Thank you for your responses to the recent Information Commons Survey. We received a lot of great recommendations and questions, and so we want to respond to your concerns. If you have further questions or concerns, or you just want to learn more about our services, please contact Carolyn Carpan, Director of Public Services in the Burke Library, at (315) 859-4485 or ccarpan@hamilton.edu or Nikki Reynolds, Director of Instructional Technology Services, at (315) 859-4091 or nreynold@hamilton.edu.
The new arrangement of the first floor is fantastic!
We're glad to hear you like the new Information Commons. Please stop by and see us!
I heard that it is possible to rent out a shelf on the library floor for your books if you are doing a large research project or a thesis.
Yes, if you are working on your senior thesis, you can reserve a shelf in the library to hold your materials. Shelving is limited, so we offer the shelves on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the Library Circulation staff at x4479 or askcirc@hamilton.edu to reserve a shelf.
I really would like more information about the library...but I imagine most of it can be found on the website.
Check out the library Web site at http://www.hamilton.edu/library/home.html. You can also contact a librarian for more information about library services at (315) 859-4735 or askref@hamilton.edu.
I really have no idea where the all-night reading room is, but I'd like to know.
The All Night Reading Room can be entered when the library is closed through a door to the right of the main doors of the library. The room is accessible with your Hill Card from 12 midnight to 8 am. During the day, you can access the room by entering the library through the main doors and then turning right. You can get a cup of coffee, a soda, and a snack from the vending machines. Restrooms are also available in the All Night Reading Room.
I think more comfortable chairs in the reading room would be another improvement.
What a great idea! We're always looking for ways to improve the comfort of the library. Thanks for the suggestion!
We really need new furniture in the front of the library... it's a bit embarrassing to have chairs whose stuffing is falling out the bottom. They're a mess!
We agree. In the short term, we'll be repairing and recovering these chairs. In the long term, we hope to get new furniture.
Please put computers/printers in an all-night facility!
We appreciate the suggestion. We'll look into the possibility of putting computers and printers in the All Night Reading Room and let you know our decision. In the meantime, there are three 24-hour computer labs on campus, Beinecke, KJ 202, and KJ 204.
Keep the snack vending machines full.
We have asked to have the vending machines filled more often to make sure we have lots of snacks available. Please let us know if the supplies are getting low or if there is a certain kind of snack you want in the machines.
Just started to use the information commons for my thesis and it is very helpful.
Great! We're glad to help you with your thesis, whether you need research help from a reference librarian or assistance putting together a presentation or poster in the Multimedia Presentation Center. Please stop by and see us again when you need help!
The scanners which are next to some computers...are they available for use?
Yes, the scanners are available for anyone to use. If you need help using them, please ask the staff at the IC desk.
Love the library...the carpeting is a little extreme though.
The lovely orange carpet is leftover from the 1970s, when the library was built. The carpet may be replaced sometime soon. Stay tuned!
Sometimes the library is too cold!
We agree! When the building is too hot or too cold, we work with Physical Plant to adjust the temperature. The air conditioning is turned off now for the winter, so you should find the building warmer.
The soda machine doesn't take Hill Cards! Can that be changed?
We just got a new soda machine that takes Hill Cards. You can also use your Hill Cards in the coffee and snack machines. We're working to ensure the vending machines are always stocked, especially on Mondays. Please let us know if you have any special requests for the vending machines.
I don't go to the library much. I usually study in the science center just because it is less crowded.
While we think it is great the library is full of students, we also want you to be able to study in the library and feel welcome here. Please let us know how we can make you more comfortable in the library.
The library's freshmen orientation last year was uninformative and discouraging.
We agree that sometimes the tours aren't very useful, so we've made some changes. This year we had a mini-golf tournament in the library during freshman registration. Everyone had fun and it was a great success! We're open to more new ideas, so let us know if you have any suggestions to help us improve our orientations. If you still have questions about library services or you need research assistance, please stop by the IC desk to talk to a librarian or contact us at (315) 859-4735 or askref@hamilton.edu.
I find it very frustrating when the students who work at the library need to be better informed on all the library has to offer.
We do train the students who work at the IC Desk, but the students aren't supposed to be as knowledgeable as the librarians and information technology staff, since their role is different than the role of the staff. Please let us know if you're not getting the answers you need, so that we can answer your questions and address student training needs.
Can the technological information that the Library offers become better advertised? I think that by doing that, more people would use the library in a higher capacity besides just for books and research.
Yes, we agree we should advertise the resources available in the library. This survey is a way to help us figure out what we need to advertise. We are looking at how we can use the Web site, The Spectator, campus email, My Hamilton, Facebook, etc. to advertise the library and technology services.
I think we should have some more PC computers up in the third floor, in the corner where there are already 4 computers. There is certainly space there, the books are right there, and it has a nice view from the windows. It's too nice of a place for just four computers.
Thanks for the great suggestion! We'll take a look at this area and think about adding more computers. We'll keep you posted.
Where are the popular books???
There is a browsing collection to the right as you come in the library entrance. But we're thinking about adding a collection of popular, current fiction and non-fiction books that would rotate regularly, so we've always got new material. Let us know if you have any requests so we know what you want in this new collection.
The research librarians are an excellent resource, however, when they take long personal phone calls or when they start conversations in the kiosk of the Information Commons it disrupts the working atmosphere in the library. I would really appreciate if they were made aware to keep voice volume levels down.
While the Information Commons area is not a quiet area, since the librarians and ITS staff need to be able to talk to each other and students who need our help, it is always good to be reminded that this is your work space, too. We'll keep this in mind and try to take certain conversations to our offices. If you need a quiet place to work, however, the third floor is the best spot in the building.
When I have had questions in the past, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable; I appreciate their expertise and thank them.
Thank you for being there! Even though I've only ever needed one or two things, everything was taken care of promptly and efficiently, relieving me of much stress. Thanks again!
The library staff is the best!!
Yay library! Love it!
Thanks! We're glad to know you love the library and the staff. Please let us know how we can help you with your work.
