Maroon Opinions

My List errors?

I've been having trouble emailing myself the results list from a search from the online catalogue. The email I receive, instead of listing the books, says

There is a problem with the XSLT.  Check XSL Server for errors.<br>Error=

How can I fix this?

Hmm...when we tried emailing a list, we received it just fine. Maybe it was some temporary strangeness? If it keeps happening, please fill out our catalog error report -- this will alert our Cataloging and Systems staff to the problem.

More on Noisy Patrons

Follow up to "Noisy Undergrads"

I want to second this comment and state that I don't think it is merely before and during finals--there is an on-going noise problem most of the time. Nor do I think it is only a problem of undergraduates. It seems to be much more general and wide-spread.

I honestly don't understand why the library keeps saying they are trying to find ways to address this problem when I don't see any concrete changes happening ever. I know it is unrealistic to expect we will ever have total silence throughout the library. But it is clear that the stated policy of the library being for "quiet study", and the existence of signs to that effect, is simply not working. This is a huge library--what are the potential difficulties that might be caused by designating some portion of it as "absolute quiet?" Surely it must be worth at least trying SOMETHING to address the on-going complaints about library noise.

I've been watching this debate unfold for years and have yet to see anything concrete being done to address the concerns of people who need quiet spaces for their research and writing. The library offers the same response --"just ask people to be quiet"-- over and over again. Clearly this method isn't working. We need the library administration to step in and at least try to do something.

It's true that our first answer to most noise complaints is "ask your noisy neighbors to quiet down." This is by far and away the most effective technique.  Crerar, for example, is the definition of quiet—because that library's regular users actively glare at and shush noisy visitors.

As we've blogged before, "deep quiet" zones in the Reg raise problems of enforcement, location, quantity (how many zones?) and may send the wrong message about the other areas of the Reg being "noisy." There isn't any consensus on these issues, either among the Library administration or our advisory groups.

[P.S. to the suggestor (suggestors?): while we respect your decision to complain anonymously, these types of complaints are often strengthened if you at least provide your division/department when filling out the suggestion form. If you're in Classics, for instance, we may already have a solution for you...] 

Noisy Undergrads

The regenstein is completely unusable before and during finals week for graduate students. There are phd students who come to this library everyday to work and meet their own deadlines. It is extremely frustrating that that work has to be interrupted because the library staff cannot enforce policies of conduct in the library. The noise level is inexcusable. It would help tremendously if the library staff would consider either designating certain reading areas as accessible to graduate students only or if they would make SILENT study areas more clearly recognizable to undergraduate populations. Many of us trying to complete PhDs cannot afford to take two weeks off every quarter while undergraduates cram for finals. It is unfair and irresponsible. The A-Level has already been given up as a social space, why can't other areas be designated as study spaces? It is, after all, a library.

Officially the entire library—besides Ex Libris and the canteen—is for quiet study and research. There are signs at the entry turnstiles, and at least one sign on every floor (check the back of the hanging floorplan map) to remind users of this fact.

Thus, you are empowered to ask any patron to quiet down.  If they ignore your pleas,  Library staff will be happy to facilitate their departure: please inquire at the nearest service point.

Enforcing a "graduate study only" area or floor would be difficult, and unfair to those undergrads who also appreciate studying without distractions. However, we have talked about "deep quiet" zones -- although these generate other problems.

Finally, we would strongly encourage you to email the grad student representatives on the Library-Student Resource Group, as this topic often gets discussed there.

Library Emails Contain Only Links

I've noticed that my recent email messages from the library have no content, just a link to click on.. As per standard internet security standards, I do not click on links in emails. But having just checked my account, I see I have 5 recalls--and I realize that this must be what the emails were about. Here's my suggestion: if you are going to switch from including the message IN the mail to providing a link to it instead, you should let your email recipients know about the change in procedures. Otherwise they may be taken unawares, as I was, and not click on those links.

We apologize for the error. There is a bug in our library notices system that occasionally causes call number letters to appear in a foreign character set. Consequently, some email programs display the entire message body text as a linked attachment, leading to messages akin to the ones you received.

Our computer systems staff has been working on this problem, and we are hopeful a fix will soon be in place.

Moving Upstairs?

During reading period and finals week, it would be great if the entire Regenstein were open. The A-level is full of loud freshmen in core classes hogging all the tables. A girl can't think with all the noise! The upper levels are nice and quiet and I'm pretty sure we can take care of ourselves up there without creating problems. Just a suggestion.

It's true the A-Level can get a little rowdy, especially at this point in the quarter. A few years ago we experimented with keeping the first floor open all night during finals week; this users of this space did indeed take care of themselves, but it also entailed staffing and security costs.

May I offer Crerar as a suitable alternative? That library's first floor is also open 24 hours, and the Office has heard its legendary atmosphere of quiet extends to all hours of the night.

[UPDATE: The Crerar staff inform the Office that not only the first floor but the entire library is open all night. Even more room to study!]

10th Church of Christ, Scientist

I would enjoy some commentary by someone on the 10th Church of Christ Scientist Building on 5300 N. Blackstone. It was once called St. Stephen's Church. Does the archives have an extensive collection of materials about it? Do you have pictures of it? Was it related to the university at some point. I just saw it getting off metra on 55-56-57 just now. Ray used to study church history; does ray know this church well.

To our knowledge the church, just north of Salonica on Blackstone, was never associated with the University. Ray in Microforms told us that by the time he came to Hyde Park, St. Stephens Church had already taken over the space, but ultimately this congregation was too small for such a large building. The property now is in private hands.

There are some pictures of the inside available at the "Hyde Park Progress" blog: http://hydeparkprogress.blogspot.com/2008/01/inside-st-stephens.html

We haven't looked in a while, but we believe there continues to be a Christian Science reading room on 57th, near Salonica. You could inquire there for more information, or try the national Christian Science website. St. Stephens was a Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.) congregation and perhaps the national COGIC website might be of use as well.

Noise in Seminar Rooms

Hi, I frequently work on the third floor, and groups of people think that the room in the back of the Reading area (near the microfilms) which is intended for listening to recordings is soundproof like the rest of the group-study rooms in the library, but it is not soundproof at all. Several times now I have been trying to work in the area near there and have been able to hear every word of a boisterous conversation. Could you please put a clear sign there that indicates that the room is not intended for group study, and is not soundproof? Thank you very much!

Your suggestion is quite timely, as we are beginning a project to put new signs in all the seminar rooms. We'll include a request for groups to keep the noise down on the room signs.

Statistics software

could you help to install some calculating software in public computer like SPSS and statview?thank you very much

Statistics software is unlikely to appear on Library workstations anytime soon. Why? For a couple of reasons--

1. Cost. Such software is expensive, and would add a non-trivial increase to our computing budgets.  (Some readers are grumbling: "Didn't the University site-license SPSS?" Yes, but only for a limited number of users.) It's theoretically possible to install SPSS on only 1-2 machines, but for various reasons we prefer to keep all our machines as similar as possible.

2. Purpose. Library workstations are intended for library-based research. While we admit statistical programs are necessary for certain academic work, we don't see a lot of patrons needing the power of SPSS to manipulate data from the Library. Most patrons either find Excel adequate for their use, or export the data for later manipulation on their home or office machine. (This is why we're unlikely to install free statistical packages like R.)

However, if you're in the Reg or Crerar and need to analyze data right now—and Excel isn't cutting the mustard—head  downstairs to USITE or the CS MacLab, which can provide you with R and in some cases SPSS.

Firefox as a portable app

After our previous post about Firefox, David F. reminded me that users CAN use Firefox as "a portable app" -- i.e., carry around a version of the FF on a USB drive. If you're curious, more info is on the Portable Apps website:

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable

[ObDisclaimer: the Library doesn't support this, use at your own risk, etc., etc.]

One Office staff member suggests that if you take the trouble to carry around Firefox, you should install the LibX and Zotero plugins as well...

Another plea for Firefox

Internet Explorer is ridiculous. In the year 2008, anyone with any sense switched over to Firefox so long ago that using IE is a distant and hazy, if somewhat unpleasant, memory. It is slow, clunky, lacks appropriate hot keys and "ctrl" commands, pesters users with extraneous pop-ups (which, a la Sisyphus, occur every time one uses library computers since there is no way to save preferences), and doesn't work appropriately with some sites. Making IE the default browser on library computers would be questionable enough, but making it the *only option* - especially given that there is no way to install our own programs, other than using a flash drive - is downright crazy. And further, Firefox is free! Please reconsider at the first opportunity.

As we've noted before, including Firefox is a question of ongoing debate within the corridors of the Library. Although we in the Office don't know all the details, we do know it's a complex issue.

On a different (but related) topic, we really don't want you to install your own programs on Library computers, since some of our programs don't play well with others. Instead, if your favorite program is missing from our workstations, please let us know and we'll consider deploying it.