Noise in Ellis Library Stairwells

Thank you for this observation. We will keep this comment on file if we decide to update our quiet policy. Right now we have three completely quiet areas in Ellis Library: the CPPR room on the 1^st floor, which has computers, and the two reading rooms (201 and 202) on the 2^nd floor. We also ask that students observe a general level of quiet on floors 2-4, but at this time we don’t feel like we can monitor the stairwells too. We do have security guards (the people with the black uniforms) that walk through the library throughout the day to enforce the quiet policies. But if there is a particular disturbance going on, please feel free to let the security staff at the west or north entrance know about the problem. Thanks.

Quite areas are infested with students on cell phones, chatty groups, and an overwhelming level of noise distractions.  While I understand it is imposible to cut out all noise from these areas, I think it would be easy to address by making quite areas begin at the bottom of the stair-well.  Students think it’s o.k. to have phone conversations in the stairway, but their voices carry into the rooms quite easily.  If the quiet area extended to the stairwells there would be a higher level of ambiance in these sections.  The current state is really quite annoying and distracting.  I think by changing this policy it will have a positive overall effect and increase awareness.  Please get back to me!