Maroon Opinions

Noise on the First Floor (Again)

I am a grateful and proud alumna of the University of Chicago. I have been spending a lot of time at the library lately (thank you!) for reasons of my own. It's generally quieter on the upper floors, but I am stunned by the attitude on the first floor which is up for grabs.

In total disregard for the "rules" (on posted signs, obviously meaningless) or even any sense of a normal library etiquette, students accept and engage in raucous, loud talking--not every second but way, way too much. I am not speaking of forgetting yourself just as you're entering or leaving the lobby area (which shouldn't happen either). This inappropriate behavior occurs inside of the entrance kiosks, at the standing computers, at larger tables seating more than one person, even at individual computer stations where another person will join someone for discussion. There is frequently someone or other in the front area (near the staircase) talking loudly on a cell phone. I ask myself, "Is this the University of Chicago?"

Around 5 pm on Saturday, Dec. 5th I couldn't take it anymore and politely asked a couple of the perpetrators sitting across from my computer station if they could please refrain from having such a loud discussion. I was on my best diplomatic behavior (I have been in customer relations and property management for years so I know how to act when you need a result). I got a rather hostile response telling me that "It's (having loud prolonged conversations) generally accepted...in the library...(and) do I come in here often?" The latter comment as if to say, I should know that that's just the way it is. Not according to everyone, thank goodness, because as I went back to my seat the student across from me thanked me for my action, and said she goes to different libraries on campus or uses earphones because it's hard to concentrate at Regenstein.

I could give more examples of the above situation, but of course, I won't here. Suffice to say this is not the first time of frustration. I did, by the way, also go to the supervisor on hand who was helpful and got things to quiet down a bit, but (not his fault) it didn't last. It's just the "culture", sad to say.

I would like to suggest that it may be worthwhile for the library to either re-train or hire staff who know how to be more assertive (I am not referring to or singling out the supervisor mentioned, by the way). Much of the time, what's going on is ignored, and later into the evening there doesn't seem to be any supervision whatsoever.

Perhaps we could have a campaign with bigger, way bigger, signs reminding people of the protocol and study rooms available for groups, etc. To change the loose ambience at Regenstein might take a very special someone specifically assigned to that task for a while. A person literally walking the floor, and/or reminding people as they come or go into the library for a while. Who knows. I don't know how long it took to come to this point, but it would be great to begin to turn around these bad habits and have a library which always has dignity and respect for quiet study. Isn't that it's intention?

Determining the appropriate noise level (if any) inside Regenstein has been an issue for some time. On one hand, some researchers want and deserve silent spaces to concentrate while using the collections. Other researchers want and deserve spaces to interact collaboratively on their research. (I stipulate cell phone conversations may not be strictly research-related, but students discussing, say, their economics problem set in loud tones would have been equally disruptive.)

The Library is in the awkward position of trying to satisfy both groups. While our official policy is that the entire building is a space for quiet study and research, and we are quite happy to shush people upon request, it is impractical for us to impose a culture of quiet on the entire building, especially in late evening when the circulation supervisor is the only full-time staff member on duty.

Our current thinking on this subject focuses on creating "deep quiet" zones after the new Mansueto Library opens. However, the first floor probably will always be somewhat noisy, simply because there will always be some noise from patrons entering the library and traffic at the circulation desk. For quieter surroundings, we suggest the B-Level or study desks in the bookstacks.

What if everyone returned their books?

What percent of the library's total collection is checked out at any given time? Is it on a scale of millions? Someone said if all the books were recalled at once there wouldn't be enough space to sustain it all...

Putting aside space considerations for a moment, if all books checked out were recalled the howls of anguish from distressed patrons would be enough to make the Suggestions Office close up shop and head for the hills.

But let's assume everyone voluntarily returns their books at once. We have around 180,000 books checked out at any given time. Compared to our total holdings (7.9 million volumes at last count), this is miniscule: only 2.3% of the collection is off the shelf!

However, the tide of books would easily overwhelm our shelving operations, which normally process 180,000 books over 8-10 weeks. And there's no shelf space to store that many books as they are checked in and sorted.

But let's answer the real question here: does the Library leave space on the shelves for checked-out books, even though we haven't seen some of them in 20 years? Although we try to not fill the shelves more than 85% full -- to account both for returned books and new acquisitions -- recent space constraints have forced us to far exceed these limits. We'd have to shift almost the entire collection to accommodate all the returned items, and even then we might not be able to fit everything on the shelf.

That's one of the reasons we're building a new library.

Library Hours

Will any library be open for twenty four hours during reading period and / or finals week?

If not, I highly suggest the administration work on making that happen. How does the school expect students to prepare for all finals in a two day reading period when closed libraries will force us to waste time finding appropriate places to work? It's already frustrating during the quarter.

The Suggestions Office suspects the University administration would be unsympathetic to your pleas.

That said, here is a summary of Library hours for reading period and finals:

Regenstein A-Level: the A-Level will be open 24/7 beginning Sunday Dec 29 through Friday Dec 11. That includes Friday Dec 4 and Saturday Dec 5.

Rest of the Reg: will be open normal hours (i.e., until 1 a.m. Sunday - Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday)

Crerar, Eckhart, SSA: all keeping their normal hours. (UPDATE: The Crerar folks tell me they will be open until 1am this Friday and Saturday.)

Harper: It's not a library anymore, but the Harper Commons will keep it's normal hours and be open 24 hours EXCEPT for Friday Dec 4 (closing at 6pm) and Saturday Dec 5 (closing at 10pm).

Law: Law will keep its normal hours, but it is highly likely the Law School will restrict building access will be restricted to Law students or those using the DLL collections during reading period and finals. If you are an undergrad living in BJ or South Campus, start making plans to go to Harper. (UPDATE: Lo, the restriction has come to pass -- starting Friday, December 4.)

Full hours information is available at: http://hours.lib.uchicago.edu/

Note that the Library completely controls the hours of Regenstein and Crerar only. In all other buildings, the appropriate department/school sets building hours. So if the department decides to close early or to restrict access to its own students (cf. Law), the Library has to abide by that decision. We can be more restrictive, but not more permissive.

Noise on the First Floor

I am utterly shocked how LOUD students are permitted to be on the first floor in the Regenstein library. Most of the noise comes from student gatherings, small groups intent on engaging in gossip rather than study, all the while being disruptive to those who wish to engage in the latter. The librarians do nothing about this; they just sit idly by surfing on the net seemingly oblivious to the raucous just feet away from them. Given the University of Chicago's academic reputation, I am disappointed in this sort of behavior being accepted.

Although we try to keep the entire Library as a place of quiet study and research, the heavy traffic in and out of the building on the first floor as well as the large open floorplan make it almost impossible to eliminate noise in this area. However, if a particular group of students is being extremely loud, please feel free to ask them to quiet down or take their conversations out to the lobby. If they refuse your request, please notify a librarian so we can take appropriate measures.

Coughing and Sneezing

Would it be possible to prominently display those health posters regarding coughing and sneezing around the libraries? You would think with the threat of H1N1 people would be more cautious about spreading germs, but some are not and are still having to be told to cover their mouths.

There certainly seems to be "something going around" (which, we note in passing, has not spared the Suggestions Office). We do have signs posted near the entrance to Regenstein, asking people to cover their cough and then offering hand sanitizer for their hands.

Smoking outside the Reg

Please post a guideline for city/university smoking policy at the library. I am especially concerned about the East entrance of the Regenstein library, where people smoke right at the wall of the building. I have to hold my breath when entering/exiting the building to avoid inhaling smoke.

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I just walked into the Reg Library and through a cloud of smoke. Seems just outside the doors to the lib is the smoking spot. As a medical student I am aware that 2nd hand smoke "bad", as I am sure you are also aware.

I suggest posting signs and directing the smokers to an area where everyone does not have to walk through the smoke. 

We do have signs posted on the Regenstein doors, warning smokers to stay at least 15 feet from the entrance to comply with University policy and City of Chicago ordinance. However, the policy also states: "Smoking is permitted outdoors at least 15 feet away from the entrance or enclosed area of any building". When it's nice outside, we notice that many smokers do wander farther away from the doors, but when it rains or is cold, I'm not surprised that they stay as close to the entrance as possible.

This being said, the University policy also states that complaints about smoking can be made to the University's Safety and Environmental Affairs Office (702-9999). If you're repeatedly having to walk through a cloud of smoke, I'd suggest calling them.

College Librarians at the Commons

If you've been over to Harper recently, you might have noticed certain essential library features (like books and a circulation desk) have disappeared. Harper Library has been transformed into the Harper Memorial Library Commons, with new carpeting, desk lamps, and the "Common Knowledge" Cafe.

While the books have disappeared, the librarians have not: we in the Suggestions Office are happy to announce the College Librarians at the Commons. Staffed by our amazing colleagues in Reference, the College Librarians are present 2pm-5pm, Monday-Friday. You should come visit.

To help promote this new service, the Suggestions Office staff will be holding OFFICE HOURS on Friday October 9, concurrent with the hours of the College Librarians (2pm-5pm..remember?). For a limited time, you can register your complaints in person! 

(If that's not enough incentive to haul yourself over to Harper, we also note that the College Librarians are offering a "Soup Up Your Laptop" promotion on Friday afternoon. Free food MAY be involved.)

More lamps in Harper?

I would strongly suggest that you add more lamps to the Harper Library Commons. They are fantastic and really foster an environment where you would actually want to sit and read and study, but there aren't enough. The middle of the room is dimly-lit, and if the lamps are all taken, it isn't very inviting to newly-arrived people. Having, then, one person at a 14-person table is extremely polarizing and isolating! Having two or three lamps per table will make Harper more communal, more inviting, and really capitalize on what the aims were for this study space. I hope to see these soon!

[Obligatory Bureaucratic Note: when the Harper space was renovated in summer 2009, the Library turned the 3rd floor over to the College -- this is why the circulation desk is now a cafe. So even though the space is the Harper Memorial Library Commons, and we do have a reference librarian working there certain hours, the Commons isn't managed by the Library. Clear?]

We forwarded your comment to Michael, the Director of the Commons, who had this to say:

Thank you for your suggestion. We've been planning to add a second lamp on each of the tables in Harper. They should hopefully be installed within a week.

UPDATE: The College folks managing Harper have their own suggestions and comments form as well.

Ex Libris closing during interim

I find it baffling that eX Libris will be closed from 8/29-9/29.

We feel your pain. The Suggestions Office staff regularly patronize eX Libris, the coffee shop in the basement of the Reg, and wonder how we'll survive an entire month without the peculiar blend of music, coffee, and flourescent lighting. (Sorry Reynolds Club, things just aren't the same across the street.)

Despite being inside the Reg,  eX Libris is not administratively "owned" by the Library. Instead, the shop belongs to a division of ORCSA, the Office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities. For various reasons, ORCSA demands that the coffee shops break even or show a profit. 

While the shop does OK during the academic year, it doesn't generate enough revenue to cover summers and interim -- and this summer the shop has reported a significant loss every month. With many students getting away from campus in between Summer and Fall Quarters, the shop's managers could not justify staying open during this time. Thus our need to venture outside the Reg for a cup of joe -- until Tuesday of first week.

More Copier Complaints

I am disappointed in the copiers. Here are my gripes:

1. It was unclear where to swipe my card, because there are all sorts of card readers all over the place. In general, there are far too many user interfaces (keypads, screens, etc.).
2. It was unclear that my copy card would not work and that I would need to buy a new one--with a deposit.
3. I could not print from a workstation on the second floor, because the computer I logged on to only listed a color printing option.

Thank you for your "gripes." I apologize for #1 and #2 -- we admit we often don't know where to swipe our cards either, yet! We hope to have clearer instructions soon. Also, there is a Canon Associate at Circulation who can take the value of your old card and credit your new card, so you don't lose money you've already paid.  In the future we hope some of the circulation staff will be able to do card exchanges, thus allowing us to offer this service in the evenings.

Regarding #3 -- could you let us know the specific name or location of the workstation? We can then pass along to our IT people and Canon to investigate.