Follow the Rules

Suggestion/Comment

“Especially during finals, there are high school students who use the computers to play games and use the quiet study rooms to be loud and play card games. I don’t mind if they use this library (it is public), but the Library was designed for health care professional students. Please be more attentive or do something to prevent these high school students from abusing the facility. Thanks.”

Response

You are correct. Ebling Library does open its’ doors to the general public as well as health care professionals and students. We get users with very different reasons for being here, and we try to make sure that the environment allows for all of those pursuits without any one interfering with another. To this end, we have a policy in place that prohibits anyone from playing games on public computers, with the exception being the Decompression Zone, which was created for game players. We also made the 3^rd floor a Quiet/Silent zone, so that folks who did not want to have to deal with the conversational nature of the second floor had a place to go. In the cases you mention, it does not sound like we were properly enforcing these rules. Please accept our apologies, and know that we will try to make sure that these rules are more diligently enforced going forward. And please feel free to let us know of any concerns you have at our Service Desk.

The Dean’s Party

Suggestion/Comment

“If the Dean of the Medical Society wants to throw a party, it probably shouldn’t be in the library … much less the quiet study area during the quiet hours for finals!!!”

“I also believe that the Med School party in the middle of the Library was inappropriate. There are signs, all ones saying that Ebling is quiet study, especially during finals time. I believe this shows a lack of respect for students during the most busy time of the semester.”

Response

We received a couple of complaints about the Dean’s Centennial event on Tuesday the 6th. The party planners were warned that the event was during finals; we were hoping that by limiting it to the late afternoon, early evening-(4:30-6:30) that we would not disrupt your studies too much. We did not appreciate how loud the caterer set up would be, well before 4:30. We were hoping that by warning the student body (all health sciences students) that the party was pending (which we did in an e-mail last week) that it would not be too disruptive. We have held numerous events in the Historical Reading Room before which went smoothly-it was the addition of the caterer and the extended 3rd floor venue that made this event problematic.

In response to your concerns we will make it a policy NOT to have any functions (or caterers) in the Ebling that move beyond the quiet confines of the Historical Reading Room during the two week finals period in the Spring or Winter.

Our profuse apologies. This open landscape building was designed as a multi-purpose, multi-use facility, in order to encourage collegiality, and interchange (as well as studying and quiet). Sometimes those initiatives get confused. We will continue to make every effort, under the constraints of the building’s design and initiatives, to protect your quiet in our future endeavors.

Ebling Library Administration

Noisy Carts!

Suggestion/Comment

Over the last week we have received quite a few comments (often impassioned) from you, our customers, about the noise our bookcarts make on the Library’s textured carpeting. Ebling Library Director Terry Burton has responded to these concerns:

Response

Sadly, I am all too aware of the cart-to-textured-carpet noise problem. The carpet choice was not ours and we will continue to try to get it changed. We have tried several cart noise reducing strategies (including cart types) and, so far, have achieved slightly quieter, but not anywhere near silent.

The library is concerned about maintaining quiet conditions during finals. We will be minimizing cart traffic as much as possible, with fewer trips (and hand carrying when loads are small enough to do so).

We appreciate your courtesy to our employees with carts as they can do little to ease the situation. Please continue to use the suggestion box or direct concerns to me, Terry Burton, Health Sciences Library Director (262-5943, tburton@library.wisc.edu, HSLC 3322).

Coffee Cart?

Suggestion/Comment

“A coffee cart in the Library would be sweet!”

Response

Thanks for the interest. Currently, the Library’s director, Terry Burton, is working with medical student representatives to see if a sponsored cart could be provided during the evening hours of finals week. It’s not a done deal, but we’re hopeful. Unfortunately, a non-competition agreement between the HSLC and the Daily Dose does not permit us to provide a coffee cart during the day.

$5 Bills

Suggestion/Comment

“The copy card loading machine will not accept the “new” bills (specifically $5’s). Can this be fixed, as it’s a hardship!”

Response

We’ve received a lot of comments from customers not happy with this issue. We’re not pleased with it either. The problem is with the new $5 bills only. The computer in the loader does not recognize the new style. We are waiting for Debit Card Central, the Library system unit that manages the loading machines, to update the recognition software. We hope to have this issue corrected within the next couple of weeks. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.

Low Pressure Bubblers

Suggestion/Comment

“Water pressure in the bubbler next to library entrance is so low it’s hard to get a drink. The 3rd floor bubblers are also low in pressure. Thank you.”

Response

We noticed that same problem on the Library’s 2nd floor but hadn’t done anything about it, so we’re glad you said something. We recently spoke to the HSLC facilities folks, and they said that sometimes the fountains’ filters need cleaning and once that is done the flow improves. We have ordered cleaning for both the 2nd and 3rd floor drinking fountains, and hope to have the bubblers bubbling (full force) soon.

And in case you wondered, the term “bubbler” originated in eastern Wisconsin! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubbler.

Copier Cost

Suggestion/Comment

“Please label how much copies are so we don’t have to guess!”

Response

Thanks for the comment. The per-page cost of printing and copying is posted in each copy center. To help those folks using our non-copy center printers, we are in the process of adding signs with per-page costs next to those machines as well.

“Disgusting” Laptops

Suggestion/Comment

“Please sanitize laptops. I’ve borrowed a few that were downright disgusting.”

Response

We do try to wipe the laptops down when they’re returned, but they tend to go out as fast as they are returned, so we don’t always get a chance to thoroughly clean each unit. If you notice one that is dirty, please feel free to let us know and we will clean it up for you.

Dusty

Suggestion/Comment

“Dust the computers – they are gross!”

Response

We do try to clean the computers and monitors on a regular basis. But dust never sleeps. We’ll try harder, and if you spot a really noxious example of dustiness, please let us know. Thanks for the help!

Squeaky Chairs

Suggestion/Comment

Get chairs that squeak less.

Response 

As with any source of annoyance within the library, we are glad you made us aware of the issue.  If we can possibly do something to make quiet areas more quiet and silent areas more silent, we want to know of issues. However, in this case we just tried a variety of chairs throughout the library and didn’t notice any squeak problems.  An occasional “pop” when we got up or down was noticed but not any larger issues. What we did find bothersome, was that the rolling chairs noisily bumped on the carpet when moved.

So in this case and others like it, if you can come to the Service Desk (or find a nearby staff member anywhere in the library) and let us know specifically which type of chair you are talking about and when this is occurring, we will better be able to address your concern.  In addition, if you see any chairs or other pieces of furniture that need repair or attention in any other way, please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to rectify the situation as soon as possible.