LR comments

Top Sheet

2011-12-02T15:23:00.001Z

Hi i am in need of a top sheet for my e-business report and was told it is on Breo however, i can not seem to find it. Please could you let me know where i could access or download the top sheet.

Its not on Breo as such you need to log onto SITS E-vision from BREO or Student Records from LRWeb (its the same thing we're just in a transition between names) and select what you require using the drop down menu.

Your Student record/ E-vision account password was given to you on registration.

Self Service

2011-11-24T14:27:00.002Z

I have attempted to check books in and out when there has been no one else at the desk and been told that the staff have been told that they can not help. You said the system was to ease queuse if no one else is about what is the problem?

If you have items for issue or return staff can show you how to do this by demonstrating the self service equipment. The University has invested a great deal of time and money in up skilling staff to help with any query raised at the Customer Service desk. Issuing books is one level of enquiry. The response is to show the customer how to use the self service equipment. This is expected practice in the majority of HE and Public libraries in the UK. Our staff are trained to help with every stage of your academic journey and ensuring that you can issue, return, renew and reserve any items required for your research - not matter how tiny - is the first step.

Self Service

2011-11-24T11:29:00.003Z

why can the librarians behind the desk no longer check books in and out I find this very flustrating. Is this a longer term project by the university to cut the number of librrians employed?

Thank you for your comment. No it isn't a project to cut staff. Staff do not issue, return, reserve or renew items for you but they are expressly there to show you how. If you have been refused help with this please tell me when it was and I will follow it up.Taking routine, mundane tasks away from skilled staff frees them up to deal with more complex enquiries. Lots of businesses now have a self service element to manage queues and make staff available for the more in depth, skilled and difficult to solve questions from students. It started with atms in banks and now even supermarkets have self check outs.

At Polhill particularly it means you can return your loan items at any time. You are not tied to library opening times. You don't need to queue

Library staff do not not need to be stamping books, the value of skilled staff is in dealing with specific problems and facilitating early stages of academic research.

Wifi Connection

2011-11-23T09:45:00.001Z

Wifi connection isn't good... any websites.. after some time says not responding

Thank you for your comment regarding the wifi signal 22.11.11 at Park Square

If you experience problems accessing the wifi network may I suggest 2 courses of action

1 please tell staff at the Customer Service desk so they can help you and/or log the issue

2 at lunchtimes and other periods of peak usage connectivity is patchy. It is worth moving to other areas of the LRC or indeed the University to find the best connection spot eg Costas or the Campus Centre.Alternatively you could log on to one of the LRC desktop pcs and use your network space for your assignment.

SPSS

2011-11-22T08:57:00.002Z

Do you have an up to date authorisation code for SPSS 17.0. The one that you supplied to me has expired according to IBM.

By the way do you have SPSS for a mac?

SPSS 17 is no longer supported. You can buy a dvd of SPSS v 19 (£2) from any LRC it is retrospectively compatible for v 17. The file is too big to be downloadable and so we are not offering a download code.

We do not have SPSS for MACs. A way around this is to use or download Boot Camp from the Apple site. Then install Windows (costs approx £100). Your MAC will then work as a PC. You can then run our version of SPSS.

Marketing info from Apple at:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/compatibility/

We don't have any individual Mac licences as they are about £500 each

"Available Items"

2011-11-17T15:00:00.003Z

For some reason even though it states the books are available they are not really. I think the library should keep a copy of each book behind so students can at least copy them

Thank you for your comment. The library catalogue only indicates if a book is available to borrow. Should someone want to use a book while they are in the LRC the book will remain "Available" on the catalogue. This is unfortunate but understandable.

I would always advise checking the shelves near where the book is supposed to be and check the "Collection Points" where books are stored prior to be being re-shelved. I am sorry but having reference copies behind the counter, of all our books is just impractical and would never resolve the scenario of where the Reference copy is already being used.

Silent Study Space - Polhill

2011-11-14T16:28:00.002Z

I think there should be more provision for silent study rooms. The room available is not bigger enough on the ground floor of the library.

Thank you for your comment. Yes I agree with you! Unfortunately there is very little we can do in the short term (ie this academic year) but there are several proposals under consideration which include Silent Study space. We are hoping that at least one gets funding so we can improve provision in the future

Wifi Connection

2011-11-14T16:05:00.002Z

I am still having problems with the wifi connection...

Thank you for taking the trouble to write again. I am sorry that you are still experiencing difficulties with the wifi connectivity. Last week (Nov 7 - 13th) we were experiencing a number of problems particularly with laptops using the Vista or Windows 7 platforms.

I am hoping these problems have now been resolved

If you continue to have problems in the LRC it would be worth trying to connect elsewhere in the University (eg Costas or the Campus Centre) or you could log on to one of the LRC desktop pcs and use your network space for your assignment.

Drop box at Polhill

2011-11-10T16:10:00.002Z

Thank for taking the trouble to write a comment form regarding your suggestions for the library at Polhill.

Drop box:

The Returns Unit outside the library can be viewed as bit of a mixed blessing. If you are used to returning books inside remembering to do this before you come in is a new behaviour and inevitably will be irritating while you get used it. Dropping the books off in the Returns Unit is an advantage because

you don't have to lug the books around the library

you can drop them off as soon as come on campus so you don't have to drag them round with you

Staff "who aren't allowed to help us"

I am sorry that just simply isn't the case.

Staff cannot issue, return, reserve or renew items for you but they are expressly there to show you how. If you have been refused help with this please tell me when it was and I will follow it up.

Taking routine, mundane tasks away from skilled staff frees them up to deal with more complex enquiries. Lots of businesses now have a self service element. Learning Resources has introduced self service to manage queues and make staff available for the more in depth, skilled and difficult to solve questions from students.

At Polhill particularly as well as the comments above, it also means you can return your loan items at any time. You are not tied to library opening times.

Library staff do not need to be stamping books, the value of skilled staff is in dealing with specific problems and guiding early stages of academic research.

Self service

2011-11-10T15:43:00.003Z

What do we pay your for nowadays - we do everything ourselves?

Thank you for your comment. Taking routine, mundane tasks away from skilled staff frees them up to deal with more complex enquiries. Lots of businesses now have a self service element to manage queues and make staff available for the more in depth, skilled and difficult to solve questions from students. It started with atms in banks and now even supermarkets have self check outs.

At Polhill particularly it means you can return your loan items at any time. You are not tied to library opening times.

Library staff do not not need to be stamping books, the value of skilled staff is in dealing with specific problems and guiding early stages of academic research.

Self Service

2011-11-08T09:10:00.002Z

I prefer to speak and interact with real staff members when I come to the library. Why have staff if you can use machines for everything?

Thank you for your comment. In recent years the University has invested in self service equipment to reduce pressure on queues for mundane tasks and extend opening hours.

Issue, return and renewal activities are now done via self service at every campus. This frees up staff time to answer IT and research questions. We consider it of greater value to have trained staff to deal with these type of queries on an individual basis to encourage good academic practice.

Staff are available to show you how to use the self service equipment so please do not hesitate to ask at any time

Wifi Connection

2011-11-04T09:01:00.002Z

When I try to connect to the internet on my laptop some times it does not connect

Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately sometimes the wifi signal varies. It is good practcie to move to a different location to see isf the signal is stronger there. At Park Square there is no wifi signal in the IT Suite

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/availableservices/wifi

If you experience further problems talk to staff at the customer service desk and be sure to tell them where you are trying to connect to the wifi network

2011-10-26T15:25:00.003+01:00

You have few computer and some are out of service. The laptops are very temperamental and they are generally unusable. The study/reception is very noisy and there is nowhere to go to study in peace

Thank you for your comments regarding pc provision at Butterfield. As there is a finite amount of space at Butterfield we can only install as many pcs as there is space for. Inevitably (as on every campus) some pcs will be out of use in the short term if they have problems either with the hardware and software. When demand is high I appreciate that this is very frustrating. Every effort is made to keep all the pcs working properly.

I will bring your comments about the laptops to the attention of our Library Development team. It could be fluctuations in the wifi signal rather than the functionality of the laptops. it is difficult to comment without having a specific example.

There is no silent or even quiet study provision at Butterfield sadly, due to lack of space. I would encourage you to come into Luton to use the Park Square LRC

longer opening hours

nearly 300 pcs

levels 2 & 3 are designated Silent working areas

The University bus will bring you into Luton

Headphones

2011-10-26T13:27:00.003+01:00

Why are we unable to hire headphones from the library? I find this very disappointing.

I am sorry that we cannot help you in this matter. Learning Resources stopped supplying headphones about 3 years ago because:

majority of students seem have their own ear buds / headphones

damage to headphones raised a few health and safety issues

loss through theft depleted the number of available headphones considerably

We will not be changing this decision this academic year as resourcing does not allow it

Self Issue machines

2011-08-24T14:18:00.003+01:00

New system for checking books out of the library entails entering one's password on a large touch screen - in full view of people. I don't see how we're supposed to keep our password secret if using this system

Thank you for your comment regarding our new self issue machines.

Please can I put your mind at rest? Although the on screen "keyboard" is potentially in view of other people (same way as the print credit kiosk is and - to some extent - our previous self issue machines were) even if watching it is difficult to guess the letters/digits being typed in from finger movements. Of course the letters/digits appear as asterix on screen.

Our existing equipment which has a similar facility has not had any of these particular security issues in the past year or so that we have been using them.

If you would like to discuss this further please ring me 01582 489341

Group Study Space Park Square

2011-06-03T10:07:00.001+01:00

Level 2 group study room.. told by security silent study.. told by LRC staff group study...

There used to be group study rooms on levels 2 & 3 since October 2010 they have been re-designated silent wifi rooms. The only group study rooms in the LRC are in the Social Learning Space on the ground floor. The notices in the rooms are quite clear. I am concerned that you say that LRC staff told you there was group study space on our silent floors. I can follow this for staff training.

I do apologise for any confusion over this but clearly the silent floors cannot have (even with the door closed) noise creating group study rooms.

Please make use of the group study space available in the Social Learning Space and the Campus Centre

Public Holidays

2011-06-03T10:02:00.001+01:00

We are requesting that you open IT Suite on Bank Holidays specially at submission times.

All University buildings are closed on Public Holidays. Students are given plenty of advanced notice to plan their activities. Unless there is resource to open the University we cannot open the LRC/IT Suite.

Assignment hand ins

2011-05-31T13:55:00.002+01:00

The customer service stands are always staffed with unmannered people and sometimes rude.
The Silent areas are NOT respected and it's impossible to study in silence.
The LRC telephone number goes straight to answer phone after 4 ring-tones and when someone finally answers they do not bother in giving me an answer to my rather simple query: What time is the Assingment Hand-in service open til?
They recognise it is a service part of LRC but they said they just ignore the answer and suggest ringing the Switchboard.

Thank you for your LRC comment received today 31 May 2011. I am sorry that your experience with the staff at the Customer Service desk of the LRC wasn't the most friendly and helpful. It is our policy to be as informative and helpful as possible. Please could you give me some specific details so I can follow this up as a training issue?

If you have any assignment queries I would advise you to contact:

lutonassignments@beds.ac.uk

Although the assignment handling unit is next to the LRC we do not administer hand ins or have specific details about hand ins. LRC Staff would be wary of giving incorrect advice

The LRC/ITSuite is open until 2am Mon - Fri and 10pm Sat & Sun (during term time) access to the assignment handling unit is available until then

Levels 2 & 3 are our silent floors. If there is an unacceptable level of noise please report it to the Customer Service desk or to security and they will come and patrol.

Hand ins

2011-05-31T09:49:00.000+01:00

PLEASE INSTALL MORE PRINTER'S AND GOOD SCANNER'S ,AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENT THERE IS A VERY LONG RUSH ,EITHER TO PRINT OR TO LOAD CASH IN OUR ACCOUNT ,AND PLS INSTALL OR CHANGE COMPUTERS THEY TAKE AROUND 5 TO 8 MINUTE TO START AFTER LOGGING,
PLEASE LOOK IN THESE MATTER AND MAKE CHANGES IF CAN

Thank you for your comment. I sympathise with the panic around assignment hand in. I would say that time management - in other words planning your assignment hand in - is an essential part of academic practice. Its never a good thing to leave hand ins until the last minute when every hold up seems destined to wind you up and make you feel rushed.

You do know when your assignments are due so plan accordingly by topping up your print account.

I will flag up your comments about the slow log in and scanners to our Technical team. None the less it is not good practice to leave printing until the last minute please try to bear this in mind.

Good luck with your assignment

IEEE Computer Society Digital Library access

2011-05-27T15:01:00.000+01:00

I happened to read IEEE explore papers with university login from LRweb but they say that "All online seats are currently occupied at your institution. Users will be logged out after 15 minutes of inactivity." any plenty of papers are not included in this subscription type !!!!

Our subscription to IEEE Computer Society Digital Library gives us access to 27 society magazines and transactions and more than 3,300 conference publications. In addition we also provide access to the complete IEEE / IET Electronic Library to allow students and staff to identify further abstracts that we may be able to get full text copies via our document supply service http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/docsupply. It sounds as though you came across some abstracts which we do not subscribe too.

You might find it useful to talk to Chris Whitfield http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/ALLs/Chris_Whitfieldour computing Academic Liaison Librarian for further help and advice.

Staplers

2011-05-25T16:35:00.001+01:00

I think you should keep staplers because at the time of assignment submissions we face problem....

Assignments are stressful. It is part of the academic process to manage your time effectively and have all the resources (including staplers) to create your assignment. The LRC does not have a budget to provide free stationery to students, that includes: paper, plastic sleeves and staplers. I am sorry I cannot help you with this. Perhaps you can get a little collection of things together so you won't get caught out again.

Noise in Park Square LRC

2011-03-23T16:02:00.003Z

Students make a lot of noise while they are studying...

Thank you for your comment. I understand your frustration. I has to be said however that one person's noise is another person's quiet. We have tried to respond to different styles of studying by creating a silent work areas in the LRC. On levels 2 & 3 at Park Square Luton we have 2 whole floors for silent working. This is enforced by security patrols. The rest of the LRC is quiet study - and as I've indicated this is open to interpretation.

Please may I suggest that you study on levels 2 & 3 where you will find its a lot quieter, by anyone's definition

Help to Access On-Line journals

2011-03-23T10:56:00.001Z

I'm having trouble finding how to access online journals. This is the only guide found on the website but it's just a vague description: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/guides/resources/journalguide

Thank you for your enquiry.The best on-line advice is here:

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/digital

I would advise you to contact your Academic Liaison Librarian:

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/ALLs

and make an appointment. Your Academic Liaison Librarian is best placed to advise you on the most effective way to identify and retrieve resources for your assignments.

Stationery

2011-02-25T09:32:00.003Z

Can you please provide us with some stationery such as staplers because it gets tough when we have to hand in an assignment

Thank you for your comment.

Assignments are stressful. It is part of the academic process to manage your time effectively and have all the resources (including staplers) to create your assignment. The LRC does not have a budget to provide free stationery to students. I am sorry I cannot help you with this. Perhaps you can get a little collection of things together so you won't get caught out again.

Dissertations

2011-02-25T09:18:00.001Z

Finding a sample undergraduate dissertation... is nearly impossible

Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me about your concerns regarding finding dissertations and the helpfulness of LRC staff.

The index you refer to is extremely out of date and should never be used as an academic tool.

You may find these pages on our website helpful

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/guides/subjectguides/applied-soc-studies/Dissertations-and-research

When looking for a dissertation go onto the catalogue and click on the "Advanced Search" tab

http://library.beds.ac.uk/search/X

fill in all the details. When you get to material type click on the down arrow to see your choices and click on dissertation this will take you to your correct resources.

If you are not finding the materials you want, you need to improve your search terms. If you would like further help with this I would advise you to make an appointment with your Academic Liaison Librarian to address this:

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/ALLs/Subjects

Fines

2011-02-18T13:29:00.002Z

I was annoyed to learn that I owed the library an amount of more than £11 only when I came in requesting a service. May students be made aware of any outstanding fines just like when one has overdue books, not to be informed when your access to service has been blocked.

Thank you for your comment received today 18.3.11

Customers are expected to manage their own library accounts and so checking for due dates, fines and reservations is an expected part of academic practice.

The University of Bedfordshire does not block accounts until £22 of fines are owing. If your account was blocked when you made your complaint it could be because you had a billed item (customers are notified of billed items) - this is an item that is more than 5 weeks overdue.

Services from home

2011-02-16T11:39:00.001Z

i am PG student of BED n my id is XXXXX. i would like to access the library from home.

please let me know how i can access.

Thank you for your enquiry.

There are guidance pages on LRWeb to help you access the library and its electronic resources from home. Please follow these links:

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libinfo/servfromhome

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libinfo/newstudents/skills

If you require further assistance please make contact your subject librarian and arrange a 121 session for the next time you are in Luton

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/ALLs/Departments

Easter Opening Hours

2011-02-08T14:55:00.002Z

I am a sutdent at the University of Birmingham, and was intending on using the library at Bedford Polhill Campus over the easter holiday. I was just wondering if you could confirm that the library will be open over the easter break and what the opening hours will be? I was also wondering whether the Bedford Collection includes books for law, or if that is all in Luton?

To use Polhill Library you will need a Sconul Access card. University of Bedfordshire only applies the Sconul Vacation Scheme to the summer vacation starting in June

There is a small law collection at Polhill. The main collection is in Luton.

The library will be shut 21 - 25 April, 29 April and 2 May other than please check our website for opening hours

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/opening/ph

2011-02-07T13:55:00.001Z

My library password has the characters: $ % @ as this makes the password more secure. I cannot use the self service equipment

I appreciate your comments about using "special characters" to make your password secure. You are obliged to follow our rules and they state...

... the library catalogue (which you use for renewing books and using digital resources off-campus) and self service machines cannot use special characters

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/faq/passwordtips

Please change your library password to comply with this requirement. All students are expected to use the self service equipment.

External Students

2011-02-01T12:29:00.003Z

.. I have noticed that.. many students from different Universities are accessing the services at Luton. As a student I feel there is a question of security as we do not know these students...

Thank you for expressing your concerns. I would like to reassure you. The University of Bedfordshire is part of a co-operative scheme with most Universities in the UK, called Sconul Access. Students from other institutions apply for a card to use the resources in our University on a reference or loan basis (depending on their course of study). There is one kiosk pc which external users are allowed to use.

University of Bedfordshire students also take advantage of this scheme (particularly part time and distance learners). They can apply to use Universities near their home town if its more convenient for them to study there.

If you have any particular security concerns please raise them with security staff on duty

Binding Dissertations

2011-01-24T10:37:00.002Z

I am a 4th year QTS PE student and have a question about printing off my dissertation. We have seen some past dissertation examples which are all printed onto good quality thicker paper. I was wondering if the library offers a service like this??

Thanks for your enquiry. Reprographics handles this type of work. Please visit the reprographics office at Bedford, Polhill (Schools Office - Copy Shop) and they will let you know if they can meet your specifications.

Saving files

2011-01-18T16:36:00.002Z

I saved my work to the desktop when I was working in the iT Suite. I logged off and when I came back I couldn't find my files...

Oh dear. When you are working on the University network it isn't the same as working on your home pc. Saving to the desk top is only useful for that session. As soon as you log off the work is lost. Always save your work to your network space.

Different versions of Office

2011-01-18T14:34:00.003Z

My new laptop has Office 2010, I can't open any of my files created at Uni on it.

If you are experiencing problems between two versions of Office (eg University Office 2007 new laptop Office 2010) you need to turn on the compatibility mode in Office 2010 - you can then use that to save documents in 2007.

We are advising customers not to save in RTF (not being fully supported by Word 2010 or future releases) as we believe they will lose formatting and other functionality from the document which may cause more problems than originally occurred from 2007 opening a 2010 document.

Microsoft advice at:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178980.aspx

SPSS for MACs

2011-01-07T15:06:00.001Z

The LRC has received several request for copies of SPSS for MACs. The answer is:

Need to use (may be installed already) or download boot camp from the Apple site to use windows applications and thus run our version of SPSS.

Marketing info from Apple at:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/compatibility/

We don't have any individual Mac licences as they are about £500 a go.

Noise at Park Sq

2010-12-01T11:09:00.003Z

I live on campus and there are no quiet houses so I rely heavily on silent areas in the library for quiet study. However I am constantly taking it upon myself to hush students making unnecessary noise or just talking. Silent means silent. Please find a way to rectify this problem as Uni is not cheap

Thank you for your comments. I am sorry that you have been experiencing these problems with the Silent areas in the LRC. To be clear the silent area at the Park Sq LRC is levels 2 & 3, everywhere else is quiet to social learning noise levels.

If you are on level 2 or 3 and find the noise level unacceptable please report it to security. There are hourly security patrols. This helps keep noise levels down. Written Warnings are issued if appropriate.

The LRC is working constantly with the SU to find ways of maintaining the silent study environment on levels 2 & 3

Noise in LRC

2010-10-28T12:07:00.002+01:00

have been advised by LRC staff to lodge my complaint about the level of noise in the library "silent" areas to you.

I am a Level 2 Psychology student, and at the end of last year, I found noise in the library to be a problem. This year it is even worse. The "silent" areas have been reduced to two small levels, 2 and 3. Level 3 would suit me fine, if it were silent, as it is where the majority of my textbooks are kept (apart from the fact that there is nowhere to plug in laptops this year). However, it is far from silent, as groups of students find it perfectly acceptable to sit having long chats, or work noisily together. I find myself very frustrated,

and disrupted, constantly having to picking up my books and notes, and desperately combing the library to find somewhere silent to study: there is nowhere.

I have 2 small children at home. I don't get the opportunity to come into the library to study very often, and when I do, the very point of me being there is thwarted.

Please can you advise me of what action you will be taking to ensure that "silent" areas are kept silent, and that absolutely no talking will be tolerated, under any circumstances?

Thank you for writing to me about your concerns

With all the building work at the start of this academic year the study space at Park Square has been compromised in a variety of ways - not least by the noise of the building works. It is frustrating to have the study environment changed by fellow customers. The silent areas are supported by the SU the LRC's code of conduct and monitored by Security. To that end Security patrol once an hour and will respond to any complaints by other customers to address breeches of the silence code of conduct. A range of penalties are in place to enforce this patrol.

May I encourage you to report any breeches of the silence rule to security this will help keep levels 2 & 3 silent

Access to journals at Park Square LRC Luton

2010-10-12T14:05:00.001+01:00

Hello, I wondered if the Journals section of the library will be open this week?
I understand there are on-going maintance works, I wondered if I would be able to access the Journal of Applied Psychology?

There is open access to the print journals at the LRC Park Square. They are now housed in the rolling stack ground floor Park Street end of the LRC. If you have trouble locating the journal please ask the member of staff on duty at the Customer Service desk.

You may access the journal electronically using this link and authenticating your access using your username and password.

http://library.beds.ac.uk/search~S20?/sjournal+of+applied+psychology/sjournal+of+applied+psychology/1,2,2,B/frameset&FF=sjournal+of+applied+psychology+electronic+resource&1,1,

Always check the catalogue to see if an electronic version is available as you can access this outside normal LRC opening hours

Thanks

Access to journals at Park Square LRC Luton

2010-10-12T14:05:00.000+01:00

You may access the journal electronically using this link and authenticating your access using your username and password.

http://library.beds.ac.uk/search~S20?/sjournal+of+applied+psychology/sjournal+of+applied+psychology/1,2,2,B/frameset&FF=sjournal+of+applied+psychology+electronic+resource&1,1,

Always check the catalogue to see if an electronic version is available as you can access this outside normal LRC opening hours

Thanks

Sconul Access

2010-09-07T16:28:00.003+01:00

I am a full time undergraduate at Cambridge University, and I live near
the University of Bedfordshire's Polihill Avenue campus. Does you have
any regulations regarding external users of the library? I would be
interested in using the library at the Bedford campus during holidays in
order to study and use books for reference. I do not request borrowing
privileges.

I am aware that there is the SCONUL access scheme, but I have been told
that there is an informal agreement that most university libraries are
available for (limited) use by full time students from other universities.

The summer vacation co-operation scheme would allow access mid - June to September. Cambridge University is not a member of the Sconul Access scheme so I regret you cannot take advantage of this.

Polhill Returns

2010-08-26T15:03:00.003+01:00

The ... drop box at Polhill Campus library has now been replaced by two self service machines which are out of order that I did not know were there until this evening.

As it appears there are currently no services for returns outside of library opening hours I cannot return my book as I work during the day and thought I could just drop the book off this evening.

I am very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. We are experiencing technical difficulties with the weather screen at the front of the Returns machine.

In response to your comment while this problem is being sorted out we have temporarily set up a drop box at the side of the library building near the back door. The way is indicated by arrows. The large letterbox is quite high off the ground and just drops items inside the building. Items returned this way will be taken off your library account at the start of the next working day at Polhill.

Library items may be returned to any campus LRC or renewed on-line via your library account or by phone: 01582 743262

Forgotten ID

2010-08-19T16:29:00.001+01:00

I came into the LRC today but didn't have my ID. I wasn't allowed in... I had a wasted day

Thank you for your comments regarding entry to the LRC

I do understand your frustration at not being able to get in without an ID card. As an MSc student you will understand that ID is a requirement for entry into the LRC. You signed an agreement with the University to abide by our rules when you registered and one of those rules was to "produce your ID on request". Please check the back of your card.

I realise that in planning your day it is easy, during the summer, to forget your ID while preparing to come into the University. I am sorry there is no leeway to allow you in without ID. This is because of the agreements we have with our licence holders for the software and resources we make available to our students.

Guest pc

2010-06-14T16:53:00.003+01:00

There's only one pc for external users....

Whereas I understand your frustration on joining the University of Bedfordshire's LRC you were told that the only pc available to external users was the kiosk "guest" pc, available on a first come first served basis.

The University's own students are its priority as I am sure you understand

We are hoping to introduce a booking system for that pc and possibly another for guests to book 2hourly slots, over the summer.

Noise levels & pc provision

2010-06-02T11:40:00.004+01:00

Not many pcs

Introduction of alarms in the silent area

introduction of CCTVs

Thank you for your detailed and well thought out comments.

pcs: the LRC has over 300 pcs available for customer use during the majority of the year. During exam week (wk beg 24th May) when the IT Suite is closed the number of available pcs is more than halved. Inevitably this has an impact on available services but is only for one week. Most of the time we have more than enough pcs to meet customer need. If you wish to be sure of having a pc to work at why not book a pc - ask at the customer service desk. One hour or three hours slots are available to book. Staff will advise you which pcs are available for booking.

Alarms: much as I sympathise with your suggestion for the introduction of alarms to call security when noise levels get too high I am afraid they would be open to abuse. There would be a strong possibility of them becoming the "boy who cried wolf". I would suggest that if you find noise levels in the silent area (level 3) to be unacceptable that you report this to the security desk (on ground level - but there is a lift) and they will patrol and issue written warnings as appropriate.

CCTVs: CCTVs are already in place throughout the LRC. The footage may only be viewed in cases of serious breaches of security. Using it to monitor customer behaviour is not acceptable or desirable. Our customers are adults working in a learning institution after all. As advised above if you find noise levels in the silent area (level 3) to be unacceptable that you report this to the security desk (on ground level - but there is a lift) and they will patrol and issue written warnings as appropriate.

Stationery

2010-06-02T11:35:00.003+01:00

... staples are needed when handing in assignments

Thank you for your comments. I am not responsible for assignment handling but will send your comments to the appropriate member of staff. Meanwhile staff in C101 (Park Square) should be able to help you

Thanks

Park Square - overcrowding

2010-06-02T11:31:00.002+01:00

More facilities needed, there are less computers and amount of students is way more. Its very crowded...

Many thanks for your comments. At revision and exam time the LRC is heavily used by a large number of students. During the exam week 24th May the IT suite was closed which put additional pressure on the space available after 10pm we are looking into ways to avoid that next year.

Thanks

Park Square - space

2010-06-02T11:27:00.003+01:00

There is no quiet space to revise... there needs to be more space..

Many thanks for all your comments on the LRC. Unfortunately the IT Suite was closed during exam week and this put pressure on study spaces available in the Social Learning Space after 10pm.

If you find the study environment too noisy to study in try to find a silent study space (level 3 up to 10pm)

Park Square -usage of power sockets

2010-06-02T11:14:00.004+01:00

Usage of power sockets on the 3rd floor should be made possible...

Thank you for your comments. Use of some power sockets is restricted for Health and Safety reasons. Despite your frustrations I am sure you can appreciate that library use is not the same as home use and accidents can easily happen with trailing wires etc.

We are in the process of getting table top power sockets installed to avoid trailing wires which cause trip hazards. Unfortunately this is taking longer than expected.

Learning Environment

2010-06-02T10:56:00.003+01:00

I want to comment on the inadequate facilities in the University... lacks a suitable accommodation for comfort and also inadequate state of the art sports leisure amenities for recreation.

Thank you for your comments. The provision of sports leisure amenities is outside my responsibility but I will pass your comments on to the appropriate member of staff.

Within the LRC comfort has been compromised recently due to pressure on space due to the closure for one week for exams and an increase in temperatures (which was fortunately short lived). These things aside I do regard the LRC as a very comfortable space with flexible learning environments which endeavour to accommodate people's styles for learning from the formal to the social. May I encourage you to re-visit the LRC and investigate the various areas available to you.

Thanks

Park Square LRC - Air Conditioning

2010-06-02T10:46:00.003+01:00

I have had several complaints (8) regarding the temperatures in the LRC, IT Suite and Social Learning Space 19 - 24 May.

The air circulation systems in place were under extreme pressure with the unseasonably hot weather at that time. That coupled with a large concentration of people inside the building resulted in very uncomfortable temperatures for customers to study in.

I can only apologise for this discomfort. English weather is challenging at the best of times and when the pressure of dissertations and revision are the focus of your time it doesn't help to have any kind of distractions. The systems we have have to cope with large areas which make them slow to respond to changes in temperature. By the time the air circulation responded to initial rise in external temperatures a lot of heat had already built up and been trapped in the building.

Air conditioning may seems like a simple (if an extremely expensive solution) but it would not be in keeping with the University's budget or energy efficiency strategy so is not a possibility at this time.

Thanks

Park Square - Opening Hours

2010-06-02T10:28:00.003+01:00

I have had the greatest number of complaints received during one week on - virtually - the same thing for the first time ever. I have received 19 complaints regarding the opening hours during exam week. ie week beg: 24 May 2010. The request is for 24 hour opening.

During exam time the IT Suite is used for exams for one week. During this week the IT Suite is closed. This year that week was week beginning 24 May.

After Easter every year we have a period of extended opening to accommodate revision and dissertation writing. This year Park Square mirrored Polhill by having the extended opening: 19 April to 7 May. Although this was appreciated by many students a lot of students were disadvantaged by the IT Suite being closed for exams with normal LRC opening hours. Next year we will try to have the extended opening for the last weeks of May and to have the IT Suite open after the last exam of the day (but this may not be possible).

The University does not have the financial resources to allow 24 hour opening but having the IT Suite and Social Learning Space open until 2am does offer quite reasonable provision.

Apologies for the inconvenience caused we will try to address this next year.

Thanks

Behaviour post 10pm

2010-05-11T14:32:00.003+01:00

I am a third year student that is currently studying in my final year. I was thrilled to know that the entire Luton library would be open until 2am. Studying on the other levels ensure silent studying which is crucial at this time for many. I was disappoint to find out at 9.45pm yesterday that the upper levels are now closing at 10pm, we were told that we could study in the IT suite and in the area adjacent to the IT suite. I went down stairs in the IT suite, and found it very similar to a school playground or a common room. People were being loud, and generally 'messing' about. I went into the other area and found that it was just the same. Many people are unable to work under these conditions especially when carrying out the final major project which people are still working on. I am very disappointed that the upper floor late opening times have not accommodated for all students and would request that consideration needs to made for all students. Extending opening time for a further couple of weeks would really be beneficial for ALL.

Thank you for your comments. I am glad you found the three weeks of extended opening for the library floors at Park Square beneficial. I am sorry but resources will not extended to continuing with the extended opening for the library floors. I will pass you comments onto our security team to ensure that some level of working environment is maintained. Please pass your concerns onto the security teams if you find behaviour unacceptable.

I finished my course can I still use the LRC?

2010-05-10T16:00:00.003+01:00

I finished my course... and would very much like to use the guest pc to watch news programmes on the internet... could the pc be upgraded with a sound card.

Congratulations on finishing your course. You have access to the LRC and your University network files for 3 months after the completion of your course. I would advise that before those 3 months disappear that you copy all your work from the student network onto a USB or CD so you can continue to have access to those files should you need it.

The guest pc is offered to external users to the University's LRC for study purposes. I do acknowledge that as a Journalism student you may have needed to watch television news and other programmes. Now that your course is complete using the LRC as a television lounge is not appropriate as we only have one guest pc and it is high demand. We may be able to get a sound card for the guest pc in due course but it is not a priority at this time.

After the 3 months has gone by post graduating, you may join the LRC as an External User as an Alumnus, have a look at our web pages to see if your are interested:

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libinfo/exusers

Reservations Waiting Lists

2010-05-10T15:51:00.002+01:00

... I can't even get a book which I have already hold 3 weeks ago...

Thank you for your comment and - if it helps - I share your concern. At this time of year particularly key books get reserved for revision, end of year assignments and dissertations. The University's reservation process should ensure that everyone gets an equal opportunity to use the materials available. Customers are not able to re-new books which have been reserved by other people.

People do - out of desperation - occasionally let books overdue, as they would rather pay a fine than give the book back. They then get shocked when they are issued with a replacement bill for the book that usually bring the book back. This year there has been a slight worsening in availability as some students were stuck on holiday (due to the ash cloud) with their library books. Hopefully that will have settled down by now. If you continue to have problems with availability may I suggest you contact your subject librarian to see if they can help in some way.

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/contact/alls

Loud Speakers/Tannoy

2010-05-10T15:47:00.002+01:00

... Whenever the library is about to close .. staff go to all floors to inform students that the library is closing ... the University should consider installing speakers...

This suggestion has been made before and is a very sensible one. Unfortunately when the project was priced up the costs were prohibitive in the extreme. I am sorry we will have to stick with the personal touch, with staff walking round at closing time to advise customers that the library is about to close.

Dedicated Printing pc

2010-05-10T15:43:00.003+01:00

Some students only bring hardware in to print, would it be worth have a pc reserved just for those who wish to do this?

Thank you for this suggestion. Some investigation is being done into how many students only come into the LRC just to print off their assignments. Dedicating one pc as a "print" pc can give rise to confusion but - if the demand is great enough - could help at busy times.

Opening hours etc

2010-02-24T14:11:00.002Z

Can you make my university library 24hr...
Some University libraries are run by students...
We do not have a silent room for study...

Thank you for your detailed list of suggestions I will try and answer them all for you.

Opening the LRC 24hr x 7 days a week has serious cost implications in terms of security, power and cleaning. The additional £80K required to do this is simply not available to do this at this time. We are however looking into opening for longer at Park Square very soon. Follow our Twitter feed for further details in the next few weeks:
twitter.com/uoblibrary

Student patrol: The LRC is staffed by sympathetic highly skilled people, suggesting that students could do the same job would distract from their studies and offer an inconsistent service to the students that use the library. The LRC is patrolled by security after 10pm at night. We would not like to put students at risk by suggesting that they patrol the library at these times.

The whole of level 3 is a silent area please be sure that you check the full range of Facilities within the LRC. If you are in doubt it might be quicker to talk to staff on the Customer Service desk.

Thank you for your interest

Temperature at Polhill Library 18.2.10

2010-02-19T14:39:00.003Z

The library is too cold, it is 11 degrees C when it should be 21. It does not help when we are trying to get our work done as we are too cold and its a distraction.

I am sorry that you were uncomfortable yesterday evening in Polhill Library. There is no requirement to have the library at 21 degrees centigrade. The University does however want to maintain a comfortable work environment for all our students. Thursday's drop in temperature and the snow was a challenge for the heating system. The heating will be looked at and hopefully this can be avoided in the future.

Access to the Library Catalogue

2010-01-04T09:17:00.001Z

Why can't I get onto the library catalogue? I need to renew my books and I can't. The page won't load at all.

The Catalogue is now up and running. Apparently a planned power outage to enable Power Gen Ltd to work on the grid over Christmas was the cause. The library system server had a bit of an issue when power was restored.
Sorry for the inconvenience it has caused.

Putteridge Bury LRC

2009-12-22T14:39:00.000Z

Self service is not working well. I have had a book on my ticket that i have never borrowed ( reliability and validity assessment) but nobody seems to want to resolve my problem. Students are taking good books and not swiping them out some are keeping books that are not on their tickets. i have seen people looking in reserved boxes for books they might need and have not requested. You must be losing lots of very expensive books.Also when returning books if they can not be scanned they are going in the return box and it takes ages for them to be taken from our tickets.

Thank you for your comment regarding "Reliability and Validity Assessment".
There is no note on your account regarding this book. I cannot check with the member of staff at Putteridge Bury as she is house bound because of the snow. I am instigating a shelf check at Putt initiailly and at all the other sites of the University to see if the book is on site elsewhere. I would ask you to talk to the member of staff at Putteridge Bury about this problem and see if you can help shed any light on the issue. I would also ask you to double check at home just in case it has been stored out of sight.
The book was checked out on 5.11.09 and has been renewed 4 times it is now due on 11 January. Did you report your concerns to library staff - Sylvia Thomson?
Thanks for your comments about your security concerns these will be investigated

2009-12-22T14:06:00.000Z

I returned my books to the Putteridge Bury campus Library on Thursday 17th of December, as there was no one there and the books didn't have tags in them I could not return them using the new computer system put in place. I was told by a notice to place them in a returns bin and they would be returned as and when someone was present in the library. I thought I had given enough time for my books to be returned which were due back on Monday the 21st of December. But they are still not off my account, I am guessing this is due to the snow, but I am not happy that I can't take any more books out and will get a large fine over christmas as there are a lot of books on my account. Due to snow I understand if no one was there to take my books off my account, but on previous visits to the library there has always been a member of staff to man the desk and to help me return my books .
I suggest that there be a member of staff present in the Putteridge Bury Campus to deal with such problems and not a computer! The staff at Bedford Library were extremely helpful and I appreicate their help and I am looking forward to a reply.

Thank you for your email. I am sorry for the frustration caused by the lack of staff at Putteridge Bury during this time of disruptive weather.
You were correct to assume that no-one was at Putteridge Bury 17th or 18th Dec due to the fact that the staff member was trapped in their village. Eight of your books were found and taken off your account - for items remain on loan to you. Do you have these items at home? Your email did not specify how many items you returned. None of the books are due until January now and there are no fines owing.
In normal circumstances putting items in the returns bin would mean that they would be off your account the following day unfortunately due to the weather this was not possible this time.
You would need to return the books (when the LRC isn't staffed) via the returns bin as there is no self service returns unit (like there is at Park Square). You may return your loans to any site of the University.
Due to the re-designation of the space at Putteridge Bury there will not be a member of staff on duty throughout the building's opening hours - hence the investment in swipe access and self service issue equipment. There is a member of staff on duty each day there is teaching at Putteridge Bury however and so queries should be dealt with promptly.

Oxford House: Opening Hours

2009-12-14T16:39:00.002Z

It is... inconvenient to study, practice and have a family whilst trying to use the library facilities in these times..it would be a great help to be able to use the facilities after putting kids to bed...Please can you campaign to have a more flexible arrangement with facilities. Studying is not only about being able to access, view and renewe resources, for some of us its about the space/environment in which to study as well.

Thank you for completing a feedback form expressing your views on the opening hours at Oxford House LRC.
You are correct in your assumption that we are bound by the opening hours of the building. We are equally bound by the prohibitionally expensive factors associated with considering additional or extended opening hours. Within our current range of resources weekdays 08.00 -18.00 are the best opening hours we can offer.
We do review opening hours each year in May and I will bring your suggestion to the meeting for consideration. Even though I know, that must seem a long way off. I cannot promise anything about the outcome but I do promise that it will be considered.

Bedford, Polhill Library

2009-12-14T10:31:00.001Z

I would like to bring to your attention the staff at the bedford campus library. The service that they provide is above and beyond that which is required of them. They have helped me on more than one occasion with difficulties that lecturers could not overcome. They do not hesitiate to help even if doing so adds to their workload. Whether it be tracing quotes, internet help, out of print articles or archived pieces not available at this site they have been happy to help and never disappoint. They are a credit to this university and, for me, completing assignments and getting a degree would be impossible without their continuing help and support.

Thank you for your comments. I am very pleased that the professionalism of the staff at Bedford, Polhill Library is appreciated by our valued customers.

Internet access

2009-11-26T08:43:00.003Z

Internet is not browsing on level 1 checked with the library staff and tried on various locations on level 1. It connects but not browsing. Its okay at social area.

Thank you for your email. I am sorry that you have been experiencing problems with the internet. Its not clear from your comments whether you were using the wifi network or a pc. There seems to have been a problem after 6pm Wed 25 November 2009. This has been reported to the University's Information and Systems Department and they will address it.

Internet

2009-11-26T08:37:00.003Z

I am using and Internet at Learning Resources centre but internet is not working properly and we having a problem with internet on level 1

I am sorry you are having problems with the internet. Our Information Systems Department will be made aware of the issue and they will address it. Please report any problems you have with the internet to the Customer Service Desks when you have the problem.
Thanks

Printing

2009-11-23T14:09:00.002Z

I'm a returning student and was surprised of the new printing system... is not efficient... ridiculous to wait in the queue... I'd appreciate if these machines would disappear...

Thank you for your comments regarding the new printing service within the University.
The University decided to move from its previous printing service provider to the new one - P Counter - last January. The new system was brought in with a lot of investment and testing on behalf of the University. Unfortunately in recent weeks the system has met new demands which has caused it to fail. The system developers have found a "fix" and it has been applied. It is hoped that there will not be the level of problems experienced 9 - 20 Nov from now on.
Please be reassured that the University wants to provide the best service possible to all its students. Unfortunately printing has suffered a few teething problems but it is hoped that these have been addressed and won't be an issue in the future.

Praise :)

2009-10-27T11:11:00.002Z

Best and most efficient thing about the Uni. You guys should take over running it.

Thank you for your kind words :)
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a new service that the University is introducing across all sites from October 2010 and piloting at Butterfield in the new year. The Begin helpdesk project will introduce a first base staffed desk for any enquiry about the University that you need assistance with. If your query cannot be answered on the spot you will referred to the most appropriate person to deal with it. I know its a little way off but I think its something that most customers will welcome in due course.

3 Areas of concern

2009-10-26T15:29:00.001Z

I would like to bring to your attention that the weekend are the only days in the week where a student can give more time for research whereas on a week day lecture hours keeps the time moving and does'nt let ample amount of time to work on issues with research. So yes, i would suggest the opening of the LRC till 10 pm on the weekends.
Another issue was about the accessibility of learning resources, due to the load on pc 's in the LRC and the using of a personal laptop connected to the wireless internet in the LRC, at times it gets difficult to check emails, reserve books and accessing e-journals from the digital library with a personal laptop.
I would also suggest the university to promote awareness in students about keeping quiet in the silent study areas of the university and use the social learning for group discussions and learning.
These are my personal suggestions and regular surveys will enable more feedback and maintain a standard library for the students.

Thank you for getting back to me.
The LRC opening times are set each year to try and reflect customer need while having to accommodate resourcing issues. We had a request to open later at the weekends last academic year which we trialed for over a month. Use did not indicate that substantially longer opening hours were needed at the weekend and so we stopped. We were only able to open beyond 5.30 with security staff patrolling. We will try to open for longer hours around May time to accommodate dissertation work and exam revision but I have to report that there are no immediate plans to open until 10pm at the weekends this year.
In reply to your comment about accessing resources on your personal laptop - its unfortunate but seems to be one of those things that the wifi signal within the University (as with all institutions) occasionally varies. There is no signal - for instance - in the IT Suite so there's no point in trying to use a laptop there. If you go into the Social learning Space however the signal is much stronger there.
The University is firmly behind creating and maintaining a variety of study environments particularly within the LRC. Level 3 is a silent working area. All other areas of the LRC (with the exception of the Social Learning Space) are quiet study areas. Personal definitions of "quiet" vary between individuals and I do understand that other customers' definitions of quiet maybe occasionally at odds with your own. If you think you have a reasonable case please report any loud behaviour to the staff on the desks on level 1 and they will get security to patrol. The Social learning Space and the IT Suite are social learning areas and the noise volume will reflect this.

Can't get into my e-mail

2009-10-23T15:55:00.001+01:00

I am unable to access my email

Thank you for your query regarding your email account. I am sorry that you have been experiencing problems. Its difficult for me to answer your query as there does not appear to be any problems with your University accounts.
If you are clicking on the "university emails" bubble on the University pc desktop this won't take you to your netmail account. Try logging on through:
netmail.beds.ac.uk
not the bubble on the desktop which is gmail.
If this isn't successful please go to the enquiry desk of your LRC next time you come into the University.

Praise

2009-10-13T16:09:00.001+01:00

From general comments made about the campus library, it has become clear to me that the library staff are often given a bad name. For example, the rule of no student card, no entry is a fair one, and to me there is no point disputing it or complaining, the rule is clear and simple!! The library staff are all curtious, polite and helpful in everyway they can be, and if they dont know how to help, they can often find someone who does. Therefore I would disagree with anyone who complains that the library staff, both librarians and assistants are unfair or unhelpful in all they do. Also the manner some people speak to the staff is disgraceful, they dont deserve to be abused verbally. It is a wonder they keep there cool!! All credit to all who work there!

Many thanks for your kind words

Username and Password

2009-09-30T09:25:00.002+01:00

How do I get a UoB username and password?
On registering with University your username and password are automatically generated for you within 24 - 48 hours.
Your username is your University ID number as it appears on your ID card
Your password is your date of birth in the ddmmyy format (day day month month year year)

Do I need 4 passes to get a certificate? How many credits do I need to actually pass the course and receive a degree certificate?
Please direct these questions at your Faculty Office as they are best placed to answer them.
Computing and Information Systems Faculty Office is at C213 Park Square.

Butterfield - silent study

2009-09-18T11:13:00.001+01:00

Please could we have a silent area of study suggest especially during revision for exams.

Thank you for this suggestion. Regrettably there is no space at Butterfield that can be used to create an area of silent study. If there is any chance of you coming into Park Square to study – especially for exams – level 3 of the LRC has been designated silent study and I would encourage you to use this.

Butterfield LRC

2009-09-18T11:11:00.000+01:00

Would it be possible if the library create a list of subjects of different books, in front of the shelf?

Thank you for this suggestion. We will look into this and hopefully, in a week or so, you will see new guiding round the library shelves

Also to get more computers with the printer…

Unfortunately space restrictions prohibit installing more pcs at Butterfield. We may trial designating one pc a print only pc on hand in days to help students get their assignments in on time. Please remember its not advisable to leave printing your assignment until the last minute. Laptops are available for loan within the LRC to give you a larger number of computer access points.

External Users

2009-08-14T09:24:00.002+01:00

Dear Anjam Ismail

University of Bedfordshire's learning resources are provided for UoB students. External users have a small range of resources available to them within the licencing arrangments within the University and the finances which can be directed toward external users.

I will look into the possibility of Word being installed on the kiosk pc.

I will have the USB port checked on the kiosk pc.

A printer will not be connected to the kiosk pc as we do not have the finances to do this.

Consideration will be given to providing a second kiosk in the future but there is no budget to do this at this time.

Thanks

Increased Opening Hours

2009-08-03T14:13:00.000+01:00

Thank you for your request for increased opening hours prior to 28 July.
I am sorry but the resources that we have for opening the LRC are planned a year ahead. Responding within a week for an increase in hours cannot be agreed I am sorry to say. Over the summer the LRC is open 8.30 - 17.45 Monday - Friday and 10.30 - 17.30 on Saturdays.

Summer time opening hours

2009-08-03T14:07:00.000+01:00

Thank you for your comment regarding LRC opening hours
I have not seen any other requests to display opening hours at the main entrance of the LRC hence no response. Where did you put your request? I process all the LRC comments and suggestions and I have not seen anything - before this request - to display opening hours. I understand your frustration but I cannot act without an initial request.
Over the summer LRC opening hours vary from term time. Opening hours are clearly displayed on the plasma screen near the IT Suite doors and on LR Web.

2009-05-27T15:31:00.002+01:00

Your computers are taking beyond reasonable time to log on. It has taken me 15 bad experiences before writing this complaint your standard is unacceptable.
There also seems to be a noticeable (well by me that is) problem with SPSS installment - could this be part of the problem?
The time lost at these ineffective computers can never be returned! Your speed of attention is appreciated.

Thank you for your comment regarding the time it takes to log on to a University pc.
I am sorry that you had to put up with 15 bad experiences before reporting this situation. Unfortunately this is a University wide problem at the moment. Our technical team in ISD are looking into this and are trying to find a solution.
SPSS automatically updates its licence as a part of the log on process and so any general log on problems may affect this process. If you continue to experience problems with this program I would suggest that you go to your tutors in Psychology for advice.
Please be assured that the University is doing everything possible to address and correct this situation.

Social Learning Space Park Square Pods

2009-05-22T13:56:00.002+01:00

The pod rooms need to be organised. There should be a minimum amount of people and a max also its not a Mc Donalds frequently I have seen people just eating in it. The rooms should be booked like to edit suites in A block with times at the moment 1st come 1st served is not working and really is not a method which should be used in a University.

Thank you for your comments regarding the social learning space pods. The space is designed for social learning with provision for eating and drinking by way of extra disposal facilities. The space is designed to be as non interventionist as possible hence first come first served access to the pods. Booking systems can fall down when people do not keep their bookings.

We will not be making the pods bookable but I am hoping to trial a booking facility in the autumn term for one of them.

Polhill LIbrary - Windows

2009-05-20T16:06:00.003+01:00

the opening and closing of the windows seems Unnecessary considering the temperature in the library is always less than warm. This automatic opening needs an over riding button as it is unacceptable for a student in their final year trying to compleat important assinmnets, to have their work disrupted in this way.

I am sorry for the discomfort you are coping with at the moment. Unfortunately due to the design of the heating system at Polhill the windows open and close autuomatically as required by the heating system rather than the temperature of the building. Estates have been looking into this.

PC Problems

2009-04-22T12:38:00.000+01:00

im a final yer 3 studnet trying to complete my disertationa and the computer keeps freezing on microsoft word.. can you please try to sort this out as it is getting really frustrating and i have chnaged 3 computers aswell.. this is not coming from me but other students around me too.

I am sorry that you are experiencing problems with your log on. There are no problems with the University network and there are no problems with your library or network accounts. May I advise you to present your problem to the helpdesk if you continue to experience "freezing".

PC Problems

2009-04-22T12:36:00.001+01:00

hi im a 3rd year student trying to complete my assignments, The system is ridiculous, the internet keeps freezing and the computers are so slow, how can a university service can be so slow, is there any point of having these resources, that you cannot use. This is really frustrating, can you please sort this out

I am sorry that you are experiencing problems with your log on. There are no problems with the University network and there are no problems with your library or network accounts. May I advise you to present your problem to the helpdesk in the LRC if you continue to experience "freezing".

Heating, Powerpoints, Lockers and Food and Drink

2009-04-21T09:54:00.001+01:00

Thank you for your comments and suggestions regarding the LRC. I will try and answer your points one at a time.

Heating
The recent good weather has made the temperatures generally a bit higher than normal. As the LRC is a rather large building any refinements to the thermostat take several days to adjust. Unfortunately the good days are generally followed by a few cooler days and so the thermostat is bouncing up and down and not having much effect. The heating is switched off on 1 May and so overheating won't be an issue (unless we have a really fantastic summer) until October.

Power points for laptops
Unfortunately the original design of the Park Square building did not allow for customer use of power points, hence shortcomings 15 years later. The wall plugs throughout the LRC are available for customer use. The floor plates which appear all over the University present a trip hazard if they are used and so customer use of the floor plates is prohibited. We are looking into this for some smart solutions.

Lockers
The University does not and will not be providing customer lockers in the LRC or anywhere else. Lockers take up an enormous amount of space and the potential for misuse is quite high. I am sorry but this will not be happening

Food and drink
You may eat or drink without restraints in the Social Learning Space (ground floor Park Square LRC). Elsewhere in the LRC bottled drinks and sweets are acceptable but that's all. The space for disposal facilities and well as the noise and potential damage to stock are all reasons (unfortunately discovered through experience) why food and drinks are generally prohibited in the LRC.

PS LRC Women's Toilets

2009-04-07T16:30:00.001+01:00

Thank you for your comment. I can only sympathise and agree with what you say. LRC staff share the same facilities as students. In my experience however people who abuse public facilities do not read the notices asking them to behave appropriately. The cleaners regularly clean the toilets but the high volume of use means that any - shall we say - bad practice has long term consequences.
I will trial a notice and see what happens. I hope it has a positive effect.

PS IT Suite heat and NOISE

2009-04-07T16:21:00.001+01:00

Thanks for your comments
The build up of heat in the IT Suite in recent days is due to unseasonably warm weather. Being a large space it takes a long time to heat up and a long time to cool down so changes are very slow to respond.
The student population's behaviour is causing concern across the whole University - not just the LRC. Its been noted that behaviour in general is unacceptable in both study space and classrooms. We do not have the staffing capacity to baby sit groups of adults. If you notice particularly bad behaviour please could you report it to security or to LR desk staff. Security will patrol and issue written warnings as appropriate.
LR is introducing an anti noise campaign at Park Square and Polhill for 2 weeks. Week 1: 20 - 24 April and week 2: 18 - 22 May. We are hiring extra security to patrol constantly during these weeks (the first back after Easter and then the first week of revision/exams) so that a clear message is given out regarding appropriate behaviour. The campaign is endorsed by the SU and we're hoping that this will have a positive effect.

Wishful thinking?

2009-04-07T16:17:00.002+01:00

I received this anonymous comment:

You should install a chocolate fountain and provide us with marshmellows so we can dip the marshmellows in the chocolate fountain

Paint every wall a different colour

Install a cigarette vending machine

After this you will become the bestest library in the whole wide world.

Thanks for this. :D I feel that although you may have a lot of sympathisers healthy living would preclude adding these suggestions to our standard LRC build!!

Pods in the PS Social Learning Space

2009-03-20T11:33:00.001Z

The presentation pods in the Social Learning Space should be bookable...

When we opened the Social Learning Space resource (Dec 2007) we did consider making the pods bookable from the beginning. It was felt that to encourage use and to make the Social Learning Space generally as non interventionist as possible we should make it an open resource. Use of the pods has been on a drop in, first come first served basis.
I am more than prepared to review this but need to look at the booking procedures to make it as fluid as possible. If after negotiation with my colleagues in the rest LR, I can source a robust booking product I would be happy to trial designating one of the pods as a bookable resource to see what the take up is and if booking works.
Sorry I cannot give you a more immediate response but I will definitely follow this up.

Lap tops trailing wires

2009-03-20T10:00:00.002Z

.... not being allowed to use my laptop in an area I need due to posing a "Health and Safety" hazard.....

There is a general instruction not to plug laptops (or any electrical gadgets) into floor plates as they create a trip hazard. There are designated "plug in points" all round the LRC.
As you mention that you are a law student am I correct to assume that you were plugged into one of the floor plates on level 2?
If that was the case floor plates are a hazard and there is a general embargo (except for the Social Learning Space) on customers using them in the LRC (this is re-inforced with messages stuck to the floor plates and with posters), you need to find a wall plug that doesn't result in dangerous trailing wires to safely plug in your laptop.

Thanks

LRC Silent areas

2009-03-20T09:58:00.001Z

It's a shame that the university library "silent area" isn't silent at all...

Thank you for your comments about the silent area at Park Square LRC.
The designated silent areas in: Park Street and on levels 2 & 3, are maintained by customer consent and by security patrols. There are - inevitably - individuals who abuse the study environment. If this happens in your experience you need to report it to security level 0 LRC barriers directly or, to the LRC staff on duty at the counter on level 1. There are penalties in place for breech of the code of conduct.
I understand your frustration especially when the University provides a very comfortable and attractive social learning space where conversation is positively encouraged.
Please persevere and report unacceptable noise levels so that they can be addressed.

Lost files

2009-02-13T14:42:00.002Z

I am surprised to find out that the University as a big organisation with important student information does not have a backup. My files went missing from my u-drive and then when I asked for help I was told that there is no back to retireve my files.
Please find a way that can be helpful to students.
The company running the IT facilities for this Uni must have a data back up system

Thank you for your comments. Looking at your circumstances I have to tell you that the files you "lost" were never saved in the first place. Your network space was full when to you tried to save the files and therefore the items are lost and irretrievable. Data back up would not help you in these circumstances.
Every student has a 100 mgb allowance on the University's network. As your network space was full you should have deleted some files/folders or archived some older material on a USB at the time. As a Computer Networking student I am sure you are aware that although you may have created space after you tried to save the files they do not get stored in a strange "cache" in case of this eventuality.
Please may I encourage you to carry out regular house keeping on your network space to avoid this happening again.

Polhill: Word problems

2009-01-30T09:40:00.002Z

why is it whenever we open a word document we get all these smart board messeges that disallow us from entering the word documents.

Thank you for your comments regarding Word. I am sorry that you have been experiencing difficulties. I have spoken to the IT support team at Polhill library and this is their reply:

This has been flagged up to ISD and the problem is three fold.

1) Word is saying the digital signature is not correct
2) a different program's template requires Word macro's to be run
3) the latest Smartboard software was requested and installed quickly without, unfortunately properly testing how it would effect other programs.

At a recent meeting with ISD staff the problem has been raised again and although there isn't a clear time scale to when these problems would be fixed across the University Polhill staff will look at the problem to check if anything can be done locally to improve things.
Thank you for your patience

Print Credit Machines

2009-01-27T14:34:00.002Z

The machines used to credit our accounts for prints in the LRC have been out of use for months now.
I have on many occasions found this very inconvenient I would like to see them working again. What are University's plans for this.

Thank you for your comments. I am sorry about the inconvenience caused by the lack of self service print credit machines. This is a problem we have been monitoring for a while. The University is about to change the print credit software/hardware provider. Before we change over we have a robust system of testing and checking to go through. This is so that we don't replace a poor product with another poor product. Unfortunately while this process is going on we have to put up with the old product.

I have no date for implementation at this stage but it will be this year. Please ask at the Customer Service desk for assistance with crediting your print account.

Putteridge Bury LRC

2009-01-26T14:23:00.000Z

1) I think there should be more computers so that there would be enough room for students who'd like to do assignments and projects during lecture hours
2) We need more books for students studying marketing communication
3) There should be enough reading tables and chairs to accommodate students
Apart from that everything's fine

Thank you for your comments Violet. They underline the remarks made at a recent open international student meeting at Putteridge Bury. The University is delighted with the take up of courses by international students this year and it is doing everything possible to accommodate the needs of this group.
1) The computer issue was problematic when we discovered that we couldn't support laptop loans at Putteridge Bury. 20 pcs are being installed in the studio and silent study room at Putteridge Bury LRC to address the current paucity of the ratio of pcs to students.
2) All students cry out for more books but this coupled with a rapid increase in student numbers will have an impact. This issue is being addressed. In the meantime please take advantage of the inter-site reservation service by requesting Park Square and Polhill items to be delivered to you (please make sure the catalogue states that an item is "available" or you could have a long wait) and/or please use the Putt bus to come into Luton and visit the Park Square campus (don't forget your ID).
3) Regarding furniture provision we have the same problem in that a large increase in usual student numbers makes current provision seem lower than usual. This is exacerbated by the fact that we have to find somewhere for the extra pcs. Sorry this may take a while to sort out as we have to get the other changes in place before we can do anything about furniture, please bear with us. Your comments have been heard and we are trying to address them.
Thanks for your patience
s

Tannoy

2009-01-26T12:12:00.000Z

Just a thought really could the library have a tannoy system that links to the library on all 3 floors to indicate to students when the library closes rather than staff walking to all 3 floors, quiet areas to tell students the library is closing.
PS think its a good idea got it from the British Library

Thank you for your suggestion. I would dearly love a tannoy system at Park Square (and possibly Polhill too). The University priced a system up 2 years ago. Unfortunately it was prohibitively high and so the idea was shelved. We do not have the same budget as the British Library - sadly!

Thanks

s

Print Crediting

2009-01-26T12:04:00.000Z

I'm not happy about the fact that I'm unable to credit my account after 10pm because the machines don't work. It can be quite an inconvenience at times in the day when there can be up to a 10 minute wait just to get my account credited when I know this can be avoided.

I am sorry about the problems you have with crediting your print account.
The University is in the throws of changing the hardware and software for self service print credits. Unfortunately until that process is complete the broken machines will be nursed until the end of their contract which may well mean that there are times when they won't work. My best advice to you - if the machine isn't working - is to choose a time when there isn't a queue and top up around 9.30pm.
The new print credit system will be a lot more user friendly please bear with us while we bring it in.
Thanks

Air Quality in LRC

2009-01-26T11:52:00.000Z

Most of the times in the library areas air is very stuffy and it is really hot, which makes it unpleasant place to be in. Today 20.1.09 there is the same problem in the Social learning area.
My suggestion would be to pay more attention to these issues, perhaps monitor them more closely and when necessary adjust the air conditioning, timely because as I have found out today, staff has requested that to be done but no action still seems to be taken.

Thank you for your comments. The University is aware that there are occasions when the air quality in the LRC suffers from over heating. This is mainly due to the size of the building. Heating such a large open space takes a long time so any adjustments to thermostats takes a while to be effective on the over all temperature.
The LRC does not have any air-conditioning and due to the negative carbon footprint of introducing any this will not be on any future plans for the building. The Social Learning Space does have an air circulation system that helps keep the air quality good in that space. if you notice any discomfort please report it to the level 1 Customer Service Desk so that an adjustment may be requested. Unfortunately if this is after 5pm this will not be acted on immediately as the staff do not cover out of office hours.
This coupled with the fact that January temperatures have fluctuated so dramatically over the course of 3 weeks its not surprising that the heating system is over compensating. Hopefully this will settle down in the next few weeks.

Noise in LRC after 10pm

2009-01-26T11:21:00.002Z

Thank you for your comments. I am sorry about the levels of noise you have been coping with recently. As your comments seem to be about the service between 10pm - 2am I feel I must clarify that there are no quiet/silent study spaces available at that time. The IT Suite is a quiet working space and the Social Learning Space is what it says, a comfortable social environment designed for group and discussion work. I am afraid that it is inevitable that noise levels will be louder here than in a traditional library space.
Security will intervene (and I will pass your comments to the Head of Security) but within reason. Undue noise can be reduced but there will always be the noise of human interaction at all times both in the IT Suite and the Social Learning Space. Please continue to report unacceptable levels of noise in the IT Suite to security and they will patrol to reduce the overall volume. I am sorry but you'll have to put up with the fact that these areas will at best, only be "quiet". They are not intended for silence.

Message for Kozo

2009-01-20T13:32:00.001Z

Dear Kozo
The problem is with your Faculty and your registration details. You need to sort it out with them. I cannot intervene on your behalf as a) its inappropriate and b) you will not get the quickest response.
Please contact your Faculty as soon as possible.

Access to Netmail - Putteridge Bury Student

2009-01-19T16:02:00.002Z

I cannot get log in the Student Net mail. Could you please sort it out so that I can get due service as a registered students. I definitely want a responsible reply as soon as possible as I have been unable to get access to the Student Net mail for long.

On investigation your status within the Unversity is not Current and so you do not have any rights to access University resources, including Netmail. If this is incorrect please go to the LRC Customer Service desk to resolve this.

Thanks

Netmail Query

2009-01-19T13:43:00.001Z

Dear Kozo

Thanks for your email:

Could you please sort it out so that I can get due service as a registered students. I definitely want a responsible reply as soon as possible as I have been unable to get access to the Student Net mail for long.

I have checked your account and your Netmail account should be working fine now.

If you experience problems with any of your accounts please go straight to the Customer Service desk at Putteridge LRC or ring (01582) 743488.

Thanks

Scanning at Park Square

2008-12-15T09:43:00.003Z

Customer 1

... bring to your attention the number of times the scanner is not working ... why only one scanner?

Customer 2

.. only one scan machine and its not working ... no fax machine

Thanks for your raising your concerns. Each site of the University has a scanner in the LRC/library. At Park Square there is a scanner on level 1 and in the IT Suite. The IT Suite scanner is attached to a Mac. We are hoping to get another scanner for the IT Suite in the New Year. The level 1 scanner has had a few problems in recent weeks and is currently being repaired. This should be sorted out soon.

There never have been any student fax machines in the LRC/library. With the way communications technology is progressing this will not be reviewed.

Document Supply Form

2008-11-24T09:18:00.002Z

The Student Document Supply Request Formis poorly structure in term of title space is not enough to write titles of the articles requested and author space also to enter name of the author's. The suggestion is to review the structure of the request form because I find it very difficult enter request without squashing the word in.

Thank you for your comments on our new version of our Document Supply Form. It has been pointed out that this incarnation of the form doesn't allow enough space for titles and maybe author's names so efforts will be made in the next version to improve this.
Thanks for your patience in this matter and if you need more space please write the details on the back of the form while we use up existing stocks