Feedback to the Library, February 2008
NOTE: Comments are edited to remove names of specific employees or users. Comments with names go to "Askref" for response or are forwarded to the appropriate person for a reply.
The location is only identified as "Library", "Campus" or "Off-Campus" to protect the anonymity of users. Comments received on paper forms may be entered several days after they were submitted.
Date/time Location
Sun Feb 3 13:30:54 2008 Library
I was trying to get a PDF from the journal "Behavior Therapy" from 1970. The online catalogue indicates that it should be available via ScienceDirect Psychology Backfile. However, when I click on that link, only articles from 1995 onward are available in PDF.
Library response: It appears that we only get the full-text of articles from this title back to 1995. The catalog record has been corrected to reflect this date. We apologize for the confusion, but thank you for notifying us about the discrepancy in the catalog record. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Sun Feb 3 15:10:36 2008 Library
Last year I sent an email of complaint regarding the eating and drinking that occurs at the UA library, especially while using the commputers. I got an answer that I was not happy with but I could understand - that library staff is not paid to monitor this type of behavior.
Still, as I sit as the Government Information computer on a Sunday afternoon (working on a school assignment) I am struck by this particular computer user who appears to be having a picnic lunch as she uses a nearby computers, "surfing" the Internet. I am appalled and saddened by this behavior. I would think that in the interest of protecting the electronic equipment someone, such as campus security, would control this type of behavior. I guess something won't get done until they change their beverage of choice from soda to beer. Maybe I should bring a pizza the next time I need to use these computers.
Library response:
I am afraid that I will give you another answer that you
will not be happy about. As you know, we do not restrict eating and
drinking in the library and one of the main reasons is that we don't
have the staff to enforce this and particularly on a weekend day.
Saturdays and Sundays we have the minimum number of staff working to
staff the service desks and keep the library open. But even during the
weekdays, we don't have enough staff to police the buildings looking for
food violators. Ditto with the campus police, who are the campus
security you refer to. I imagine they would laugh at us, if we asked
them to monitor food use in the library. We would love to have the
campus police be present in the Library much more regularly in the
evenings, but for real security reasons, not for food patrol. But
the campus police also do not have the staff to come to the library
except when we call them for emergencies.
This is not an ideal situation, it is just a realistic one. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Mon Feb 4 22:51:00 2008 Campus
I can't understand why I am studying with homeless guy who is sleeping next me at the main library. I asked libraians to stop his bothering STUDENTS. they didn't do anything. I spent 8,000 DOLLARS for tuition every semester to study NOT to play with homeless guys.
Library response:
If someone is bothering you while you are in the library, if they are actually doing some behavior that is bothering you, you can come to the Information Commons desk and report the problem. If someone is just bothering you because they are in the library and you don't want them to be there, that is another issue. We will wake people up, and after 1 am we will have non-UA people leave the library. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Tue Feb 5 15:20:48 2008 Off-campus
Might you consider adding this volume to the philosophy holdings? The book is:
Pico della Mirandola New Essays. Edited by M. V. Dougherty. Cambridge University Press 2008.
http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521847362
Library response:
Your request was sent to the appropriate subject librarian for consideration.
Wed Feb 6 08:39:30 2008 Off-campus
I have already returned the following book:
AUTHOR: Nye, Russel Blaine,
This almost chosen people essays i
CALL NO: E175.9 .N9
BARCODE: 3 9001 00118 3378
Main Library DUE: 12-17-07
DATE CHECKED OUT: 08-30-07 08:12PM
would it be possible to check again because I returned this in early January. Thank you
Library response:
Thank you for your message. While installing and working with a new test server a system problem occurred which triggered our automated notice system. As a result, the test server sent out duplicate copies of notices which had been sent out previously. Please disregard this notice or any notice you have received since 6:00am today from this email address: circadm@sabiodev.library.arizona.edu
You can review your account through the My Account link found in the top right hand corner of the Library web page. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. Mina Parish, Materials Access Team
Thu Feb 7 16:50:09 2008 Campus
I'm in the graduate study carrels on the 3rd floor and unfortunately, there is a crying baby directly outside the area where I normally study. My assumption was that the study carrels were a "quiet place for research or studying" as stated in the loan agreement. I understand the 3rd floor is not a "quiet" floor but I think it might be a good idea to make the northwest side of the building where the graduate study carrels are located a place designated as a "quiet" area. Thank you!
Library response:
One of the study carrels on the 3rd floor, in the west part of that floor, is a room reserved for mothers and infants for nursing in a private comfortable space. I don't know if your carrel is close to this room or not, but that could be why you heard a crying baby. If that is the case, I'm sure the mothers using that room are very aware of the crying and doing everything they can to get their babies quiet quickly. This is the first complaint we have had about this, so I don’t think it is a persistent problem. Graduate study carrels are throughout the building, so we can't make all the places where they are located quiet areas. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Thu Feb 7 21:36:32 2008 Library
All your printers have signs on them asking us to print double sided so that you can save paper. However, they do not tell us how to do this, nor is there an obvious way to do it, either from the print screen, or from the printer computer. I even tried playing with the options on the printer itself, and it said the option was locked. Not even your student workers seem to have been informed how to do this! If you're going to ask us to print double sided, please make it less of a mystery how to do so.
Library response:
This is an excellent point. We are going to add information at the printers telling people to come to the Information Commons Reference desk to learn how to print double sided and we will make sure that everyone at the desk knows how to do this. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Mon Feb 11 13:52:40 2008 Library
RE: Web of Science
Problem: change of format for searching. I work with biotechnology and insects and viruses and I have many more than one search to do at a time. I search about 5 at a time ... 50 topics, once a month. Is there any way that I can continue to search 5 topics (using "or" between each topic) as I did before?
Can you go back to the old format?
Library response:
The new Web of Science interface should allow you to search multiple topics and the same time. If you register for a free account with Web of Science, you can also save your combined search and have it run automatically weekly or monthly, with any new hits sent to you by email. It can also be set up as an RSS feed. If you need help in using Web of Science, please feel free to contact me at martinj@u.library.arizona.edu. Jim Martin, Science-Engineering Team
Tue Feb 12 11:00:50 2008 Campus
I haven't been able to access articles from Science for the last 2 days. It says our subscription is 'on hold'
Library response:
This problem must have been caused by some computer glitch at the publisher's end, because when we tried to access articles from Science the next day, we had no problems. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Wed Feb 13 10:30:41 2008 Library
I have a comment on the people that work at the information commons help desk. They have a problem keeping their voice down. I am trying to study on my computer and I hear their voice bellowing out into the computer room. Its unbelievable. When did the day come when the students needed to tell the librarian how to behave? They were talking the whole time.
Please do something about this. I pay tuition in order to get good grades, and how can I do that if your staff won't shut up.
Library response:
I will share your message with all the staff who work on the IC reference desk. The whole Info Commons, and particularly that desk area, are not quiet areas and we often talk to people who come to the desk for help. But I know we also sometimes just talk with each other, when the desk isn't busy and your email is good reminder to us to talk more quietly. However, I think the term "bellowing" is a bit of an exaggeration. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Wed Feb 13 13:36:07 2008 Off-campus
I write to applaud the splendid service rendered to me yesterday (2/12/08) by Patrick on the Materials Access Team. I needed to see a film in a wacky format (U-matic videocassette) and Patrick retrieved a key and escorted me to a room where I could watch it. When the appropriate machine turned out to be missing, he tracked it down, retrieved it, set it up, and made sure it was working. I think he went out of his way to help and I write to say how much I appreciated his extra effort. Thank you, Patrick!
Library response:
Thank you for taking the time to send positive feedback on our employees!
Thu Feb 14 13:18:39 2008 Off-campus
A Book Suggestion for your collection
Title: Pakistan's Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Making: A Study of Pakistan's Post 9/11 Afghan Policy
Author: Ijaz Khan
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA
ISBN: 1-60021-833-4
Library response:
Your request was sent to the appropriate subject librarian for consideration.
Sat Feb 16 17:15:27 2008 Library
why are these computers so slow? Why can't I listen to the news streams that I used to be able to listen to? I tried to listen to a few alternative news programs and it was access denies and I need special permission from my systems administrator to run this audio stream. What's up with the censorship? The frat boys next to me don't seem to have any problem accessing porn, so why can't I get news that doesn't come from Faux or Fear Channel?
Library response:
We didn’t get enough information in this message to be able to investigate the problem. We are not trying to censor internet sites. However, without knowing what sites this person was trying to access, we can’t see what the problem is that he was having. If people are having trouble accessing sites, the best thing to do would be to come up to the Information Commons Reference Desk and ask us for help. That way we can see what the problem is and report it, if we can’t fix it. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Sun Feb 17 23:46:22 2008 Library
Regarding Ebray, the copyright date does not change in your catalog even though there is a new one some two years later (04 to 06)
This is significant as your cheat of giving them a subject catagory of 'local' instead of linking the other subject a later catalogued 'version' to the already owned (but checked out!) copy becomes particularly obnoxious when all I really wanted to know is why it says "might" as to whether the link can be viewed elsewhere.
The newest titles -only 3 for 08 apparently- all require last name and catcard begging the question further.
You need to publicise this trial more. Even 32,000 titles is notable. It's not a 'test' when suject searches reveal 'holdings' without disclaimers.
(how does one determine the year a subject was introduced? Can you do a search for all items originally catalogued prior to the date that the new subjects began so as to retroactively apply the new subjects to the physical facsimile's or forward this request to ebray? Shouldn't identitical items be regarded as just in a different location when online? Shouldn't you at least create a different "local" for online holdings?)
I suppose in well under 3 months I will look for a response but in deliberately not giving you the subjects etc. I hope you can still address the real issue which isn't just 'printing' books even if you don't have them on the shelf. I think in building copies of books now available online should be considered for noncirculating status perhaps or circulating only to people without online access..
(I did just confirm that ebray doesn't appear here
http://www.library.arizona.edu/news/index.php#trials
)
Library response:This comment and the next one are both long, covering several topics and somewhat hard to follow. I have tired to answer at least some of the questions in each comment. Ebrary is not a trial, it is a e-book vendor that we have been using for several years and it doesn't require catcard access. We have several different e-book vendors and the one that does require catcard access is EBL. We are getting more and more of our books as electronic books rather than print books. I'm not sure I understand your concerns about circulating vs non circulating books, in terms of e-books. If you could give more concrete examples, it would help clarify your concerns in the future. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Mon Feb 18 00:06:45 2008 Library
WB 890 I59R 2003
Is a slightly different example:
WHen you click on this call number you do not see that even from other then ahsl the second edition can be 'read.'
Further the catalog for this old edition has a broken link, I assume because the older edition is no longer hosted online. All such broken links should suggest that a new edition is available online if not merely out of print online.
The shelf copy should be tagged but not discarded as not the best/most recent location to view the contents.
Again what can be done NOW is to put some disclaimers up as old heuristics are no longer safe.
The "browse other copies on shelf" (click on call #) needs a disclaimer "may not include online copies" as do the online copy subjects and of course this title is likewise one of only a few in the "... meshed" whatever that means SUBJECT.
I spent too much time trying to read an online copy not knowing it was owned... the resolution on this lcd sucked for some reason and shouldn't be lower then the printed quality... not that much lower.
(should be as high as the display can create)
Please note that although this example is neither main campus nor ebray it does illustrate the problems from before and adds the new one mentioned (although a broken link is better then no link at all!) along with the sad reality that like the discarded journals the never mailed online copies are inferior then the scanned versions in terms of photo's etc.
You should not have to find the new edition by looking for other titles by the author. Especially when the editions are identical! (unlike in this case) Title and author searching to find alternative locations is obviously problematic.... Some wikisation beyond having to report the title to you for you to correct the catalog entries would be so helpful I can't remember if google alllows us to do that when your catalog is visited via it.......
Library response: I suggest that the best thing for you to do, if you want to know all the editions of a title that the library (University, AHSL or Law) owns is to search by author or title for the book. These searches should bring up all the editions. Browsing by call number will not work, not only because some books are now online, but also because AHSL uses a different call number scheme than the University Library. If you find errors or dead links in the catalog, you can report them through the Library Feedback link. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Wed Feb 13 13:36:07 2008 Off-campus
Is actually not to your credit but proves your decision to close the media viewing rooms was likely the culprit. You might as well put a umatic in the open area or in reserves perhaps. I think your going to regret surplussing so many of them campus wide when you have to repair the few you still own.
It is also dishonest to say you don't have the ability to make dvd's of 35 mm films as you have said. Legally a private company can do this as you did for the reserves subject perhaps to the original not circulating and the dvd having to be returned and 'destroyed'. A student could be hired to film while projecting your copy as well. If legality is an issue as it more obviously now must be then an honest answer would mention that although for most of what yo uhave on 35mm that might of been beiing sought I doubt it would obstruct. I'm realy curious what and why although I seem to recall the cost of shipping yoru prints was once an issue long before digital optical media and all that entails arose. I realise you woni't save a fortune preserving your vhs onto dvd but for 35 it deserves an at least "at this time" caveat.
In the reality of it though I ask:
Is it really illegal to have someone show me a film version via a webcam where no copy is created? I doubt it. There is wifi in the umatic room even if no ethernet jacks ever got wired lol.
Library response:
I am not sure I understand portions of you question, but I'll respond to those portions that I do understand. If you'd like to follow up, I can answer any questions I've failed to respond to here:
It seems the questions here are 1) why did we close the media rooms, and 2) why can't we create and provide digital copies of titles we own on older formats (Umatic, 16mm, perhaps VHS, etc.) either in streaming format to the desktop, or on DVD.
1) The media viewing rooms were closed for a number of reasons.
- After significant study, we found that they were increasingly not being used for viewing media, but were, instead, being used for studying, or other reasons. As such, we converted 7 media viewing rooms to private carrels and started the concept of sharing carrels (rather than having just one individual per carrel). We kept the one room for 16mm film viewing and we have 2 VHS/DVD combo’s out in the Current Periodical Room for anyone to use. By moving 7 graduate students to the new private carrels in the media area it allowed us to create 15 carrels that can be used for 6 hour check-outs on the third floor of the library. Having these kinds of carrels to check out had been a request by graduate students to help with their need for quiet study space. We opened the 15 hourly carrels on 9/17/07 and they have been used over 1500 times through the end of the calendar year.
- Also, because we have discontinued our physical reserves for videos and are instead providing students access to the media titles their instructors ask them to watch exclusively through streaming video (available in the IC 24/7), we felt the need for the media rooms would drop considerably, since the only people needing them would be those instructors or individual researchers wishing to preview a title on site. For this purpose, we installed the previously mentioned VHS/DVD machines in the media area.
2) The reasons for not digitizing and making available for public use our titles on 16mm (or other "obsolete" format) are both legal and fiscal.
We can, according to section 108 of the US Copyright code, make digital copies of any title we own that is on an obsolete format and which is not available for sale in an unused copy if that digital copy does not circulate outside the library. As such, we could legally digitize and stream (within the building) those titles that fit these parameters. The issue is that each title would cost us at least a $300 to digitize and encode for streaming. The server space and bandwidth necessary to store and serve these files (we have around 2000 16mm films) could cost another $20,000 (not including ongoing maintenance or other costs). While we may, in time, look at doing something like this with some of the more unique titles that are on these obsolete formats (and which are expected to remain unavailable on DVD or other format), the expense would have to be carefully justified.
In the mean time, if you ever need a title for instruction or for research/scholarship that we only own on 16mm, please ask us about it. If it is available in another format, we would certainly consider "upgrading" to a newer format.
Michael Brewer, Fine-Arts & Humanities Team
Tue Feb 19 11:33:15 2008 Library
It would be really great if you didn't have to go downstairs to get help with the reference materials located on the ground level. Why aren't there more librarians around to help students with research/reference questions? It seems like keeping two people (usually not librarians) on the desk in the information commons (computer area) is not enough for such a large academic library.
Library response:
First of all during the day hours in the Information Commons, the staff working there are mostly librarians, 9 out of 10, and the 10th person is a long time staff member who has really deep knowledge of the library. During the evenings, late nights and weekends, the staff working on that desk are not librarians, but actually several of them do have their master's degree in library and information science and several more of them are working on this degree, so they are pretty knowledgeable staff as well. We moved the library's reference desk to the Information Commons, when it opened, because that is where we thought the students would be and we wanted to provide them with both reference/research help and with computer help from the same desk. We have the Information Desk on the main floor (2nd) and they are there for quick questions and to direct people with research questions down to the 1st floor. I'm sorry it seems like a long way to go, but we wanted to put the desk and the librarians close to the students.
You are correct that we have too few people on desks to help students for the number of students we have at the University. Our library has lost over 30 positions in the last several years. There are so many things the library would like to do that we can't because of bare bones staffing. That is our frustration in trying to provide really good service. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Tue Feb 19 12:38:20 2008 Library
This might not be the best place to ask a question, but here it is anyway: do UA dissertations have any copyright restrictions? If they do, what are they?
I don't believe there is a copyright trademark on the dissertations that I've seen (although I might be wrong).
Thank you.
Library response:
The authors of the dissertations retain copyright of the dissertations. So they are copyrighted and you need to follow copyright restrictions with them, just as you would any other book. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Thu Feb 21 10:41:42 2008 Library
Hello,
I am working on computer icadt501 in the computer commons. My issue is within Microsoft Word (in the language preferences). I am unable to set the computer to recognize spellings in Portuguese, and when I do a spell check, it will only check Spanish. I have had two people from the information commons help desk try and assist me, and we have tried switching the settings for the computer, for Microsoft Word, specifically, and once again when the word document goes to do spellcheck.
Please look into this issue and allow the computer settings to be on Portuguese.
Thanks.
Library response:
In Word, the "detect language automatically" feature is turned off due to the fact that for students typing in English, it would attempt to auto spell-check their document in a different language when special characters were used. Therefore, you'll have to tell Word to spell-check in Portuguese. Here's how:
- First highlight all the text that you want to spell-check with (Ctrl-A).
- On the ribbon, click on the Review tab.
- Find the Proofing group, and click Set Language button
- Choose Portuguese, and click OK
Jackie Yabeny-Bahe, Digital Library & Information Systems Team
Fri Feb 22 17:35:29 2008 Library
I have been using several computers in the Information Commons and have noticed that over the past week the volume is decreasing and it is harder to hear my YouTube videos. For example, I am watching/listening to a famous writer speaking. I know how to adjust the volume control, and the Information Desk staff helped me with that, but the volume quality seems to be decreasing and not be as loud as it should be, even when the headphone volume is turned up. In particular, the computer ICPub 635 has lost sound right in the middle of my listening. This seems to be a systemic problem. This is system failure that is not being reported.
Library response : Your comment has been reported on to our Systems staff so they can investigate the problem. Thanks for letting us know about this. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Sat Feb 23 14:43:17 2008 Off-campus
I am very frustrated--having been charged for materials I know I returned and am unable to find a way to get this solved--please help me!
Library response:
Someone from the library contacted this person and worked with her. Everything got taken care of.
Mon Feb 25 15:08:03 2008 Library
Fix the chairs in the science library - they're all too low and you can't make them any higher. I can't see the computer screnen if I'm practically sitting on the floor.
Library response:
The chairs are the same type and height as we use in our three libraries. I went and checked them and did not see any that was too low. Sometimes the customers lower them and they have three different adjustment levers which are hard to find at times. Maybe this was the problem. Hayri Yildirim, Interim Building Manager
Tue Feb 26 11:28:32 2008 Off-campus
MagazinePlus only appears in Chinese. How do you get English.
Library response:
This is a database that is only offered in Chinese. There is no English language version of it. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Tue Feb 26 12:39:33 2008 Campus
I am concerned with a situation I went through in the lousy service?. I was in the middle of studying with music I feel is necessary for me to be able to sing out loud, although quietly. A student wanted my room, and was combining with two others to have priority. The other room had only two people, one of which was not studying, in fact neither were, and did end up leaving. I didn't appreciate the library employee that became involved and the way I was treated. It turned out these three students were studying individually and did not need a group room, but also I told them I would be done in one hour. When they though I had left, they immediately came out of their room and were messing around and not seriously studying. I was concerned that they were originally harassing me, and they now confirmed it by their behavior once they thought I was gone. I am very concerned that the library employee (not sutdent) became so intently involved against me also, when I was involved in serious studying.
Library response:
I'm sorry you feel that you were being harrassed. The library policy is that groups of three or more students have priority over one or two students in a group study room. We don't get involved in asking students to move from a study room unless a group asks us. That is why the library employee got involved. We really can't get into the business of judging which students are serious studiers and which are not -- this is something that is very subjective and difficult to tell from the outside. You were probably asked to move because we usually ask single students to vacate a study room before we ask two students -- it just makes sense to disrupt as few students as possible. There are signs on all the study rooms telling people about the group of three priority and we assume that when one or two students use those rooms, which is ok, that they understand they might have to give up the room if a group needs it. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
Tue Feb 26 13:36:48 2008 Library
What's the deal with the computers - they're so slow and I've never seen so many "out of order" We pay more for them every term, why do we get such lousy service?
Library response:
We have hundreds of computers in our three library buildings and a remarkably few number of them are out of order at any one time. Our library systems staff does a great job of keeping our many computers with all their software up and running. The speed which computers do their work depends on a lot of things and I can't tell from this comment if the person who wrote it thinks the computers are slow to boot up or slow to connect to internet sites or slow to open applications -- so it's hard to answer this part of the comment. Also speed or lack of it is relative. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fri Feb 29 15:35:13 2008 Campus
I used the virtual reference today when I needed help finding what I though was a journal article. Turns out I had been given a bad title for what was actually a book chapter. The reference librarian followed up very quickly and pointed me to the author's webpage where I was able to get the appropriate chapter of the yet to be published book. Thanks for the help, I was really impressed by the quality and speed of the response.
Library response: We are glad that you got good service through virtual reference, that is what we try to do in all our reference services. Your email has been shared with all the staff who answer the virtual reference questions. We also want to thank you for taking the time to send your good comment to us. So often people only take the time to complain, not to say thank you. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team