Devipravaha


I’ve finished my essay.
I got to the satellite library just after nine and left it at 2pm
I left it because it got too noisy, travelling 12 miles west to my usual ( and very quiet ) Uni library along the coast.
Using a well heeled library in a rough part of north wales has been an eye opener for sure.
Apart from being noisy, it was a lesson in kids who probably need mountains of support and from what I could experience from my computer chair , generally got it. 
I listened from time to time, to the 1:1 guidance given to one girl with serious anxiety needs with pure admiration for the teacher/ aide, then watched as two library staff diffused the anger of a teenage boy who stormed about the facility swearing he was going to head butt some kid downstairs who had dissed him.
The activity was all too much for me.
And by 2 pm I asked the main librarian if he could find a quiet corner
He shrugged and said no he was sorry
“ I’ve never been in such a noisy library” I told him, not unkindly 
But he shrugged
What do you expect this is a FE college?” he said
and his resignation felt raw.
I left feeling somewhat stressed which made me feel awkward 
Give me a medical emergency or distraught relatives , life is a breeze 
Give me an unfinished essay on evidence based practice 
And I’m a mess.
And so , I drove to the quiet library and in three hours finished the essay and listed the references.
I had a massive headache on the way home 
Which was calmed by an ice cold Diet Coke and the above song gently playing on the car CD
Devipravaha is incredibly soothing to the non academic soul.




36 comments:

  1. Barbara Anne7:44 pm

    My old computer won't play the song, but as you say, 'hey ho'!
    Well done in finshing your essay and bibliography and hope your headache is gone.
    It's Thanksgiving here and I['m thankful I found your blog some years ago and can walk this path with you.
    Now about that book ...!

    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=deviprabha+the+drop+that+contained+the+sea

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad your essay is done. Enjoy a quiet evening!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m working tomorrow so it’s an early night

      Delete
  4. Anonymous8:23 pm

    Today’s young people need more guidance and more support. For them to be using a library is terrific and for some, brave.
    For most of my life I have taught kids from what you call the rough end of town . School and libraries are something they need for stability and also to know they are safe spaces
    Adults can always find more suitable quiet spaces for their study needs .
    To ask the librarian for a quiet space for your aged needs was selfish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Children with autism need quiet safe spaces that ARE quiet

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:46 pm

      No, it wasn't selfish at all. A college library is a place where it's reasonable to expect to be able to do some work. And libraries are for EVERYONE, not just for kids! Pam

      Delete
  5. I think your quiet library is the place to go from now on. Trying to work/study in that environment is damn near impossible. No wonder you had a headache! Glad the essay is completed and you can relax now. Maybe an ice cold G&T to round off the evening? xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. I will happily pay the extra petrol

      Delete
  6. Libraries should be quiet places. "What do you expect this is a FE college?” What does FE stand for? I can guess the first word but not the second.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was surprised by his reply but impressed with the staff I observed

      Delete
  7. Outside the library my mum said intently " You must be very quiet inside and only whisper" - I was impeccably well behaved x ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ—‘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think every library should have quiet places

      Delete
  8. I'm pleased that those kids could get quality support, they might not have bothered if they had to be really quiet.
    I do agree that a "study room" or some such quiet space is essential.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was rather moved by the attitude and interaction by the staff

      Delete
  9. Jean your comment was deleted by accident

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:31 pm

      Hi John- Re the deleted comment- no worries! Glad you got the essay done. I have 2 essays that need to be submitted together as my final, and I know I will need a quiet place and lots of coffee. Jean in Winnipeg

      Delete
  10. Anonymous9:46 pm

    Wondering why you travel to a library to use their computers when you have internet access (and peace and quiet) at home?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CatherinefromFrance9:59 pm

      I am not John but I suppose that he had to consult documents for his written work, since he added a "list of references" to it. I don't think we usually buy all the books we read. Catherine.

      Delete
    2. Simple answer, I haven’t got a laptop yer

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:14 pm

      You were wrong Catherine. The question was directed to John anyway, not you.

      Delete
  11. Glad to hear you completed the essay and you're having a quiet evening tonight. Wishing you a quiet, uneventful shift tomorrow. Be well, John dear.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Five hours was a long time to spend in that noisy library. Glad you found some music to sooth the “savaged” breast.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous11:07 pm

    "An FE College"? Are you not at a university then? What does FE mean?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Further education.

      Delete
    2. Sigh
      I am on a university course which is based at the university buildings in a FE college in Llandrillo, the FE college has several smaller satellite centres each with its own library . The one closer to home is the one I was talking about

      Delete
  14. Anonymous11:09 pm

    Our public library, in a very affluent area, has a large and very popular children's section adjacent to the computer work stations and "study tables", which has always seemed like an interesting choice that deprives the studiers of peaceful work options. On the other hand there are glass walled
    "group study" spaces that are frequently filled with groups of young adults that appear to be actually studying quietly or working on group projects, so the planners got that part right.

    At least your first library has a dedicated helpful staff!

    Ceci

    ReplyDelete
  15. You get eaten for coughing in quiet places x

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm confused by the term 'FE'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Further education ( FE ) includes any study after secondary education that's not part of higher education (that is, not taken as part of an undergraduate or graduate degree).
      Taken from UK Government website.

      Delete
  17. I am glad you got your essay completed. The library sounds most unusual. How can anyone get work done with noise and disruption? I wonder what the librarian's job description looks like.

    ReplyDelete
  18. My nearest FE library has two sections. one where interaction is allowed and another for complete quiet. I can understand, however, how these boundaries can sometimes be blurred. The role of a Librarian must be far more challenging than it used to be.
    It is always a satisfying moment when you finally get any work completed and submitted. When will you receive your feedback? Xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. My local library seems to be a hub for many different things. Children's groups, craft and coffee mornings, people using computers and needing help from staff etc. All this is great, although extremely noisy, and there is a very tiny room where a few people can truly study and use reference books in peace. However I remember a library at my school when young, where there was access to wonderful books, helpful staff, quiet, and an atmosphere which I loved and sought out to study and do written work. I don't know whether such places exist now but I feel very lucky to have been able to have such a place. Both types of library are needed I think but it would be good if there were a quiet room for reading and study.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Emilio Estevez (Martin Sheen’s son) made a movie, “The Public”, (2018) about how public libraries here in the US have become a rare place where people who are homeless/troubled can hang out— and the stresses that cause—(NOT quiet, lol). It’s not a documentary, but kinda like that.
    Not a great film but with a lotta heart—I recommend it
    Preview here:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TlBJv9C9yYc

    ReplyDelete
  21. I enjoyed that; thank you for posting it.

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes