Library: Use your cell, get sent to detention or worse

The BCC Library Center is making a new addition: a detention center has been added to one of the meeting spaces in the Library.
The new center is intended to save students that come to study from distracting cell phone usage in the media center. The new rules have been set and passed, but will be fully enforced as of May 1.

“Studying is so frustrating when the person next to you is just chatting away on the phone .That is not what the library is for,” said Karina Sheilds, a BCC student.

The new rules entail th t the student will first be warned, then upon second infraction, will be sent to the detention room for a given amount of time, with no pass, or excuse slip for their instructors to excuse them from being late, if they have further classes that day. Students reported to the detention center will have their name on file, and if they continue to disobey the new policies, will be fined $25 immediately upon their next cell phone use or distracting behavior. After the student is fined, any other conflicts in the library will result in the suspension of his or her Media Center privileges for a given period of time, depending on the severity of the offense.

Although many students and members of the faculty praise the new policies, others see it as a failure in the attempt to make the library more  successful for an academic learning center.

“Detention is so high school. To put a ‘detention center’ on a college campus is horrible. I don’t think it will work and I don’t think that this will give BCC a decent image,” said Logan Kimpergan a BCC student.

The policies first stated that with each warning the offending student would be given fines that could go towards the library. After conflicts on  the other departments following this policy, such as, the computer labs, study centers, and tutoring centers, this decision was appealed to  something that can only be submitted for the one department. Over discussion throughout spring break, the board decided that the detention  center and new policies would create a healthy learning environment for students to feel comfortable approaching to ask their questions and get help.

“The library for so many years now, has been seen as a second form of a lounge. This campus has enough areas for chitchat, and fun, we need to keep those areas separate from learning areas,” said Brooke Higgins, media assistant.

After May 1, when the new policies will be fully  enforced, there will be a board meeting for the start of the fall quarter on combining the policies to the computer labs and tutoring centers.