I've been pondering on this for a little while. I used to run a very busy high school library where the students came in to study and do homework. As such I had a strict whisper only policy. If students wanted to talk/chat and not study, they were directed to the student cafe. It was a difficult policy to enforce but one the school wanted me to adhere to. It used to cause me and my staff a lot of stress.
Now I'm running a primary/elementary library and things are very different. At break and lunch time I pretty much give the kids free reign. As long as they aren't shouting or running around, I'm happy for them to play, read, draw, colour and paste to their hearts content. When they come with their teachers for their library lesson, it's a much quieter time when they are just looking for a book and then sitting reading.
I'm just wondering what others do in their libraries. I guess it depends on the age of your kids and the type of activities they do in the library.
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I run a K-8 library, with 14 fixed schedule classes taught by me and probably 30 class book check outs a week. Sound ranges from being able to hear a pin drop to loudly celebratory. On average a din of soft voiced conversation. After school and during classes I sometimes have to regulate volume, or it gets out of control. I dislike that part, as I would really like the management of that to be just an aspect of intrinsic social responsibility, but I can go with it's part of the learning that goes on in here. When they really lose it, I have them work in silence for some amount of time.
I know how you feel. I'm in a PreK - 5th grade library. I see each class once a week for 30 minutes. I usually have a lesson or read a story and then the kids are free to look for books, read, look up info. on the computer... I don't mind them visiting, reading together, but they often get very loud and just don't know when to stop. I hate to be a policeman .... any ideas to keep me sane?