It's 3.30pm on Friday
Being hard pressed for study time in
recent times I figured I could catch up on the reading I need to do for school
by spending a couple of hours in the school library before classes begin. It’s a relatively small room that cannot take
more than 25 people at a time but it’s our library nonetheless- at least for
now. Anytime I make it to the library, having made off from work earlier than
is expected I hope to do an hour and a half at least of effective reading and
research. Surprisingly this has proved to be a challenge.
Mobile phones of other library users
go off repeatedly with no attempt by the owners to hold back the conversations that
ensue while other people prattle away as if they are sitting in their living
rooms. Aaaaah, a phone just went off! I cannot see the person on the phone but I
hear him tell the other person on the line he’s in the library. Maybe this time
he’ll step out to take the call since he seems conscious of his environment.
Eerm, it doesn’t happen. The girl at the desk next from me just picked up her
mobile phone too and your guess is as good as mine.
It should be clear to anyone that I
am neither reading nor researching anything at this time. The guy is carrying
on his very important conversation - “the link, the link” he says. “...yes
three Ws. S, T, O, K, A, S dot com. Strike guest... guest, guest, yeah guest...g,
u, e, s, t ... yeah commentary...no its not finished, stroke natural law...”.
Unbelievable isn’t it? Asking people to shush is not working. I get “what’s
with you?” kind off looks when I do. Is the library not one of the quietest
places to be? Why do people who use the library feel the need to plug their
ears while reading in the library?
Mercy! Here comes the woman who
probably spends all day in the library. She is usually seated at one of the
only 2 desktops in the library checking her mail on yahoo. Once every 5 minutes
she fiddles with her phone; she calls out pleasantries across the room anytime
someone she knows walks in and much of the time her head is thrown back over
the chair and her eyes are closed. A mediation of sorts maybe. There’s no point
prompting her that other users may be waiting to use the computer.
I am either in the wrong place or my notion
of a library changed since I last was in school- more than 10 years ago? ... OMG
what’s that smell? Did that man just take off his shoes? ......Time to go!
