Maroon Opinions

Loan Periods for CD/DVDs

I strongly feel, based on my own experience and my friends', that the current CD/DVD loan policy can be modified to dramatically increase the efficiency of usage. The current policy allow users to check out digital materials for the same period of time as books, which is about 3 months. Then if recalled, they will have 1 week buffering time to return.

I argue that for most of the cases the real use of the materials will not be longer than 3 days. With today's technology, CDs and DVDs can easily be imported onto personal computer libraries under certain copyright restrictions. Music can definitely be imported while for DVDs, there are scarcely any cases when the users need to watch it for more than 3 days. What happened under the policy is that users borrow and keep the materials much longer than they need it. Then because there are 7 days recall delay, many times people don't return until the last day, not because of real need but simply due to the deadline. For other users who need the material, especially digital materials, it is first of all frustrated to find most of the CDs or DVDs are checked out and then even more so when everything they want they will need to wait 7 days.

My friend at UIC tell me that their library require CD/DVD be returned in 3 days. She described very pleasant experiences of being able to get the materials she want immediately most of the time or in 3 days to the most. I argue that by adopting the suggestion I've made, the library will be able to serve more people's need WITHOUT decreasing the quality in the majority of cases.

Generally, our colleagues at Circulation report that most patrons enjoy being able to borrow CDs/DVDs for long periods. Admittedly, there are certainly some recreational users who borrow a DVD, but then don't watch and return it promptly, which inconveniences other users. However, patrons using the CD/DVD for scholarly research often need to keep the media longer than a few days. Music students writing papers, for example, often need to listen to a CD repeatedly over the course of several weeks.

From a technical standpoint, it's very easy to rip music and video to a personal computer. However, from a legal perspective we can't require (or even encourage) this practice, anymore than we can encourage patrons to photocopy entire books. In cases where multiple people need to use a CD, such as for a class, we will put the disc on course reserve and/or look into ways to legally stream the music temporarily.

How do I Love Flat Tables? Let Me Count The Ways

The project to refinish the tables in the reading rooms is a fine one and much appreciated, but I just arrived this morning to find my beloved periodicals roomed transformed! We've got new tables, but the old plain tables that were here have almost all been replaced by tables with dividers. This really changes the character of the study space for the worse, in my opinion. There are a number of people who come to this area every day to work and I'm sure they too will be disappointed. Not only is it a relatively quiet area of the library, but the open tables provided ample space for one to have numerous books and papers, open and ready at hand. Perhaps it seems a petty concern, but I, as I know many library patrons are, am a creature of habit, and I don't want to have to find another area to study. Bring the flat tables back!

We are still sending tables out for refinishing, and our Building Services folks tell me the final places for tables have yet to be determined. (At present, they are just putting tables in empty places as they arrive back from the factory.)

The flat tables are, of course, wanted by all floors, but I'll pass your comment along about Current Periodicals. I note there's one flat table there now; hopefully more will appear at some point.

Microforms, Scanning, and Special Collections

I have a number of suggestions but I am only going to write the three I find most pressing here.

First and foremost: why are we still stuck in the 20th century? It seems rather absurd that a person actually has to print out microfilms and can't simply send them to themselves via email. Moreover, that the microfilms are in no way searchable via electronic means is rather arcane. If we are going to do away with the old papers entirely, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to just digitize them all so that one doesn't have to spend hours looking through two decades of Hyde Park Herald microfilm to find articles about urban renewal or crime, for example. So, would it be possible to not only digitize them but make it so that I don't have to waste trees by printing out the microfilms?

Second, why don't the copy machines allow me to simply scan and email? In the dorms, the copy machines allow scanning and emailing so that I can save paper (and money). This would be a great boon if the Reg were to start doing it and I think many people would appreciate and use it. Please allow this feature.

Third, and this is perhaps the most outlandish but potentially the most beneficial: the University should REALLY invest in digitizing its Special Collections (or at least making it so that it is open at more convenient hours for students). The fact that one literally has to request each and every individual box to explore what contents are in it without really knowing what one may find is quite absurd. Perhaps I am just so accustomed to being able to simply doing a Google search, but that I don't even know what may or may not be contained in an archive is somewhat troubling. Imagine how much information is potentially overlooked simply because one doesn't have the time to look through 150 linear feet of boxes. If these items were even partially digitized, it would allow for better preservation (as far fewer people would need to handle the items) and much easier access. Indeed, more than one person could use the same item and the same time.

[The Office staff takes a deep breath--] Here goes:

3) Digitizing Special Collections materials: We are doing this for specific collections -- for example, see the Archival Photographic Files and the Goodspeed Manuscript Collection.

In recent years we have focused on indexing and organizing our archival materials, and placing the indexes ("finding aids") online. Perhaps this could be seen as the first step towards systematically digitizing everything in the Special Collections Research Center. However, that would be a big project, and take big amounts of money.

2) Scanning: There's an outside vendor (Copico) with whom we contract for photocopying and printing. Their contract expires next May, and the University is negotiating a new contract that will cover both the dorms and the Library. Multi-function devices are explicitly mentioned, so perhaps by next school year the machines will make an appearance.

At present, there is already one microfilm reader/printer on the third floor of the Reg that allows scanning and saving to a USB drive.

1) Searching microfilms: It can definitely be tedious to scroll through hours of microfilm. However, most of the newspapers were filmed before the Web was widespread (microfilm was the "new" technology at the time). We do buy digitized full-text newspaper archives as they become available -- see our listings for the Chicago Tribune, for example. However, unlike archival materials, it's not something we can just do on our own dime due to copyright.

Heater Noise in Harper

Can something be done about the noisy heater in the walkway between Harper and Stuart? I love that place, but in the winter it's impossible to study there because you either have to turn off the heater or deal with loud and constant noise.

Something indeed will be done -- namely, the Harper College Learning Center Project. This multi-year project will renovate and upgrade the Harper Library space, including the HVAC systems.

You may have to endure a noisy heater for one more winter (and the closure of that walkway next June), but the future promises a warm climate conducive to study.

Gross Keyboards

I think those that work at USITE and MacLab should periodically clean the keyboards. The students that work at those sites have plenty of time - they barely do anything and get to sit there to do their homework most of the time. Why not use the paid work time to wipe some of these keyboards, because they are filthy, and also because the janitors won't do it? I'm not saying clean it every day, but maybe every week or every other week, so that we don't type on brown keyboards from everyone else's accumulated finger filth. it's gross. I'm specifically referring to the white mac keyboards, because frankly, I can't see the brown dirt on those PC keyboards (I'm sure they're filthy too, but ignorance is bliss).

The MacLab folks said that they do clean the keyboards periodically, although it would be hard to clean their 80 keyboards on a weekly or even biweekly basis.

Although it may not help the current situation, perhaps we could all take a minute or two to wash our hands before going to the MacLab? The Office staff notes the bathrooms are conveniently located next to the elevator and main staircase.

The Audience is Listening

Could the library post signs in the new TV room on the fourth floor letting people know that the glass walls don't block any sound?  It seems like people are unaware that talking in there isn't muted at all since the glass door does not completely seal the room.  Even better, could the school look into making the room soundproof?
Thanks very much!

I think you probably mean the fifth floor, where we have just opened a new multimedia classroom. We used to have signs up notifying people the room wasn't soundproof; we'll make sure they are put back. Note that the room is explicitly for group use, so there is bound to be a bit of "noise leakage" near there.

UPDATE: Our colleagues at the Law Library reminded the Suggestions Office that the DLL has a nice TV room. Unfortunately they also say there is no way to make the room soundproof.

Informing on Thefts?

Please would you publish a web page listing reported thefts occurring within the library. It would be very helpful if you could include location, date/time, and item involved.

The police department maintains a webpage of daily incidents, including library thefts. 

Erratic Card Reader on the A-Level

Please fix the printer on the A-level.  The card-reading machine does not read cards and just spits them back out.

The card reader seems to be having a problem with the motor, and the Copico (the vendor who maintains our copiers and printers) have it scheduled for replacement as soon as they get some new readers.

In the meantime, I've found that firmly inserting my card (give it a push as you insert it) seems to work.