It’s very distracting when people talk on the phone or work in groups in the front room. Perhaps there could be signs reminding patrons to be considerate of other who would like study in silence.
The first floor is by nature a little louder than the other areas of the library, with lots of coming and going, checking in and out and conversation. For silence, we’d suggest heading to an upper floor—the higher you go, the quieter it is. Check out the whole guide to quiet and group study for details about the best places for either.
That said, if you’re disturbed by people being too loud, we suggest simply asking them to quiet down politely. Most people are just a little unaware of their volume. If that doesn’t work or you’re too uncomfortable, let a library staff member know, and we will speak to the noise-makers. We want the library to be a good place for everybody—those who need a little noise & those who need silence!