Maroon Opinions

It's 10pm on a Friday night...do you know where UChicago students are?

I was wondering about the hours of the libraries. I often study at the libraries on Friday and Saturday, and almost always get thrown out at 10 pm. Why is there not a single study space that's open late on these days?

While we are aware that we inconvenience some Library patrons by closing at 10pm, keeping Crerar and/or Regenstein open poses non-trivial staffing costs.

We do keep some portion of the Library open, usually the all-night study space, on high-use weekends such as the Friday-Saturday between reading period and finals.

[That being said, the Office feels your suggestion perfectly captures UChicago, and if the Uncommon Blog ever asks us to contribute a submission, we're sending them yours.]

Kudos for Scan and Deliver

I just wanted to let you know that Scan and Deliver is the most amazing innovation of the Library ever. I am a doctoral student doing research abroad and it has radically improved my ability to get access to the secondary literature I need. Thank You!!!

[We're left with literally nothing to say, except "Thank YOU."]

A Note of Appreciation

The reference desk was EXTREMELY helpful, pleasant and dedicated in their search to find me a book that was trapped in the realm between re-shelving. I really appreciated it and wanted to express my gratitude at a job well done. So thanks!

Thank you! Our colleagues at the Reference Desk always enjoy hearing that their service is appreciated.

Kudos to David Rockwell

I would just like to highly praise and commend Mr. David Rockwell for his extraordinarily helpful preofessional service and his kind demeanor at the Circulation Desk. I also think that the students who are working there are well-trained under him and have the same professionally helpful and friendly attitude.

Thanks! The Library is fortunate to have had David, whose steady hand guided Reg Circ for almost 10 years. Running Circ often resembles herding cats, but David made it look easy.

(UPDATE: David retired from the Library in Spring 2009. We wish him well here in the Office.)

Innocent until When?

To be Fair.  If a person admits guilt there should be a second trial.

The Suggestions Office submitted this question to our Advisory Board, a panel of experts including two attorneys (one a former prosecutor). The verdict? The Seventh Amendment clearly forbids re-trying a defendant once he has been declared "not guilty," regardless of what they may later say or confess.

But surely there's some penalty, you ask, for lying in court? Perjury only applies when defendant misrepresents the truth under oath -- one reason that defense attorneys often counsel their clients not to take the witness chair. Further, there's usually a statute of limitations on perjury claims -- so if the offense occured years in the past, there's no case.

If the trial involved an offense punishable under both state and federal laws -- murder, for example -- it's possible that a defendant could be acquitted in a state trial but subsequently face charges in federal court. However, the Government's preference is to avoid such situations in the absence of compelling "federal interest."

And as a practical consideration, the re-trial of a certain famous person would pose the difficult problem of venue: where would one find twelve citizens who haven't heard of O.J. Simpson?

***

[Thanks to the Suggestions Office Advisory Board, and to a recent Explainer column in Slate, which explains each of these points in greater detail.]

A Note of Appreciation

I 'm so glad you guys are here. Often I've needed help on research projects. With so many resources and methods for research, I have been completely lost at times. But thanks to you guys, I've been spared hours or even days of needless research simply because you all pointed me in the right direction.

Belatedly, thank you very much for this kind note! One of our profession's informal laws is: "Save the time of the user," and it makes our day to hear we've done this.

Dodd-Mead and Dodd, Mead

I am with [company X]: we prepare course packs for universities and colleges. Right now, I am trying to find the rights holder for an "out of print" book : "Syngman Rhee" by Robert Tarbell Oliver. I have gone to the publisher who referred me to Delaware College Library and recently received information that the publisher was Dodd-Mead which appears to be a fraternity house on your campus. Can you check your records for the book. Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated.

Dodd-Mead is a coed house at the University, and while the exploits of its members are legendary--at least on campus--they do not extend to book publishing. As best I can tell any resemblance to the publisher Dodd Mead and Company is purely coincidental.

We do have the book Syngman Rhee: The Man Behind the Myth in our collections. According to the title page, the book was published by Dodd Mead and Company in 1954--but the verso states: "Copyright 1954 by Robert T. Oliver," and then further down the page: "No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher." So I'm not sure if permission should be sought from the Oliver estate, or whoever is in charge of the Dodd Mead rights these days (the company was liquidated in the early 90s).

In any case, I would recommend contacting a copyright professional, such as the Copyright Clearance Center to see if they can get permissions for you.

Rooftop Cafe

This suggestion is way out there but I just thought about it and figured I'd add my two cents. I would say that the University, during the academic year of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters has around 5 months of warm weather students enjoy. I think it would be a great idea to put Ex Libris on the 6th floor of the Reg inside but have a door leading outside onto a HUGE PORCH. Granted, it'll be windy on most days, but I bet it would be gorgeous just to sit up there with the sky line of Chicago and reading. Maybe this can be done through the new construction on the reg in the ocming years. But if the University put a coffee cafe on top of the REG with a huge porch with chairs and the like, I imagine students would enjoy it much more. Make it like an uncle Joes. Just a far out suggestion I thought about.

Thanks for the suggestion-- on a sunny day like today, the idea of a rooftop cafe is certainly appealing. Such a cafe has been a long-running dream (or joke) among the staff at Crerar, where the roof is wide, flat, and with plenty of room for sun chairs.

Unfortunately the Reg, due to its capacity as the "regional chiller" for Max P, Bartlett, and Ratner, has a lot of machinery and equipment on its roof, making the atmosphere much like a truck stop. (And let's not get into the liability issues...)

However, you might be happy to know that everyone (both the Library and the eX Libris staff) agree that "something needs to be done" about eX Libris and the A-Level canteen space. A perfect solution hasn't emerged, but we're hopeful that the new addition will give us greater flexibility with the Reg's existing space.

The Libraisium

To whom it may concern:

We demand a Libraisium. If our request is opaque, allow us the opportunity to elucidate our request. In a tradition which stretches back to the golden age of ancient Athens, gymnastic and dialectic were always intimately coupled. The training of the mind complements the training of the body. For this reason, we demand a gymnasium to be merged into the Regenstein Library. In short, a Libraisium. We are utterly serious in our suggestion, and hope that you will consider this idea for the upcoming expansion.

Some of the benefits of a Libraisium are these:

• Fitter U of C students, therefore, also more attractive
• Better hygiene for over-studied students
• Physical activity is an excellent study-break. As Aristotle said in the Metaphysics Lambda, the actuality of the soul is its activity, and to exercise is to act a part of the soul. Conversely, as Aristotle also notes in the Nichomachean Ethics book X, pleasure completes the activity.
• Although it would be nice, Men and women do not need to train naked as suggested in Republic V

P.S. In case you are baffled as to how this may be best brought about, we would suggest mounting our veritable castle, Bartlett, on top of the the Reg. If this is not possible, we suggest that you build a castle on top.

Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately, for many years the University denied the close relation between academics and athletics. Indeed, some hailed the construction of Regenstein upon the old Stagg Field as a triumph of the mind over vulgar physical sport.

However, I think you may be overlooking the gymnastic venues already available in the Library. Some older staff members recalled doing lunch-break aerobics in the bookstacks several years ago. (I dared not inquire whether they were naked during this activity.) Shelving books, if done with reasonable enthusiasm, provides an excellent upper-body workout--and you even get paid for the exercise!

For more sophisticated training, the close proximity of Ratner and Henry Crown provide ample opportunity for physical conditioning, and many times I have observed students eschewing television in favor of a library book (although we respectfully ask you to avoid dripping sweat onto the pages). While a skybridge soaring across Ellis to Ratner is intriguing, we believe the short walk presents no obstacle to motivated patrons.