If a student asks us:

Are we allowed to eat and drink in the libraries?

A polite way to reply would be to say:

Sorry, no.

A more helpful way to answer would be to say:

No, but there is a café area near the stairs at the library entrance.

When telling students about rules not to do something, it is always useful to give an alternative that is acceptable, rather than just saying what is not allowed. We can also add:

There is a cafeteria outside on the ground level.

After we have offered two different alternatives for eating very close to the library, at the café near the entrance and just outside the building, it seems more reasonable not to want students to also eat meals inside the library. Sometimes students will not ask, but just bring snacks and beverages into the library. This can be a problem, especially when groups of students enjoy eating together, so they bring in many meals at the same time. In these cases, we are sometimes required to remind them of library rules. A polite way of doing this would be to tell a student who is busy eating a meal or snack in the library:

We have to keep the library clean, so there is no eating indoors. Would you please finish your meal outside?

If the student is drinking a beverage, we can offer the follow suggestion:

There is no eating or drinking allowed in the library, but we do have many water fountains if you are thirsty.

It is important to explain why the rule exists, to persuade students not to bring more food and beverages the next time they study at the library. Also, it is important to say that we do not want students to be hungry or thirsty, but it does not take much effort to follow the library rules while also having a comfortable experience studying for long hours in the library. Often students spend so much time at the TU Libraries that they treat them like second homes, where they are as relaxed as they are in their family houses or condos. By reminding them that the libraries are not in fact the same as their homes, we hope to suggest that respect for fellow library users and our staff is appreciated.

A foreign visitor may have this question at the information desk:

Who can use Thammasat University library collections?

There are many answers to this question, but the quickest way of answering would be to say:

Any member of the Thammasat community.

The Thammasat community includes students, ajarns, staff, alumni, and others who are associated with Thammasat. If a student or ajarn asks:

Where is the audiovisual room?

The fastest way to answer this question, if it is asked on the Underground 1 level, is to point downwards and say:

Downstairs on the Underground 2 level.

If the question was asked on the Underground 3 level, we can point upwards and say:

Upstairs on the Underground 2 level.

It is probably not necessary to tell the foreign visitor asking for directions that the audiovisual center in the Pridi Banomyong Library is named in honor of Rewat Buddhinan, as this may be too much information. Once the visitor is on the Underground 2 level, seeing screens and other equipment should make it clear that the Rewat Buddhinan Music Room is where audiovisual materials are shelved. Once there, the student or ajarn may have questions about who Rewat Buddhinan was, since he is mainly famous in Thailand. It is useful to remember not to give too much information, because visitors can become confused if we try to tell them too much at one time. Also, foreigners often find Thai names difficult to understand, especially if they have never heard of them before. To make things easier for ourselves, we should keep our answers as short as possible. The visitors will also appreciate that we are providing information in as few words as possible, without unnecessary information.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)