March 2008 Comments Archive
Closing bell complaint | Vet Med hours - request to be open longer
March 1, 2008: Closing bell complaint
Hi,
Your current alert system telling patrons the library is about to close has to be done away with. Considering how technologically innovative VT is, you can surely come up with something much more effective and suitable for a library than a grating buzz that is too loud and lasts too long. I realize you want to get people's attention, but certainly you can be more professional about it. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
I am sorry you find the system offensive. Closing the building is difficult for our staff. Some people simply refuse to leave or continue to linger long after the "grating buzzer" announces the closing time. Our staff who are closing have had a long day and deserve to get on with the routine of their job of getting the building secured and leaving for their workday. The buzzer system seems to be the best way to announce to people that the building is getting ready to close within 15 minutes and to prepare to leave. Otherwise, staff would be here way beyond their normal work day attempting to clear the building. Most other academic libraries use similar bell systems to announce closures.
Thank you for input and hope this puts things in perspective for you.
Don Kenney, Associate Dean of Libraries
Mar 4, 2008: Vet Med hours - request to be open longer
If the Vet Med Library were open longer hours we would be very appreciative. Specifically, the weekend hours could be longer. Being open longer on Friday and Saturday nights would help, as well as opening earlier on Sunday morning. As professional students we spend most of our time studying and having the library is a necessary tool. In addition, the librarian is often talking loudly in the library. He will talk loudly, even when there are many people in the library. We would appreciate it if he would respect the silence of the library, especially since he is the librarian! Thank you.
The Vet. Med. Library hours were cut several years ago in response to budget cuts. We close at 6:00 p.m. on Friday instead of 8:00 p.m. so that we can open at 11:00 a.m. instead of 1:00 p.m. on Sunday as requested. Data collected some years ago showed that very few students use the library on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Veterinary Medical Library's policy states that students can check out Reserve Books two hours before the library closes and return them one hour after the Library reopens. So students are not deprived of the use of Reserve materials.
As for study space, there are classrooms, seminar rooms and "the Commons" that are open 24 hours for use. With minimum wage going up, with no corresponding increase in budget, the only options is to reshuffle the hours the Library is open.
As to "loud talking" by library staff, it is by no means intentional. There might be occasions when it is unavoidable, like responding to a patron that might be hard of hearing, etc.
Vicki Kok, Head of Vet Med Library