Quiet Policy

Rationale

The mission of the Indiana University Bloomington Libraries is:  “To support and strengthen teaching, learning, and research by providing the collections, services, and environments that lead to intellectual discovery.”  The Quiet Policy that follows has been developed to encourage individuals to respect the rights of all library users and to help create an environment that promotes learning and supports research.

 

Policy

Areas within a library may be designated as follows:

 

• Quiet Area:  Use is reserved for individual research and study with library materials.  NO STUDY GROUPS.
  
• Limited Talking:  Use of library resources may require library staff assistance, instruction and/or consultation.  Personal conversations and extended talking are not appropriate.
• Group Study Areas:  Talking in normal conversational tones is permitted as appropriate for collaboration and small group (2-8) discussion. Large groups (more than 8), loud talking and other disruptive behavior is not appropriate.  Work on class projects, tutoring and joint use of library materials is encouraged.

 

All Indiana University Bloomington Libraries attempt to maintain quiet study areas.  The availability of limited talking and group study areas is dependent upon the size and configuration of the individual libraries.  Some cannot support limited and unlimited talking areas.

 

Note:  Cell phone use in a library setting is disruptive to other users.  Please turn off your cell phone in library service, study, or collection areas.  Confine your cell phone use to non-library spaces in the building or, in the case of the Wells Library, to the lobbies or the cafeteria.

 

Herman B Wells Library

Quiet Areas:

East Tower	Reference Reading Room and Floors 4-11 Government Information and Statistical Services (GIMSS) Stacks Area
Ground Floor	Media and Reserves Service Reading Area
West Tower	2nd and 3rd Floors

 

Limited Talking:

East Tower	Reference Desk Area Circulation Desk Area                                                                                   GIMSS Service Desk Area
Ground Floor	Media and Reserves Service Reading Area

 

Group Study Areas:

Main Lobby
West Tower	1st Floor, Information Commons 4th and 5th Floors

 

IUB Branch Libraries

Business/SPEA Information Commons	quiet, limited talking, and group study areas
Chemistry Library	quiet with one group study area
Education Library	quiet and limited talking areas
Fine Arts Library	quiet and one group study room
Geography/Map Library	limited talking
Geosciences Library	limited talking
Life Sciences Library	limited talking
Lilly Library	quiet
Music Library	quiet, limited talking, and unlimited talking areas
Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library	limited talking with one quiet study room
Optometry Library	limited talking
Public Health Library (formerly HPER Library)	limited talking
Swain Hall Library	quiet, limited talking, and group study areas available
University Archives	quiet