New "Quiet Study"

The new “quiet study” area is connected with the group study where there’s several people talking.
Not very quiet – maybe that entire area could be quiet study?


Good question and good suggestion!

In fact, the majority of that area is already designated as “Silent Study” (we just apparently haven’t done a very good job of advertising that fact!)
You can see by our map below that, except for the closed/glass room along the wall, all those smaller rooms should be used only by those wishing to work independently (and silently). We’ve left one room as “green/commons”, due to the lack of other spaces in the Library for separate group study and have found that room to be fairly sound-proof. However, if it becomes a disruption we’ll re-evaluate the designation!
In light of your comments, we’re reposting signs and should soon have our zone map available so that all users are aware of current restrictions. We’re also expediting the replacement of the door, installing one with a new & improved viewing window (the original solid door was considered a security risk).
And, finally, please always feel free to speak with a staff member – we’re happy to remind our users to be aware of their surrounding and considerate of others!

MORE Computers!

I wish the Library had
More
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and
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More Computers --


(So, tell us what you really think…!!!)


Just kidding :) -- We’ve heard this particular wish before and hope to have some answers that address your concerns.

The quick answer is we hope to have additional computers in the Library shortly. There are plans to add a computing lab on the 2nd floor that will be used exclusively for academic purposes. Keep an eye out for more details come Spring 2011!

Also, please remember that if you’re having difficulty finding computers for academic work because “everyone is Facebooking & Game Playing” just ask for help at one of the service desks. You can check out our Wed, Nov 10th blog post which addresses similar concerns about our computer resources.

Other than that, it is unlikely we’ll be adding more computers to the public areas of the library. We now have 43 computer on the 1st floor, 12 on the 2nd (not including the 25 stations in the Information Literacy Classroom), 6 in the Math Lab, 8 in the Writing Center and 6 laptops for checkout: 100 computers in all! For a library our size with our current staff, that’s quite a lot of technology (not to mention users) to manage!

And so, with the computers we have, those we plan on adding, and a bit of staff intervention, is your wish met???

Why does the library…hardly ever get vacuumed and leave dead flies all over.

We apologize for the dead flies. The library does get vacuumed regularly. Keeping the library clean and presentable is a full-time job for the college’s maintenance crew. We will let them know that the fly situation is a problem, particularly in the silent study room and ask them to pay extra attention to that area. We would also ask for every students continued support in keeping the library clean. If you see something wrong, let us know. Remind students, politely of course, to clean up after themselves. We will be sure to monitor the library space and ensure it is presentable.

You may have also noticed that the college has placed new, large, blue trash and recyclable cans around campus. In the library, these new containers are located at the top of the stairs and near the door to the back stairs as well as near the main entrance.

Facebooking & Game Playing on Computers

Why does the library…. Allow people to be on facebook & play games when students need the computers for school work. All computers were used I see 5 people on facebook.

We’re sorry that you had difficulty using the library computers for your work. The primary function of the Evans Library is to support the academic work of students, faculty, and all other patrons and it’s disturbing when any user feels they can’t get their work done.
At this time, the library allows for more ‘non-academic’ use than we would normally do, due to the fact that there are no other places on campus for students to connect with family and friends, check their email, watch the latest game, or even to play games. There is also a “gray area” in terms of social networking sites -- more and more instructors are taking advantage of such tools to enhance their courses and to provide alternate means of communication between class members.

Social use should never, however, interfere with students’ and other users’ ability to use the library’s resources for academic purposes.

In the future if you can’t find a computer, please go to one of the service desks which are located on the first floor; the Reference Desk is in the back and the Circulation Desk is at the entrance. The Library staff will help you locate an unused computer on the first or second floor or make a general announcement directed at those users not doing academic work. We commonly make such announcements and have found our users to be very accommodating (you will often see several users immediately closing their sessions and handing over their computers!). There are also several laptops available for use inside the building that may serve your needs.
We can also tell you that the campus is currently looking for areas outside the Library that will have ‘social computing’ equipment for students who primarily want to play or socialize. If you believe this kind of space is needed (and we here at the Evans Library do!), please share your story with your student government representatives and/or the College’s administration.

THANKS!

2nd Floor Door in Library

Why does the library not place an 'open door slowly' sign on the upstairs door that goes down to the rest rooms? Even better, would be to place a small window down low on the door so both sides can see what is going on. This is an extreme hazard because there is no way to catch yourself if pushed backward by the opening door. An Open Door slowly sign or a window would help make the library safer. :)

Excellent idea, there should be a sign to warn people entering the stairwell to open door slowly. Also we all must use common sense when entering the library’s second floor from the stairwell to be prepared for the door to open—as with many doors. What do you think of the signs that we put up? :)

Power source for Laptops

Why does the library have... so few locations with power for laptops?

I wish I had better news for you. The lack of power is due both to the age of the building (1968!) and the difficulty with retro-fitting it for current needs. In order to provide the kind of power required by today’s tech-savvy students, there would have to be a major renovation of both floors, which would involve asbestos abatement, relocation of furniture and people, and more time and money than the campus can devote at this time. Such a renovation is in the preliminary planning stage, but will probably not occur in the foreseeable future.

That being said, we’ve done our best to provide electricity in as many places as we can. If you are looking for power and don’t see any available, please ask one of our staff members; perhaps we can find a spot that you hadn’t noticed. One area that seems to get overlooked is our “Silent Study”, the red zone located in the corner on the second floor. There is power along two walls and in the center area – and that room has the added benefit of being one of our quieter locations!

Graphic Novels

I wish the library would…

Have more graphic novels on display like Maus, Scott Pilgrim or Persepolis.


The library actually owns Maus I (Call #D810.J4 S643) and Maus II (Call #D804.3 S66). We have Persepolis too (Call #PN6747.S245 P4713). And while they are not on display downstairs; they are on “display” upstairs in the book stacks. Unfortunately we don’t own any of the Scott Pilgrim series, but you can request that we get them from another library for you via interlibrary loan (affectionately known as ILL in the library world). A quick search of the SUNY Catalog shows several Scott Pilgrim titles and that a few different libraries own them. To use the SUNY Catalog go here: http://search.sunyconnect.suny.edu/. Do your search & click on the title you want. Next click on the “Request item” link, find your campus and you’re well on your way. If you need help completing the request – just ask one of the library staff. And, we do buy books “on request”, so if you have any additional titles you would like to see, please let us know and we’ll consider them for purchase.