Alerts
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Thank you for your comment. You wrote I think that DVDs that contain the complete season of a show should circulate for the same amount of time as a book, seeking as how they take longer to watch than many books do to read. Thank you for providing this feedback on the Libraries' services. I am pleased to let you know that while the initial 7 day loan period has not changed, there has been a recent change to the amount of times a DVD or other video format may be renewed; eight renewals are permitted. Thus allowing you to take your time over nine weeks to watch a series. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comment. You wrote This Library is too quiet! I am not sure when you were here, but noise levels vary through the day, through the academic year, and from one area to another. Areas near service points can be noisier while the stacks and perimeters of the upper floors may be quieter. Staff will be happy to make a location recommendation according to your needs. Regards, Ann Snowman
Many comments were received during Intersession week:
Thank you for your comments. In years past, we have closed the Library entirely after 5:00 pm during Intersession. This year we elected to maintain services on the first floor until 9:00 pm instead of closing. We learned quite a lot about user expectations and will give careful consideration to the services we provide during breaks in the future. We will pass along the comment about MacKinnon's Cafe hours to the managers at Food Services. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comments. You wroteThe librarians are wonderful. The staff at the Commons Desk are wonderful. You also wrote As a research driven professor, access to the books on the shelves and the compatriot books that you FIND in their midst is invaluable. Please let us patrons do our own hunting. First, thank you for your compliments. We take pride in the services we provide and are pleased that you appreciate our efforts. I think our employees are wonderful too. Your second comment regarding browsing and letting patrons do their own "hunting" leads me to think that you were here during Intersession when our upper floors were closed after 5:00 pm. This was an experimental service model for us. In years past, we have closed the Library entirely after 5:00 pm during Intersession. This year we elected to maintain services on the first floor instead of closing. We learned quite a lot about user expectations and will give careful consideration to the services we provide during breaks in the future. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your initiative. You wrote A patron wanted to make a photocopy (and to pay for it) at 6:23 pm on 8/16/12 during Intersession.The first floor hallway in Paterno and the Central Core Stacks were closed off making three copiers inaccessible. A copier in the News and Microforms library on ground floor west was such a long distance away that I offered to make one complimentary copy on our machine, for which the patron was very grateful. Thank you so much for taking the initiative to extend our service philosophy to the patron. A complimentary photocopy to save someone a big inconvenience is just the kind of assistance we can and should provide. Good job! Regards, Ann Snowman
Regarding your comment "You're a great library." Thanks so much-we work hard to achieve that success! Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comments regarding computing, printing, technical support and staff training in the Sidewater Commons; they will be forwarded to ITS managers for their review. Your stated concerns are: (1) Sidewater Commons staff needs to have less attitude! I was told I messed up a printer 6/26 because the printer jammed. (2) Replace faulty printers and copiers, or toner. (3) Offer more substantive data on library costs (databases & staffing); provide grad students with their own library space!
Regarding your comments that we "Offer more substantive data on library costs (databases & staffing); provide grad students with their own library space!" It is difficult to pinpoint the data you are interested in without a more specific request. Costs for databases vary widely from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars for an annual subscription depending on the scope, quality of content, versatility of the interface and potential audience. Budgets are limited so we are unable to provide everything we could hope; however if you have a specific need please get in touch and we'll refer you to the appropriate librarian for the discipline.
Personnel costs are the single highest budget item for University Libraries, the work is limitless and the Libraries are open long hours. The complexity of the universe of information, its compilation and distribution, requires a broad range of expertise, skills and talents to make it accessible to our students and faculty. Among those the Libraries employ are professional librarians, many with second Master's degrees and PH.D.s, data analysts, IT consultants, programmers, instructional designers, and specialists of all kinds to manager services and select resources to support research.
As we continue to plan and develop our services and spaces, we will consider the needs of graduate students in particular. Our Student Engagement team meets regularly with student advisory groups for input and feedback. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comments, we are happy to hear from a friend and user of the Pattee and Paterno Libraries! As you piont out, the unauthenticated visitor workstations were removed from the first floor during the construction phase of the Knowledge Commons. This was a deliberate decision and we intend to monitor need over the ensuing year. Your comments will be brought to the attention of those considering user needs on the first floor.
There are six other visitor workstations in the complex located in the Special Collections Library, Social Sciences Library, Business Library, Life Sciences Library, Education and Behavioral Sciences Library, as well as the one that you mention in Arts and Humanities Library.
Staff at the Commons Services Desk will also issue a Short Term Access and Research account to enable you to authenticate to the network if you are unable to access one of the visitor stations. Please do not hessitate to contact me if you have further comments. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comment. You wrote: I like 24 hour services; holds pick up; Interlibrary Loan, and Illiad. Overall very good and impressive. Keep up the good service! Thank you very much for using our comments box and for the positive feedback. I am glad that you like our services; we'll do our best to keep improving them. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comment, you are the inaugural user of the brand new comments box in the Weltmann Lobby! You wrote: I miss the "Visitor Station" computers with slips of paper for people who actually come to the library to look up call numbers of books they need. It's good to know that those workstations are useful. We still have 8 quick-access stations along the wall in the renovated Franklin Atrium. Replacing the paper slips and golf pencils was overlooked in the transition back into the new space. They are now back in place. Again, thanks for your comment. Regards, Ann Snowman
Thank you for your comment. You wrote: The name "Commons Desk" has nothing to do with circulation. It just confuses people. The Commons Services Desk is an integral element of the suite of services offered across the first floor. The title "Commons Services" acknowledges the critical placement of that service point centrally in the Knowledge Commons. Located prominently at the mid-section of the complex, in direct line of sight of the Mall Entrance, the anticipation is that a high level of service will be offered by skilled personnel that includes (among others) circulation, account management services, referral, direction, and policy inquiries. Rather than limit expectations the name serves to raise users’ expectations of the services provided. Sincerely, Ann Snowman
