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4/30/2008
Cell phones - it's about community, not rules

Appleton Library Director Terry Dawson responded with grace – but intently – to criticism on this page about his library’s cell phone use policy. Below he ponders and explains the cell phone-in-library dilemma – and along the way, touches on a few community dilemmas as well.

At the next meeting of the Appleton Public Library Board of Trustees, at 4:30 PM May 13, the Board will discuss cell phone use in the Library. The fact that this topic is generating so much heat is indicative of problems both with the current facility and social change lagging behind technological change.

The Library’s Rules of Conduct Policy states: “Patrons of the Appleton Public Library have the right to use Library materials and services without being unduly disturbed or impeded by others.” In a world that sometimes seems to have too many rules, this is a good policy: we don’t want people to get in each other’s way. Seems like common sense.

But social ambiguities are exacerbated by new technology; cell phone use is poorly socialized, and sometimes may seem trivial. I got my cell phone when my parents became ill and needed to stay in touch. I get urgent calls from work. Some library users contact employers or others to share information found at the library, and children need to remain in contact with parents. Pay phones are disappearing. Cell phones are part of life and we need to deal with them.

Movie theaters remind audiences several times to silence phones. Our phones seductively remove us from our physical environment and into virtual space. This leads to car accidents – and conversations in the middle of movies. Particularly in places where physical neighbors represent no real relationship or emotional investment, we may not notice ourselves being anti-social. This is inconsiderate, but happens too often – especially in airports.

We should keep up dialog and education. Most people are not intentional jerks, but can easily be heedless. Social problems suggest social solutions: “Excuse me, you’re being rather loud; could you please hold it down?” If rudeness does not respond to courtesy, it’s time to call in the authorities.

Courteous folks turn off ringers in shared space and are sensitive to others, not taking phone calls in the theater or in church. Public libraries are different. They aren’t spaces where everyone is presumed to sit quietly and pay attention to the same thing, but where everyone is doing their own thing. People talk at the Appleton Library all the time, especially on the first floor, designed as a louder, more social area. In any case, people on phones would be courteous to step away from others, creating some physical space, and keep their voices low.

Library staff sometimes ask people to hold conversations down, control their kids, or take their phone call downstairs. We remind people not to sing along with their iPods. In the scheme of things, we get more complaints about several other behavioral problems than about people using cell phones on the first floor. But we deal with these case by case. We appreciate it if people stick up for themselves: a concern often means more coming from peers than from authority. It’s about community, not rules.

We ask people to silence ringers when they enter the library, keep phone conversations at low volume and prohibit cell phone use on the second floor – about half the library and a majority of adult public service space. We think this a reasonable compromise between the many people who want to use cell phones and those who don’t want to have to hear other people’s conversations – even quiet ones.

As our library has become more crowded and has less seating, the problem has gotten worse. In the long run, I would like to see a library better designed to allow separate places – difficult in a big “open concept” building. I love libraries with study rooms, big reading rooms and quiet nooks that feel like living rooms.

Lacking better designed space, what should the Appleton Public Library do about cell phones? To me, a total ban is an over-reaction to a relatively small problem, but that’s the question for the Library Board. As the citizen group charged with representing the interests of the community, they have the governing authority to set policy. This is a tough call, balancing diverse interests and opinions. While Appleton’s current practice is actually pretty typical for Fox Cities libraries and comparable communities around the state, the Board will decide.

Dawson adds a Post Script to the above post on his site, the New Cybrary. It’s good…. Also, see his VERY long response (but VERY good stuff, if you’re into this) in the comments section following the initial post on this subject. JE

COMMENTS

I have read the postings by Director Dawson and Lon Ponschock. I would like to know what Lon suggests as "punishment" for those who talk on their cell phone?

This is 2008, and cell phones are here to stay. I yearn for the Library with reading rooms that Mr. Dawson describes in his post.

Dale (Wed Apr 30 09:22:56 2008)

I'm glad the readers here will see the corrected time of the board meeting on the front page of FP. The error is regrettable and I apologize for it.

I'm also glad that Terry and all involved are aware of the problem. As he mentions it is a social problem. It's different from the normal conversations that take place in libraries. And for the same reason we react differently to this disturbance.

This airing of concerns definitely is one of community and Fox Politics is a good place to discuss it. When I hear "I feel that way too!" from others on the same topic I feel less like I'm whistling in the dark and alone in my opinion of this behavior.

Perhaps it is because that in it's way, this cell phone use seems like an antisocial behavior and that's what gets on people's nerves. I don't want to make this real long. I want to hear what others have to say about it.

Lon Ponschock (Wed Apr 30 09:25:44 2008)

I am curious how cell phone conversations are "different from the normal conversations that take place in libraries. And for the same reason we react differently to this disturbance."? I am sorry that they bother you so much, but I certainly don't want someone else telling me that certain conversations I participate in are more legitimate than others as long as I am not disruptive. That seems a slippery slope, doesn't it? Commenting that cell phone use is an "antisocial behavior" seems to be trying to criminilize a completely legal activity. I thought I agreed with your argument at first, but the more I listen to your logic, the less appealing it seems. sorry.

rick (Wed Apr 30 13:17:01 2008)

What you seem to be missing, Mr. Ponschock, is that the library is not yours only. No doubt if I went around talking/agitating continually about only one topic (which, by your postings, you seem to be doing), I too would think "everyone must be concerned about this as much as I!" But that would hardly be reality; it would only be my own skewed reality.

You seem to want to thrust your reality upon every environment in which you find yourself with your assertion that cell phone use is "antisocial behavior." What a strange, extreme thing to say – the idea that someone speaking into a cell phone is automatically behaving in an antisocial way.

Rather, as Mr Dawson put so well, this “cell phone issue” is really a matter of manners and behavior. Purely as a hypothetical, someone could exhibit exemplary manners while on their cell phone in the library. At the same time, someone else sitting around and, let’s say, complaining about something to everyone in the vicinity (whether they were interested or not) would in fact be exhibiting intrusive -- dare I say "antisocial" -- behavior. …and the polite cell phone user would actually be exhibiting pro-social behavior.

We are all (hopefully) trying to function well in a community --- note, I said “a” community, not "your" community. As a sincere rather than sarcastic recommendation, I would say that if you have such a short fuse (as you alluded to in another blog linked to through this post) perhaps you are the one who exhibits antisocial behavior and should stay at home to read your stuff so as not to undergo such frequent surges of rage to where you are trying to keep from "blowing your top." Goodness knows, you wouldn’t want to erupt in a boiling inferno of rage because some 13 year old girl called her friend to say “hi.” That would be antisocial behavior!

Mitch (Wed Apr 30 15:53:22 2008)

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