LOAN PERIODS/RENEWALS
1. The requirement to bring books back yearly to renew more than
three times is a huge pain for ABDs, I am in town today with 600
pounds of books, 3 kids and spending 24 hours in a car (literally-
12 hours each way) doing this. Somehow it would be nice to figure
out a way to do this differently.
2. My biggest frustration is the constantly changing and rather
arcane rules about renewals. It was glorious when I never had to
return books, just renew them. Shorter and shorter return periods
with huge fines makes it very hard to deal with the library.
3. Ask how many grad students find it inane and inconvenient that
you have a policy requiring us to physically take our books in to
renew them after 3 quarters, especially when your circulation staff
can't handle simple requests like check this back in and then let
me check it out so I don't have to lug it here again next quarter.
You really think grad students are the ones who lose/steal books
all the time? I'm thinking faculty and alumni are probably the real
culprits, and they don't get penalized at all.
4. Also, as a PhD student, I am appalled that I have to bring back
every three quarters part of the nearly 200 books I have checked
out at any given time for my dissertation and teaching. Given that
PhD students rely heavily on books and for that reason respect them
greatly, might it be possible to extend that proving I still have
the book requirement to maybe every three years? I've had many
books checked out continuously for the past six years (obscure
dissertation), and to have to be constantly hauling bags of books
back to the library to be renewed is a huge pain in the ass (not to
mention pain in my back, due to the weight of the books).
5. PhD students should be able to check out books indefinitely. We
are not the people hoarding and losing books-- that would be the
faculty. Faculty sit on those books forever in their carrels, while
those of us writing dissertations have to schlep our books back to
the library every three quarters, sometimes traveling great
distances hauling heavy volumes
6. The long borrowing period and recall system make it very
difficult for me to obtain and keep the materials I need. It never
fails that I am in need for a particular volume and it is checked
out. If I happen to check it out myself, it is recalled very soon.
Our collection is one of the most impressive in the country, but
it's not of much use when access to the volumes is restricted in
such a fashion.
7. Possibly reconsider indefinite loans to faculty. They tend to
hoard books
8. The loans that are only available for a few hours are not
helpful for alumni
9. Please change the nonsensical rule that users can take books out
for a term at a time and then renew. The biggest problem with the
library is that you look to see whether there's a book in stock and
you find it's out on loan, then you realize that by the time it's
returned you'll no longer need it. Limit loans to three weeks and
make people come back in person if they want to renew. That way it
wouldn't seem - as it now does - as though the library didn't
actually own the most important books, so you have to buy them
yourself. In the current system, people can take books out for a
year and actually keep them unused in a locker within the library
while no one else - in fact, if not in principle - can use them
when they need to.
10. Recalling takes too long.
RECALLS
11. Please change the recall policy. Frequently I recall a book and
then get a notice saying it is available for me. By the time I get
home, it has been recalled from another user. Often the books is
too long to read within the week that I have to return it before
penalties begin to accrue. I often end up returning the book
without opening it and the cycle begins again if I recall it from
the person who recalled it from me. It is a real waste my time and
the time of other users. Lengthening the period to two weeks would
make it possible to read the book.
12. My biggest complaint is that, inevitably, the books I need for
research or class-work are not available for me to take out of the
library. They are either on reserve for a class I am not in (which
still leaves them [in]accessible), or they are checked out and I
have to engage in a recall-war in order to get to use them.
13. The recall system is awful. The fact that one cannot ILL books
that the library owns, but that are checked out or on reserve, is
seriously detrimental to research. In my experience, attempts to
recall books are successful *maybe* half the time. Being dependent
upon a book that is on 4 hour reserve for a class is extremely
frustrating. This is a major problem that could easily be resolved
by allowing users to acquire these materials through inter-library
loan (though this service, alas, is not the most
dependable...).
14. Also, new policies need to be put into place regarding recalls
and interlibrary loan, which sometimes make it difficult to access
the material I need.
15. It's very annoying when i've just checked out a book and it's
recalled in the first week and I have to relinquish it.
16. I have taken a number of classes in which students enrolled
checked out all books on a particular subject and needed to recall
other students books.
17. I believe it would be helpful if the library bought multiple
copies of popular books, particularly those used in the humanities.
I have often been placed 5 or 6 in the recall queue for a book,
which hinders my access to needed material
18. The recall system is a major pain. Professors take forever to
return materials. There must be a better way to manage this.
19. It would be nice if a user could know on what date a particular
book was issued, so that if he/she wants to 'recall' it, he/she'd
know if the book's current owner had the book for a reasonable
amount of time.
20. I would consider revamping the recall process. One week is too
long for a person to keep a book before returning it to another
student who needs it.
21. I dislike the fact that every time I try to check out a book, I
have to recall it or put in a search for it, b/c it's not on the
shelf. (Maybe we can cut out the infinite loan periods for faculty
or academic non-faculty.... they have relatively high salaries and
can afford to purchase their own copies. )
22. The only problem I've ever had with the library is that I
wasn't aware that it's not possible to recall books that are on
reserve. If this is not allowed, perhaps it shouldn't be possible
to do so online, or actually stated somewhere.
23. Recalled books are often delayed.
24. Furthermore, I often have to recall books, suggesting that the
library should own multiple copies.
25. reevaluate the recall-ILL system.
RETURNS, NOTICES, FINES
26. Returns need to be handled more carefully - especially at the
end of the quarter. This year, for example, 3 of the books I
returned were marked as still out on my account. When I spoke with
circulation, they indicated I should fill out a claim form online
(which I did). Weeks went by with no sign of these books despite
e-mail exchanges with library employees who claimed to be looking
in all the libraries for these missing books.. Finally the week
came when I was to pay $100/book replacement fee or suffer a hold
by the Registrar. In a final desperate attempt to locate these
missing books, I made a sweep of every library on campus that
contained the same call numbers as the books I returned. I found
all three of my books - in three different libraries. One of them
was in the correct library, on the shelf, EXACTLY where it belonged
-- it simply hadn't been scanned as returned. While I know mistakes
happen, my main frustration with the situation was that I was being
assured by library staff that they had already looked in these
locations. Clearly, they hadn't, and as a result, I, the patron was
being charged $300. I am sure I'm not the only one with this
story.
27. The biggest problem I've had with the library during my long
tenure here is that I have rather often had the library fail to
check in books that I have returned, which has meant that I've had
to persuade library personnel that I have, in fact, returned the
books. Not sure if this is a common problem or if I've just been
unlucky, but I hope it happens less often in the future.
28. Fines can be draconian.
29. Additional email notifications for items that are due, prior to
the passing of the due date is in order. This is done for
inter-library loan items, therefore I see no compelling reason not
to have a final notice a day or two prior to the due date for items
that have been recalled. It should be fairly easy to automate since
it is already done for some items. That a notice is sent out only
several days after an item is overdue strikes me as a money grab,
rather than a proactive measure to get books returned on
time.
30. Unresponsive service. Asked me to return books I have never
borrowed.
31. Really bad at making sure each book is scanned when checking
out and losing books after they returned. The worst service in this
manner of any library I have ever used.
32. The only problems I've had with the library were that I once
returned a reserve book on time but was then charged a $5 fee and
had no way to prove that I had actually returned the book on
time.
33. I think that the fine system is too high for college students
undergrad and graduates. I also think that a renewal reminder
should be sent.
34. Late fees on reserve materials are really too high. They accrue
far too quickly and frankly I have no intention of paying those
fines except if forced.
35. And most importantly-- why do you print out a receipt for every
single book checked out? Just print out one per transaction, or let
the user say whether or not they want one, or just have people
check online- you're wasting a ton of paper.
36. I wish that Crerar had a drop box to return books. I don't feel
comfortable leaving them at the circulation desktop and it hardly
merits calling for assistance. A simple wooden desktop box would
do, just so the staff and I know that the material is being
returned. Thanks.
37. Library used to have a box at curb of 57th St. for return
books. Taken away to save cost by M. Runkle! As emeritus fac., I
returned books twice by car, parked outside w. lights flashing, and
got tickets--even on Sunday. Total cost=$100.00. Can some relief be
forthcoming?
STAFF
38. There's one employee at the library I've foun consistently
competent and helpful. I think his name is David. He works at
customer service in the Reg, and he's the guy I go to when other
staff member screw up (which seems to happen on a regular basis).
He's awesome. Please give him a raise. 2. Example screwup of
another employee: a couple weeks ago, I went to pick up a book that
was being held on recall for me at Harper. The student employee
told me that this was the last day the book would be held, but that
I had to pay a fine on my account before picking it up. (The fine
was later determined to have been erroneously applied for a book I
had returned, which the library promptly lost, and billed to me
before finding it in the stacks mis-shelved). At any rate, I told
the student I would go to the Reg to pay the fine, since Harper
won't accept payments. The student told me that IF I LEFT FOR 15
MINUTES HE WOULD RETURN THE BOOK TO CRERAR, since that day was the
last hold day. Seriously, he would NOT let me go pay the fine and
come right back so I could get the book, which I needed for my
dissertation research! So of course when I went to check it out the
next day after it had been returned, someone else had already
gotten it, and I had to push back my dissertation proposal as a
result-- all because this peevish employee felt the book had to be
sent back RIGHT THEN
39. Many of the students staffing the circ desks at Crerar and the
Reg are sullen at least, and sometimes openly rude. They often act
as if helping patrons is a waste of their valuable web surfing
time.
40. Some of the people who operate the circulation desk have poor
attitudes. I don't want to accuse them all but I have had various
rude encounters.
41. Some of the students are pretty rude at check out and I've been
tempted to correct them, but I haven't.
42. But student employees at circulation are terribly
trained.
43. The student employees are often rude and unhelpful. When you go
to one to check out books or ask a question, they normally act as
if you're asking them to do something that's not in their job
description. Train them to be more polite and helpful to patrons,
or screen applicants for friendlier workers with more positive
attitudes in the future.
44. People working at circulation are not always as helpful or
patient.
45. My main complaint is with a few employees of the check-out
desk. Most of them are fine, but the few are incredibly rude,
sullen and unhelpful and I really wish that those people who don't
have the basic skills to work at that desk were fired.
46. I would like the university to allow for more interest in rare
collections as well. For example, if there are manuscripts from the
10th century, I would like to be able to have relatively easy
access. This is not the case right now.
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1. I especially appreciate the ability to recall items and
receive those items usually within a week.
2. Also I can usually keep them throughout the quarter without
worrying about them being recalled.
3. The possibility to stay with the book for a long period is
essential for research. The library policy in that matter is
excelent, thanks!
4. I have an RA access library materials for me on a weekly basis.
It is very convenient to have proxy borrowers.
5. The managers at circulation are very, very very good, and very
helpful.
6. I love Dan at the customer service desk of the Reg! He is the
sweetest man.
7. Circulation desk staff always very helpful and
considerate.
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