Maroon Opinions

Locker fee increases

To whom it may concern:

I just received an email about renewing my locker and was astonished to see that the cost of a locker has DOUBLED from $5 to $10 per quarter. This is a significant increase and I don´t understand exactly why.

Could someone explain why the cost of a storage space that many universities provide for free would go from $20 to $40 a year without notice? Has the cost of maintaining the lockers actually doubled over the last year?!

It should come as no surprise that as a graduate student, accustomed to a graduate student budget, I am upset about this. The lockers don´t have any maintenance cost I can figure out. This just seems like a sneaky and underhanded way for the library to take advantage of students and earn a quick buck. I not "buying" it.

The Suggestions Office received a few complaints yesterday, presumably as the result of locker renewal notices going out this week. Our friends in Access Services confirmed the reports: locker fees in Regenstein are now $10/quarter.

While it's true that some other libraries provide locker/carrel space for free, they do so on much more restrictive terms - for example, very few undergraduates are fortunate enough to have such space. Among universities that do rent lockers to both graduate and undergraduate students, our new fees (even with the increase) are roughly comparable: for example, Cornell's Kroch and Uris Libraries charge $15/semester, and NYU's Bobst Library charges $50/year.

We admit the lockers are low-maintenance, but this is a relative term: with over 1800 lockers in the building, there is a non-trivial burden to managing the lockers, clearing out those that are expired, and repairing broken locks and hinges. Past experience also impels us to do regular sweeps through all the lockers, checking for uncharged books. In previous years, we had to hire student employees entirely for "locker duty."

Computers not working on 2nd floor

3 of the computers on the second floor haven't been working for a couple of weeks now. Is the library aware of this problem? There's always a big demand for the remaining few working ones.

There's problem with the electric circuit that those 3 computers draw power from, and we are working with University Facilities to get the power restored.

Webmail slowness

I am not sure if this is a problem regarding the library or just the University's webmail in general, but twice during the last week I have had problems logging on to my webmail in the library. Each time, I have logged on and checked the first few emails in my inbox and then when I try to move to the next email, it takes forever (perhaps 5 minutes) and eventually says that the connection failed. On one occasion I observed that the guy at the computer next to me was having the same problem, so it doesn't appear to be specific to my account.

This  sounds like a problem with the webmail system. If it were a problem with the Library computers, we think everything would be inaccessible - the catalog, Amazon, etc. - not just webmail. Consequently, it's something to bring up with NSIT (support@uchicago.edu).

this being said, we notice that xMail also has this problem. Suggestions Office staff sometimes work in our branch offices (i.e., the local Starbucks), and xMail reads the first couple of messages fine, but then just sits and hangs. Sometimes logging out and in fixes the problem, but other times we speculate the mail server is getting overloaded.

Charles Goldfinch or J.T. Canales?

You have an item by Charles Goldfinch on Juan Cortina. It is a thesis done in 1949. I did extensive research on Juan Cortina and I discovered that the thesis was written by his father-in-law, Judge J.T. Canales. Canales was a relative of Cortina and knew him.

As for Goldfinch, he never did anything else about Cortina. In fact, he never wrote anything on the thesis.

We went to our stacks and pulled the thesis - the title page lists Goldfinch as the author, although in the bibliography Goldfinch cites an interview with the Hon. J.T. Canales.

In 1974, Goldfinch and Canales published a book, Juan Cortina: Two Interpretations that reprints the thesis and also a paper by Canales on "Cortina presents his motion for a new trial."

The Library serves as a repository for finished theses and dissertations - by the time a thesis reaches us, it has already been approved by the faculty. In Goldfinch's case we would have relied on the University's History Department to judge whether the thesis meets the requirements for an M.A. degree. It's unlikely the faculty would have approved a thesis that Goldfinch didn't write, but if you think the thesis is the work of Judge Canales rather than Goldfinch, we suggest contacting the History Department.

Job openings?

is there a job opening for the admin?

At this time we have no full-time job openings for any position. However, the Suggestions Office is always looking for volunteers!

American dictionaries?

I appreciate the access that the library offers to the OED. But is it true that we don't have access to Merriam Webster's Unabridged? The OED is a wonderful resource, but it can't supply spelling and meaning for American English usage. If I'm just looking in the wrong place, please let me know.

We don't have access to the M-W unabridged, but do have several other online dictionaries, including Merriam Webster's Collegiate, American Heritage Dictionary, and the New Oxford American Dictionary.

All of the above will tell you that a "chip" is first a "small piece of food" and only then in certain parts a "French fry."

Squeaking doors on 5th Floor

I am sure there is a more appropriate place to mention this, but can't find that at the moment. I am on 5th Regenstein --Flourescent lights on North side windows are flickering wildly!!! Also, at least 2 study room doors are squeaking, really squeaking.

All so very distracting. Thanks for looking into this.

We have relayed to Facilities, and they are investigating.

Cold in Classics Reading Room

Would it be possible to turn the heating in the Classics Reading Room on the fourth flour of the Regenstein library a bit higher? There's a continual stream of cold air, rather than heating, now and I've heard complaints from several other grad students about this.

We apologize for the belated reply - the temperature should be back to normal now.

Water Fountains

On A-level, the water fountain by the non-gender bathroom and the water fountain in the northwest corner of the reading room do not work. Is this intentional because of repair work? If not, who do I contact to fix them? Thank you.

Library Building Services is aware the fountains are out of comissions (one needs to be repaired, the other replaced), and is working with University Facilities to get this done.

Broken Tampon Machines

I am very frustrated by the pad and tampon vending machines. I tried to use two separate machines, one on the 4th floor and one on the B-Level and both ate my quarters, leading to a loss of 75 cents. Do these machines still work?

Upon receiving this comment, the male members of the Suggestions Office staff remarked, "We learn something new about the Reg every day." Increased knowledge aside, we have asked University Facilities (who maintains the machines) to come repair them.