| Library as Place | Comment/Response | Status | Discipline | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good study location | Thank you and we hope to improve study space with future renovations | UGrad | psych | male |
| chairs could be more comfy | As we move forward with renovating the building we also want to provide more comfortable furniture. | UGrad | performing arts | female |
| Space limitations rob the resource center of its potential as an "inspirational study haven." | We understand the limitations of our current facility. The renovations plans which we will do in phases should provide a more comfortable learning environment. | Grad | education | female |
| I think our library would be used more if the setting was more inviting for study. Torgeson Bridge is a much better setting and that's why people go there. Hard wooden desk and chairs, bland decorations and lighting make it an uncomfortable location to study. | We hope to accomplish the "Bridge look" as we move forward with renovating the building. | UGrad | psych | female |
| I think the physical conditions and the service at the library are more than adequate. | Thank you for your positive comment. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| The library would be a good deal more useful if there were more comfortable, inviting places where students could study. | We agree and that is why we are diligently working to get funding for major renovation that will include more comfortable and inviting spaces for students to study. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| Make it more quiet. Have janitors clean it while it is closed. | Some areas of the library are noisy because of the level of activities on that floor. Housekeeping does start work at 5am. Quiet areas of the library tend to be on the 4th and 5th floors. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| More private small group study rooms needed (besides the ONE that exists) | We do have more than one group study room. Three are located on the 2nd floor and one on the 4th floor. However, you are right that we need even more and thanks to the Parents' Fund, we will be building 5 new group study rooms in 2005. | Grad | arch | female |
| I'd like to put in a word for maybe a few more group study spaces | We will be increasing the number of group study rooms. Thanks to the Parents' Fund we will be building 5 additional group study rooms in 2005. | UGrad | other | female |
| The first floor of the library is very welcoming But whoever designed the library upstairs didn't think that it's just impossible to study there. I would definitely create space that inspires creativity and research to make the stay and study in the library the good experience | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building. | Grad | agriculture | female |
| I never go to the library because I feel the dark, hard surfaces are not conducive to studying. | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building. | UGrad | arch | female |
| maybe designate certain areas group work areas and others quiet space | We will be increasing the number of group study rooms in 2005. With a generous gift from the Parents Fund we will build 5 additional group study rooms. Currently, the quiet areas are 4th and 5th floors. | UGrad | business | male |
| I think the library has good service, and good resources, but the atmosphere is boring, uncomfortable, and not great for studying | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| I should also note that living in the area obviates the need for me to use the library as a "refuge" so I do not rate that service high, where other might find this a valuable service. | Thank you for your input. | Grad | education | male |
| Good group work areas are provided but somewhat hard to find. The area with the globe and the rocking chairs is a very comfortable place to read. | The group study rooms can be found on the floor maps located in the lobby. If you have problems finding them, please ask at the Reference Desk in the lobby or at the Circulation desk. | UGrad | psych | male |
| Having more access to group workspace would be nice... they always seem full. Also, computer access is slightly limited. | We do plan more group study areas in 2005. We were funded by the Parents' Fund to build 5 additional group study rooms. The public machines in the library are devoted primarily to use for finding library and research materials. The computer labs located throughout the campus are intended for use for doing word processing and personal use and the library does not duplicate that service. You can locate the labs by checking the Web site www.cclab.vt.edu/ | Grad | business | male |
| I avoid the library whenever possible because it is not a comfortable place to study. It is too institutional in the study areas, and the seating does not promote comfortable studying which makes it hard for me to stay there for extended periods of time. I understand the stacks being formal and uninviting, but it would be great if the study areas would be more comfortable and suitable for long periods of study. | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building which will include more comfortable and inviting places to conduct quiet study and reflection. | UGrad | psych | female |
| The noise level in the library is too much. The chief culprits are the librarians. | Offices are located close by study areas and your comment is noted. We will remind those who have offices close to study areas to be more attentive of their office activities and to keep doors closed. | Grad | education | male |
| I'm satisfied with the library services, but I would prefer to be able to say that I am "pleased." It would help tremendously if, study spaces were more comfortable (the chairs hurt your behind), if there were more quiet locations for group study, and if the library were more easily navigable. The current set up in Newman is rather confusing. I find it difficult to find my way around without a map and I have been using this library for 5 years. Personally, I believe that a user friendly library should not require a map to navigate. | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building which will include inviting places to conduct quiet study and reflection. The renovation of the building will allow us to move services to the second floor and to improve on the layout of the entire building. | Grad | comm/journ | female |
| I do wish there was more comfortable places to come and study. I presently am more likely to study other places as a result, even though the library is seconds from my dorm. | We hope to address this problem when we renovate the building. | UGrad | Eng/CS | female |
| I like the pretty, comfortable reading chairs that have been added to the lobby. Unfortunately, this is one of the loudest and busiest places in the building. Put some comfortable chairs in quiet places. | Thank you for commenting on the comfortable chairs we added to the lobby and we will consider some quieter areas to place some. | Grad | education | female |
| I also appreciate having a quiet place to study before class when I do not have time to go home after work. I have never had trouble finding a quiet corner to sit and read, which is something I really appreciate. | Thank you for your nice, positive comment. | Grad | education | female |
| Excellent facilities that are well planned keeping the students interest in mind. Keep up the good work. | Thank you for nice, positive comment. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| The library is too small. I 't understand how all the books that are particular to a subject can be housed in just one library on campus. | Actually they aren't. We have some 300,000 books in off-campus storage that you can retrieve as needed. We also have two branch libraries with major collections oriented toward Art/Architecture and veterinary medicine. | Grad | other | female |
| The library is too noisy. It's cold most of the time. Lighting is insufficient. The chairs are uncomfortable. The setup is hard to move through. | Well, you have covered most of the problems of the building that we hope to address with a major renovation. | Grad | other | female |
| I 't really have the problem with the library itself or the people, but the way everything is laid out. It's very hard to find things, the books needed are often on different floors, and its actually very easy to get lost/turned around. | I understand the difficulty navigating the building. Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as on each floor when you get off the elevator. If you have problems finding materials, don't hesitate to ask for help at the Reference Desk in the lobby or the Circulation Desk on the first floor. | UGrad | agriculture | female |
| the library is in need of money...to undergo an 'aesthetic' upgrade; this will encourage many more people to come there to utilize the services the library provides, as well as to study and work. | We are working diligently to raise funding in order to renovate the library. We know that the facility needs updating for users to have a more comfortable, reflective environment to study in and conduct research. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| Need more really quiet secluded areas away from all the jumble of people, for students to get their homework e with out interruption and with a quiet atmosphere. | We currently are limited in creating quiet spaces. Areas away from offices and public service points are your best choice. The 3rd floor on the Drill Field side tends to be quiet as well as the entire 5th floor. | UGrad | business | female |
| It is very hard to study in Newman the floors squeak when it rains. | We are very lucky to have an excellent housekeeping staff who keep the floors clean and polished and thus squeaky clean. Sorry you are bothered by this. Perhaps studying on the 5th floor where there's less foot traffic would work for you. | Grad | agriculture | female |
| I think this library is excellent, except that it is not a comfortable place to study. If there were places that were more cozy (less open) and a little less bright with more comfortable chairs then perhaps I would use it more, but as it is, I only actually GO to the library when I need to. | We do plan to renovate the building over the next few years and plan to address study areas. We will plan to have more comfortable seating and more intimate areas for individual and group studying. | Grad | psych | female |
| Temperature in the library is set to very cold and keeps me away. Environment in library is not conducive to studying. Furniture is uncomfortable. There should be more computer portals. | Temperature control in the building remains a problem because it is centrally controlled. At the same time, we must also factor in climate control for the collection. With our planned renovation over the next few years, we will address the problem of more comfortable furniture and more computer portals. | Grad | Eng/CS | female |
| would use the library a lot more and actually do work there if parking was not such a problem. Also, the work areas are not very inviting. | With our centralized campus, parking close to major service buildings is indeed a problem. However, we have seen some conceptual plans for the future regarding increased parking spaces. The Blacksburg Transit does operate all the hours the library is open and there's a convenient stop at the doors of the library. With our proposed renovation plans, we are planning more inviting, comfortable study and lounge areas. | Grad | other | female |
| I 't know if there's anything that can be e about this, but a lot of the time in the private studying areas, people talk on cell phones or to each other and it's really annoying and distracting. | We have not had a lot of complaints about cell phone use. Many libraries have established policies about the use of cell phones and if the problem persist we will plan to do so by limiting use in certain areas of the library. If this continues to be a problem, please feel free to ask the person to go elsewhere or report it to the staff at the Circulation Desk. | UGrad | psych | female |
| Also, the computers in the library are pretty run down. Internet access is slow and the screens are small. | You will find that we have updated the public terminals with new PCs. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| I 't use the library much for research, but for a quiet place to study. It would be really nice to see the library get a more welcoming and nicer area...torg bridge is always crowded and we need another nice place on campus to chill and get work e. | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | UGrad | health | female |
| The study space, pay attention, is austere. The library is not supposed to be a cold institution or a warehouse for books, but a place to foster intellectual fervor. To give people a place where they are comfortable studying and spending time there between classes or at the end of a long day. | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | UGrad | performing arts | male |
| The library needs to be re-designed to make it more user friendly. There should be more space for work with computers and other resources handy. I can walk around the library for hours and not get a thing e. We really need to look into making this situation better. Please work on this!!! | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| more comfortable study areas should be established | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| I would like for there to be better parking for students near the library. I feel that is the biggest inconvenience for me. | With our centralized campus, parking close to major service buildings is indeed a problem. However, we have seen some conceptual plans for the future regarding increased parking spaces. The Blacksburg Transit does operate all the hours the library is open and there's a convenient stop at the doors of the library. | Grad | Eng/CS | female |
| Many of the computers do not work, and most of them need new mouses...it can be frustrating...but I think that everyone understands based on budget crunches...overall though, I enjoy using the facilities :-) | You find that we have updated the public terminals with new PCs. | UGrad | comm/journ | female |
| The library needs to be more inviting than it is now, in terms of on premise study. Instead of wooden desks and chairs, more comfortable and more colorful furniture needs to be in place. Nicer and more inviting environment should be created so that students can go to and study in the library. Apart from that it is a very good library and I am quite satisfied with the service. | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| The only downside to the Northern Virginia campus library is the apparent legitimacy of cell phone use and/or loud conversations of library customers. If something could be e to limit cell phone use in the library and/or the inconsiderate conversations of library patrons, the library environment would be that much better. | We're sorry you've been disturbed by the conversations and cell phones of others and will look into maintaining a decreased noise level that will improve the library environment at the Northern Virginia center. | Grad | business | male |
| I think the Library could really benefit from some updated more comfortable furniture. I also think there should be more clearly designated areas for independent (quiet areas) work and group work (areas to talk). | We plan to address this with plans for renovation of the library. | UGrad | humanities | female |
| The facility and space are great, but I would like more signs to stairs and other call number sections. I get lost. | Thank you for your suggestion and we will look at increasing signage and floor maps. | Grad | Eng/CS | female |
| need better environment for studying !!! | We will address this with our proposed plans to renovate the library. | UGrad | business | female |
| Study areas are very poor | We will address this with our proposed plans to renovate the library. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| People are always talking loudly in library especially staff going for break. | We will remind staff about talking loudly in areas designated for study. The 5th floor tends to be the quietest floor with fewer people coming and going. | Grad | psych | male |
| The setup of the library is somewhat confusing in the way that the books are numbered and arranged. | We use the Library of Congress system to classify materials. I would suggest taking advantage of many of the instructional opportunities offered by the Instruction, Reference, & Outreach Department to learn more about the library and its organization. I think you will find the time spent well worth it and the payoff for you will make it easier to do research and find materials in the library. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| I have also found the library to be difficult to navigate in terms of finding what I need in a moderate amount of time. | Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as in front of each elevator. If you are having any difficultly finding materials, please ask the staff at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or the staff at the Reference Desk in the lobby for assistance. | UGrad | psych | female |
| The library has a ton of resources to use that would be wonderful if I actually wanted to do my work there. But the reality is the library is a silent, cold, tiled, green walled horrible space that makes me feel very uncomfortable. I hate doing any research there because of that and actually got a library card at Blacksburg Library simply because their environment is so inviting. They have carpeting, comfy, cushioned chairs, interesting things on the walls and a staff who is always waiting with a smile. That's what I think of when I think of a library...a place you can go to experience literature instead of just pick it up. | With our proposed renovation plans, we intend to make the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | UGrad | comm/journ | female |
| The space is also uncomfortable. | With our proposed renovation plans, we intend to make the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | Grad | sci/math | female |
| There have been a few letter to the Collegiate Times complaining about a lack of sofas and other luxuries; I 't think this is a problem; I am completely satisfied with the current seating options in the library. | Thank you for your positive feedback. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| It would be nice if the places to study were a bit nicer | We plan to address more inviting, comfortable study areas with the proposed renovation of the building. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| love the lightings and study space | Thank you and we plan to continue to work to improve the facility. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| That alarm that rings before the library closes sounds really disturbing to me, you should change it , have someone speak instead of ringing that scary alarm | We do not have a public announcement system. The bell system seems to work best to alert people that the library is closing. | UGrad | business | female |
| There needs to be a more inviting atmosphere to be able to sit down COMFORTABLY and study. There are minimal areas provided that make me feel like I want to go to the library to study. | With our proposed renovation plans, we intend to make the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | UGrad | humanities | female |
| the library is like a maze. I can never find my way to anything I need. the seats are uncomfortable and uninviting. I'd much rather study and work in a place like the torg bridge, johnson student center, etc. | Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as in front of each elevator. If you are having any difficultly finding materials, please ask the staff at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or the staff at the Reference Desk in the lobby for assistance. We have plans to do major renovation of the library that will include making the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| Study areas should be a bit more warm, if possible carpeted, since the library is always cool. Study area should be expanded bit more, something similar to Torgersen study area or better. | With our proposed renovation plans, we intend to make the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| The library is not a very inviting place. there are few comfortable study areas and everything is spread out and very confusing. Things most used are not readily accessible and none of the layout is intuitive. | Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as in front of each elevator. If you are having any difficultly finding materials, please ask the staff at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or the staff at the Reference Desk in the lobby for assistance. We have plans to do major renovation of the library that will include making the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| very clean! | Thank you and we are very fortunate to having a dedicated housekeeping staff. | UGrad | health | female |
| In a library, I value quiet, individual and comfortable study space with a wealth of accessible information. | Thank you for your comment. You don't indicate whether our library meets your needs for quiet and individual study spaces. I hope we do and we want to improve on it. We have plans to renovate the building to make it more comfortable and inviting with a wealth of information available. Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as in front of each elevator. If you are having any difficultly finding materials, please ask the staff at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or the staff at the Reference Desk in the lobby for assistance. We have plans to do major renovation of the library that will include making the library more inviting and comfortable for users. We are looking at ways to improve both the signage and the maps, both of which should help you find things more readily. And we have recently redesigned the web interface and hope that you will find it easier to use. | UGrad | other | male |
| Study areas need to be brighter in terms of lighting. | Thank you for your suggestion. As we move forward with our proposed renovation plans for the building, lighting will be a key part of that plan. | UGrad | business | male |
| the library is great t turn it into some stupid community center. It is a place to find resources and study them not a place for group work if they want to do that and disturb others then there are plenty of places to do that like the horrendous math emporium | Thank you for the positive comment. The intent of a proposed renovation is to make the library more inviting and reflective for studying and research. We do understand our mission to be a research library and at the same time can also be a comfortable and inviting place for students and faculty. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| I tend not to come to the actual library because of the temperature. Normally, in the summer, it is entirely too cold to study in the library. During the winter, most times it is not warm enough with creates a difficult environment to study and concentrate. I think I would use the physical facilities in the library more if I were more comfortable, and if there were possibly facilities within to get warm/cold drinks and snacks. | Temperature control in the building remains a problem because it is centrally controlled. At the same time, we must also factor in climate control for the collection. With our planned renovation over the next few years, we will address the problem of more comfortable furniture and more computer portals. | Grad | education | female |
| The library's layout is confusing. The organization of journals is confusing. Searching for information in them using the web interface could be easier. | Floor maps are located in the lobby as well as in front of each elevator. If you are having any difficultly finding materials, please ask the staff at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or the staff at the Reference Desk in the lobby for assistance. We have plans to do major renovation of the library that will include making the library more inviting and comfortable for users. | Grad | humanities | female |
| The people at the library are not the problem, but the access is a HUGE issue for an off campus user. It is poorly designed in my opinion. The library facility could use some redesign so that the quiet area is apart from the front desk. On the positive side, the group rooms provided are very useful. | I am not sure what you are addressing when you mention "access." If it is parking, we do understand that it is a problem. With our centralized campus, parking close to major service buildings is indeed a problem. However, we have seen some conceptual plans for the future regarding increased parking spaces. The Blacksburg Transit does operate all the hours the library is open and there's a convenient stop at the doors of the library. With our proposed renovation plans, we are planning more inviting, comfortable study and lounge areas. Thank you for your positive comment about group study rooms and the renovation will provide even more. | Grad | psych | female |
| it's your average university library- acceptable | Our goal along with the university is to move toward being a top 30 library. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| One criticism I have of the environment itself is that it is always so COLD! | Temperature control in the building remains a problem because it is centrally controlled. At the same time, we must also factor in climate control for the collection. | Grad | psych | female |
| the chairs in the library are not comfortable. hard wooden chairs are designed for quick turnover. I am not sure how someone can study for any length of time sitting in those. there should be study space set aside for graduate students | We have plans to renovate the building to make it more inviting and comfortable. We will have more group study rooms available that should meet some needs of graduate students. I am assuming you are suggesting individual study carrels for graduate students and we will certainly consider it as part of our plans to meet student needs in using the library. | Grad | business | male |
| Quieter chairs - whenever I am in a quiet study area and either I or someone else pulls out a chair, the noise of it against the floor is distracting. If something exists, it would be coo to have little feet on the legs that make less noise. The actual chairs are fine (comfort, etc). | Thank you for pointing out the problem and we will look into the possibility of adding pads on the feet of the chairs. | Grad | business | female |
| Our library seems to be segmented into too many different areas. I believe there should be one all inclusive desk that would be able to service any question, similar to a customer service area in a department store. | With our proposed renovation plans all services will be centered around the entrance on the 2nd floor to the library. We have not finalized how this will happen but your suggestion is a good one that we certainly will consider when arranging our services on that floor. | Grad | other | male |
| I loathe the Newman Library. I became familiar with four other college or university libraries during my education, and Newman is by far the worst building: uninviting, cold, confusing and inefficient due to a lack of card catalog computers and its being chopped up among five floors linked by elevators that must by powered by squirrels in cages. Really, take a wrecking ball to the damn thing and build a real library. I like little out-of-the-way chairs and carrels, but those in Newman are uninviting. Seldom do I want to just grab a book from the stacks and slink off to a comfortable nearby chair to look it over. | We hope that the proposed renovation plan to redo the building will address the problems you point out. The renovation goal is to make the library more inviting and comfortable. Public terminals are located throughout the building to access the online catalog, Addison. A large bank is located in the lobby area and corridor running alongside Special Collections. If you have problems finding a computer, please ask at the Reference Desk in the lobby. | Grad | arch | male |
| Internally, the library is improving and inviting. | Thank you for the positive comment. A proposed renovation should make the library even more inviting and comfortable. | Grad | vet med | female |
| Overall, service is great, but the environment is not inviting...perhaps carpeting the floors | Thank for your positive feedback about services. We are proud of our dedicated staff who are very supportive of the university's mission to meet the research and educational needs of students. We have plans to renovate the library and will be considering what types of floors to have in the various areas. | Grad | agriculture | male |
| I do not find the aesthetic appeal of the building's interior inviting at all. It is very plain, and the furniture is uncomfortable. The wooden cubicles are too small to accommodate the number of books and periodicals needed to do research, and the big tables are too far from power sources for my laptop. | We hope that the proposed renovation plan to redo the building will address the problems you point out. The renovation goal is to make the library more inviting and comfortable. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| Also, providing study carrels for graduate students may encourage more in-library usage. | With our proposed renovation plans we will be considering the research and study needs of our graduate students. | Grad | education | female |
| Even now, if the main campus library had more quite comfortable areas for long hours of studying, I would use it more often. The couches in tucked away corners are good, but are too few. Small study rooms with comfortable furniture would be ideal. | The proposed renovation calls for a more comfortable and inviting study and lounge areas as well as more group study rooms. | Grad | vet med | female |
| Please, no more library tours. The best way for those students to learn their way around the library and how to use the facilities is to actually do an activity locating a particular resource. They are also very distracting for me while I'm studying. I spend a lot of time studying in the library. Putting a snack and/or drink machine would help me put in those long hours. | With limited access to most students, tours are one of the few ways that we can provide a basic introduction to the library. When possible we do work with exercises that have students actually finding and using materials, but that isn't always an option. However, we will try to be more sensitive to people who are studying, particularly in the quiet study areas of the library. Our proposed renovation plans call for a café in what is presently the lobby area. | UGrad | sci/math | female |
| The hardwood chairs in the library are not comfort if you need to study for a long time. They are too hard. | The plans for renovating the building will include more comfortable furniture. | Grad | education | female |
| More group study space is need urgently for midterms and finals. | Our plans for renovating the library building will include more group study rooms. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| Also, one or two of the floors should be designated for quiet, individual study. Even places that are set up for quiet study have people walking through talking loudly. I think certain spaces can be designed differently to discourage such noise in some areas. A person should walk into that space and feel uncomfortable with being loud. | Your point is well taken about quiet areas but monitoring is a problem. To some extent self-monitoring helps maintain a quiet atmosphere. Currently, the areas on the 3rd floor, Drill Field side of the building and the 5th floor are quiet areas. | Grad | arch | male |
| I'm frustrated by the lack of space available at the library in vet med and the overall layout of the library at Newman, also lacking in what I consider quality space for study/research | I am not sure what types of space you are referring to the Vet Med Library. There are no plans to expand that facility. As to Newman Library, we have plans to renovate the building that will address quality space for study and research. | Grad | vet med | female |
| It would be nice to have rooms with a lock that could be checked out on a daily basis so I can go to the bathroom or get lunch without having to pack up all my stuff and hide the books I am using so no one takes them while I am away from the table. How often do you check the lockers that people rent? I have seen the book or journal edition that I am looking for in one of these lockers on the 3rd floor on several occasions. 't let people hog materials for more than a couple of days unless they have checked out the books -- and should never put journals in the lockers overnight. | Our renovation plans call for more attention for the needs of graduate students. We check the rented lockers periodically a semester. If materials are found in the locker that have not been checked out or are non-circulating, the person looses rental privileges. | Grad | education | female |
| Alot of other concerns is that the physical set up the library are not pleasing, and does not make me want to spend the day there studying. The lighting especially on the fourth floor is poor if the area is not supplemented by natural light. Also I think there needs to be more "nooks and crannies" of individual work desks. The majority of workspace is set up for group work, and next to it individuals, unfortunately this set up means there is more noise in areas meant for study. | Our goal with our proposed renovation plans is to make the library more comfortable and inviting. Thank you for pointing out the need for better lighting and we will certainly address this as we move forward with our renovation plans. | Grad | sci/math | female |
| A lot of students use Virginia Tech's Math Emporium as a place to study individually or in groups. I think the library should promote its services in other areas. Other than a brief overview at orientation, I 't recall seeing much else about what service the library can offer students. | The library has a very viable and active Web site to promote services, resources, and learning opportunities. If you have not visited the library lately, you will find an abundance of printed materials available at the Reference Desk in the lobby and the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| A great resource and support system for graduate students | Thank you for your positive feedback. | Grad | education | female |
| needs to be a COMPLETELY quiet area.....I'm so sick of hearing people on their cell phones up on the 3-5 floors ...or talking to their friends .....I just need a completely quiet place to study! | Your point is well taken about quiet areas but monitoring is a problem. To some extent self-monitoring helps maintain a quiet atmosphere. Currently, the areas on the 4th floor, Drill Field side of the building and the 5th floor are quiet areas. If the cell problem persist, we , like many other academic libraries, will have to restrict cell phone use to certain areas of the library. | UGrad | business | female |
| Nova campus library is not geared towards CompSci or Engineering disciplines, so I basically never use it for research - only group meetings. | I am glad you take advantage of the facility for meetings. We have attempted to meet the research needs of our distance learners through electronic resources and ILLIAD. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| The library is a maze to navigate, I would recommend the building of a new facility. | Given the cost of library construction, building a new facility is impossible. However, we do have plans to renovate the current facility. The renovation will address the layout of the building and make it easier to navigate. | Grad | arch | male |
| 1. could have a graduate study area that has adequate light, is quiet, and is warm (the library is exceptionally cold even in winters and its very difficult to study there for a long time). | Temperature control in the building remains a problem because it is centrally controlled. At the same time, we must also factor in climate control for the collection. The best locations for quiet study is the 3rd floor facing the Drill Field side of the building and the 5th floor. | Grad | business | male |
| Library parking is also a major problem for off-campus patrons. The 45-minute spaces in front of the book store, even when they aren't full, just 't provide enough time to get much e in the library. | With our centralized campus, parking close to major service buildings is indeed a problem. However, we have seen some conceptual plans for the future regarding increased parking spaces. The Blacksburg Transit does operate all the hours the library is open and there's a convenient stop at the doors of the library. | Grad | health | male |
| Cell phones: I 't think some folks realize how loud they are speaking, especially when talking on their cell phones. There must be some effort to further notify students that speaking in "study" areas on the cellular phone is unacceptable. I understand making or receiving an occasional call - make or receive it by the stacks, not by the study tables. Also, talking on the phone while leaving and walking to the elevators does not mean those folks studying in the vicinity of your path are not disturbed. In general, I think the library is great. As is probably obvious, I use it often and think there are not too many better places to get some serious studying e. | While many libraries have a cell phone use policy, we do not. We have not had many complaints about cell phone use as a problem. We would like to encourage people to do self monitoring. Also, feel free to approach people and ask them to go elsewhere to talk. If the problem persist, we will undertake some measures to control the use of cell phone. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| the library is always too cold in terms of temperature making it uncomfortable to study long hours. | Temperature control in the building remains a problem because it is centrally controlled. At the same time, we must also factor in climate control for the collection. | Grad | Eng/CS | female |
| The chairs with tables that house computers are too low. Thus causing difficulty using the computers in those locations. | We have attempted to place public computers on a variety of table heights. Keep in mind that banks of computers are located throughout the library and finding the right match for you may be a matter of looking at these various banks. | Grad | education | female |
| , might consider remodeling layout and stuff. | We have plans to do major renovation over the next few years. You will see the beginning of phase 1 in January 2005 when we expand our Digital Library and Special Collections. | Grad | Eng/CS | female |
| The tours are annoying when I'm doing homework, but otherwise it is a very good environment. | With limited access to most students, tours are one of the few ways that we can provide a basic introduction to the library. However, we will try to be more sensitive to people who are studying, particularly in the quiet study areas of the library. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |
| Cell phones must be forbidden. | While many libraries have a cell phone use policy, we do not. We have not had many complaints about cell phone use as a problem. We would like to encourage people to do self monitoring. Also, feel free to approach people and ask them to go elsewhere to talk. If the problem persist, we will undertake some measures to control the use of cell phone. | Grad | agriculture | female |
| The library is not an inviting place to study as it is now. Perhaps changes should be made- an example of a college library to look at would be clemmons (sp?) at UVA- it has two floors devoted to student study. There are comfy chairs, tons of tables, and it is ALWAYS packed because it is a comfortable place for the students to be. | One of the goals of the proposed renovation plans for the library is to make it more comfortable and inviting. | Grad | education | female |
| I feel the atmosphere can be improved greatly. it is not very comfortable and some what unwelcoming | One of the goals of the proposed renovation plans for the library is to make it more comfortable and inviting. | UGrad | education | female |
| Also, it has gotten quite noisy in the A/A library lately with groups working on projects. | Unfortunately, with the amount of space available in the A/A library, group work does make it a bit noisy. We see what we can do to maintain a reduced noise level that is more conducive to study. | Grad | arch | female |
| It would be nice if the library has more group study rooms. | With funding from the Parents' Fund, we will be adding 5 additional group study rooms in 2005. | Grad | sci/math | female |
| The individual study desks are not comfortable or inviting to use for study, although they are big enough. | As we renovate the building we will be considering more comfortable furniture for study purposes and comfortable conversational areas. | Grad | Eng/CS | male |
| I personally think that the wooden chairs placed in the library are not very good. First of all, they are somewhat uncomfortable. Second of all, they are heavy and make a loud noise when sliding across the floor which could cause a disturbance whenever a person is moving their seat. | As we renovate the building we will be considering more comfortable furniture for study purposes and comfortable conversational areas. In the meantime, we will look into putting pads on the feet of the chairs. | UGrad | Eng/CS | male |