Deafening culture

In the turmoil of the markets I had forgotten that I nearly choked on my humbug when I heard that Andy Burnham is suggesting abandoning the ethos of "quiet contemplation" in public libraries and in its place allowing people to whoop with joy and engage in loud discourse about the nuggets of information which they have discovered there. His suggestion is more surprising as he read English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. The University Library at Cambridge, apart from being possibly the ugliest building in the city, was, and probably still is, a great place to meet people: in its tea room. In the run up to my Finals, I used to go over there, spend a couple of hours pouring over Plato and then meet friends for tea at 4.30pm, the prospect of tea being the incentive to go there in the first place. I think it may be a good idea for public libraries to offer refreshments and the opportunity to converse with others, but not in the reading room. Havens of tranquillity are rare in this busy life and should be preserved at all costs.