Using the Library the right way

The library is home to rows and columns and pages of knowledge on many topics. Libraries may seem ‘old school’ sometimes, especially with the way the world is evolving digitally, so some of us could easily forget the right way to treat books and resources in the library. Even if you prefer to do your reading and research online, it’s important to know how to use the library. Here at Grenville, the library is a special place that holds hundreds of various books that will help you with your research, or even keep you occupied with a collection of fiction titles.

If you happen to find yourself in the Grenville library soon (or any other library), here are some tips on how to use the library effectively:

Use the tagged shelves as a guide: Generally, books in a library are arranged in different sections, based on a general theme or subject. Each section is tagged clearly on the shelves, and this serves as a guide to finding the right book without getting confused or mixing books up. So when you go to the library, you should ideally know what you’re looking for already, so just use the tags as a guide.

Get familiar with the environment: If you’re someone who doesn’t visit the library very often, or one who hasn’t visited the library in a long time, it’s not a crime to walk around the library to familiarise yourself with it before finding what you’re looking for. By doing this, it’ll be easier for you to know where certain books are the next time you walk into the library. However, be weary of other library users, so don’t just walk around aimlessly as this could distract others.

Ask for help: There is always a librarian around to help you if you have any questions or assistance. If you can’t find a book, ask the librarian. If you need to borrow a book, ask the librarian. If you don’t know where to start your research from, ask the librarian. They are experienced and skilled, so they know what they’re doing. Don’t be scared to ask for help!

Treat books nicely: Let’s be honest…if books were not kept neatly by people over the years, then library shelves would be a bit scarce, no? Books are majorly made out of paper so they can be delicate. when you pick a book to use in or out of the library remember that there’ll be others who’ll use the book after you. Don’t deface the books, keep the corners neat and unfolded (use a bookmark) and return books in the same condition that you took them.

Respect others: Library rule number 1: Be quiet.

Reason: Other people in the library are trying to get work done. While in the library, try to be as quiet as possible…even if you don’t mind studying with noise in the background, some people need a quiet environment to concentrate, and a library provides such ambience, so respect that.

While these are general tips for using a library, different libraries have different rules and ways of operating. However, it’s important for you to know some basic tips in using the library the right way…you’ll need them.