$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.

Paper Cutter Noise

Suggestion/Comment 

Move the paper cutter off of the back wall in your office areas facing the 2nd floor tables on opposite side!!  Very loud.

Response 

We apologize for the noise of the staff paper cutter.  We did not realize that this was heard through the wall and disturbing  those of you trying to study and read.  We have moved the staff paper cutter to an area further away from the wall. We hope this helps.

Quiet/Silent Zone Clarification & Cleanliness

Suggestion/Comment

“1. How is it possible to have 2^nd floor be a ‘Conversation Zone’ and the 3^rd Floor, 2-person tables directly above them as a ‘Silent Zone?’

2. If the 3^rd floor is a Silent Zone, [shouldn’t there be] signage along the entire area of 3^rd floor?

3. Some tables get quite dirty and sticky. Are they cleaned daily?”

Response

One of the issues that almost every modern library must deal with is how to manage sound in a space built to handle multiple uses. On a daily basis we must have space to accommodate those who want to study, surf the web, work on group projects, and a myriad of other activities. Our designation of one floor as Conversational and the other as Quiet or Silent is not a perfect means to insure total silence. However, we see it as a reasonable way to let our users know that there are some areas where it is appropriate to talk and some where low voices or no talk is more appropriate. This is not to say we are closed to hearing from our users on how we can make improve the use of any of the Library’s spaces. We would love to hear your ideas!

As for more signage, we try very hard to balance the need to communicate with our users and not overwhelm them with signage that, if overdone, can quickly fade into the background. We will take a look at our signage deployment and see if we can improve our coverage without it becoming “illustrative noise.”

Finally, we do try to keep all areas of the library clean and ready for use on a regular basis. If you ever come across a space or table that needs to be cleaned, please let us know. Your help allows us to better serve all users. Thanks!

Talking in the Library

Suggestion/Comment

“Talking in library. People forget that people are still studying in the computer area and decide to talk about dinner plans or exams. Maybe more signs or bigger signs to remind them that they still need to keep their voices down.”

Response

Thanks for letting us know about your concerns. We try very hard to make sure that Ebling Library provides spaces for people to talk and to study. For example, the entire second floor is considered a “conversation” zone, a place where patrons should feel free to talk in normal tones. We think this helps encourage group study and work — one of our goals in setting up the InfoCommons. The entire third floor is set aside as a silent zone, a place that allows those who want to study to do so without interruption. Over the last several months we have been placing signs on the third floor to remind our patrons that it is an area for study not talking. Please do not hesitate to let us know at the Service Desk if you ever feel that other patrons around you are being too loud for the area in which you are sitting.

Log-in Time & Headphones

Suggestion/Comment

“Resetting the PC’s after logout makes logging in take much longer. Also, loading applications like Firefox take longer. Why not a global nightly reset of all machines? Also, files saved to the desktop are lost. Finally, why no more headphones on each machine?”

Response

As mentioned previously, we have modified some of the software that starts when the computers are logging in. We believe this will reduce the PC’s start-up time.

Each PC is reimaged every night, so our guests start off each day with a “fresh” computer. This allows us to protect the machines from malicious software as well protect the privacy of our guests. The downside of this is that unless data is placed on the public drive of the InfoCommons PC’s (sorry, nothing comparable on our non-InfoCommons machines), it will be lost.

Finally, the decision to move most of our headphones to the Service Desk was driven by the number that were stolen or destroyed in the past when we kept them by the PC’s. To avoid having to continuously replace headphones, a policy decision was made to have them available for check-out. Please feel free to ask for a pair at the Service Desk if your PC does not have any — it takes just a couple minutes to check them out.