->''"Libraries are supposed to be '''quiet'''."''
-->-- '''Twilight Sparkle''', ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''

'''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle A common stereotype in media is libraries being quiet! Yes, some–]]'''

''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Shhhhhhh!]]''

[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Sorry]]... A common stereotype in media is libraries being quiet. Yes, some libraries do allow sounds, because in real life, you can expect whispered conversations to take place. But many others are always quiet, especially when it comes to films and TV. The stereotype of quiet libraries goes back to an era when libraries were indeed silent, tomb-like places.

Normally, the character will be expected to obey the quiet rule, but depending on their behavior, from [[Main/BornLucky well-focused and smart]], to [[Main/TheKlutz clumsy and goofy]], to [[Main/TheDitz idiotic and stupid]], and even the careful ones [[Main/SoMuchForStealth will still wind up making a sound, either by accident]] [[PlayedForLaughs or on purpose]].

Not all libraries are noisy though. Nowadays, public libraries aren't strictly quiet zones. While some areas remain hushed, others buzz with activity. In real life, people are quiet in the library because people have to concentrate on their books, but according to the stereotype, you have to be quiet at all costs, [[BeyondTheImpossible even when you close a book]].

This can be a BerserkButton for some librarians. Usually used in a LibraryEpisode. May cross over with ScaryLibrarian, LoonyLibrarian , EvilLibrarians. and even HotLibrarian. Associated sometimes with CringeComedy and HypocriticalHumor when someone yells at somebody else for being too loud. Compare this to DisruptingTheTheater and SpookySilentLibrary.

Not to be confused with the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary the same name.]]

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* An [[https://youtu.be/ueqbTJhmXH4 Oreo commercial]] aired during Super Bowl XLVII involves a brawl breaking out in a library over an argument over which part of an Oreo cookie is better, during which everyone involved speaks in a whisper.
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[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'': Shizuka is first encountered doing duties as a library staff member and communicating by having Rentarou read excerpts from her book. He at first assumes that she's using the book to communicate because they're in the library, but the reality is that Shizuka struggles to communicate verbally like a normal person.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Audio Plays]]
* Episode 4 of ''Podcast/ThisDuckburgLife'' features a "Ghost" library that will immediately banish anyone who speaks louder than a whisper while inside it. Webby exploits this fact twice, first by tricking the whispering voices inside to speak louder when they're tormenting her and then speaking loudly herself to get out before the entire building vanishes.
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[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicBook/BillyAndBuddy'': In one gag, Dad confiscates Boule's whistle to buy him an ultrasound one instead. During an errand at the library (which is laden with "SHHH" and "SILENCE!" signs), he decides to try out the new ultrasound whistle... and mistakenly blows the regular whistle right in the middle of the people reading, which gets him kicked out.
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': In one strip, Calvin imagines himself as a mighty, roaring dinosaur. Cue the cut back to reality as [[GettingTheBoot he's kicked out of a library.]]
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[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Pokempanions}}'': In ''I, Snubbot'', Minun [[AgonyOfTheFeet drops a heavy library book on his foot and yells.]] The other patrons shush him and he laughs nervously in response.
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[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie'': During Goofy's big speech to [[HotLibrarian Syliva]] at the library on how to fix all the mistakes he made prior to this scene, only on the last few words do the other library visitors shush him, prompting him to say the last sentence in a hushed tone.
* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'': One of the challenges during the Scare Games is to make your way through the school library and capture a flag without being caught by [[ScaryLibrarian the librarian, a 50-foot tentacle monster who reacts to noises by chasing down the perpetrator and hurling them out of the room]]. While this is meant to encourage stealth, Oozma Kappa hit upon the OutsideTheBoxTactic of intentionally causing as much noise as possible to keep the librarian distracted while Squishy sneaks past and gets the flag. The only rule is ''[[ExactWords not to get caught]]'', [[LoopholeAbuse so what they’re doing isn't cheating.]]
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[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': The ghost of a librarian says, "Shh!" at one point.
* ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'': A deleted extension of the scene where Riker and Troi are researching the Son'a in the Enterprise archive is played this way, complete with a ScaryLibrarian telling them to keep the noise down.
* ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'': When Chad finds out his best friend Troy auditioned for the school musical, he corners him in the library and chews him out for betraying his roots as a jock. The librarian, Miss [[PunnyName Falstaff]], admonishes him for being too loud three times, and each time, he [[BlatantLies claims Troy was the one talking]].
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Are You Quite Polite?'': The poem “Quiet in the Library” is all about this trope; a librarian gets increasingly frustrated by all the loud sounds in the library and yells at everyone to be quiet, [[HypocriticalHumor only to realize that he’s making more noise than anyone else.]]
* ''Ban this Book'': After [[spoiler:after Amy Anne's locker gets exposed and Mrs. Jones is fired]], the library gets a new librarian who always wants the library to be quiet at ''all'' costs, just so she can read her magazines, unlike Mrs. Jones.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** It is implied that quiet is a rule in the Hogwarts library, as ruled by the scary Madam Pince: many whispered conversations take place in the library.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone the first book]], when Harry enters Ollivander's wand shop, he compares the silent atmosphere to being in a very strict library.
* In ''Literature/HomeroomsAndHallPasses'', a character has a [[LargeHam hammy]] outburst in a public library and is loudly shushed--not by a ScaryLibrarian, but by his fellow patrons.
* A book of ''Literature/MrMen'' stories shows that Mr. Noisy is no good as a librarian, because he clumps around and drops books.
* ''Literature/PrincessesOfThePizzaParlor'': A ghost librarian appears in ''Grandmothers and Other Fearsome Encounters'', and people have to be quiet; otherwise, they face her supernatural wrath via magical writing.
* ''Literature/TheWorstWitch'': When Mildred accidentally turns Ethel into a pig, Miss Hardbroom sends Mildred to the library to look up how to remove the spell. Ethel comes with her, and grunts loudly on purpose, disturbing the silence of the library. When Mildred finally does it after half an hour, she quotes the following rule at Ethel:
-->"Remember, silence in the library at all times."
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/AllThat'': [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]] in the sketches featuring Ms. Hushbaum, a local librarian. She demands that everyone remain ''totally'' silent in the library--in addition to not being allowed to talk, students are forbidden from sneezing, responding to Ms. Hushbaum's questions, or even choking (when a girl starts suffocating on her sandwich, Ms. Hushbaum immediately kicks her out instead of helping). But the joke is that Ms. Hushbaum herself [[HypocriticalHumor constantly does extremely noisy things]], ranging from sharpening pencils to frying bacon to practicing with a barbershop quartet to herding sheep. Fittingly, the sketches are titled "The Loud Librarian."
* ''Series/AlmostLive'': Being too loud in the library is the reason why Billy Quan attacks The Impolite Man in the sketch "Library of Death".
* ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'': The song "The Library" has lyrics reminding the listener(s) to not be loud so that everyone can read.
* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'': One episode features a library where patrons aren't allowed to so much as whisper.
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[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'': One lyric in a song about libraries is "But please don't be loud, so that anyone can read".
* PlayedForLaughs in "Welcome to Woodland Valley (Part 2)" from ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''. When Harry the duck asks "What's so great about the library?" the kids of the Big Blue House repeat the question incredulously and then launch into a rocking, rollicking song number called "Everything Is Great About the Library." During various points in the song, they sing about how you "have to keep your voices low," even as they sing at the highest volume possible about how great the library is and Treelo is literally swinging through the shelves.
-->'''Kids:''' ''They've got stories everyone enjoys! They're so exciting you may want to clap your hands!''\\
'''Harry:''' Just be sure you don't make any noise.\\
'''Tutter:''' ''[[[DeadpanSnarker deadpan]]]'' Yeah, that's good, Harry.
* ''Series/SesameStreet'': In one sketch, Grover explains the library to the viewers, but the librarian forces him to speak in progressively quieter tones, until Grover can barely be heard.
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[[folder:Radio]]
* ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'': "The 'No' Factor" has Connie Kendall, a newly converted Christian, trying to honor her new faith by volunteering for every cause that comes up (The lesson of the episode being that you can only do so much, and time management is important), but when she's asked by the librarian to assist, she enthusiastically (and loudly) offers her services, only to be shushed repeatedly by the library's patrons, to which she quickly apologizes each time, then speaks in a whisper until she forgets and the process starts all over.
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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''[[Webcomic/GirlGenius Girl Genius: The Works]]'': Hilde, the queen librarian, is depicted as a slightly older woman dressed in a tight blouse and a buckled skirt with her fair hair pulled up into a tied ponytail and wearing oval glasses. Looking out at the viewer, she is shown with a stern face entreating all to '''Shhh.'''
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': The card [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/107/wrong-turn Wrong Turn]], depicts an imposing beast that's made its way into a library.
-->'''Flavor Text:''' Its bewildered bellow was met with a stern "shh".
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[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'': Harold Hill can't get close to Marian the librarian because no talking at all is allowed in the library. Harold threatens to spill a bag of marbles and create chaos if she doesn't at least hear him out. Of course, he gets everyone in the library up dancing and loudly shushing each other.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VisualNovel/BeingADIK'': Isabella enforces this in B&R's library, most notably whenever she finds the tri-Betas playing Dungeons and Gremlins.
* ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge'': Guybrush talks to himself a lot due to InformingTheFourthWall being in full effect. When he is inside the Phatt City Library, the librarian will complain every single time she hears Guybrush comment on anything.
* ''VideoGame/MrHoppsPlayhouse2'': At one point, Miss Beverley [[HypocriticalHumor yells at the kids for supposedly being too loud in the library.]] They even point out the irony of her statement.
* ''VideoGame/RiddleSchool'': In the third game, the school library's background music is much quieter than anywhere else in the game, and the librarian shushes Phil the first time he enters. There is also a large "SHUT UP" sign hanging from the librarian's desk, which Phil finds amusing.
* ''VideoGame/TonyHawksUnderground2'': In the Boston level, going through the library mutes the music and a woman can be heard going "Shh!".
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[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': In "Random Acts of Silence", Flippy is being a librarian, and he repeatedly shushes Mime for being too noisy (like when he drags a chair across the floor and sharpens a pencil). He soon [[SplitPersonality transforms into his evil side]] when Nutty accidentally sets off the fire alarm.
* ''WebAnimation/HelloKittyAndFriendsSupercuteAdventures'': "The Knight Librarian", both the episode title and the alter-ego that Kuromi takes on when disciplining those who do not observe the rules of the library, like Badtz-Maru keeping books overdue, and Keropi reshelving things in the wrong place. She announces her presence in Badtz-Maru's home with an ominous "Shhhh." She also uses it later in the library itself to remind them to behave themselves. "Shhh." The pair clam up and shiver in fear when they hear it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': A few episodes take place in the library run by Turtle Princess, where she tends to shush people (usually Finn and Jake) who make too much noise.
* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': The episode "Quiet Please" has a strict librarian in the library, whose hearing is so good she kicks out anyone who makes even the quietest sound.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': In the episode "One Of A Kind" Skulker follows Danny to the library, as the latter is studying for a serious biology test. Skulker captures a student and loudly brags about his status as a greatest hunter, only for said student to repeatedly scream in terror, with Skulker telling the student to be quiet as it's a library.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'':
** When Viren's attempt to research Aaravos fails due to the every word about him being obscured the [[InternalRetcon moment he tried to read them]], his audible frustration earns him a stern "shush" from the librarian.
** Later Callum earns himself a shushing for making noise while also trying to read up on Aaravos and failing.
* HypocriticalHumor example in "Franklin Migrates" from ''Literature/{{Franklin}}''. Franklin is invited by his friend Goose to attend a party for a goose holiday called Migration Eve, but doesn't really know anything about it. He and Bear visit the library, hoping to research it. They get a little too loud and excited while doing so, so Goose's mother, Mrs. Goose, who happens to be the librarian, comes over to remind them to use their library voices. She then mentions that Goose had told her about having invited Franklin to the Migration Eve party and tells him, in her loud, musical voice "Bring your dancing shoes!"
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode [[Recap/FuturamaS4E5ATasteOfFreedom "A Taste Of Freedom"]], in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC during a [[AlienInvasion Decapodian invasion,]] Fry, Leela and Bender all run inside the Library of Congress loudly panicking; after someone inside shushes them, they switch to ''quietly'' panicking.
* ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'' has Coach McGurik go to a library, after hitting his head several times while swimming laps, where due to the concussion he now has, can't control his emotions and acts, as Brandon puts it, "really weird and aggressive". When someone tries shushing him, he jumps on a table and screams at them to shush, before passing out.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kiff}}'': In “Club Book'', Kiff’s loud reactions during her book club at the library catch her repeated shushes from librarian Miss Moufflée. Kiff takes it personally and calls for the librarian to be fired at Town Hall. Kiff is appointed the new librarian and allows people to be as loud as they want, which backfires as the library turns into a loud nightclub, making it near-impossible for anyone to actually read. Kiff [[HeelRealization realizes she was wrong to change the library’s rules]] and gets Miss Moufflée’s help to restore order. In return, Moufflée gives Kiff’s book club her personal soundproofed quiet room to hold their meetings, since in there they won’t disrupt the library.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunesCartoons'': In "Overdue Duck" WesternAnimation/PorkyPig has the difficult task of keeping [[WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck Daffy]] quiet in a library, lest he upset a very big and easily angered man who's trying to read poetry there.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMrMenShow'':
** In "Library", Mr. Noisy orders Mr. Nervous (who wasn't even being that loud) [[HypocriticalHumor to be quiet in the library even though he's been extremely loud himself.]] Mr. Quiet is quite dumbfounded by this irony.
** In "Books", Mr. Persnickety tries to ask Mr. Noisy something, only for Mr. Noisy to [[HypocriticalHumor yell in his face with a microphone that he should speak more quietly.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E1MareInTheMoon Mare in the Moon – Part 1]]", when Twilight Sparkle moves to Ponyville, Pinkie Pie throws her a loud surprise/welcome party in her library with seemingly the entirety of Ponyville as guests. Twilight, being rather antisocial at the beginning of the series, mutters in an annoyed tone that libraries are supposed to be quiet:
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' Surprise! Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you? Were you? Huh, huh, huh?
-->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' Very surprised! Libraries are supposed to be ''quiet''.
* ''WesternAnimation/NinaNeedsToGo'': In the episode appropriately titled "Library", Nina visits a library, [[PottyEmergency only to get the urge to pee.]] She asks several people if they know where the bathroom is and they simply shush her in response.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'':
** In the episode "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E7LostInLanguage Lost in Language]]", Luz tries to grab one of the FlyingBooks that she sees at one point. After she exclaims "Wow!", several patrons of the library shush her.
** In the episode "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS2E5ThroughTheLookingGlassRuins Through the Looking Glass Ruins]]'', Luz and Amity have to be even quieter than usual when they sneak into the forbidden section of the Library to get a book Luz desperately needs, as Amity could lose her job if Malphas the head librarian catches them. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the book has had all of it's pages eaten by an echo mouse when they find it, causing Luz to angrily yell "You little rat!", immediately alerting Malphas to their location.]]
* WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo: During a chase sequence with a giant robot at the gang's school, when they reach the library [[MidBattleTeaBreak Velma stops everyone]] [[SuddenSoundtrackStop (halting the chase music)]] and tells everyone they have to be quiet in the library. So the gang and robot tip-toe through the rest of the library and only after reaching the hallway do they continue running at full speed with the chase music continuing.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'': In the episode "Quiet Riot", Todd has to deal with Mrs. Shusher, who shushes him when he makes even the smallest noise.
* ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the episode “Mystic Lybrary”, the Turtles go to a magical library where you have to stay quiet or you'll be dragged away by Hush-bats. The Foot Lieutenant and Brute try to get the Turtles to make noise so that they'll get dragged away and fail to get the book they need.
* ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'': In the story arc "The Ruby Yacht" when the duo ask the librarian for books on boats. The librarian rudely responds CantYouReadTheSign that says "silence" and then throws a book at the cat stomping around.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer is kicked out of the Kwik-E-Mart for reading magazines without buying them, Apu shouting "This is not a lending library!" We next see Homer being kicked out of the library, holding nachos and a squishee, the librarian shouting, "This is not a Kwik-E-Mart!"
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E15TheGreatSnailRaceMidLifeCrustacean Mid-Life Crustacean]]", [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick take Mr. Krabs on a series of IncrediblyLameFun activities in a misguided attempt to help him feel young again, and during each one, [=SpongeBob=] asks him, "Can you feel it, Mr. Krabs?" One of the activities is reading in the library, and when [=SpongeBob=] asks it there, he's immediately shushed by the librarian.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'': In the episode "[[Recap/TeenTitansS5E13ThingsChange Things Change]]", Beast Boy goes to a school library to talk with the girl he thinks is Terra, but the old librarian and the students keeps telling him to stop making noise.
* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': In the opening wraparound of "[[Recap/TinyToonAdventuresS1E54WeirdestStoryEverTold Weirdest Story Ever Told]]", Buster and Babs tell the viewers about the ACME Looniversity library, and are about to tell them that in a library, you have to be quiet. WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn, who is working as the librarian, reprimands the two rabbits for being noisy [[HypocriticalHumor by yelling at the top of his lungs]].
* ''WesternAnimation/XavierRiddleAndTheSecretMuseum'': A RunningGag in "I Am Helen Keller" is one of the main characters yelling in the library, only to be shushed by the library patrons.
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