One of my favorite library evolutions has been the radical idea that these traditionally stuffy, quiet spaces may not have to keep up that legacy. Today, libraries are more likely to be viewed as community centers and public spaces than bastions of silent academia. Teen areas have Mario Kart and 3D printers; children are encouraged to play and create; town halls and gallery openings (with wine and cheese!) are regular occurrences in library event spaces. The era of the “unquiet library” is upon us.
I was fascinated to learn about the eponymous Unquiet Library at a high school in Canton, Georgia, less than an hour from where I grew up. Inspired by the reality of social media and experiential education in public schools, librarians transformed their space into ones students recognized and wanted to learn in. That meant encouraging cell phone use, allowing food and drinks, and providing lounge areas. While there is little information on the Unquiet Library’s existence today – its primary designer and hero, Buffy Hamilton, returned to teaching English in 2016 (Hamilton, 2017) – the theory and practice behind libraries as living, breathing spaces to be used and adored is going strong.
The Unquiet Library gained its following in 2010. In the past decade and (almost) a half, here are some more unorthodox libraries making waves for their encouragement of using spaces to their fullest (and loudest):
-
- The Garden City Public Library (Garden City, Idaho) boldly proclaims its mission in its url, notaquietlibrary.org. They invite their visitors in with the sentiment that “[w]hether reading the paper and gazing at the Greenbelt, singing through a story time, or watching a YouTube video, we hope our library users will feel like they’re coming home” (GCPL, 2024).
- Librarians at the Takoma Park Maryland Library are so committed to the concept of rowdy libraries that they are known to be shushed by patrons, in a funny twist of fate. This library has taken to heart the “growing knowledge about the importance of kids and teens learning through hands-on experiences” (MacPherson, 2023) in their space, with hundreds of programs dedicated to interactive, noise-driven activities.
- In 2016, Seattle Public Library launched an annual event series called Loud at the Library, designed to serve as a family-forward space for introducing community members, particularly minorities and low-income households, to the library and the services it provides. Providing a space for families to be together – for kids to be kids and parents to learn about accessible resources – led to staff members and attending families to ultimately plan and lead events together (Pugh & Doyle, 2019).
Since reading Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam in my introductory sociology class in college over a decade ago, I’ve been struck by how alone the majority of us feel in a time where we have never been more connected. So much of our self-imposed isolation might be gradually lessened by modifying spaces to be a bit more inviting. Of course, I empathize with and understand the love and need for quiet spaces in libraries. But in a time where we have maybe never been more at odds with each other, putting aside our differences and getting loud at a library over a game of trivia or a classic movie night might be just what we all need.
References
Garden City Public Library (GCPL). (2024). About us. https://notaquietlibrary.org/about-us/
Hamilton, B. (2017, July 4). The unquiet librarian: An epilogue. The Unquiet Librarian. https://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/the-unquiet-librarian-an-epilogue/
MacPherson, K. (2023, May 12). It’s okay for libraries to be loud! Take it from me, a librarian. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/05/12/noisy-library-defense-essay
Pugh, C. & Doyle, B. (2019). Equity, diversity, inclusion: Seattle’s “Loud at the Library” collaboration. Children & Libraries, 17(3): 27-29. https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.17.3.27
