Some people take up reserved seats on MRT trains to nap. So what
next? Library seats, it seems.
After all, public libraries provide plush sofa seats,
air-conditioning and quiet surroundings.
Recently, a photo of two girls dozing on sofa seats at the
National Library in Victoria Street was posted on The Straits
Times' citizen journalism website Stomp.
The Stomper, who goes by the moniker Alan, said the pair were
'sleeping soundly' though there were 'so many other library users',
adding that he was surprised the library's staff did not
intervene.
Some library users and netizens, in their comments, called such
behaviour "inconsiderate" and "selfish".
Said Ms Vinda Tirrana, 37, who is currently unemployed: "If the
library is crowded, people who need the seats to read their books
can't get them if there are people sleeping. I've even seen those
who snore so loudly that it disturbs others."
She visits the National Library almost every day, and has seen
students, adults and retirees sleeping on the seats.
Student Huang Jing Quan, 18, who studies regularly at the Marine
Parade Community Library, said he gets sleepy while studying.
"But I will doze off for only 10 minutes at most, so
I'll have the energy to continue. I don't see it as hogging
the seats because it's within my rights to take a break," he
insisted.
When The Sunday Times visited the National Library and three
other public libraries on a weekday afternoon, an average of two
people were seen fast asleep, with no reading materials near
them.
At the Central Lending Library, in the basement of the National
Library building, there were four such users.
Ms Jasna Dhansukhlal, a manager at the Central Lending Library,
said such behaviour is "not very common".
"If we receive any feedback from users, our staff will take
action immediately. They have been trained to politely approach
people who may have fallen asleep to wake them up," she said.
In 2005, the National Library Board (NLB) launched its I Love My
Library campaign to sound the wake-up call on good etiquette.
The drive promote 10 key actions, one of which was: No sleeping
in the library.
Its public education efforts include handing out free bookmarks
to library users and displaying posters at various library
branches, said Ms Dhansukhlal.
"Since the campaign's launch, we have seen improvements and
increased awareness among our users in following good library
etiquette," said a spokesman for the NLB, which runs 22 libraries
islandwide.
At all its libraries, staff also go on hourly patrols to remind
users to treat the facilities with care.
(Taken from The Sunday Times, May 15 2011, Home Page 17)