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- We will respond to suggestions within seven days.
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Suggestions and Responses
Talking in the library
May I please request that patrols be made on the ground floor of the central library in order to hush students down there. It seems people who stop temporarily on the seating in the passageway parallel to the computer area are unaware of how much the sound travels to the floors above. Students passing through and talking at normal volume are very noisy. The sound seems to travel and is heard crystal clear from all the celebrity squares. Very annoying :(
T
Dear T
Thank you for the heads-up. Library staff will keep an eye on the area and ask folk to quieten down if the noise is too great.
HCB
13.10.11
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Air in Robertson library
I suggest that library should put the odor eliminator for the Bill Robertson Library especially in the Computer Room area. It is because this closed area is a bit stuffy and the bad body odor that trapped in this area make me feel uncomfortable and headache. I hope you may consider my suggestion. Thank you.
User of Bill Robertson Library
Dear Robertson Library User
Thank you for drawing our attention to the air quality issue at the Robertson Library. Library staff have double checked the Seminar Room and as a result we have placed a request for the air control system to be double checked. The new building systems were only commissioned in December 2010, so various adjustments are being made as situations like this arise.
MH
4.10.11
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Internet speed
Improve your internet speed!! Its ridiculous how slow the University's internet speed is at times in the Central and Law libraries. This is not a unique problem and happens across the wireless network to student's laptops. Often it is so slow the internet pages will time out. This is not acceptable from a tertiary institution where students rely on the internet for their studies.
Sam
Dear Sam
ITS have recently made changes to the student network so internet speed should improve. If you continue to have problems with the speed of the student network, please contact the ITS HelpDesk. Let them know what operating system and web browser you're using (including versions) and also whether you are connected via a network cable or wireless.
HCB
12.8.11
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Internet speed II
Hi, I've had to come back from the library four times now because the Internet was so slow that no lecture slides could download. I talked to ITS but they said people are working on it or had fixed it etc. but nothing ever seems to improve. The library's first priority should be internet as it is such a vital resource to university life.
O
Dear O
ITS have recently made changes to the student network so internet speed should improve. If you continue to have problems with the speed of the student network, please contact the ITS HelpDesk. Let them know what operating system and web browser you're using (including versions) and also whether you are connected via a network cable or wireless.
HCB
12.8.11
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E-Books
I wonder if it would be possible to expand the library's e-book services; I suspect there are many publishing houses which offer e-book collections, but one in particular, Brill, seems to offer a wide-range of e-books for various disciplines, and it would benefit both students and staff to have access to their collections. According to their website they cater to "Humanities and Social Sciences, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, International Law and Biology and Sciences." I hope this might be considered, or at least trialled, to see if there is enough interest. Their website is: http://ebooks.brillonline.nl/public_home
C
Dear C
It is great that you are interested in ebooks. The Library is continually expanding its ebook collection through purchases of publisher or subject collections, and also through our patron driven ebook acquisition model. The patron driven model uses a profile based on publishers, subjects, and publication date ranges to identify ebooks matching the University's research, teaching and learning foci. Records for these titles are regularly imported into the Library catalogue for discovery by staff and students. The Library does not initially own this content. Instead, all non-owned titles are available for a browse period to enable the user to evaluate the material, and to request further access if required. Depending on the resource and the user need, the Library either purchases the title for perpetual use, or purchases a loan of 1 day through to 2 weeks. By using this model, the Library can provide access to a contemporary, evolving collection of ebooks which is customised to the needs of the University community.
In total the Library currently provides access to around 350,000+ ebooks and we are adding new content on a monthly basis. Although we do not currently have any subject collections from Brill, we do have over two hundred Brill ebooks available mostly in Humanities and Social Sciences subjects. All of the Library's ebook content is searchable through the Library catalogue, or Summon.
PH
26.7.11
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Desk dividers in Robertson library
Would dividers be able to be put up on the study desks within the Robertson library in a manner similar to those in Central? When I'm studying, i don't really want to see what the people on either side of me are playing on their computers.
Thank you
Thank you for your suggestion - it has been noted for future reference. The Robertson Library study spaces were designed with collaborative learning in mind, therefore dividers were not included. It could be possible to design removable dividers such as those designed and installed at the Law Library in 2009.
The Library is monitoring the use made of the new facilities at the Robertson Library during this first year of occupation. As a result of our observations and feedback from people such as yourself, we will certainly plan to make any adaptions and improvements in the next year or two.
MH
9.6.11
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Unattended belongings in library
I'm concerned about the number of forgetful students that simply leave their belongings in the library. Perhaps someone from the library could go around and place all the unattended items in the lost and found, thereby letting the students regain their possessions and allowing the rest of us a place to study.
Concerned
Dear Concerned
At this time of year, study spaces can be in very high demand. Please do not hesitate to approach Library desk staff for assistance in finding a seat. Library staff also periodically carry out "parking ticket" patrols and an eye is being kept on seat booking.
HCB
9.6.11
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Study desks in the Robertson library
Hi,
Would dividers be able to be put up on the study desks within the Robertson library in a manner similar to those in Central? When I'm studying, i don't really want to see what the people on either side of me are playing on their computers.
Thank you
RK
Dear RK
Many thanks for your suggestion - it has been forwarded to the Library's Facilities Planning Coordinator for consideration.
HCB
29.5.11
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Library catalogue timeouts
Hi,
I have been finding the online catalogue quite frustrating. I don't know if this is better aired with ITS, but there is one problem that really bugs me. It's that every search you make and every page you open from a search is put on a timer and closes after a short time. this is really frustrating when I need to keep several items up as tabs on my computer. i know the behaviour is optimised for the terminals in the library, but i, like the majority of students, consult the catalogue off my laptop, and this is not an efficient feature for laptop usage. I would suggest that the timer be an opt-in feature that would be defaulted to on in the library terminals.
Thanks for your consideration.
Mac
Dear Mac
The Library's online catalogue uses a timeout feature to clear any sessions that have not been used for 10 minutes. This helps to reduce the load on the server and reduces the chance of someone leaving their account logged in on a public computer. A warning occurs two minutes before the due time giving the user the opportunity to reload the session or to start a new one. If a session times out it is very easy to restart a new session. Timeout functionality is fairly standard and a number of databases we subscribe to utilise it.
However we are aware that a number of users get frustrated with it and are investigating whether increasing the timeout is feasible. Though an opt in / opt out solution would be fantastic the settings are set at the webserver level and the timeout applies to all users irrespective of what type of computer they are using or where they are.
HB
27.5.11
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Noise from Robertson library study rooms
I would like to complain about the Group Study Rooms in the Robertson Library. I found that the group study rooms are not sound proof. One can hear every bits and pieces of what's being discussed in the rooms from the outside of the rooms. Sometimes the people who are using the rooms are not discussing / studying instead of just giggling around and stuff. It is really annoying and distracting too especially to people who are studying near the rooms.
NHJ
The six Group Study Rooms in the Robertson Library were tested upon completion and found to be reasonably well sound proofed, between them, and from outside. If the sliding door to a Group Study Room is not completely closed, then the gap will indeed allow sound to escape. These rooms were deliberately placed adjacent to stack areas as much as possible, so the books would absorb any sound leakage. The vast majority of study space in the Robertson Library is well away from the Group Study Rooms.
If noise is an issue in the future - do check to see if the door is firmly closed - if it isn't, you can close it. If it is closed, and there is ongoing disturbance, then either ask the students concerned to tone it down, or do approach a Library staff member, who can assess the situation and take any action required. If all else fails, see if there is another area in the Library that is available to study quietly in.
MH
6.4.11
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Education material relocated to Robertson library
I have just returned to my office (DSM, Dunedin Hospital) following an abortive attempt to browse the education section in the main library. Moving the whole of the education section to the Bill Robertson library is really ill-considered and just reinforces the widely held idea that academic staff do not need to know anything about education. I cannot see many staff from this end of the campus having the time for a 2.6km walk!
Dear D,
I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you have experienced. The Bill Robertson Library originally contained a large proportion of resources for education. With the recent refurbishment/enlarging of the Robertson Library, all education material was relocated to the one site. It was felt that having all related hard copy resources in one place would lessen confusion about what was held where, as this has been an issue commented on by Library users in the past.
Library staff are currently looking at the feasibility of extending the call-slipping facility - particularly to assist academic staff. Call-slip requests will enable 'available' books to be selected from the catalogue by Library users and picked up at the branch of the patron's choice. This should help reduce walking time between the various branches of the Library.
HCB
1.04.11
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Noise from library gates
Dear Library,
I would like to draw your attention to the idea that the constant humming (high pitched) at the entrance doors of the library are incredibly disrupting on both a conscious level and especially a sub-conscious level. As well as this, the beeping whenever somebody hasn't properly logged out a book is severely distracting to those who can hear it. Studies have shown that these types of noises being experienced at a sub-conscious level over long periods of time can be detrimental to study.
Dear R,
Thank you for your enquiry. The Library security gates are designed to set off an alarm if a book leaves the Library building without having been checked out. The alarm alerts both Library staff and Library patrons to the problem, so needs to be reasonably loud to ensure action is taken.
Although Library desk staff cannot detect a humming sound at the entrance doors, the issue has been reported to the Library's head custodian and a check will be carried out on the doors.
It may be advisable to study in a quieter area located away from the entrance. The inevitable traffic around the Library entrance can also be relatively noisy at times and distracting.
HCB
24.03.11
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Noise in the library
I'm only commenting on this because I've seen it happen several times. Two parents come into a library with a toddler who is below the age of speaking properly or self control. One parent does library things and the other hangs around doing nothing except waiting with the child who is making a lot of noise. Why can't the other parent wait with the child somewhere else? Each library has public eating and seating areas right outside so there's no excuse for annoying the rest of us.
Second thing, I've read the feedback board and saw something about cleaners not being allowed to clean the computer keyboards. They wouldn't be that dirty in the first place if people weren't eating stuff at them. No one enforces the no eating at the computer rule so they get yucky, it's as simple as that. Worst are the people who leave sticky stuff on the keys and crumbs and their wrappers there for the next poor person to feast their eyes on.
Muppet
Dear Muppet,
Please don't hesitate to approach a Library staff member if you are concerned about levels of noise, food consumption etc. Sometimes folk using the Library are unaware of the impact their behaviour is having on others and just need a quiet word.
Library staff are also keeping an eye out for dirty keyboards, so please do report any grubby equipment to a staff member at any service point. There are guidelines on the consumption of food and drink and these are posted around all Library branches.
HCB
07.03.11
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Windows in the Robertson library
Fix the electric windows in the bill robertson library. They are noisey, plus it's quite chilly in here. They won't stay still.
Hippy
Thank you for your suggestion. Yes, the Library staff have raised this issue too, and it has been referred to the ventilation designer for attention.
Regards
MH
7.3.2011
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Noise from library staff
Hi, there rules for being loud in the library for students but in the science library the majority of the time it is the librarians making noise and having really loud conversations to each other and laughing loudly. This is really annoying! Of all people they should know to be quiet. Can you please tell them to keep their conversations quiet and be mindful that though they are at work , they work in a library.
Dear El,
This message will certainly be passed on to the staff. Sometimes a reminder is needed to keep voices down.
Many thanks for letting us know.
HCB
02.03.11
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Make a Suggestion
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Last revised:
14 October, 2011
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