FAQ
Q. How do I make a suggestion?
A. Go to the Library Suggestion Form: (http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/about/suggestions.html).
Q. Why does "questionpoint@oclc.org" send me all this email?
A. We route most of the Library's email communications through QuestionPoint (QP), a virtual reference service developed by the Library of Congress and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). QP helps us track, monitor, and archive communication between the Library and patrons.
Q. Can I make anonymous suggestions?
A. Sure: filling in the "name" and "email" fields on the suggestions form is completely optional. However, this info helps us contact you if we don't understand your suggestion, or have good news to report.
Q. Hey, I found this great new book/website I'd like your library to buy...
A. Thank you, but we generally only add items to our collection on the advice of University of Chicago students, faculty, or staff. Nor will we blog your suggestion.
Q. No, really--I'm a U of C student/faculty/staff and I think you ought to buy this book.
A. Great: fill out our purchase request form (http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/purchaserequest.html). Note that this form is NOT anonymous, and you'll need to provide a verifiable uchicago address.
Q. Who answers these suggestions?
A. Hand-picked volunteers, chosen for their skill, dedication, and (most important) their free time.
Q. Is there really a Suggestions "office?"
A. Absolutely: the current Suggestions office is the Library's canteen, adjacent to Ex Libris.
Q. I submitted a suggestion, and it didn't appear on the blog!
A. Patience: often seemingly simple suggestions involve multiple departments and personnel. (Hey, it's a big library.) It's also possible your suggestion was out of scope for the blog -- e.g., a comment about a particular staff member or patron.
Q. Are you also the librarian behind Ask a Librarian?
A. "Ask a Librarian" is staffed by an elite team of reference librarians. Occasionally we pitch in and help each other out, but mostly we go our separate ways.
Q. I'd like to make a comment on a suggestion or its answer.
A. To avoid comment spam, we've turned off comments on individual posts. However, if you submit your comment via the suggestions form, we'll post it. UPDATE: Commenting is enabled, as an experiment, for new posts.
Q. Are these suggestions the official policy of the University of Chicago Library?
A. While we believe our answers reflect Library policy, this blog should not be taken as information ex cathedra.
Q. Who was the inspiration behind this blog?
A. Maroon Opinons and the Suggestions staff pay homage to the first (and greatest) of our kind: the Perkins Library Answer Person at Duke University. We humbly hope that we follow in his or her footsteps.
