Hello:

thank you for the input and comment. I apologize for your experience, and we agree that efforts should be made by the library staff to be quiet and not unnecessarily create noise. We have checked with the staff on the service desk during that period and they are embarrassed and admit they were talking a lot. We will work to do better, and I'll use this as an example to staff that our voices can and do carry from our service point. Please feel free to alert library staff that you feel they are being too noisy at any time. I realize that can be uncomfortable, but we are only human and sometimes forget how much voices can carry and don't mind being told. The second floor is designated as the quiet floor in the building with three zones and different levels of quiet expected from users. We also provide noise-canceling headphones for checkout from the service desk to help with study and focus. 

Thank you.

Douglas Stehle, Head of Access Services