Samuel Johnson 1709-1784
The sport supplement stayed surprisingly inert as it watched the front and back pages make their bid for freedom. Displeased with their previous state of unity, the center pages quickly rebelled from their loose binding making a blind dash across the road in front of the oncoming cars.
A swift gust of wind had mugged me for my newspaper and embarrassed by my own pathetic attempt to rescue the various pages from the busy road, I slinked off to the nearby library in search of less elusive reading material and some much needed peace and quiet. Libraries, after all, are places of quiet where reading, thinking and learning are encouraged and any unecessary noise will be met with a sharp "Shhh!" from the nearest librarian.
My image of the library as being a safehaven for bibliophiles and lovers of peace and quiet was hastily shattered however. Newspaper and destitute, I trawled the downstairs floor in search for something to read, choosing to ignore the man who had passed out in the entrance. I was immediately struck by the constant murmur of voices and groups of people carrying out conversations in raised voices. The familiar noise of clashing cymbals was overflowing from personal headphones, mobiles were ringing loudly and being answered with yet louder conversations ensuing.
Perhaps I might sound petty and slightly misanthropic for criticizing people carrying out their normal lives in what is essentially a public place, but for some the library is the only refuge for reading, working and gaining some much-needed quiet time.
Should library staff not be persuaded to do more to reduce unecessary noise levels in our public libraries? To stop people viewing distasteful internet content on the library computers and using mobile phones?
Next time you find yourself in the center of any town or city aimlessly chasing a rogue newspaper, I suggest that you visit the library so you can see for yourself. But be armed with some ear-plugs.
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