What usually goes wrong
- Whispers carry across the room.
- The circulation desk is noisy.
- Group study rooms leak.
The main noise sources are quiet conversation and footsteps. Sound bounces off hard walls, floors and ceilings, so it lingers and builds up. Absorbing panels soak up those reflections.
Where the panels go
- Clouds over reading tables.
- Baffles over the circulation desk.
- Panels at the ends of stack aisles.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating only the walls of a high-ceilinged room.
- Forgetting the study rooms.
Fire rating and codes
Assembly or educational occupancy depending on use; Class A finishes.
Blocking sound between rooms
Panels make a room sound better, but they don’t stop sound passing through a wall. For that you need a wall assembly rated around STC 50, for group study rooms off the main floor. Read about STC ratings and soundproofing.
Recommended
Panels that suit libraries
Learning center
14 guides for libraries
Acoustic panels for libraries: the complete guideWhat makes libraries noisy, which panels fix it, and how to plan treatment from start to finish.How many acoustic panels does a library need?A worked Sabine calculation for a typical library, with panel counts for small, typical and large rooms.Where to put acoustic panels in a libraryWhere panels do the most good in libraries, in priority order.Wall acoustics for librariesHow walls behave acoustically in libraries and how to treat them with panels.Ceiling acoustics for librariesClouds, baffles and ceiling tiles for libraries, and how much of the ceiling to cover.Choosing panel thickness for a library1, 2 or 4 inches: which thickness suits libraries and why.Reverberation time targets for librariesThe reverberation time to aim for in libraries, and why it matters.What acoustic treatment costs for a libraryBudget estimates for treating a typical library, and where the money goes.Fabrics, colors and shapes for librariesFabric types, colors and shapes that work in libraries.Fire ratings and code requirements for panels in librariesFire ratings, occupancy rules and mounting requirements for panels in libraries.Installing acoustic panels in a libraryTools, hardware and step-by-step installation for panels in libraries.Common acoustic mistakes in librariesThe errors we see most often in libraries, and how to avoid them.Soundproofing and STC ratings for librariesWhen libraries need soundproofing, which STC rating to aim for, and how to get there.Library acoustics checklist and FAQA one-page checklist and answers to common questions about library acoustics.