In this strip, Lio relates in a perfect way about two aspects of the library. The first one is that reading transports you to a new world, and in Lio's vivid imagination (and with his love for monsters) he imagines being chased by the Jabber Wocky (shout-out to Lewis Carroll!). While reading does allow one to develop a strong sense of imagination, at the end of this strip, Lio is hushed by the public librarian, even though the image does portray him as screaming, which would not be allowed inside any kind of public building.
Will librarians ever earn a reputation besides that of a grumpy old lady who will not tolerate noise from the members of the library? Will libraries ever be a place of communication, speech, and discussions above the sound of a whisper? I think libraries are progressively tolerating noise and conversation. I know these changes are just baby steps. In the library at the University of Mary Washington, the first level was specifically for group projects and talking was allowed and not frowned upon. The second level did have study/group rooms, but they were enclosed rooms and some people were not afraid to knock on the door and tell you that you were being too loud (a personal experience of mine, haha). The third floor was the quiet floor where whispering was barely tolerated and many would look at you if you dared to make any noise while opening a bag of chips (again, has happened to me)! However, it's hard to make any judgment against wanting a quiet space to read or study. Because that's how many people remember a library, it is hard to change. I know I have stared many times at people who talk on their cell phones while in the libraries, both public and academic.
So what do you prefer? A quiet library? Or a place where discussion and imagination is not stifled? Can you have both?
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