Let's face a fact right now, straight off the bat... It is a well known and accepted fact that you just cannot please everyone. Even working for a community library where you offer books, magazines, toys, music, movies and so much more for free (YES!! FFFFRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!) you still find that there are people you just cannot please.
At the library where I work once a month we have a local musician or band come in and play for an hour on the weekend. The aim is to bring more young people into the library as a hangout space, a place where you can catch up with mates and just let some awesome tunes wash over you. We are incredibly blessed with the young talent in my local community and I think it is a great opportunity to give this talent somewhere to play. If I had a bigger budget I think we would probably do it more.
Loud libraries are not for everyone though. Sadly we have had complaints about the 'noise'. I think this is a challenge for libraries these days, looking for that pot of gold event or service that brings the hordes regularly through the doors. More and more we we are looking for ways to bring the fun and chaos which creates excitement in kids and giggles and squeals of laughter from toddlers as they come near our doors and then rush on in. I have a feeling that libraries are only going to get louder.
Where then do we find that happy medium? How do we encourage the crazy while holding a space for the business meetings, the travellers on Skype and the Uni students needing a corner for some quiet study... More and more we are trying to achieve mission impossible... More and more libraries especially are trying to be everything for everyone... As this is something that is not going to change any time quickly I have only one thing to say... Challenge accepted!!
