I was pretty appalled to see the TV near the first floor computers playing some sort of show this Monday evening. Libraries are for studying, not for watching television. It’s also a waste of energy.
To support learning outside the classroom and awareness of current events, we have begun displaying the Nightly Business Report, BBC World News America and the PBS NewsHour on weekdays 5-7pm. Staff may, from time to time, forget to turn the screen back to slideshow mode right after this news break (we have come in to work in the morning to find Curious George playing more than once). If you notice a long lag time to get the screen turned from TV to slideshow mode, please ask the library staff to do so and we’d be happy to switch it.
We also use this screen to share information about library and university events.
The Learning Commons is an active study space. We get a lot of traffic in the Commons and it is not really designed as a quiet study space – but more of a research and work space. If you want quiet study space, I suggest the Study Commons on the opposite side or the first floor reading rooms or private study areas on the basement level and on the 2nd floor.