Feedback to the Library, February 2007

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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.

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Date/time   Location

Thu Feb 1 12:20:04 2007 Library

Why were the 2 tables in the 4th floor lobby of the science library moved away? Now there is nothing there and it was our favorite place to study. The study rooms around the 4th floor lobby are so small that we prefer to study in the more open area. Thanks.
Library response: The tables in the 4th floor of the Science Library were moved because of access issues as well as fire department regulations. However, we are in the process of looking for funds to get different types of furniture that would be fit in for that area and would comply with regulations. We have moved all of the tables to the open area right through the double doors on the west side. That area is the open area for group study. We are also working on getting new furniture for the group study rooms that will make it more comfortable. Hayri T. Yildrim, Asst. Director of Facilities

Thu Feb 1 13:46:53 2007 Off-campus

I just graduated from UA in December 2006. I needed to use the library resources online (I'm living outside of AZ now) but my credentials were unable to be authenticated. I am assuming this is because now I'm considered an 'alumnus' but really, all I want to be able to do is use the library's online resources... Is there a way to do this without joining the alumni association or paying other fees? Seeing as I just graduated... I am not Mr. Moneybags yet!
Library response: There is not a way to allow you to have access to the online resources. We pay large subsciption prices for these resources and we sign legal contracts agreeing to make these resources available only to the current university community (students, faculty, staff). We can't legally provide access to alumni -- even ones who join the alumni association. You are not the first UA graduate to request access to the resources, and I wish the current students appreciated these resources as much as the graduates, but currently we can't legally offer these resources to anyone who is not a current UA person. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Sun Feb 4 22:37:33 2007 Off-campus

Your site is confusing and taking up the little time I have. I just need to find articles online through this site, and I can't figure out how. I have spent the past few hours trying to figure this out. My suggestion is to make your site less confusing for us students. Please contact me ASAP. Thanks.
Library response: One thing that might help you in the future is either coming to the Information Commons reference desk in person or calling the desk and asking for help. We could have saved you hours of frustration. You can see links to all the different ways to find help under the Ask a Librarian link on our homepage. Also on the library's homepage is an important link -- Article and Database Searching. This page links to some good multi-disciplinary article databases, like Academic Search Premier, and it also lists all the databases we own (many hundreds), by subject. So if you are doing a psychology paper, you can look under psychology and find databases, same for business, art, engineering, women's studies, etc. Finally, another link off the main page is Subject Guides. Again you can select by subject and get links to the best databases for those subjects. If you need further help in finding articles, please contact me. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Wed Feb 7 09:41:18 2007 Off-campus

I am one of many people who use the computers in the UA library, I dont attend school at the UA, but i understand what the student mean when you go to do some homework research in the library, and homeless people are sitting everywhere, you have to wait for them to get off the computer before you can, and when you get there, your getting a million and one pop ups of porn ads...Now come on, should we allow this to go on, homeless community should not be allowed on UA campus for any reason!!!!
Library response: Priority is given to anyone affiliated with the U of A in the Information Commons. When things are busy any student can come to the Help Desk and ask for help finding an open computer. This help includes checking for CatCards or other means to be sure those using computers are U of A students, staff, or faculty.

On the other hand, the Library is open to anyone in the community and the computers in the Information Commons are available for their use as long as there aren't also students waiting to use them. The U of A is a state institution. As such, funds from taxpayers contribute part of the operational costs of the University. It is thus important for the University to be open to the community.

But even if there wasn't state funding behind the University, we would still want to make our research and resources available to the public. Educators are generally interested in facilitating learning however we can. Even private universities make their library resources available to the general public to some degree. As for the homeless, it seems that, from a public policy perspective, we would want to make educational resources available to them to help them move into a different standard of living. Dan Lee, Undergraduate Services Team

Fri Feb 9 10:49:31 2007 Off-campus

Thank you very much for help.
Library response: You are welcome. One of the things we like best about our jobs in the library is being able to help people.

Fri Feb 9 12:26:01 2007 Off-campus

There is a new book out -- The Angel Makers, by Jessica Gregson -- that I'd like to suggest that the library add to its collection.
Library response: A copy of this book has been ordered. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Fri Feb 9 19:08:34 2007 Campus

I visited the main library this evening to try out the reserve textbook program, since I actually have a class (MIS 111) with a textbook in the collection. I checked the catalog, which listed the book, but the item status field was blank... not "on shelf," "checked out," or "missing," etc. I checked the shelf, and sure enough, the item was not there. I asked the information desk staffer, and he did his best to solve the mystery, checking the recently checked-in books behind the glass, re-checking the shelves to see if it had been mis-shelved... but he also came up with nothing. I searched the catalog again for other textbook titles... those physically present on the shelf came up "on shelf," while those that were missing also came up blank. My question: does the blank mean someone has checked it out (for three hours, as allowed), does it mean the book is missing, does it mean that the library wishes it had the book but does not... what DOES it mean? Am I on my own to find the book elsewhere, or is there a good chance it will reappear? And is it possible to have the catalog register the status of these textbooks, as it does for other items in the library collection? Thanks for your help! I really hope that this book shows up, since it would make my life much easier. By the way, the book is call no. YMRP 5082, Management Information Systems, by Oz.
Library response: We have looked for this book yesterday and the day before, but have not found it. It will continue to be searched, and we will notify you if and when it is found. However, since it has not been on the shelves, apparently, since February 9, it would probably be better to try to acquire the book through other means. The book did not have a status of “in library” because it had never been checked out before. Pat Montoya, Materials Access Team

Sat Feb 10 18:01:10 2007 Library

A Collection Maintenance and Gov Docs shelver, Kristine Smith A, got a thank you from a customer. While she was shelving, she got a question from a customer who could not locate an E449. Kristine came down and asked me what she could do for the customer. She lost 15 of her lunch time, and made her friend wait for her in order to help our customer. I suggested that she look in the "Fs", and she did and found the book. The Sierra Vista customer was delighted with Kristine's service.
Library response: This comment was sent by Sandra Joy, a library employee on the Materials Access Team

Sun Feb 11 20:59:25 2007 Campus

I think there should be a water station in the library. More often than not I am here till the wee hours of the morning and am thirsty for water. The water fountains are not that cold, nor is the water of that good of quality. Warm water, according to Viktor Schauberger, is a breeding ground for bacteria. Water should be consumed at cold temperatures to impart life. Furthermore, luke warm water has been known to help induce vomiting in ancient Indian practices. I am very interested in water and how it effects man, and i thought it would be helpful to pass the information on to you. I know that food and beverage are something taht you do not encourage yet it seems if the students knew there was cool, good tasting water available at the library, many would probably be less inclined to bring in their own beverages. Just a thought...
Library response: I think this is a great idea and I am sending our building manager your message, so he can see your idea. I don't know if this is possible, because this would have to be a Student Union project, but we will look into it. In the meantime, if you are here and need water, there are water vending machines down off the ILC courtyard. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Mon Feb 12 11:19:59 2007 Off-campus

The table in room A410 contains offensive writing. It is on the side, facing away from the door (under the lip of the tabletop). The language is not only discriminatory but also violent and alarming. Thank you for addressing this concern.
Library response: We have been having this problem for the last few months. There is one patron that comes in and periodically writes that offense writing. We have been trying to police the area as much as possible but without luck, because the patron has been doing the same thing on 4th and 5th floors. I agree that it is very offensive and our custodians try to clean it up as soon as we see it. If you see it again please call me at 307-2820 so that I can send a custodian to clean it up immediately. Hayri T. Yildirim, Asst. Director of Facilities

Tue Feb 13 18:41:12 2007 Library

The following book is not on the library shelf.... Could you tell me where it is located? Missing stories : an oral history of ethnic and minority groups in Utah
Library response: We have 3 copies of this book, one in Special Collections that you can use there but that cannot be checked out. One that should be on 3rd floor of the main library -- this the one that you couldn't find on the shelf. We also have an online version of this book, that you can "check out" for 24 hours at a time. The next time you can't find a book you are looking for, stop at either the Main Library Info Desk, at the front entrance of the Main Library, or at the Reference Desk in the Information Commons, and we can help you immediately. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Mon Feb 19 16:24:26 2007 Campus

I often find myself needing articles from the "Journal of Food Protection" (pubmed abbreviation = J Food Prot), published by the International Association for Food Protection. Is there any way to request looking into obtaining an institutional subscription?
Library response: I am forwarding your request to the Agriculture specialist, who I think would make decisions about the journal title you are interested in.   I did want you to know that we do get this title in print at the call number:  SF221 .I532 in the Science Engineering Library.    I know it is not as convenient to have to come into the library and find the journals, but we have this new service. If you are looking for known articles you can request that the library get those articles and email them to you. You just need to fill out the InterLibrary Loan form.  In this case, we own the journal, so they will go over and pull the print volume and digitize it for you.  This works if you have article title, page numbers, volume, issue number, etc.  If you just want to browse issues of this journal, then you would need to go look at them in the Science Engineering Library. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Tue Feb 20 16:08:59 2007 Campus

I can't read the small print on this computer - How is this accessible? Not everyone who is a student here is 18. What are you saying about older patrons?????????
Library response: The library has tried to design our web pages and set the default font on computers to accommodate the majority of our users. However, you can change this. If you are using a computer in the Information Commons you may be getting a font size that was reset by a previous user. If someone has changed the default font size you can restore defaults by rebooting the machine. You can change the text size in web browsers.
Firefox: Hold the control key and press the plus key
Internet Explorer: From the browser's menu, select View | Text size and choose larger or largest as you prefer.
Gene Spesard, Digital Library Information & Systems Team

Thu Feb 22 05:05:45 2007 Library

I desperately need three books at the 3rd floor but the bookshelves are jammed! It is not the first time that these row of bookshleves failed to function. Please fix as soon as possible! I am trying to borrow in the shelves with catalog numbers: DS 501.5.E27 DS 5234.C45.E87 1997 DS 509.5.C5 C454 2001. Please let me know ASAP by email when you have fixed this problem. Thanks!
Library response: If this happens again, come to either the Info Desk at the entrance to the Main Library or to the Information Commons Reference Desk. We may be able to help you get the shelving open. But thank you for sending us this comment. I am including the building manager in this email to alert him about this problem. The library is considering buying more of this compact shelving, so it is important to let us know about every instance of the shelving not working.

Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team
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Mon Feb 26 11:26:42 2007 Campus

When I follow the link to the electronic journal 'Nordic Hydrology' their server asks for a password. Why?
Library response: Thanks for alerting us to this problem. We have many people looking into it. We are not sure why we can't get access to this journal and to others from this vendor. We have checked our records and we are up-to-date with our payments. We are contacting the company that provides us access to this journal to see what the problem is. So we will try to get it back and acting correctly as soon as possible. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Tue Feb 27 09:24:39 2007 Campus

I would like to make a formal complaint to the library. The 1st floor women's bathroom smells extremely bad. The worst is the men/women's bathroom in the hall. Can they be disinfected? The floors in these rooms looked like they need to be thoroughly cleaned and on a regular basis. The library should be a comfortable and welcoming place for students to study and gain a good education. While we are here for sometimes several hours, it would be nice to use a clean bathroom. In my opinion, this is not a lot to ask. There are hundreds of students using the info commons daily. Thank you.
Library response: Thank you very much for your email about the bathrooms on the 1st Floor of the Main Library. The University Custodial Services cleans and disinfects these bathrooms daily. The custodial service starts their daily schedule at 3 o'clock in the morning and works until 11:00 am. Then there is a roving custodian that takes care of the bathrooms until 3:00 pm. After 3:00 pm we have an on-call custodian that comes in and cleans when we request a cleanup. As you have stated, there are hundreds of users of these facilities and sometimes it is very hard to keep up with the cleaning process. Especially the two single bathrooms down at ILC get a lot of usage and unfortunately the users tend not to clean up after themselves. We try to check these bathrooms periodically to insure their cleanness, however if there is ever a time where you see that it needs to be cleaned, please feel free to call my cell phone 307-2820. I will get someone over to clean it up immediately. Hayri T. Yildirim, Asst. Director of Facilities

Tue Feb 27 09:30:07 2007 Campus

May I request the video (documentary) "A River is Reborn?" I would also like to suggest that a "newly acquired list of books and videos/cds" be placed on your home website for those of us who are doing research and may need new information for our papers or use as classroom instruction. Tucson Public Library has a list and it works real well. Thank you.
Library response: We could not find a video by this exact title, we needed more information. The list of newly acquired books and other materials would be too long to be useful for a library of our size. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team