diff --git a/sick/__init__.py b/sick/__init__.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/sick/__init__.py
+++ b/sick/__init__.py
@@ -15,5 +15,9 @@ from specutils import Spectrum
 
 import specutils
 
-logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+# Here we set the default logging level to WARN because -- unless explicitly told otherwise -- we
+# don't want the logger to display everything when the API is being used. When the command-line
+# interface is used we will over-ride this configuration and set the level to INFO or DEBUG,
+# depending on specified verbosity
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
 logger = logging.getLogger("sick")
Logging level set to WARN by default so INFO messages are suppressed when the API is used