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Re: cell phone use in Archives Research Rooms



    At the Birmingham Public Library we banned cell phone use in the Archives. Our Reading Room guidelines state, "Turn off or mute cellular telephones and pagers. Do not use cellular telephones in the Reading Room." And because we had people walking in the door talking on the things we  put a sign on the Reading Room door that says "No Cellular Phones Please."  On those few occasions when a researcher "forgets" and starts using the phone anyway a staff member simply walks up and politely interrupts them and asks them to step outside.
    This policy has been in place for almost a year and no one has complained. I think that, on some level, many people know that they are being disruptive and rude by using cell phones in inappropriate places. I think they just choose to do it anyway.
 
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