Quick letter re the state of our State Library

Dear Editor,

Regarding Leslie Cannold's article (Comment, 23/2) and Anne-Marie Schwirtlich's reply (27/2).

The State Library has failed to provide the colony with its "peoples' university". If people who need silence to work cannot access it then the library is not the truly egalitarian institution envisaged by Sir Redmond Barry.

Perhaps the CEO of the State Library has not frequented an Australian university library of late. Though they have noisy areas, Australia's university libraries are home to some of the last bastions of totally silent study. Often and unfortunately these sacred spaces are reserved exclusively for those who have the privilege of being enrolled in a course. If the CEO were truly interested in providing a "peoples' university" for our growing colony, she would provide spaces for people to work in silence regardless of social status, financial resources, age, gender or university enrolment status.

Kind regards,