the value of knowledge
With the 24/7 opening of the library, one will bound to observe some 'behaviors' among the users of the library; students leaving their books and stationeries on a particular desks in order to 'reserve' them, students bringing their blankets and plush toys to cuddle up with when they are studying....
These are the myriads of behaviors one would expect from students whose daily routine are becoming increasingly interlinked with the library....
Naturally, the librarians are doubling their efforts to keep the library in order and since the library is never practically empty nowadays, their tasks are getting more difficult especially in preserving the comfort level of the students currently in it and ensuring the rights of new incoming students to their own rightful share of the library for instance, in securing a workplace in the library....
The question is:
When does one's action in maintaining one's rights to a workplace deprives other students of their share of a workplace? Is it entirely right to leave your books on the desks on the pretense of reserving the place for your personal use? When is it justified to do that? When is it not?
One incident this morning prompted me to conclude that the librarians might - in their noble intention to make sure that everyone has the right to their own share of the library - have been too zealous in their efforts to 'clean' and 'clear' the library:
One of the guards was walking around the library with a trash bag, scooping up any unattended books, notes and personal belongings left by students thus effectively clearing the desks and tables for the use of others.
The fate that will befall those items are anybody's guess.... but I felt that by doing so, he showed an inherent lack of respect for other people's items.... those items might be taking up precious workspace which are sorely lacking in the library but those items are not toys, knick-knacks or thing-a-bobs... those items are someone's effort, someone's books and notes, someone's accumulation of knowledge.... and I felt that whatever circumstances they might be in, they do not deserve to be treated as 'rudely' as that...
But then, the guard may not be entirely at fault... the owner of those items should know better than to just leave his or her stuffs unattended on the desks for extended periods of time....
In the end, perhaps both parties should be faulted for this...
It is a great irony that in one of the places that often epitomizes one's pursuit for knowledge, items of intellectual value are being mistreated and degraded so openly so often.... maybe the greater irony would be that nobody really cares....
These are the myriads of behaviors one would expect from students whose daily routine are becoming increasingly interlinked with the library....
Naturally, the librarians are doubling their efforts to keep the library in order and since the library is never practically empty nowadays, their tasks are getting more difficult especially in preserving the comfort level of the students currently in it and ensuring the rights of new incoming students to their own rightful share of the library for instance, in securing a workplace in the library....
The question is:
When does one's action in maintaining one's rights to a workplace deprives other students of their share of a workplace? Is it entirely right to leave your books on the desks on the pretense of reserving the place for your personal use? When is it justified to do that? When is it not?
One incident this morning prompted me to conclude that the librarians might - in their noble intention to make sure that everyone has the right to their own share of the library - have been too zealous in their efforts to 'clean' and 'clear' the library:
One of the guards was walking around the library with a trash bag, scooping up any unattended books, notes and personal belongings left by students thus effectively clearing the desks and tables for the use of others.
The fate that will befall those items are anybody's guess.... but I felt that by doing so, he showed an inherent lack of respect for other people's items.... those items might be taking up precious workspace which are sorely lacking in the library but those items are not toys, knick-knacks or thing-a-bobs... those items are someone's effort, someone's books and notes, someone's accumulation of knowledge.... and I felt that whatever circumstances they might be in, they do not deserve to be treated as 'rudely' as that...
But then, the guard may not be entirely at fault... the owner of those items should know better than to just leave his or her stuffs unattended on the desks for extended periods of time....
In the end, perhaps both parties should be faulted for this...
It is a great irony that in one of the places that often epitomizes one's pursuit for knowledge, items of intellectual value are being mistreated and degraded so openly so often.... maybe the greater irony would be that nobody really cares....
posted by wanaimran at
9:43 AM
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