How is anyone supposed to get anything done on the first floor with all that noise? I understand that Cabell Library has quiet floors, which are great, but the first floor is a little more convenient if one needs to review for a test or get a little homework done, not to mention the fact that it also serves as a home to Java 911 and the periodicals. I do not mind if people want to carry on a conversation with a friend or study in a group, but the noise level, especially to the far left of the first floor near the group study rooms, is just ridiculous. Groups of students will use the group study rooms to do anything but group studying. It's more like watching movies (loudly) on friend's laptops, testing different cell phone ring tones, gossiping, and talking and laughing with anything but inside voices. I mean for goodness sake, isn't that the purpose for which the commons serves? If students are not going to study, then why go to the library at all? Conversations on the first floor are to be expected, but often it gets way out of hand. The library should have someone stationed in that area, to the left and back, during peak hours because the noise level is simply intolerable for students who really did come to the library to use it correctly.
From: Derick, undergraduate student

Curtis Lyons, Interim Associate University Librarian for Public Services, replies...
We strongly encourage our patrons to report disruptions in any part of the library to library staff or security guards. In many cases, we find that the offending patrons don't even realize how loud they are being and react well to a gentle reminder from a guard.

Similarly, we encourage patrons to report mis-use of our group study rooms. They are in high demand and we do not want them taken up by individuals who could be studying in other areas or by groups who are not studying. You can find our study room policies here: http://www.library.vcu.edu/services/studyroom.html.

I regret that we are simply not funded to the levels necessary to monitor all of the potential noisy areas in the library. Our security guards, present from late afternoon to closing, are instructed to walk the library and help provide a strong study environment for students. We will confirm that this is happening.

We have taken many steps in the last two years to improve the study environment in Cabell Library and welcome suggestions as to how we can continue to do so.