“Quiet is the new loud.”

Libraries have always had a reputation for being quiet.  To many people, the library is a refuge from an otherwise noisy, cluttered, and busy world.

In all fairness, our “quiet” image isn’t always the case in reality.  In recent years, we’ve have shaken off the quiet, mousy, “shushing” image, and we’ve learned to welcome  a little noise and activity in building.  Even so, there remains a cultural expectation that the library, more so than any other institution, will be quiet and calm, if not silent.

This expectation is not necessarily a bad thing.  Every day, we are bombarded with messages and marketing, with deadlines and responsibilities, all culminating in nearly perpetual information overload.  Is it so terrible that the library is at least one place where you can get away from the noise?  At the library, you can take a break, read a book, check your email, and maybe even hear yourself think.

But in other ways, our silence can be profoundly destructive.

Think about how your actions speak louder than your words.  Start with simple nonverbal behaviors, such as a smile (or lack thereof) when customers enter the door, or your ability (or inability) to listen to customers’ concerns, or your energy (or lack thereof) while performing daily tasks.  It goes without saying that, as much as possible, you should have a smiling face, customers should always be treated fairly and courteously, and you should strive to find joy in the work that you do (or else you’re in the wrong line of work).  More than the words we say, our silence can shout and scream messages to our customers and coworkers, and our nonverbals can make or break the user experience.

And in other ways, the impact of silence is even more abstract and far-reaching.  Consider your collection development policies and your outreach initiatives.  Do you purchase books for customers who don’t speak English?  Do you update your legal resources for senior citizens, LGBTQ individuals, and jobseekers in general?  Do you partner with local community organizations, such as homeless shelters and food banks?  Does your library provide involvement opportunities for teens, or do you write off young people as noisy and distracting?  Do you go beyond your ibrary’s  physical space to provide outreach to the homebound, to people without transportation, to customers who could be your biggest fans but who simply cannot access the library building?

In many of these cases, no one will actually, directly ask you to provide these resources and services.  Even if society silences those on the margins, their needs are nonetheless real. And in many cases, the public library is well-equipped to address these issues.

Get out from behind the reference desk.  Get to know your community.  Even if the library is a generally quiet place, it can still be an agent of change that resists and undoes the silence.  If you genuinely and earnestly get to know your community, you’ll be able provide the resources and services that can help these individuals.

In many cases, people will simply appreciate the fact that you listen and that you want to help.  In cases like that, your willingness to listen can speak volumes.

Photo credit: “Speak out for Peace” by Flickr user mudkat.