Everything you need to know about the LRC controversy

On the first of September, all senior students received an email* announcing that they would no longer be able to access the main LRC. A few days prior, you might have also seen students queuing outside of the library, waiting for their turn to enter. However, no detailed notice regarding the specific quota was announced to students, so most of what many students came to know was only through word of mouth. Seeing the general confusion that ensued, I talked to our librarians Ms Man and Ms Cheung, and the Y13 senior head of year Mr Pritchard, to help clear up the facts and provide some context behind admin decisions behind both the senior and quota arrangements.

Are seniors banned from the library?

You might be wondering, even if select individuals had behaved inappropriately in the library, why should two whole year groups be denied access? 

After discussing with Mr Pritchard, I came to know that that decision was only meant to be a temporary arrangement, partly due to the extreme congestion from the multiple rainy days, the field being under renovation, and the more than usual number of Y12s still used to gathering in the LRC. During those days, the LRC regularly held more than 300 students, with many students sitting on the floor, which is a safety hazard and unreasonable for two librarians to manage. Although most students used the library as intended, some people treated the space like a second playground, running around and playing tag inside.

To temporarily combat this problem, the librarians started limiting the number of people inside the library at one time, which is what led to the queuing outside. However, some senior students repeatedly used the emergency doors to enter and exit the library at will, which made it impossible to manage the numbers in the library. Furthermore, there were repeated incidents of seniors bringing in food and disrespecting the space, such as by pushing over the stanchions to use the side doors. When librarians intervened with reasonable requests for better behavior, they would often immediately disobey them and continue misbehaving, disrupting the library space. Being an urgent situation, the librarians requested a temporary ban on senior students, which led to the email on the first of September.

Naturally, many senior students expressed objections over the new rule, and it quickly became evident that the initial rule had overlooked some important points. Mr Poulsum asked to amend the arrangements, and a second email was sent out three days later with new arrangements, which are still in place. As of now, senior students are allowed inside the library during lesson time, and inside the Reading Center during break or lunch. However, printing from the LRC, accessing the AV media studio, and of course, borrowing books, are welcome to all students anytime. 

Primarily, the intention of these arrangements are to prioritize the LRC’s seating and table spaces for junior students to work, seeing that seniors have their own dedicated study center and the SSC spaces. Nonetheless, I know that some senior students might still feel that they are unwelcome in the library. Although seats and tables in the LRC should be reserved for juniors, please know that the library’s books and other resources are always open to all students, and you are welcome to enter as long as you use the LRC as intended!

Is there currently a quota on students in the library?

As of now, there is no hard limit on the number of students in the library. When talking to the librarians, they emphasized how restricting or banning students from the library was never the intention, and only happened as a last resort to combat overcrowding. With the field now open, numbers have become a lot more manageable in the library. 

How might we combat overcrowding in the future?

An interesting observation from the librarians is that the library gets the most crowded when there are tests going on, since it is technically the only place (besides the SSC) where students are allowed to use their laptops. If overcrowding becomes an issue again in the future, the school may want to consider relaxing the laptop rule to allow students to find alternate spaces to work during break and lunch. 

Looking into the future

During my discussion with Mr Pritchard, I also brought up the communication improvements that could be made in the future when sharing new guidelines with students, such as being clear about whether arrangements are temporary or long-term, and being more transparent about the reasoning behind decisions to keep everyone on the same page.

From a student perspective, I understand that there were many people who were upset by the quota and senior restrictions on the LRC, and while some people did reach out to Student Leaders or teachers to express their concerns, others directly took to sticking up ‘protest posters’ in school. 

To be honest, when I first read the email sent to seniors, I was also upset and found it unthinkable for anyone to be denied access to the library. But at the same time, I suspected that the reasons behind those arrangements were likely more complicated than they first appear. I hope that this article can be a reminder that despite the general cynicism we seem to have internalized about giving feedback to the school, it really doesn’t have to be that way. Though there will be inevitable tensions between students and admin, our interests are ultimately aligned in the big picture, and it makes much more sense to work together than against each other.

Special thanks to Heer, one of our Head Prefects, for filling me in on the situation early on and helping to set up discussions. Though it might appear intimidating to reach out at first, the Head Prefects and Student Leaders are genuinely here to help bridge the gap between students and the school. 

*The original email in full:

Dear Senior Student,

Please note the printed media section of the LRC and all associated areas are designated for Y7-11 use and should not be used by Y12/13.

Growing numbers of (mostly Y12) students have been using this area which has lead to a number of concerns and incidents;

• Safety issues regarding max. permissible numbers

• Misuse of emergency exits by Senior Students

• Tensions between Senior Students, different Year Groups and LRC staff

To ensure this area functions as designated for Y7-11 students and the LRC staff Y12/13 should not enter or be in this area unless specifically notified otherwise.

Please ask in person if you have any questions.

Regards,

M. Pritchard