The inimitable Nikki DeMarco is as well-traveled as she is well-read. Being an enneagram 3, Aries, high school librarian, makes her love for efficiency is unmatched. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is passionate about helping teens connect to books. Nikki has an MFA in creative writing, is a TBR bibliologist, and writes for Harlequin, Audible, Kobo, and MacMillan. Since that leaves her so much time, she’s currently working on writing a romance novel, too. Find her on all socials @iamnikkidemarco (Instagram, Twitter, Threads)
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For decades, the library was defined by its hush. People tiptoed through stacks, librarians were caricatured as finger-to-the-lips “shushers,” and silence was seen as both a rule and a virtue. A good library, the thinking went, was one where you could hear the clock tick.
Step into a library today, and you’ll hear something entirely different. The clatter of a 3D printer, the spirited back-and-forth of an ESL conversation group, teenagers laughing around a gaming table, or kids singing along to storytime all blend together into a lively soundtrack. You might notice the low hum of collaboration at group study tables, the scrape of a chair as someone joins a tutoring session, or even music from a community concert in the atrium. Far from being a distraction, that noise is evidence that the library is alive.
The Myth of the Silent Library
The quiet library is one of those cultural stereotypes that’s hard to shake. The “shushing librarian” has been a pop culture fixture for so long that many people still assume a library is supposed to be a solemn, almost sacred place where noise is unwelcome. But libraries have been more than study halls for a while now. They are classrooms, gathering spaces, and community living rooms, and those roles come with sound.
Silence certainly still has its place. Many patrons depend on it, and most libraries continue to provide designated quiet spaces. But silence is no longer the default measure of a library’s success, and it should not be.
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What Noise Really Means
Noise in a library is not disruption; it is evidence of engagement. The squeal of a child during storytime is the sound of early literacy taking root. The animated debate in a teen book club is the sound of critical thinking and social connection. The chatter around a group study table is the sound of collaboration. The steady whir of printers and makerspace equipment is the sound of creativity and experimentation.
These sounds tell us that people are not only present in the library, but actively using it. They are proof of relevance and vitality.
And beyond that, they are proof of belonging. For many patrons, the library is one of the few free,