Today, we are launching a new library policy around the issue of noise to ensure that one of the library’s key functions as a study space is maintained. Last year, in a survey with over 600 responses, we found that two-thirds of students indicated that their efforts to study in the library were interrupted at some point by noise. The more the library is allowed to become a space for socializing, the less it can be a space for study; a better balance must be struck. This new policy is designed so that the library is as much a place for group work and study as it is for individual work and study. 

As you move around the library, you will see signs letting you know which of the two zones you might be in depending on the floor you’re on: a “quiet group zone” or a “quiet zone.” You may have noticed that both zones are labeled as “quiet.” If you take a look at the Noise Policy page on our website, you’ll see that the quiet expected in the “quiet group zone” allows for talking in low voices so you and your group can interact but not so loudly as to disturb others. The quiet in the “quiet zone” aims for an even more serene environment that allows individuals to maintain focus on their work or reading. 

This new policy is aligned with the Baruch College Code of Student Conduct. If you feel that others on your floor in the library are making too much noise, you can:

• contact Public Safety at (646) 660-6000 or stop by the guard’s desk at the library entrance
• use our Ask a Librarian service to chat online for help
• stop by the reference desk on the 2nd floor
• politely remind those making noise about the policy (there should be signs nearby to point to)

If you have any comments or suggestions about the new noise policy, we’d love to hear from you.