Libraries, once guaranteed havens of peace and quiet in which to read and study, are sweeping aside the golden rule of silence in favour of playing music to attract more customers. Visitors to a county's libraries must now endure pop music being played as managers seek to boost the appeal of their services to younger users.
The libraries in Gloucestershire are equipped with sound systems to provide background music because "libraries are not just about books anymore", organisers of the scheme claim. However, the move has been condemned as "totally inappropriate" by critics, who believe that libraries are the last bastion of hush in an increasingly noisy world.
Doraine Potts, a former Oxford University languages lecturer, is campaigning for the the scheme to be abolished.
The 76-year-old, of Woodmancote, Cheltenham, said she visited her local library in nearby Bishops Cleeve, to discover that music by the Sugababes was blaring out over its PA system.
She said "I was trying to choose a book in my local library but I just couldn't concentrate. That's how loud it was - the beat was just thumping away.It was totally inappropriate for a library."
Gloucestershire Libraries Service confirmed that it is offering music in four of its 39 branches, including Bishops Cleeve, Longlevens, Dursley and Cirencester. However, a spokeswoman described the service as "quiet background music".
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