Maroon Opinions

What if everyone returned their books?

What percent of the library's total collection is checked out at any given time? Is it on a scale of millions? Someone said if all the books were recalled at once there wouldn't be enough space to sustain it all...

Putting aside space considerations for a moment, if all books checked out were recalled the howls of anguish from distressed patrons would be enough to make the Suggestions Office close up shop and head for the hills.

But let's assume everyone voluntarily returns their books at once. We have around 180,000 books checked out at any given time. Compared to our total holdings (7.9 million volumes at last count), this is miniscule: only 2.3% of the collection is off the shelf!

However, the tide of books would easily overwhelm our shelving operations, which normally process 180,000 books over 8-10 weeks. And there's no shelf space to store that many books as they are checked in and sorted.

But let's answer the real question here: does the Library leave space on the shelves for checked-out books, even though we haven't seen some of them in 20 years? Although we try to not fill the shelves more than 85% full -- to account both for returned books and new acquisitions -- recent space constraints have forced us to far exceed these limits. We'd have to shift almost the entire collection to accommodate all the returned items, and even then we might not be able to fit everything on the shelf.

That's one of the reasons we're building a new library.

Coughing and Sneezing

Would it be possible to prominently display those health posters regarding coughing and sneezing around the libraries? You would think with the threat of H1N1 people would be more cautious about spreading germs, but some are not and are still having to be told to cover their mouths.

There certainly seems to be "something going around" (which, we note in passing, has not spared the Suggestions Office). We do have signs posted near the entrance to Regenstein, asking people to cover their cough and then offering hand sanitizer for their hands.

Smoking outside the Reg

Please post a guideline for city/university smoking policy at the library. I am especially concerned about the East entrance of the Regenstein library, where people smoke right at the wall of the building. I have to hold my breath when entering/exiting the building to avoid inhaling smoke.

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I just walked into the Reg Library and through a cloud of smoke. Seems just outside the doors to the lib is the smoking spot. As a medical student I am aware that 2nd hand smoke "bad", as I am sure you are also aware.

I suggest posting signs and directing the smokers to an area where everyone does not have to walk through the smoke. 

We do have signs posted on the Regenstein doors, warning smokers to stay at least 15 feet from the entrance to comply with University policy and City of Chicago ordinance. However, the policy also states: "Smoking is permitted outdoors at least 15 feet away from the entrance or enclosed area of any building". When it's nice outside, we notice that many smokers do wander farther away from the doors, but when it rains or is cold, I'm not surprised that they stay as close to the entrance as possible.

This being said, the University policy also states that complaints about smoking can be made to the University's Safety and Environmental Affairs Office (702-9999). If you're repeatedly having to walk through a cloud of smoke, I'd suggest calling them.

The Annoying Closing Bell

I suggest that you stop using the bell to kick people out of the library. It's very annoying (though that may be the purpose of using it). Why not try to use a more "civilized way" like what they use in the department store? Open a record that tells the library users more politely.

PS. You should try listening to that bell, it's noise pollution!

We presume you are referring to the Regenstein closing bell. The closing bell at Crerar is a soft chime that we speculate you would consider quite "civilized."

The JRL bell is intentionally loud, to awaken slumbering students and encourage them to leave the Library. We are afraid that a softer bell would mean encountering students coming down the main stairs at 2 AM, yawning and explaining they "slept through the bell." We already encounter this situation occasionally, and while our night entry control staff usually cock a skeptical eyebrow at the person employing this excuse, we usually give students the benefit of the doubt and let them go home.

We admit that a loud bell may not be as necessary during the summer, especially when the Reg closes at 5 PM. However, seasonally changing all the bells -- the volume isn't centrally controlled, as far as we know -- would be a time-consuming and expensive process.

Unfortunately the Reg does not have a public address system, so we can't make a voice announcement about closing. (One member of the staff fondly recalls his hometown public library, which did have a PA system. The staff would announce closing time, then play music as patrons left.) So it's the bell or nothing at all -- and our experience overwhelmingly demonstrates that U of C students need some encouragement to leave the Library.

[A side note: louder than the closing bell, and quite distinct from it, is the fire alarm. Suggestions Office staff sometimes observe -- in passing, as we flee towards the exit -- some students defiantly ignoring the alarm and continuing to study. We understand the desire to prove one's dedication to the text at hand, but PLEASE vacate the building when the alarm goes off. Even when it's a false alarm, the Chicago Fire Department gets very upset with us when they find people inside the building.]

Securing Laptops

I was wondering if there was any way to bore holes into the corner of the study carrels (the little cubicles)? As it stands there is no where secure to lock a laptop computer to using the standard corded locks, unlike at the larger tables where one can easily use the center metal bar. I have thought about locking it to the chairs since I have to give props to anyone who so desperately wants to steal my computer that they also steal the chair (since the chair legs are continuous you can't remove the lock cord) that I'm willing to let them have it....but having a more secure part to lock computers to would be nice!

It's true that the gray carrels are unfriendly to laptops in all sorts of ways: the desks aren't wide enough to accommodate both a laptop and a book, there weren't any power outlets in the original design, and (as you point out) there's no way to secure one's belongings.

For these and many other reasons, we'd actually like to completely replace all the gray carrels with a more modern design. You can see a prototype in the 5th floor reading room, on the north side. It has several pillars that could be used to secure laptops. We haven't received funding yet to start replacing carrels in earnest, so it may be a while before the new models appear...but it's definitely on our to-do list.

Squeaking doors on 5th Floor

I am sure there is a more appropriate place to mention this, but can't find that at the moment. I am on 5th Regenstein --Flourescent lights on North side windows are flickering wildly!!! Also, at least 2 study room doors are squeaking, really squeaking.

All so very distracting. Thanks for looking into this.

We have relayed to Facilities, and they are investigating.

Water Fountains

On A-level, the water fountain by the non-gender bathroom and the water fountain in the northwest corner of the reading room do not work. Is this intentional because of repair work? If not, who do I contact to fix them? Thank you.

Library Building Services is aware the fountains are out of comissions (one needs to be repaired, the other replaced), and is working with University Facilities to get this done.

Broken Tampon Machines

I am very frustrated by the pad and tampon vending machines. I tried to use two separate machines, one on the 4th floor and one on the B-Level and both ate my quarters, leading to a loss of 75 cents. Do these machines still work?

Upon receiving this comment, the male members of the Suggestions Office staff remarked, "We learn something new about the Reg every day." Increased knowledge aside, we have asked University Facilities (who maintains the machines) to come repair them.

Seminar Rooms are for Groups!

Could you please stress that the Group Study rooms are for just that--group study. Every time I try to use one there are single people in them (who are not always willing to leave).

Groups do indeed have priority for seminar rooms in Regenstein (I'm assuming you're talking about the rooms on the upper floors there?). If individuals question this policy, feel free to refer them to the seminar room webpage, or contact the circulation supervisor on duty.

John Hope Franklin and Radiation

Some mention of John Hope Franklin and other deaths might be morbid, but I would not have known about John Hope Franklin's death without the Chronicle. The women display is professional just as the African American Experience display was professional. Again, because of recent loss of professor to cancer after coming from McGill, I am still a little concerned that there might be a slight amount of residual radiation associated with Chicago Pile 1 (fermi et al). Maybe a Geiger counter in place to put people like me at ease could sooth some anxiety?

I'm glad you enjoyed the current exhibition in the Special Collections Research Center.

Although not an official Library instrument, there is a radiation monitor in the A-Level of Regenstein. You can see its output on weather.uchicago.edu, just below the graphs. (Credit goes to Dean W. Armstrong, a member of the Library's crack ADS staff.)