Feedback to the Library, October 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

Tue Oct 2 17:30:44 2007 Campus

I asked for assistance at the help desk. Raik was very well informed and helped me considerably. Thank him for me. I teach math courses for Pima Community College here at the UA. I use textbooks that have an online homework component. The students receive access through the purchase of their textbook. The computer "plugin" , for lack of the precise word, is called MathXL. I am requesting that it be added to the computers in the main library ILC too. I have heard that it is already installed in the science library computers, but I teach UA students that are developmental in their math abilities, and having it in the main library would contribute to their success. To install MathXL, one must have administrator rights. Go to http://www.mathxl.com click on the top right link: support: IT ADMIN or Install Wizard When you are asked for the book, go to the very bottom of the drop down menu and choose administrator. That way any student can use it for any text. Thanks

The following is MathXL's instructions that you will see on their site if you follow my instructions. MathXL Lab Installation Wizard To complete online assignments in MathXL, students log into their course through Internet Explorer®. In order to view and complete assignments in MathXL, users must have a Pearson proprietary browser plug-in installed on their computer. This plug-in, called the MathXL® Player, is a specialized tool that displays algorithmic math exercises and allows students to enter math notation in their answers. To install the MathXL Player (and any other standard Internet plug-ins, such as QuickTime® and Flash®, needed to display multimedia course content), instructors and students use the MathXL Installation Wizard. The wizard is configured appropriately for individual courses (based on the textbook in use) and presents only those plug-ins and players needed for the content in that course. Lab Administrator Guide For information on installing plug-ins and players across all the computers in a lab, please contact Product Support to receive a copy of the MathXL Administrator Guide. This guide, written specifically for lab and IT administrators, covers the following topics: Background information on MathXL System requirements Installing plug-ins and players in computer labs Testing your installation Troubleshooting Licensing System Requirements MathXL courses require a Windows® operating system and a supported version of Internet Explorer. Other requirements vary, depending on the textbook in use for the course.
Library response: The MathXL plugin is already installed on the computers in the IC. When you take a test the browser will prompt you to run a ActiveX control, you right-click the information bar and select "Run ActiveX Control" the click "Run', then you can start the test. The version of the plugin on all the computers is not the latest one available but it does work. The new version of the plugin was not available when we started the image for the fall semester but it will be installed in January for next semester. Steve Oren, Digital Library and Information Systems Team

Wed Oct 3 08:33:35 2007 Campus

It was so handy the guide of where to find the resources/books posted on the column. Now, it's hidden and hard to know where students can find the books. This would be especially difficult for freshmen. Please post the guide somewhere easy to find.
Library response: I believe we will put that guide about call numbers and locations back on the column when we are through with shifting all the books in the Main Library. We are right in the middle of moving all our books around and no sign that we posted would be accurate for more than a day. The only up-to-date accounting of call number locations is the Call Number Guide on the right top of each page of the online catalog. While we are creating this book shelving chaos, we will retrieve books for you, if you are having trouble locating them. You can just go to the Information Desk on the main floor of the Main Library and ask them to find the books for you. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Wed Oct 3 09:36:07 2007 Campus

Hello I think that there should be some sort of cash splitting process at the library branches. All to often, myself included, people need to print 4 or 5 pages and all they have are larger bills for their cat card. Maybe being able to put change on your cat card would help, or just having a machine that splits larger bills would be appropriate. Thank you for your consideration.
Library response: Thank you for your comment.  I understand the need to put smaller amounts of money on your cat card chip.  I also agree with you that it would be nice to be able to add coin to your chip.  However, the cat card office are the ones responsible for those cash to chip machines and they are the ones responsible for selecting that specific type of machine and only allowing dollar bills and not coin to be added to the chip.  I would suggest and highly recommend that you direct that comment to the Cat Card Office. To address the other portion of you comment regarding having a machine that breaks down larger bills to smaller bills.  Unfortunately, the University of Arizona removed all change machines throughout the campus, this was due to security reasons, we can not have any cash over at the Science Library or Fine Arts Library.  The nearest locations to get change are the EDC in the Main Library and/or the Student Union. Deborah Quintana, Document Delivery Team

Wed Oct 3 11:46:29 2007 Off-campus

How do you request that the library purchase a book? I think that "New Urbanism and American Planning: The Conflict of Cultures" by Emily Talen (Routledge, 2005) would be a useful addition. Thanks.
Library response: We don't have a very good way of requesting new books for purchase from our website. Many people do as you have and send a request through the library feedback. Another thing you can do is contact the subject specialist for your title, if it is easy to figure out what academic discipline your book would be in. The link to the subject specialists is right above the link for the feedback form on the library's homepage. For this specific title, we do have access to this title as an e-book, although I'm having trouble right now getting into it. But I have contacted our tech people about this. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Wed Oct 3 12:45:44 2007 Library

There should be more time given to check out a laptop since it takes so long to check them out and then to check them in.
Library response: Thanks for your suggestion. We currently only allow laptops to go out for four hours to accommodate the high demand for this equipment. However, we have recently been working to reduce the laptop startup time which will in turn reduce the amount of time that you have to wait for us to inspect this equipment. These changes will be implemented in the next couple of weeks so in the near future you can expect to spend less time waiting for laptops.

Travis S. Teetor, Materials Access Team

Thu Oct 4 15:48:54 2007 Library

I suggest you separate people who are working together in Information Commons from those who are working alone. The groups and couples are loud and distracting.
Library response: We will consider ways that we might create some individual and more quiet computing spaces in the Infromation Commons. Thanks for the suggestion. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Fri Oct 5 16:40:23 2007 Library

I know I don't say it often enough, but I LOVE THIS LIBRARY! It is my church. Keep up the good work making it accessible to a diverse group of ppl!
Library response: Thank you for your positive feedback. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Fri Oct 5 23:19:44 2007 Off-campus

I attempted to view the book, Mapping Biology Knowledge, and was instructed to download and install new software, ebrary. I did so two times, and confirmed, but each time I went to view the book, I received the message that the software was not detected. I followed the instructions and turned off my firewall to download, and the installation appears to have been successful. Please advise. I am using a Mac G4, System 10.2.8, Netscape 7.1, and have also tried Firefox, 2.0.0.4. I finally learned how to handle the old electronic book reader and EndNote, and now you have eliminated them! Very frustrating. There should have been adequate notice that you were changing platforms, and transitional support for both platforms. A typically inconsiderate systems change from the U of A.
Library response: My apologies for the problems using Ebrary; installing and using new software can be quite frustrating. 

 In order to try to figure out why you had problems with the Ebrary software, I installed it on a Mac so that I could see a close approximation of the steps you followed.  Initially all went well for me, and I followed the course through all the clicks and confirmation steps.  At the end of the installation, it appeared that the browser had shut down, but when I went to start it up again, I found that it indeed had not shut down completely.  This necessitated my having to go through the clicks and confirmation steps a second time – this time however, I made certain that the browser was shut down completely.  When I restarted the browser, I was able to use the Ebrary version of the book without difficulty.  I’m wondering whether your problems ensued from the browser not shutting down completely? Another way around this particular sticky point is that Mapping Biology Knowledge is also available via NetLibrary, a different ebook vendor, which does not require any browser plugins to use. Kent Duryee, Digital Library & Information Systems Team

About Endnote: We did notify people on our website about the switch from EndNote to Refworks, but that was 3 or so years ago. But it is really hard for us to communicate directly with all the thousands of people who use our
electronic services, so we try to communicate through messages on our website -- which we realize isn't ideal, because most people don't really read notices on the site. We are having RefWorks workshops, if you are interested. The announcement about them is on the front screen of our homepage, the link is actually a colorful graphic of a person with file cards in his head. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Reply back from customer: I have a very strong hesitation about loading 3rd party software on my Macintosh related to both viruses/hacking and privacy. So my choice will be not to load this software and not support this vendor.
You may share my comments with the vendor if that will help make the case about the software issue.

Tue Oct 9 14:16:54 2007 Off-campus

First, let me say how helpful the staff are at the library. Whenever I have a question, somebody is always willing to help me. Also, the services the library provides are phenomenal. RefWorks is great, and the selection of online databases is pretty thorough for my needs. I've been working a lot in the library this semester, and I've noticed that many of the tables are absolutely filthy (especially on the third floor). They are covered in grime, particulary around the edges where lots of hands and arms rest. Are the tables cleaned/wiped down on a regular basis? Can they be? It is one of the main reasons I don't like doing work at the library.
Library response: Your comment was shared with all the library staff -- we appreciate the good comments and we took note of the comment about the dirty tables. You are not the first person to comment on them. Our building manager is looking into having the tables and individual desks cleaned on a regular basis. Thanks for notifying us about this.

Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Sat Oct 13 15:46:11 2007 Off-campus

Book suggestion -- please consider the following newly appeared title for purchase: Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime (Hardcover) by Aubrey de Grey (Author), Michael Rae (Author) # Hardcover: 400 pages # Publisher: St. Martin's Press 1 edition (September 4, 2007) # Language: English # ISBN-10: 0312367066 # ISBN-13: 978-0312367060
Library response: This title was sent to the subject specialist who covers the areas of medicine and health for his consideration. We don't have a very good way of requesting new books for purchase from our website. Many people do as you have and send a request through the library feedback. Another thing you can do is contact the subject specialist for your title, if it is easy to figure out what academic discipline your book would be in. The list of subject specialists is the link above the feedback link on our homepage. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Sat Oct 13 19:59:42 2007 Campus

There's some kinda spyware junk on icpub322 -- takes me to porn sites when i try to look up stuff. This is in the lower level of the IC. im running to go change my passwords now. bye
Library response: Thank you for notifying us about this problem, it was reported to our tech staff. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Mon Oct 15 19:37:07 2007 Campus

compact shelving is a pain
Library response: It can be frustrating at times. But it's hard to know what the problems were from this comment -- if anyone is having trouble with compact shelving, they need to contact the staff at the Information Desk on the 2nd floor of the Main or Science Libraries. They can often fix the problem right away and they can keep track of which shelves are the most problematic. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Tue Oct 16 15:43:46 2007 Campus

To Whom it May Concern I am writing this email in attempt to voice the opinion of one. I have attended UofA for 3 years. We pay to attend these libraries and now we are being forced to pay for dry erase markers. I am very concerned that this is an attempt to make money off the students. Which is in my mind unfair. I know of the financial capabilities of this university, and we are very capable of supplying dry erase markers. If not then they should remove the dry erase boards. I don't think that the University wants to hinder willing and able minds. "The pen is mightier than the sword." But where are the pens? Oh! I have to buy them. Most of the students that attend this university come from homes of despair and poverty. The Tucson communities support this university. If they are to know about about various outrageous prices increasing at the university they would not be happy. The more we increase prices and tuition the more we loose new innovative minds that can help humanity. The poor deserve the rights to a good education without having to give up their lunch money. I would like this comment to be posted for the general student to see! They need to be informed!
Library response: The Library was charging for some of the white board markers for a short while. We reevaluated the situation and decided that the library would, for this year, provide the markers and other supplies for the white boards. However, if this service gets abused and if we go over our budget for markers -- if students walk off with the markers and don't leave them in the study rooms and we end up having to buy many more markers than we budgeted for -- then next year we will have to charge for markers for all the library study rooms, including the Information Commons. So it's really up to students to use the white board markers wisely. The Information Commons Reference Desk and the Information Desks in the Main, Science and Fine Arts Libraries all have whiteboard supplies for the study rooms. I would like to differ with the writer of this comment on one point, I don't believe that the most of the UA students come from homes of despair and poverty -- but even if they don't, at least for this year, the library will not make them choose between markers or lunch. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Thu Oct 18 04:03:09 2007 Campus

Asking a favor I just want to say that these computers in main library lap are corrupted and their characters are not equivalent for our level. It was a big mistake when theses computers were brought. I have suffered many times when I used them and I lost some of my works. I hereby ask you to enhance or change (I prefer change) these equipments to facilitate me and all the students to get great outcomes. Your efforts are highly appreciated.
Library response: I'm not sure if this complaint is about the loaner laptop computers in the Main Library or about other computers in the Main Library. But either way, I don't understand the problem -- I don't know what it means that "their characters are not equivalent for our level." If anyone is having trouble with a computer in the library -- either one of our permanent ones or a loaner laptop, please come to one of the service desks to report the problem -- either the Information Commons Reference Desk or the Main Library Information Desk. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Fri Oct 19 16:15:30 2007 Library

I am having a hard time getting into the compact shelf aisles for the extra large books. Whose idea was it to move them from the 5th floor down into a cramped space no one can even browse? Not a good idea.
Library response: When you say you are having trouble getting into the compact shelves for the oversize books, what do you mean -- that the shelves wouldn't open at all or that they would open but not wide enough? I agree with you that the oversize books aren't a great fit for compact shelving -- but the more specifics we get on what the problem is the better we can understand the problem. A decision was made to reshelve the whole library from A to Z -- A at the bottom and Z at the top. I don't know why the oversize were moved to the 1st floor.

Customer's additional response: It means the books are BIG, LONG, heavy, the aisle is narrow, crowded and it very difficult to peruse the area, esp when I have to bend over to look. I nearly tripped, twisted and lurched when getting out a heavy book. Since the books are BIG, LONG, & heavy they also take alot of the space for people moving in the shelves.

More Library response: If anyone is having trouble retrieving oversize books in the compact shelving area, you can go to the Information Desk on the 2nd floor and ask them to get the books for you. Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Sat Oct 20 11:47:34 2007 Off-campus

MISTAKE IN ON-LINE CATALOG!! author of book is wrong, it is not Narcissa Whitman.
Library response: The catalog record for Saloon on the Rocky Mountain Mining Frontier has been updated with the correct author entry. I will make sure that the information in WorldCat is corrected as well. Thank you, Liz Bezanson, Technical Services Team

Sun Oct 21 22:53:55 2007 Off-campus

I wish the main library wasn't so cold. I literally have to leave there almost every time I go in to study because I end up uncomfortably cold. This happens in the middle of summer, even, when I'm dressed in many layers of long pants and shirts. I understand that if it's too warm, people will fall asleep, but it just seems a bit ridiculously extreme in the opposite direction.
Library response: All complaints about the building temperature are passed on to our building manager.  Those of us who work in the library are also often too cold.  This has been a problem for years and even after extensive work to improve the air handling and temperature control, the building is usually way too cold.  I will continue to pass on these complaints, but there doesn’t seem to be any easy answer to this problem.  Vicki Mills, Undergraduate Services Team

Mon Oct 22 16:38:57 2007 Off-campus

I lost my cat card several weeks ago, and someone apparently found it and used it to check 3 movies out from the main library. I am quite certain that they must have used a self check out terminal to do so. Now I understand that there isn't enough funding to have all manned checkout stations, but if that is the case, then i would suggest AT LEAST requiring the user to input their PIN. I am surprised that you actually allow users to check out books without a PIN. To me, that is a crime waiting to happen. I hope that you will take this into serious consideration, seeing as this is a situation which has caused me great stress and frustration, as it probably has to others experiencing the same thing. Thankyou.
Library response: Since I know that you are working with the billing and fees staff about the charges to your account I am going to just address here your suggestion for using PIN numbers on our Express Check machines. The library has looked into this functionality in the past.  At this time it is not feasible to use PIN numbers on our Express Check machines.  However, we will continue to investigate in case circumstances should change.    We do have other mechanisms in place to stop unauthorized use.   If a card is reported lost or stolen we will put a block on the card which stops it from being used on our Express Check Machines.  It is the responsiblity of a customer to report this to us in a timely manner.  See our lost card policy http://www.library.arizona.edu/services/borrowing/libcard/index.html#Lost   Mona Ammon, Materials Access Team

Sat Oct 27 11:30:26 2007 Campus

It's Saturday and we just had another false fire alarm. I'm old and disabled and don't like to take the stairs. I wonder what happens to those severely disabled in wheelchairs that can't take the stairs. If these false alarms are pranks, other students know who's doing it. Why not post a $500. reward for information leading to the prosecution of anyone convicted of setting off a false alarm? That way you might be able to stop them before students realize that's an ideal opportunity to steal library materials.
Library response: According to our fire evacuation plans for each library building, individuals in wheel chairs or anyone unable to use stairs, should be directed to an outside stairwell to wait for a fire responder (police or fire department) to help them out of the building.  Any library staff member who is aware of someone waiting in a stairwell should inform a first responder of the location of that person.  It is okay for someone to wait in the stairwell with the wheelchair bound individual until the first responders arrive. If you are aware of someone waiting is a stairwell for a false alarm where the police and fire department don’t respond, please check the stairwell after the all clear to help the individual back into the building.  On the main library, reentry to the building from the stairwell can only be with a key or by someone in the library opening the door from inside the building. Jim Fromm, Building Manager

Mon Oct 29 08:26:47 2007 Off-campus

Every time I have come to the Library to study, the workers reshelving the books have been extremely loud on the thrid floor. I believe that it is the same people each time a guy and a girl. they are now currentley working at 830 on Monday, october 29, 2007 on the thrid floor. I would appreciate it if you could take care of this reoccuring problem.
Library response: I do apologize for this inconvenience. Per your description below, the two individuals re-shelving items are actually temporary workers who are doing the major shift in the Library. Because of the nature of the work, noise is going to be inevitable. Unfortunately, books and shelves may fall as they are loading the trucks causing much of this noise. An alternative for you to study is on the 4th and 5th floors. These floors are the designated quiet floors and at the moment we are not currently shifting in those areas.  Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Becky Gonzalez, Materials Access Team

Tue Oct 30 03:22:08 2007 Library

I am a graduate student here at the U of A, and I am very disturbed by the change in double sided printing in the library. You have started charging double for it! This change seemed to have happened very quietly. I have to print a lot of articles for my studies, and I used to print double sided. Please try to rethink this so that we can give people an incentive to save paper, and give the students a break. Thank you.
Library response: Thank you for you comment.  I understand your disappointment in the change that we made when charging .10 per imprint (per side) rather than .10 per sheet.  We made this change in order to keep consistent throughout the University.  All the OSCR labs on campus that offer double sided printing, charge .10 per side. I apologize for causing any more financial strain.  To answer your question about the receipt, if you go to the Cat Card Office, they can print a statement of transactions that occurred on your cat card chip.  You would need to take your cat card to the Cat Card Office at the Student Union.  Deborah Quintana, Document Delivery Team

Tue Oct 30 20:16:03 2007 Library

It is very useful, especially for students doing web projects, to be able to see web pages at different screen resolutions, but the main library computers cannot be adjusted due to administrative restrictions. This is to suggest that the resolution adjustment be made available on the systems.
Library response: We understand your problem, but it is not possible to do this because of security features we have implemented in the Information Commons. If a student needs to test a webpage in a different resolution they might be able to do it in a OCSR lab.   Steve  Oren, Digital Library & Information Systems Team