Maroon Opinions

Course Reserves on a Mac (Safari and PDF)

MAC USERS: David Larsen, Head of JRL Access Services, alerted the Office to the following issue with Safari:

Although most Mac users are able to view Library Course Reserves in Chalk without a problem, some users have been getting only a blank screen when they try to open PDF files. These problems only affect those using an Adobe PDF viewer within the Safari web browser. However, there is a built-in PDF viewer in Safari that is able to open the reserve files without problems.

To switch to Safari's built-in viewer, see this page:
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/reserve/Reserves4MacUsers.html

Note that this problem does NOT affect Mac users who use Firefox or IE to view course reserves.

Lens and Subject Terms

I like LENS [...] However, you could make one improvement. I searched the subject term aesthetics, then opened the approx. 3600 more subject terms, then selected "kitsch." However, one is apparently not allowed back to the list of 3600 subject terms -- instead, one is forced back to one's results list. It would be much better if one could at least have the option of returning to the extensive list of subject terms, which gives a valuable synoptic view of aesthetics-related topics.

Thank you for the suggestion -- we've passed it along to the folks working under the hood on Lens.

One way to return to the full subject list -- if you mouse over "kitsch" in the breadcrumb trail, Lens will display "Remove" and "Keep" options. If you Remove "kitsch", Lens will redisplay your original search for aesthetics, including the option to click "more" and display the many subjects associated with that term. This is admittedly cumbersome, but somewhat faster (in my experience) than doing a new search.

[READERS: If you haven't used Lens since last spring, check it out! We've added lots of new content and features.]

Lights on the 4th floor

I'm a regular comer of 3rd floor, Regenstein Library. I'm writing this message because of a little inconvenience I've experienced recently. Several lights at south area of 3rd floor are flickering, which is quite annoying when reading books. Today, I've found that I'm not the only person who feels like that. Would you please exchange or fix those lights that are flickering? Thank you very much for your endless, excellent support.

Thank you for the compliments! We'll pass along your request to University Facilities. Their lighting technicians have to fix lights all over campus, so it may not happen right away -- but we will get on their list.

Recent Drilling and Grinding Noise

It's a new (school) year, and the start of classes heralds more work for the Suggestions Office! We're glad; we were getting rusty and off our game...

Our first suggestion comes from one of our regulars. She writes:

I was just trying to find out if the incessant drilling and grinding noises will be able to be heard from the Reg all year? I usually work on the fourth floor and am currently finding it unbearable to be here. I take it this is due to construction of the new library (though am not sure), and was just trying to find out how long we can expect this noise.

We currently have two noise-producing projects ongoing: (1) installing additional electrical outlets in the floor of A-Level, and (2) upgrading water fountains in the reading areas to make them ADA-compliant.

Both projects involve a lot of concrete cutting and grinding, and unfortunately the sound easily travels between floors. We have asked the contractors to do most of the concrete work in the early mornings, but sometimes they have to work in late morning and early afternoon.

However, the workers end by 3:00-3:30 each day, and both projects are supposed to wrap up by mid/late October.

UPDATE: You can find out more about the Library's construction projects by visiting our Building and Renovation page -- look for the link under "What's New" on the Library's home page.

Patron Workstation plugs in RR4

On the fourth floor of the Regenstein, the electrical outlets directly under the black Lexmark printer is not secure. If the cord is even slightly jostled, the three workstations which receive power from this source completely lose power, causing all users at these workstations to lose data.
Please update me when this problem has been resolved.

We forwarded your request to our colleagues in Administrative and Desktop Systems, and they will investigate getting right-angled power strips (thanks for the suggestion).

Wireless Access for Visitors

I have just finished yet another several summer weeks reseraching a book at Regenstein as a guest faculty member from another College. As always I appreciate greatly the access to the universities various resources at no cost to myself.

Nonetheless, I would like to make a suggestion. I wonder if it would be possible to allow guests holding a university reader's card to some access the university's network (CNET)? Many academic institutions, including my own, allow guests such access via WiFi. Access would end the awkwardness of moving between the library's workstations with their unique configuration and my laptop (with its peculiarities). The danger of losing data and formatting (which has happened several times) would end, and the pressure on library workstations should ease (not a problem in the summer but during the academic year this seems significant).

I myself would be willing to pay a fee for such access, perhaps something like the quarterly fee for guest cardholders to borrow library materials.

In any case, I remain grateful for the generous access to the library's outstanding materials in my area, and I look forward to returning to Regenstein next year.

Coincidentally, there's a group of library staff examining this precise issue. There are both technical and policy issues, but I am hopeful that in the future we could offer some type of WiFi access to visitors.