The Ventorn Reading Room introduced a small brass desk bell at the reference counter this morning. The bell is intended for visitors who need help while the librarian is shelving books in the adjoining room. A neat card explains that one ring is sufficient.
During the first hour, the bell rang nineteen times. Only five rings involved actual questions. Four were children comparing volume. Three came from an adult who said he was checking whether the first ring had registered. The remaining seven have not been satisfactorily explained.
The bell has been moved behind the counter and will now be produced when needed. The librarian says this is not a defeat, merely “an adjustment to observed human behaviour.” The children have asked whether the Reading Room has any quieter buttons.
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