On October 17th, 2023, we opened a survey to students requesting their feedback about the sound and volume levels within the Library space. This survey was inspired by some student complaints about the volume levels they experienced in the Library. We created a survey hoping to get a deeper understanding of the impact sound levels have on how the library space is used. The survey included questions about volume levels experienced in specific locations and times, as well as questions how students use our spaces. This data collected will inform decisions on how we support the diverse needs of all our library users. The survey closed on November 10th, with 59 total responses. Winners for the prize draw were chosen by random number generator.
It is also worth noting that this year we appear to be returning to a pre-pandemic quantity of foot traffic in the Library, with the second highest on September numbers recorded since moving to the GNW campus. This has undoubtedly played a role in responses to this survey as well.
The Library is committed to serving the diverse needs of our patrons. However, the architectural design of our space, predominantly concrete and glass, inadvertently amplifies sound, making it challenging to accommodate both students seeking quiet study environments and those desiring lively, social spaces simultaneously. Our library team has engaged in extensive discussions, emphasizing our reluctance to police or shame individuals using the library for socializing while also acknowledging that loud noises can be very difficult for many students.
Presently, we are actively working on redesigning areas to better facilitate quiet study and social interactions, implementing improved sound isolation measures. This will take us some time. Additionally, we're considering installing signage encouraging softer voices in designated zones. Our utmost priority is ensuring every patron feels welcomed and valued, acknowledging the genuine importance of differing sound-level requirements.
Your input through this survey is invaluable in helping us understand your needs and explore potential solutions. We deeply appreciate your time and contribution towards creating a more inclusive and accommodating library experience for everyone.
Some key takeaways from this survey were:
Based on this feedback we have determined that our priorities are:
The re
sponses to this question help highlight how difficult it is to balance the needs of our students. We have almost half of our respondents telling us that the library is too loud, but the other half of the respondents feel comfortable with the current volume.
We can assume that the comfortable students may be using the Library spaces in different ways than those who think that it is too loud - and we want to try and provide a welcoming space to all our users.
This question was intended to determine if there are specific times during the day that are particularly problematic to our users when it comes to volume levels in the Library. Anecdotally we had determined that lunch break was the loudest time of the day, but we wanted confirmation that students felt the same way.
This data confirms that lunch break is the most problematic time of day, with a significant proportion of our respondents mentioning that volume levels are bad. The afternoon break appears to not be as much of an issue.
Action Taken:
With this information we hope to be able to provide alternative options for students looking for quiet study, so in Spring 2024 we tried booking Study Room 4 during the lunch rush as an additional quiet shared study space. Due to a lack of feedback and limited use of the space, we are considering other ways we could use Study Room 4, and it has been put back in the rotation as a bookable space.
The responses to this question are helpful as they acknowledge that our students are not necessarily looking for a 'traditional' silent library. We hope that we will be able to determine ways to separate the space so that those who are looking for lower levels of background sound will be able to find quieter areas, while those who manage well with medium levels of background sound can work in the more social, collaborative areas.
When we break down the responses to this question along with the responses to Question 1 (How do you feel about volume levels in the Library in general?), we see that there is a discernible pattern.
Unsurprisingly, those who think that the library is too loud have a lower threshold for the amount of sound that they consider to be a 'good' volume level.
The one 'other' response that we received for this question was:
Small to medium, medium more during lunch
The scale for this question went as follows: 1 - Terrible, 2 - Not great, 3 - Okay, 4 - Decent, 5 - Amazing!
The responses to this question are useful as they help to highlight the problematic zones in our space. In order to determine the areas that we need to look at, we averaged the ratings for each space out across the number of respondents who had opinions about the space - in other words we removed the no-opinion responses for each zone so they would not dilute the averages.
It highlighted the mezzanine as a particularly problematic area, which encouraged us to begin experimenting with the furniture in the area to see how we can encourage folks to use the space in a quieter way. See below for a visual representation of the sound rating overlaid on a library map.
Actions taken:
- Installation of temporary sound baffles (blue barriers) to limit sound echoing to the quiet study areas [Fall 2023]
- Breaking up the large mezzanine couch area into two smaller areas to encourage smaller groups to use the area [Fall 2023]
- Removing the mezzanine couch entirely and replacing it with single study desks [Fall 2024]
- Coffee table moved to lower level, replaced with two individual study tables [Fall 2023]
- Red hammock moved to the lower level to a 'nap/quiet zone' rather than being in a social area [Fall 2023]
- Signage placed in high-traffic mezzanine areas indicating the poor acoustics in the area [Spring 2024]
- Signage placed throughout the Library, designating each level as a separate sound zone. Social Spaces are provided on the upper level, Quiet Collaboration and Study on the mezzanine and lower level, and the study carrels continue to be Silent Study [Fall 2024]
Looks like not that many folks have opinions about our study rooms. We encourage more of you to try them out...
You can book a room ahead of time online!
Respondents were able to choose more than one option to this question.
This data is useful when it comes to trying to determine which areas of the Library could potentially be designated as quieter, and which could allow for more socialization and collaboration. It appears that a larger number of people want to use the downstairs area for quiet study/focused work, whereas there is less distinction between how students want to use the upper floor. And unsurprisingly, the mezzanine (our problem zone), has a higher proportion of folks who are using it to socialize.
Potential Action:
Looking at this data helps us to see that it might be a good idea to encourage socialization/collective work on the upper floor of the Library, as it would inconvenience a smaller proportion of users who are doing quieter work. Ideally, those folks would then be able to work on the lower floor, or even the mezzanine. The one problem with designating the upper floor for social/collaborative work is that the two banks of computers are also upstairs, and we would not wish to impact them. Potentially, movable sound baffles could be of use there? We aim to experiment with different configurations of this space in order to determine what will cause the least echoing.
Following discussions with the acoustics engineers and facilities manager, in Fall 2024 we moved forward with designating each level of the library as separate spaces. Social Spaces are provided on the upper level, Quiet Collaboration and Study on the mezzanine and lower level, and the study carrels continue to be Silent Study.
This data helps us to recognize that many of our users are interested in single-person areas, either in small table or study-carrel format. While we can't necessarily remove or replace our large tables, we are planning to build movable table dividers to allow students the feeling of privacy while retaining the flexibility of the larger tables.
Actions Taken:
- The first group of movable table dividers have been built. The dividers are slowly being added to the Library space in order to observe how students use them. [Feb. 2024]
- Plants and furniture are being moved around in an attempt to make tables seem more private [ongoing]
- We are investigating sourcing additional single-study tables to provide more private study options [Fall 2024]
'Other/expand on your answer' responses to this question didn't have statistical relevance.
This data shows us that the majority of folks are doing their quiet study/focused work with their headphones in. We were a bit surprised to see that a quarter of our respondents are using earplugs. With only 25% of respondents using the study rooms, we are left to wonder if we have been doing a good enough job informing our students about how the study room booking system works. The rooms are often busy, but we would like to ensure that everybody knows that they are available for pre-booking via the Writing Centre website.
Potential Actions:
'Other/expand on your answer' responses to this question primarily focused on the fact that folks tried to find quieter areas during the lunchtime rush.
This question helps us to determine how well our furniture is currently serving our students. We see that a majority of students would prefer a table to themselves, but the space and furniture that we have been allotted does not currently allow this. We are trying to break up some of the larger groups of furniture in order to provide more nooks and crannies for single users. We are also considering table dividers for some of the larger tables, so that students could potentially get that sense of privacy without having to replace the furniture we currently have.
Actions taken:
- We are planning on purchasing or building movable table dividers to allow students the feeling of privacy but retain the flexibility of the larger tables. [First group of movable table dividers installed in Feb. 2024]
- Coffee table moved off the mezzanine to the lower level, replaced with two individual study tables overlooking the edge of the space [Fall 2023]
- Additional single study tables added to the mezzanine in place of a group couch area [Fall 2024]
'Other/expand on your answer' responses to this question did not provide noteworthy data.
We received 38 responses to this short-answer question. A staff member went through the responses and tagged them with key ideas (though some responses required more than one tag.)
These tags were:
These concepts can also be looked at in three broader categories:
Some of these categories will be easier to influence than others - it is possible to make changes to our furniture layout and policies, but harder to change how our users actually use and interact with the space itself. We have worked hard to create an atmosphere that we hope is welcoming to all, and as such we have to be careful when putting widespread changes into place.
Staff Responses to Select Comments:
We pulled out a few representative comments that our staff responded to. If you wish to see all the comments, click the drop down button at the bottom of this section!
I think it’s okay to use the library as a group if you are VERY mindful of your noise level. I’ve had to leave the library multiple times out of frustration for groups of students using it as a gathering place to talk and catch-up and laugh. I find that frustrating considering the cafeteria is right accross the hall! I understand having short conversations at reasonable levels but there seems to be no reinforcement that the library is a library, not a hangout
The Library is often seen as an informal gathering place in an institution with limited options for community building. Unfortunately the cafeteria (particularly during the lunch rush) is often too loud or busy for students to feel comfortable or relax, particularly those who have sensory needs. We have been trying to hold space for all our users, but we may need to rearrange the space to try and limit how sound carries.
Have a general rule of thumb for sound- be conscientious about those who need a level of quiet to work. Currently the mezzanine is set out as a "chill spot" for those in groups to talk and relax. However, because of the library's architecture, sounds amplify throughout the library. Particularly, the "silent spots" on the bottom floor are very loud during active library times, leaving students nowhere to go when study rooms are full. There are lots of spaces throughout the school for folks to socialize, I think those who are looking for a space to focus and have more minimal socializing should be prioritized.
When we initially laid out the space, we envisioned the Mezzanine as a cozy zone for napping and quiet work. This school year (2023-2024) in particular, we have noticed an increase in the number of large, louder groups using the space. We have borrowed dividers from another department that we hope has helped reduce the amount of sound echoing back into the quiet study area, and continue to try different furniture configurations in the hopes of encouraging more social groups to sit elsewhere in our space. We are also experimenting with signage in the mezzanine area encouraging softer voices.
Ban the noisemakers...
The Library is meant to be open for all, and we intend to continue that philosophy going forward. We are not interested in creating an environment with an unwelcoming atmosphere - there are enough of those in the world already!
I would just like people to be speaking in low voices. Sometimes people are not aware of their volume and that bothers me. Most groups are good and speaking in hushed tones of voice.
It's true that many folks are just not aware of how their voices can carry in our space. We are experimenting with additional signage and trying to determine which spaces are the worst offenders for echoes (and moving furniture that encourages larger groups away from those spaces). Additional signage is being added to areas which we are designating for Quiet Collaboration + Study as well as Silent Study.
Potentially designating some tables or areas for medium/low volume use and some for higher volume use or socialization with signs on tables.
We are consulting with an acoustic engineer to help us better understand how sound works within our space. There are many flat, hard surfaces in the Library (concrete floors, glass, walls), which make sounds echo in unexpected ways. These consultations have lead us to designate the upper level as the Social Space, with Quiet Collaboration and Study on the mezzanine and lower level, and the study carrels continuing to be Silent Study. We will continue to monitor behaviour and volume levels to see if this signage has any impact on how folks use the space!
I think that they are perfectly met. I can see people studying by themselves, working in groups, relaxing, reading, playing boardgames etc.
This is our endgame - we would love to work out a way that all visitors to the library are able to meet their own personal needs for that day.
The sound from the mezzanine can be heard from everywhere, very distracting. Maybe sound proofing. Lower floor is inaccessible.
We are constantly tweaking the mezzanine level to try and make it less problematic. We have borrowed some barriers from another department to help contain the echoes for the time being, so that less sound leaks into the quiet study area. We have also removed the last of the cozy couch seating, so that groups are not encouraged to socialize on this level.
The way the library's organized now is already pretty good; my biggest issue is just people being loud while using the study carrels sometimes.
Because the study carrels are so far away from the front desk, it's hard for us to monitor the area. If you are having issues with folks being loud in the silent study area please let us know! That's one zone that we consider shush-worthy.
It would be nice to have more collective (but quiet) focused work/study sessions in the artist book room.
This room is a designated space for library + archives research instruction; and artists' books, archives and special collections access and research. Due to the preservation needs of the unique, rare, and valuable materials housed in the room, we cannot open it up the for access beyond these uses.
I believe it's a social space and I like the way it allows life to happen (it's not overly policed).
Library philosophies have evolved over the years and it's well documented that overly strict library policies just discourages folks from returning to library spaces, rather than changing their behaviours. Which is the opposite of what we want - so we are trying to find gentle ways to encourage folks to share the space well.
Too many students use the library as a hang out lounge, not for studying. It comes at a cost to those who need to study. It is all very inconsiderate and the school seems to have no policy around this. So staff do nothing.
We hear from many students that there aren't enough social spaces on campus for people to relax or meet new friends, and that kind of community building is an important part of our vision for the library. We have been trying hard to balance the needs of all our students, in a physical space that is less-than-ideal.
To be honest I’m not sure! I get the socialization aspect for sure and I may be in the minority but sometimes the library is just to noisy for me to study and read in
Asking people to speak quietly
Having another space where people from different faculty’s can lounge outside of the library.
have separate spaces for separate needs
I think it’s okay to use the library as a group if you are VERY mindful of your noise level. I’ve had to leave the library multiple times out of frustration for groups of students using it as a gathering place to talk and catch-up and laugh. I find that frustrating considering the cafeteria is right accross the hall! I understand having short conversations at reasonable levels but there seems to be no reinforcement that the library is a library, not a hangout
Have a general rule of thumb for sound- be conscientious about those who need a level of quiet to work. Currently the mezzanine is set out as a "chill spot" for those in groups to talk and relax. However, because of the library's architecture, sounds amplify throughout the library. Particularly, the "silent spots" on the bottom floor are very loud during active library times, leaving students nowhere to go when study rooms are full. There are lots of spaces throughout the school for folks to socialize, I think those who are looking for a space to focus and have more minimal socializing should be prioritized.
Ban the noisemakers...
No opinion
Separate noise, probably by the library level
I already think, from what I've seen, that there are reasonable areas in place that section off different kinds of spaces in the Library for people to work/lounge (quiet study desks, large group tables, etc...)
I would just like people to be speaking in low voices. Sometimes people are not aware of their volume and that bothers me. Most groups are good and speaking in hushed tones of voice.
Be more quiet for studying.
I think the library already does a good job balancing that
Potentially designating some tables or areas for medium/low volume use and some for higher volume use or socialization with signs on tables.
Assigned areas designed for specific noise levels. Groups told off for extreme volume (yelling from the mezzanine)
I understand ppl use the library as a social space due to the lack of social spaces on campus. However, I feel like it does need to be reiterated that a library is a space intended for study, concentration etc. I’ve just noticed like waaay too many regular to loud conversations throughout the semester so far. I feel like I’ve never noticed the library being so loud and I think students need a reminder that there ARE spaces on campus meant for socializing. Perhaps these spaces need to make themselves more accessible/ known to students.
I think that they are perfectly met. I can see people studying by themselves, working in groups, relaxing, reading, playing boardgames etc.
The sound from the mezzanine can be heard from everywhere, very distracting. Maybe sound proofing. Lower floor is inaccessible.
maybe keep a specific space for socializing, specifically at lunch. sometimes it can get too noisy. most of the time i don’t mind a bit of noise
The only inappropriate uses are socializing in large groups, playing games or doing projects such as filming that mean others can’t use the space. Having normal volume social conversations, group projects, attending a zoom class or meeting, or anything else is fine because it doesn’t prohibit others using the space.
I think you guys are doing a great job at balancing those needs.
The way the library's organized now is already pretty good; my biggest issue is just people being loud while using the study carrels sometimes.
Has an alright balance of socialization use and study use with the solitary study areas separated by bookshelves from the more social study areas. Sectioning areas in ways like that I find works really well to give both parties their space
Just a reasonable amount of sound
I feel like the library’s sound is fine for most of the day, but gets too loud during students’ lunch hours and break periods, which gets distracting. I feel like the library prioritizes spaces for quiet study (which is great)
I personally have been to the library around the lunch hour and afterwards toward 3pm and the sound from the upper library near the magazines has carried down toward the computer area on the first floor library where I sit. And the middle level where the games are can be a bit loud sometimes. I’ve adapted to booking a study room. But maybe we can enforce inside voices on the bottom level of the library ?
A separated space for quiet study and quiet socializing
I mostly use the library to meet others to work on our group projects, but we always try our best to be as quiet as possible if we are in a common area and not a study room. Maybe for the sake of those studying and for those who are in groups and need to talk, we could divide the area at certain times of day? So each side could be at their own volume without disturbing the other.
It would be nice to have more collective (but quiet) focused work/study sessions in the artist book room.
I think lower floor should be used for quiet/focused work, more reminders around the area would be nice. To balance it out the upper floor can have a bit of noise
I believe it's a social space and I like the way it allows life to happen (it's not overly policed).
Continue to have spaces sectioned off for different types of purposes (quiet study, groups)
I wish people just understood that talking and laughing loudly isn’t appropriate in the library. Like whisper among your friends to chit chat but you shouldn’t be carrying a conversation on at normal volumes.
I think letting people talk but not be too loud is good. Like, if the library is completely silent it doesn't work for me. Then again because of that I often do not study much in the library because it's usually really silent. I'll usually use the library for working on group projects with other students, but then that requires talking, so I think some talking is good. It's easy to feel bad about talking in the library because it's so silent otherwise.
Higher enforcement of the quiet study areas in the back - people talk loudly there a lot
I think it’s all good
it might be nice to designate one area for specifically talking out loud
It's alright to have for example a friend group of people in the library but you should still behave like you're in a library (no shouting or really loud talking) just generally be considerate of others esp if you can see people trying to focus beside you.
Zones for socializing, zones for working. Hard to focus as a group/alone if there’s people all around you chatting and hanging out very audibly. I think upper library near the magazines is a good place to work as long as there aren’t people being loud and distracting as there are sometimes.
Too many students use the library as a hang out lounge, not for studying. It comes at a cost to those who need to study. It is all very inconsiderate and the school seems to have no policy around this. So staff do nothing.
Th
is question was harder to tag, as the feedback was quite varied. After removing 8 responses which were different variations on, 'No, I don't have any additional thoughts on the topic," we were left with 20 responses to look through.
Comments with Staff Feedback:
We pulled out a few representative comments that our staff responded to. If you wish to see all the comments, click the drop down button at the bottom of this section!
I use noise cancelling headphones here to study which usually effectively blocks out noise but sometimes it’s just really loud here
Did you know that the tool crib loans out hearing protection? It's true! Make sure to visit them on the first floor near the ceramics department. They have such wonderful resources.
I think the library should be the same as building hours during the week.
Unfortunately, we just don't have the staffing levels to keep the library open for the same duration as the building.
As a past UVic student who needs quiet space to focus, I would use their quiet study floor- it was very effective for my needs. I think that the ECU library needs to be rearranged/ re-thought through to account for the needs of students who need less distracting spaces to work. Further, many of us don't have quiet spaces at home so school is somewhere we turn to for space conducive to working on homework. Furthermore, nero-diverse folks such as I depend on quiet spaces to think- ECU needs to account for this- more than just a weekly group working session.
We definitely sympathize with the need for quiet spaces to study and acknowledge that there is a lack of such spaces at ECU and in general. We have hired a sound engineer to help us figure out how to contain sounds in certain spaces, and hope this will in time lead to quieter areas in the library for study. We also hope to extend our low-sensory study nights to more than just once a week in the future.
The ceiling could use some sound baffles
This is an idea we've been pondering as well. We have hired an acoustic engineer to assess our space and give us recommendations for how we can mitigate sound travel. We'll update the community once we have a solid plan in place.
Sometimes the second floor gets a bit loud with crowds of students.
We have been experimenting with different furniture configurations on the mezzanine level in order to encourage larger groups to convene elsewhere in the space. It's a bit of an awkward space that still hasn't reached its full potential!
It's a lot of first years who go over noise limits, please remind them
Following consultations, we have designated specific areas within the library for certain noise levels. If they work well, those guidelines can be something that we will add to our first-year Library orientations and tours. This can ensure that new folks have a better understanding of how sound works within our space!
I’d love to see the library kept the way it is. Yes there is noise, but with earplugs or headphones we can have quiet if needed
We hope that the changes that we make won't impact the vibes that we have been trying to create over the years. We have seen how our students are impacted by the lack of comfortable and welcoming spaces on campus, and tried to fill that gap wherever possible. It's a delicate balance that we are always trying to improve upon.
Besides loud noise there are food and waste left behind. Computer stations have cookie crumbs, grease stains etc.
Thanks for this feedback! If you ever notice that housekeeping isn't up to your standards in a certain area of the library, please let us know immediately! We can request that our cleaning staff ensure that area gets more attention in the future.
I use noise cancelling headphones here to study which usually effectively blocks out noise but sometimes it’s just really loud here
I think the library should be the same as building hours during the week.
maybe reminders? sometimes if i want to use a computer, there would be a group of people hanging around there not utilizing it
As a past UVic student who needs quiet space to focus, I would use their quiet study floor- it was very effective for my needs. I think that the ECU library needs to be rearranged/ re-thought through to account for the needs of students who need less distracting spaces to work. Further, many of us don't have quiet spaces at home so school is somewhere we turn to for space conducive to working on homework. Furthermore, nero-diverse folks such as I depend on quiet spaces to think- ECU needs to account for this- more than just a weekly group working session.
It's too loud...
The ceiling could use some sound baffles
All of the times I have visited the library this school year I have noticed that the volume is loud.
I like that the library isn’t as strict as others with rules around food, noise, etc however sometimes the volume gets to a point that hinders the work or socialization of others. People talking has never annoyed me in the library but when people get really excited or something and yell, to the point where headphones on full volume doesn’t cancel it out it becomes a problem (specifically a problem that me and friends have noticed on separate occasions from eachother)
Sometimes the second floor gets a bit loud with crowds of students.
Library v enjoyable thanks for keeping it nice and welcoming : )
:)
I get it. People are excited but it’s too loud sometimes
I like the library a lot and the seed swap! I look forward to it. Thank you.
a few more regular heigh tables could be nice, but unsure
Great space! The staff is always polite.
The sound travels down but rarely up I find meaning that working on the bottom floor you hear people on the middle floor all the time.
I like the library a lot overall :)
I love the library
It's a lot of first years who go over noise limits, please remind them
I’d love to see the library kept the way it is. Yes there is noise, but with earplugs or headphones we can have quiet if needed
Besides loud noise there are food and waste left behind. Computer stations have cookie crumbs, grease stains etc.
Thank you to everybody who filled out our survey! We have carefully reviewed this data, hired acoustics consultants to do a sound assessment of the Library, and are making plans for how to tackle the topic. We had 20 respondents who were interested in potentially joining a focus group for further discussion about the topic. We will reach out to these folks at some point in the near future!
Follow up consultations with survey respondents took place in April 2024.
Action items resulting from consultations:
library@ecuad.ca 
604-844-3840 520 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC