Not A Quiet Library

In the struggle to justify their existence and to compete with other sources of information and entertainment, libraries are experimenting with different models in order to meet the expectations and changing needs of their patrons. Directors, managers and library staffs are taking action to help the library evolve. The library world is competing with other information and entertainment providers for the same resources and is attempting to redefine itself as a third place. (To learn more about the idea of a third place, check out the article here.) The modernist theory of population ecology, “developed by American theorists Michael Hannon, John Freeman, Howard Aldrich, and Glen Carroll…” offers some explanation of what is occurring in the library world and how a library might respond to this new environment (Hatch, 2006, p. 83).

A few months ago, I walked into my local public library prepared to complete an observation assignment of a typical library setting. The day I had selected turned out to be less than typical: A school group was having an open house. The library was packed with people and librarians and patrons alike were bustling about—the librarians to help patrons and lead activities and the patrons to ask questions and participate in activities. I thought of a slogan printed on one of the book bags offered for sale by the Friends of the Library; It read: Not a quiet library. On this day that slogan was an understatement.

On one hand I was excited to see so many people interested in the library—on the other, I was dismayed at the prospect of having to delay the completion of my assignment. I should mention that I knew this library was not typical, but even with this knowledge I was unprepared for the scene that greeted me that day. I thought of this particular library as a busy place but one that still offered the opportunity to get work done. The library has a common area located next to the circulation desk. Other than some computers along the walls and in the back of the library, the common area is where much of the action is happening, there are no walls to buffer the noise and this can make the library seem more like a busy coffee shop than a place to study. I once came to the library when an art auction was being held. It is truly a busy place.

I like the community involvement and interaction that this library encourages, however, I do not find it is a place where I can study. No designated quiet study areas exist and of all places, sometimes the children’s section is the quietest spot in the library.

In some respects, one might say that the library world is in a fight for the survival of the fittest, with fitness being judged on the basis of patronage. We know that libraries compete with bookstores, media stores, movie theaters, online resources, and even other libraries. The modernist view of the idea of survival of the fittest is summed up well in the population ecology theory. Hatch says that in the population ecology theory “organizations depend on their environments for the resources they need to operate…[and]…that this dependency gives the environment considerable power over the organization (2006, p. 83).

The resources libraries depend on are not only support dollars, but also ultimately their patrons. Patrons are the ones who support the library and provide tax dollars as libraries have had to complete with other information and entertainment resources and their dependence upon patrons has increased. A public library, although necessary in any community, may not necessarily be deemed that way by the people it is meant to serve. Some cities and governments may determine that the need for a public library may be less important than other needs. Potential library patrons might find that commercial services meet their information and entertainment needs satisfactorily.

Library patrons want a library to meet more than just their information needs. They are also looking for a place to socialize and have their entertainment needs met. The “ecological niche…[or]…the resources pool upon which the group of competitors depend” in this case comes from the library patrons themselves (Hatch, p. 83).

So libraries have responded by filling a need that is often missing in a community, one of the third place, where everyone is welcome. Libraries are evolving to be more like community centers. They are no longer a place where only information needs are met. I personally like the evolution the library world has taken, even if it means that I will occasionally not be able to find a quiet spot to study.

Press. Hatch, M.J., Cunliffe A.L. & (2006). Organization theory: Modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University.