Subject: Vending Machine
Suggestion: Please tell the Coke Man to stock diet sprite.
Response: Your suggestion was forwarded to a Coke representative.
- Teri Alexander, Circulation & Facilities Manager, 656-5172
Subject: Ejournals
Suggestion:The manner in which the electronic journals are now listed is incredibly non-user friendly. The previous manner in which they were listed made it easy to quickly find the journal you desired. A simple alpabetical order in which there are sub alpabetical catagories was nice (ex J of A, J of B etc etc). Trying to get the link to the journal of the american chemical society is much more difficult now. Before it was simply the J of T link. Now you have to sort through all the j's to get to it.
Response: The new EJournal display is indeed a pain. The quickest work around, at the present time, is to search for "american chemical" with "Title contains all words". This is faster than scrolling. We are working with the vendor to change several aspects of the display that are not to our liking. We swapped sources to this outside company to decrease the time it takes to make URL/holdings changes from three to six days to about sixty seconds. We are trying to balance the ease-of-use aspect we had with accurate information about the title we should now have.
- Gordon Cochrane, Electronic Services Librarian/Web Manager, 656-1535
Subject: Catalog Access
Suggestion: I waited 15 minutes for a public computer so I could check and see if the library had a book I wanted. You need to have a computer dedicated to the library catalog. It's frustrating to have to wait to do library research when students are playing games on the computers.
Response: We have added two workstations on level 4 on high tables at your request. Hope this helps. We are also adding 60 lab machines on level 5 during the Christmas break.
- Beth Helsel, Systems Librarian, 656-3039
Subject: Newspaper Access/Furniture
Suggestion: The newspapers are very difficult to look at in their new location. The chairs and table are right up next to the newspaper displays and you have to climb over people to get to the papers. You have to climb around even more because when the papers droop over the name of the paper you can't tell which one is the one you are looking for. The papers are also not very accesible to the rest of the area. Its like you have to go out the entrance. Which actually works in opposition to the exit gates.
Thank you.
Response: Good or bad, we made an assumption that the furniture located next to the newspapers are positioned for that purpose (to read newspapers). We now feel that this is a popular spot in and of itself. At best, we'll make more of an effort to leave a clear walking path to the newspapers so that users have access. Thanks for the suggestion.
- Teri Alexander, Circulation & Facilities Manager, 656-5172
Subject: Cell phone noise
Suggestion: This library is ridiculous! It's more like a social center than a place to study. Everywhere I go someone is talking on their cell phone or a cell phone is ringing.
How is it that this "non-smoking policy" is strictly enforced OUTSIDE the library yet there is no policy on the use of cell phones INSIDE the library?
I am aware of the "quiet" floors but these floors are regularly filled, forcing some to move upstairs. I can tolerate the conversations upstairs but I absolutely cannot stand these obnoxious ring tones (usually followed by ludicrous chit chat).
I know, you say nothing can be done about this, but something can be done. Simply post signs (similar to the non-smoking signs outside) throughout the library requiring cell phones to be turned on vibrate or silent and walk outside or walk to the lobby on the fourth floor to use the phone. Better yet, why not ban cell phone usage in the library altogether. I don't see why this would be so hard to implement or enforce. Once it is known that cell phones are not allowed, people will follow the rules.
I'm not sure about others but I come to the library to study and get my work done, not to socialize and talk on the phone with my buddies. Thank you for taking my suggestion and as to your posted response about cell phones, when I am studying/working on assignments, I do not have time to get up and report the offender. I simply do not have enough or energy to "tattle" every five minutes. I appreciate your time and HOPE something will be done. My grades depend on it.
Response: Thanks for the suggestion. We are considering ways of politely encouraging users by signage to set phones to vibrate while in the library and please restrict use. There's no way for us to properly police/ enforce this problem but we will do our best to encourage users. Feel free to report a particular problem to the nearest service desk.
- Teri Alexander, Circulation & Facilities Manager, 656-5172
Subject: Computers down at 2am!!!!!
Suggestion: Put a sign up at the computers on this floor explaining that the computers will shut down at 2:00. I lost my entire paper that I worked on all day because I went to get another source and missed the guards warning. And they said it happened to someone else. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO ANOTHER PERSON. PUT UP A SIGN!!
Response: We are truly sorry that you lost your work. Today we have put signs near those computers saying that they go down at 2am and to save work to a floppy or CD. We're looking at this maintenance window now. The current product we use for updates and virus protection requires much greater downtime than we'd like. We will work to balance security of the public machines against their greater availability during the hours that Cooper Library is open.
- Beth Helsel, Systems Librarian, 656-3039
Subject: Online Resource
Suggestion: I was doing research for Materials Science and Engineering and found a great resource online but need university access first. I would greatly appreciate someone looking into getting access to Scientific.Net (http://www.scientific.net/default.cfm?login=new)
Thanks...
Response: We are checking on pricing. To date we do not have any information. The Library does not have any funding this year for new databases. Once we have subscription information, we will look for alternate funding.
- Peggy Cover, Head of Reference, 656-5173
Subject: Log In for Your Library Account
Suggestion: A comment regarding the library web page: The login page of the online library account (http://webpac.clemson.edu/pe/login.cgi) requires two identification
numbers, the Borrower and the University ID number. Now, since both numbers are almost identical up to the last digit (which doesn't exists
for the UID), I do not understand why just using the BID would not be sufficient. Nevertheless, it is always amusing to see that entering the UID is anonymous (black dots instead of numbers), while entering the BID (which uses the UID) is visible. Is there any reason?
Response: You're quite right that this is not a very secure way of entering your library account if someone is looking over your shoulder. Unfortunately, the library system is ancient and the Web catalog was a late addition that was definitely not state-of-the-art. The good news is that we will have a new library system up and running by the summer of 2005. The new catalog will not only have better security for accessing your library account but will also have many better features for searching.
- Beth Helsel, Systems Librarian, 656-3039
Subject: Printing
Suggestion: I think it's wonderful that we are provided printers for free at the library. I hope this privilege isn't taken away. However, I see that people take advantage of it. Before having all students pay for copies is it possible that each student could be allotted a certain number of copies for free? Thanks for your hard work and consideration!
Response: You're absolutely right that abuse of printing privileges is what kills free printing. I believe that the Computer Center did try using an allocation software and decided against it though I'm not sure why. What I can tell you is that after repeated requests from the Library the Computer Center has agreed to add a second printer on Level 5. Perhaps we can try signage to inform users that free printing really depends on users monitoring themselves and not printing thoughtlessly (as an example, our Help Desk workers on Level 5 routintely throw away large stacks of printing that have never been picked up). Housing claims that has helped their free printing situation.
- Beth Helsel, Systems Librarian, 656-3039
Subject: Vending Machine
Suggestion: It's not convenient to have the vending machines only accept tigerstripe.
Response: We agree. Unfortunately, the machine that we have can only have either Tiger Stripe or cash, not both. It is an older machine and cannot be configured to do both. We are testing the continuing need for it now that we have the Snax and Stax store. If there continues to be a high demand for it, we will investigate obtaining a new machine that can handle both TigerStripe and cash. Thanks.
- Jens Holley, Resource Sharing & Copier Services Head, 656-5177
Subject: Email notification
Suggestion: An automatic email should be sent when a recall or interlibrary borrowing is
made online so that I know that my order has gone through. I felt very agitated
when I wasn't sure whether my order went through.
Response: Thank you for contacting us. When a patron places a recall or hold, we send a confirmation email once the recall/hold has been placed stating that the item has been recalled and the expected availability date. If you place a recall or hold, and don't receive a confirmation, please call or email us to check on it since there could have been technical difficulty and your request may have not went through.
Interlibrary loans, at this time, are not confirmed upon receipt. However you should receive an email once the item is available. I spoke with Jens Holley, unit head for Interlibrary Loan, and was told that they are currently working on the online form so that an email confirmation is sent when the requests are made. Look for it in the near future. Thank you.
- Fredda Mealor, Desk Manager, 656-4499
Subject: Author Harry Crews
Suggestion: No Harry Crews in library ...should add a couple of his works.
Response: We have the following works by Harry Crews:
Crews, Harry, 1935- Blood and grits / Harry Crews. 1979
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 B5 1979 --
Crews, Harry, 1935- Body / Harry Crews. 1990
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 B6 1990 --
Crews, Harry, 1935- A childhood, the biography of a place / Harry Crews. 1978
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 Z463 1978 --
Crews, Harry, 1935- A childhood, the biography of a place / Harry Crews. 1983
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 Z463 1983 --
Crews, Harry, 1935- A feast of snakes / Harry Crews. 1976
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 F4 --
Crews, Harry, 1935- The knockout artist / Harry Crews. 1989
COOPER LIBRARY --- PS3553.R46 K56 1989 --
- Camille Cooper, Reference Librarian, 656-0841
