I had to walk out of the library the other day. I was wearing noise canceling headphones and listening to music at a normal volume and yet a mom with three kids drove me out due to the fact they were running around and yelling like it was their house.
I travel and this is the new normal at libraries throughout the U.S. Many libraries now have an open area children’s section where the kids can play on the floor and be as loud as they want.
I do use study rooms at the library but not all libraries have them and a closed glass door does not block all the noise from a screaming baby/toddler.
Libraries are a shared space and in the past used to be quiet. Now in the effort to be inclusive to everyone they don’t enforce any noise rules because they want those moms and their screaming kids to come visit the library.
And of course, you cannot complain to anyone about this because if you do so you are a Karen and no one will care and then they’ll tell you “if you don’t like it you can leave” This is society now…everyone does what they want with no regard for others.
These hypothetical screaming wild children running rampant through the halls of America’s libraries are apparently sparing the libraries I attend, because as I said, I’ve never seen children acting out like that and I attend literal toddler events, with an actual toddler regularly. Note that they didn’t say “screaming shouldn’t be allowed in libraries”, they said toddlers. If OP can’t handle the sounds of toddlers at the library (which, again, I witness regularly) playing with wooden toys, doing puzzles, making crafts, having books read to them, then OP should find somewhere more private and not be mad at the public for using a public space.
It sounds like, rather the eras old horrible pandemic of the ever worsening “youth”, OP had a bad experience one day with some unusually poorly behaved kids and rather than say something to the parent, or the librarian, or hell even the kids, they decided to play out a hypothetical worst-case-scenario in their mind and then use it as an excuse for inaction. Then they came here to rant impotently and make it sound like some wide-spread problem it isn’t. And I just don’t think that’s a good enough reason to try to make me feel unwelcome.
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OP provided one example, and then used it as a sweeping generalization that directly conflicts with my lived experiences. Do I just attend uniquely peaceful libraries with uniquely well behaved toddlers? Maybe I’m living in a haven of quietude and utopian standards of parenting and never knew. Have you gone to any public libraries lately and experienced what OP describes? It should be easy to if it’s an epidemic worthy of telling me and my son we don’t belong there.
Of course I agree that we should all be considerate of each other and respect others’ rights to enjoy public spaces as they’re intended, but that’s not the title of the post, is it?