location within the library or handle the situation by reminding other visitors of the noise policy. Signs stating the policy are located on the shelves.

When visiting one of the four Amherst libraries remember that they are no longer a place of just books and newspapers. Residents can now rent movies and DVDs, use the computers, which have Internet access, and attend a myriad of programs.

But a library is still a library, a place many people use for reading, studying and researching. While we ask those self-proclaimed noise monitors to realize the library atmosphere has changed, we also ask others to remember they aren't the only ones using the resources. Together, everyone can enjoy the building, all 3,200 of you who visit daily. Many of the children's programs are held in

rooms closed off from the main circulation space. Many of the noise problems occur when the program sessions end and parents pick up their children. It is expected that these young readers will be excited about showing off their recently completed craft or telling mom about the story they just heard. Those trying to read at one of the tables should give the families a minute to gather themselves.

But after a few minutes, the young families really should be either packed up and on with their day or quietly choosing a book or movie within the library walls.

The many young minds learning to appreciate the library and participate in its programs, need someone to lead by example in showing them the proper way to act there. If you feel the need to request that the volume in the library be lowered, please do so in a polite, proper manner.