Voices: I’ve watched library decorum slip away. Here’s how you can help bring it back.

Growing up, I was conditioned to think of the library as a bastion of knowledge. It was the ultimate educational resource; a place you could go to find the answer to any question, delve into fictional worlds or at least get a quiet place to study.

Working in a library today, I have found this could not be further from the reality.

As an employee at a Utah public library, I spend more time asking children not to jump on our furniture than I do referring people to educational materials, and it is a rare occurrence that I get enough silent time to think through a project.

If you take a visit to any public library in the state of Utah, I think you’d be surprised to find just how much the expected library decorum has begun to slip away. There are several factors that play into this issue, but I think the most pressing is a lack of free, public third spaces. Trying to plan and budget regular activities for a family is very challenging, and the library appeals as both a free and educational option to spend a few hours at play a couple times a week.

Obviously, as librarians, we are thrilled to see patrons, especially young ones, engaging in the resources the library has to offer, but it is important that we engage in the right way. There is a difference between a parent gently shepherding their children through the library and showing them how to pick out materials in a respectful way and a parent who allows their child free reign of the library and enables them to treat the space like a daycare. The former fosters an appreciation and respect of the public space, while the latter pushes away people who seek to use the library for the former.

Kids, of course, will be kids, and it is important that we promote places for them to play and be loud and creative, but that place should not be the local library.

If you are a library patron who is frustrated by this statement, I would urge you to consider advocating for public childcare facilities across the state. Salt Lake County recently made the decision to end subsidies keeping four county childcare centers operational, pushing people who were reliant on that service towards what limited public resources are still available.

If you are a parent who enjoys bringing your child to the local library, which I always encourage and appreciate, I ask that you please take a moment to explain to your child why it matters to be respectful of the library. Walk them through the aisles, show them where they can find interesting materials, and let them know that libraries can be fun without roughhousing and yelling.

If you ever feel lost trying to get your child engaged, your local librarian would be happy to point you in the right direction, and they will appreciate your effort!

Let’s make public spaces we all can be proud of, and work towards building a better, more respectful Utah.

Greysen Gill has worked in a Utah public library for close to a year and is a firm believer in the state’s public institutions.

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