Maroon Opinions

Cold and Hot Water on the First Floor

1. Is there someone I can talk to about making the reg a little less cold? It is always freezing, especially when you are studying late at night...
2. Can the reg get a hot water dispenser for those who study past 3am when bart mart is closed??

[The Suggestions Office staff would like to note this is our first submission via Facebook.]

We take regular temperature readings (during the day) and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. That being said, the first floor is essentially a big open space with lots of doors opening and closing to the outside, making it a difficult space to precisely control temperature.

We've had previous suggestions for a hot water tap, and normally direct people to Ex Libris for their hot water needs. As you point out, though, neither Ex Libris nor Bart Mart is open past 3am.  It's a little complicated to place a tap -- we need electrical and plumbing in close proximity -- but it's something we will keep in mind.

Cold in the Reg and Mansueto

It's been freezing on the third floor for several days now. I was there today and had to keep my down coat on all the time. Still, my hands were too cold to type. I see the people around me wearing coats and scarves too. Is the heat not working?

The heating is way out of order. Mansueto is freezing as heat rises and so it stays cold low. Fourth floor Regenstein was utterly freezing today (sunday). In the classics reading room my fingers were getting numb and I was wearing a hat and scarf. What is up with that?! Just uncomfortable. Gotta fix the heat and get it nice and consistent at a comfortable temperature. It's just too cold throughout right now. I was not the only one wearing layers. Several people were wearing their winter coats. And this is normal in mansueto...

We received several complaints about the cold temperatures over the weekend. One of the heating units in the Reg malfunctioned on Friday. The University's building engineers sprang into action and completed repairs on Saturday, but further complications meant that heat wasn't full restored until Monday.

The above problem MAY also be the cause of the ongoing cold on 4th and 5th floors of the Reg (in particular, the Classics Reading Room) -- we're investigating.

Having said all this, we remind readers that the Reg and Mansueto are essentially huge open spaces, and it's hard to heat or cool them quickly. When the outside temperatures swing wildly, as they've been doing, it takes some time for the interior of the Library to return back to our target range of 70-75 F, even with the HVAC on full blast.

Cold in the 4th floor bookstacks

Why is the ac on in the stacks on the fourth floor? It is freezing here and has been all week.

Our temperature logs for the northern end of the 4th floor bookstacks indicate normal temps (low 70s) for the past few days. We'll continue to keep an eye on the situation, though.

Mansueto is freezing

The Mansueto study room is really, really cold. There's a very noticeable difference between it and even the connecting corridor to the Reg. Is there some way to adjust the temperature settings so that the air conditioning units aren't on full blast at all times?

We received several complaints about Sunday's "icebox" conditions in Mansueto. While we've notified University Facilities about the cold, there's not a lot we can do until Tuesday when more personnel are on duty.

On the bright side, Monday's forecast is 90 (F) and sunny -- which means the dome should be a little warmer thanks to external conditions.

Too Cold in the Reg?

It is too cold in the library!

We assume you're talking about Regenstein. As the building is fairly large and is served by several different HVAC systems, it'd be helpful to know a room/location that was overly cold.

When we took temperature readings this morning (we take readings each weekday), nothing appeared out of the ordinary.  However, it did seem unseasonably cool this weekend, which may have affected indoor temperatures in the Reg.

Cold in Classics Reading Room

Would it be possible to turn the heating in the Classics Reading Room on the fourth flour of the Regenstein library a bit higher? There's a continual stream of cold air, rather than heating, now and I've heard complaints from several other grad students about this.

We apologize for the belated reply - the temperature should be back to normal now.

Warmth in RR4

Is there any way the heat can be turned down on the 4th floor? It has been uncharacteristically hot on the 4th floor for the past 10 days, to the point that I and others have decided not to use the library because it is so uncomfortable. In addition to the discomfort, it is a tremendous waste of energy! I understand that it may be difficult to control slight temperature changes and that it is impossible to make everyone happy, but the general consensus is that it is waaaaaay too hot up there (you can ask anyone, or observe the tank tops, flushed cheeks, students fanning themselves, or people passed out asleep from the debilitating heat). Thanks!

***

We received a similar comment from regular correspondent M:

Dear Regenstein,

We are having a wet T-shirt contest in the 4th floor reading room. The heat is up so high that we're perspiring through our clothes. While there are some quite attractive folks on this floor, there are plenty that I don't want to see in damp, adherent garments. Please turn down the heat before things get out of control up here!

We apologize for the warm temperatures last week. University Facilities was replacing the air dampers, and the Reg was not taking in any outside air. Further, the building chillers don't turn on unless the outside temperature is above 45 degrees, and we were a little below that point. Without any source of cold air, temperatures inside the building spiraled quickly (digression: most heat in the Reg comes from people, not heaters). We represented to Facilities that the situation was a little sticky, and they completed the present damper work as quickly as they could. Suggestions Office staff wasn't on the fourth floor during the weekend, but I'm hopeful the climate was more comfortable by then. 

There will be more damper work going on in the next several weeks, but it will hopefully not be as noticeable as last week.

PS. True U of C students don't ever let their eyes wander from the text.

Heat in the Reg

The temperature in the Regenstein Library is way too high. Could you please tell the responsible authorities to lower it to room temperature.  I have been in the Reg (1st floor) for about 3 hours now, December 27, and I think I am getting sick because of too much heat.

Please, please, put the temperature back to normal room temperature...I have noticed over the years that I worked here that it gets way too cold in the Reg during the summer and way too hot during winter....and many other patrons feel the same way.

Apologies that we weren't able to do anything about the heat; I hope things cooled down a bit after Saturday.

During winter, we cool the building via a system of vents that admit outside air. But when the outside air is unseasonably warm (we set a record on December 27), there's little the engineers can do except wait for the weather to return to normal winter conditions. (Why don't we turn on the A/C? See this blog post.)

Too Hot and/or Too Cold

Although the weather is getting cooler outside, I think you guys turn the heat up in the library a little too much sometimes. By saving energy you guys can also save a bit of money. Cheers.

As we've mentioned before, we aim to keep the interior temp of the Reg between 70-75 degrees F. Our logs during this period don't show any abnormal readings, but keep communicating with us if the situation persists.

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.