Noisy Libraries

Straights Time Forum
Jan 4, 2007
Libraries here are just as noisy as ever

DESPITE numerous letters to the Forum Page regarding our noisy libraries, the situation has remained the same.

Having been abroad for a month, I returned to find the libraries still as noisy as ever.

The main culprits are young children and students who are fast turning our public libraries into a playground and meeting place. Library staff, perhaps immune to such behaviour, generally ignore them.

Poh Tip Twee

I seldom go to libraries these days.

The main reason being I do not have much time left for reading and I do have a few books lying in the bookshelf waiting for me to finished.

The other reason is that that our libraries in Singapore, together with IKEAs and our Changi Airport had became the unofficial playgrounds for children and families outing venues.

Try going any of the above places during weekends or school holidays and you know why.

Children are seen running around screaming their heads off with parents nonchalantly chatting away. Perhaps they see these as their tax-payer’s rights?

However my experience with Tip Twee is a little different on one occasion. Maybe it is happening to this library branch only?

About 6 months back I ended up in Toa Payoh Library. As usual there were some children running about but there was this uniformed security personnel walking around reminding people not to run and to aked them to speak softly when they talked too loud. He even ask people who talk on their mobile phone to take their calls outside.

I thought this was rather nice for a change.

But sadly, have our society became so nanny depending? It looks like it is a “Do whatever you like but don’t get caught” symptom.

Singaporeans are brought up to follow rule and authority blindly.

Shouldn’t we be more civil conscious and behave appropriately without anyone to tell us so?

Shouldn’t we respect other people when we visit public places and not treats these places like our own home?

Our countries had developed but I don’t think our civic manner had at all.