This paper examines a number of the social norms exemplified in a particular public location. The writer was chosen to observe
social interaction in a common public library. Over the course of the approximate hour that the writer spent studying the library's patrons and personnel, several behavioral patterns emerged. It became apparent that certain types of behavior were
acceptable, while others appeared to produce annoyance or other forms of sanction. All of the interactions, however, were highly specific to the public library setting; put elsewhere, certain actions that produced sanctions would be perfectly acceptable, while others simply would not fit. It is important to note that the patterns observed remain reasonably unofficial codes of conduct and that adherence to them is relatively implicit. Therefore, violations of these social norms were more likely to be
overlooked, depending upon the individual's familiarity with them; age, for example, tended to be one of the most influential variables. Overall, the brief examination of the public library as a social setting revealed a number of facts that often tend to be overlooked or taken for granted.