Q: Libraries are traditionally quiet zones for reading, studying, and other activities that require concentration. Keep your voice down any time you're in a library, and whisper whenever possible. While it's not required to whisper anymore, a loud voice can easily disturb others. If you run into someone you know, take the conversation outside. Many libraries have lobbies or other designated areas where conversation is allowed. Many libraries have rooms or even floors set aside for study groups. Ask a librarian if there is a space like this where your group can talk together at a normal volume. You may be tempted to switch your phone to vibrate instead of silent, but vibrating phones can be just as distracting as ringing phones. If you need to answer a phone call, step outside the library or move into the lobby. Many libraries now have cubbies designated for talking on cellphones. A good option is to keep your phone on vibrate if you're expecting an important call. Just make sure to silence it right away when it starts buzzing. Many people enjoy listening to music while reading or studying. Using headphones will limit distraction of noisy music, but the sound tends to escape if the volume is too high. Turn down the volume so the music doesn't escape from your headphones and irritate others. Use headphones if you need to listen to audio files. Just check the volume first to make sure sound doesn't escape. Many libraries don't allow food, except in designated areas. Check the rules before bringing food into any particular library. If you do bring snacks, try not to eat while in the library. Few things are more distracting than loud munching. If you plan on being in the library for a long time and absolutely must bring snacks, choose foods that aren't crunchy or smelly. Granola bars or string cheese might be good choices. Schedule regular snack breaks where you can leave the library for a bit. This will give your brain a break and keep you from disturbing others with your snacking. Drinks are allowed in the library as long as they are in a covered container, such as a water bottle with a cap. If you do bring snacks with you, try to eat them away from books and computers, and in a non-carpeted area. This will keep crumbs from getting smashed into the carpet, books, or keyboards. Smacking on gum can be particularly distracting, so leave the gum at home. The librarian may ask you to spit out your gum if you don't throw it away yourself.
A: Speak in whispers or hushed tones. Turn your cellphone on silent. Keep the volume low if you're using headphones. Eat your meals outside the library. Toss out your gum before entering the library.

Q: Hearing the sounds of different words can help get your mind in tune to finding rhyming words. Speak the words you want to rhyme out loud and say any rhyming words or phrases that come to mind. Use this time to brainstorm freely. Don't worry about whether the rhyming words you come up with are the perfect words. Just write down whatever comes to mind. For example, if the word you want to rhyme is "egg," say it out loud and then say words that come to mind, like "peg," "leg," "Meg," and "beg." For words in the "Hard to Rhyme" row, you might be able to come up with rhyming words if you change your pronunciation. For example, if the word you want to rhyme is "grotto," you could use the word "potato" if you pronounce is "pahtahto." If you get stuck, try using different accents. Sometimes an English word spoken with a Texas drawl can sound completely different than the same word spoken with an Irish brogue. With some words, you simply won't be able to come up with a rhyme, even if one exists. To get past this stumbling block, let you imagination go wild and simply come up with sounds that rhyme with the word, even if those sounds aren't words. The sounds you come up with might lead you to a rhyming word. For example, if the word you want to rhyme is "orange," you might come up with the sounds "nornge," "fornge," and "slornge." If you look at the sound "fornge," you'll see that it is close to the word "forage." "Orange" and "forage" might not be perfect rhyming words, but sometimes an OK sounding rhyme is the best you can do. Even nonsense sounds are OK. If the word is "lounge," and all you can come up with for a rhyming word is "tounge," write it down anyway. You never know when a nonsense word or sound will fit into a poem or song. Most of the rhymes we think of are either monosyllable or polysyllable rhymes. An example of a monosyllable rhyme pair is "legislate" and "pontificate." An example of a polysyllable rhyme pair is "monocle" and "chronicle." But there are other, less convention, rhymes out there. Eye rhymes are two words with similar spelling but different pronunciation. For example, "love" and "move" are eye rhymes. Eye rhymes work especially well in written poetry since the reader can see the patter than you are creating even if the words don't rhyme in a traditional sense. Slant rhymes are two words that share a vowel or consonant sound. For example, "far" and "heart" are vowel slant rhymes, while "shape" and "keep" are consonant slant rhymes. Rich rhymes are two words that are different but are pronounced the same. For example, "maze" and "maize" are rich rhymes. There many good rhyming dictionaries online. Try Rhyzome.com, Rhymer.com, and Writeexpress.com. All of these sites allow you to enter the word you want to rhyme and then search for words that rhyme with that word. With Rhymezone.com, you can choose whether to include phrases in your list of results.. This should be a last resort since your poem or song will benefit most from your own creativity. However, sometimes even the best writers need to turn to a dictionary or thesaurus, so don't be ashamed to turn to a rhyming dictionary if you get stuck. If you like the feel of a book in your hand, there are many rhyming dictionaries in print. Try the New Oxford Rhyming Dictionary or Merriam-Webster's Rhyming Dictionary.
A:
Speak the words you want to rhyme out loud. Change your pronunciation. Use sound effects. Try out unique rhyming devices. Consult a rhyming dictionary.