Quiet Rooms

Written by Studio AM.

At the public library near my home, I can sit down without buying anything. I do not need to borrow a book or explain why I came. During opening hours, a desk and a chair are available to anyone who needs them.

That freedom matters in a city where many indoor places expect visitors to spend money. A café sells drinks. A cinema sells tickets. The library offers space without asking everyone to become a customer. Visitors must still follow its rules. In the quiet area, one condition is keeping noise low enough for other people to read.

I notice who uses these rooms: students, people between jobs, and people whose homes are too crowded to work in. Some come for books; others need a warm place to sit, think, or wait for a shift.

Books remain an important part of a library. But so does the chance to spend time in a shared indoor space without paying for it.

Questions

Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.

  1. Question 1 of 4

    What is the essay mainly saying about libraries?

  2. Question 2 of 4

    What should visitors do in the library's quiet area?

  3. Question 3 of 4

    What does the essay suggest about a visitor who has little money?

  4. Question 4 of 4

    What does “condition” mean in this passage?

Score: none answered yet.

More passages

Practise reading