Last week, the Rosezella Battles Library put into effect a new enforcement of policies that ban talking and eating within the space. These changes come as the library is in the first year of a three-year project to reduce the number of print books and digitize more of its resources.

“This semester, and in previous semesters, students had complained about the volume of the library and it not being a quiet place to study,” Director of Library Services Christina Rogers said. “We recognized the need for quiet space on campus.”

As far as what that enforcement will look like, Rogers described fairly simple changes.

“The big thing is that we will be keeping the doors closed that lead to the main holdings, and we will attempt to change the culture by monitoring the volume,” she said. “Because a number of students complained about the volume, we are expecting students to embrace this change.”

And many students have.

“I understand that King’s is a very social culture, and so it makes sense that we do need places to congregate, but King’s is, first and foremost, a school,” Arianna Hayes, a student worker in the library, said. “A lot of people prefer to study in a coffee shop because they feel like it’s quieter and they can get more work done. I don’t think they should have to spend the money on coffee so they have a place to study. The library at King’s should be a resource as a study space.”

The doors to the library with a note reading “Please keep door CLOSED. Also, Please open and close door GENTLY.” || Photo credit to Shannon Mason

However, the decision is not completely without controversy. Even Josiah Simons, a senior at King’s who ran for Student Body President on a platform of a quieter library, had concerns about the changes.

“I would say the doors closing is maybe too far,” Simons said. “I wouldn’t have any policy suggestions, but my suggestion would be that we hold each other accountable. If you’re in there studying, you have the right to do that, but at the same time, you should be prepared to ask the person next to you to quiet down. It’s the same principle as the honor code.”

The newly quieted library will be increasingly centered around study space and not book space, as a larger portion of the library’s collection is moved online.

“We don’t have the goal to be completely printless, but we wanted to reduce the print collection that was not being used on campus,” Christina Rogers said. “And the books that were removed were carefully selected by the faculty and me.”

As for the books the library has gotten rid of, most have been donated to Better World Books, a for-profit online bookseller that donates a portion of its profits to literacy-based charities.

“We were interested in creating more seating spaces eventually for the student body,” Rogers said. “We are thinking about the future of the library and libraries in general.”

Less Ink, More Studying: The Quiet, Digital Future of the King’s College Library