Responses to feedback from students about Library services

Student comment or question  

Response

Further actions and timescales

Could the Library provide more information on the developments around cashless fines payment?

The Library and IT departments are working together – with the suppliers of both the Library Management System and the Self-Service Kiosks – to configure direct payment of fines at the self service terminals. Initially it is likely that this will be via the College’s online printing account (Pharos) but a further goal is to use the College card (RCS) account to pay for printing and fines in the future.

It is intended that payment via the printing account will be possible from September 2011 after a period of testing over the Summer.

Students queried access to RHUL resources by inter-collegiate students. Concerns were raised that students were unable to borrow books .

The Library explained that inter-collegiate borrowing ought to be possible within the University of London, and that at RHUL other students’ details come to the Library through their official registration on Banner – the College’s registration system. One student believed that whilst UCL allowed RHUL students to borrow books, King's College Library didn’t.

Post meeting note: The  King's College website indicates that they do allow inter-collegiate borrowing.

The Library will use publicity channels to raise awareness of RHUL students’ access rights to other University of London libraries as inter-collegiate students in publicity and training documentation for the next academic session .

Why does the Library only send courtesy notices for some categories of books and not others? Could  courtesy notices be sent for three-day loans and rolling loans?

Currently all borrowers should receive courtesy notices for normal loans and one-week loans, although it was reported at the meeting that at least one user was not receiving these for one-week loans 

Post meeting note: The Library Systems Team have confirmed that notices for one-week loans are being sent.

Notices for 3-day loans will be activated from 21^st February 2011.

Could the Library put more popular texts on reference only so that students are guaranteed an item is in the Library at all times ?

The Liaison Team will investigate this via the departmental staff-student committees and other fora.

This option was discussed at the May 11th meeting of LUAG and it was agreed that with immediate effect the Liaison team will advise academic staff that the Reference status can be used for core material.

Could the Library promote external e-book collections through our website, e.g. Google books ?

Google Book previews are already available for existing books in our catalogue (by clicking on the cover image). Selected free external e-book collections are highlighted in our list of e-resources at: http://eresources.rhul.ac.uk/kb/E-books|. The Library has the option of loading many more ebooks in our catalogue with free 5 minute content previews as Phase 2 of the user driven ebook acquisition project in 2011/12, details of which are under discussion.

Could the Library improve publicity around wireless printing?  

The Library will improve signage and other publicity through its Marketing & Communications group for the next session.  

Still log-on problems with the ‘thin client’ machines, although no one contested Dave Cobb’s point that this was reported as resolved since the end of last term.  

There has been an on-going dialogue between the Library and IT department regarding the thin clients, with frequent reporting and analysis of the problems being experienced.  

It has been agreed that the 'thin client' machines will be replaced with standard PCs during the Summer 2011 ready for the next session.  

The students were positive about the current pattern of opening hours and thankful for the later opening in the week and longer weekends. They welcomed the news that the Library will be open over Easter.  

Full publicity about Easter opening will be displayed on the web and in the libraries.  

The move to e-only was welcomed and students said they made good use of Moodle, specifically mentioning the digital chapters that have been made available.  

Student comment or question

Response

Further actions and timescales 

Why had the number of study seats reduced since 2009/2010?  

This is due to the closure of the Music Library in the Summer Vacation 2010. Some of the overall drop in seats was mitigated through converting staff office space into group study rooms in both Founder’s and Bedford Libraries.

Concern was expressed about the temperature in Bedford Library although it was recognised it is hard to please everyone.  

Ongoing monitoring of the temperature in Bedford Library is taking place with referral to Facilities Management as required. 

Students recognised the pressure on space and felt that all the space was well used. The question was raised, if the Library could promote the use of Founder’s Library for studying more, given that it isn’t always as busy as Bedford Library.

The Library will promote Founder’s Library study space via the display screens in Bedford Library at the start of the academic sessions. 

Students also wanted to be able to use other spaces around the college between lectures but often didn’t know what was available. Could room availability be publicised on the website and could students be encouraged to use them?

The Library confirmed that the Space to Study scheme would operate from March 28th to May 27th, and undertook to look into further provision outside this period (for next session).

In terms of space the students present really want more group study rooms and thanked the Library for rooms introduced this year. 

It is the intention over the summer vacation to make one more group study room available in Bedford Library. A self-service room booking system will be launched in the Spring term 2011. 

Student comment or question  

Response

Further actions and timescales

How had the saving to the staff budget been made over the past 3 years?

Due to financial pressures, the Library had been required to deliver its share of savings but at the same time had been able to make investment, e.g. Repository and Digital Assets Manager post and supporting information assistant. There had been a major uplift in information provision expenditure (books, journals, e-resources) in response to student demand .

Students raised concerns around the future of journal provision given the strong position of the publishers with resulting increasing prices. Would the Library need to cancel key titles?

The financial position for 2011/12 not yet known; nationally libraries are seeking to achieve best possible deals with publishers via negotiations / lobbying by bodies such as Joint Information Systems Committee.

Student comment or question  

Response

Further actions and timescales 

In terms of a library extension the priority areas included:

• More group study rooms
• More rolling stacks to reduce space taken for shelves
• Study space without book stock
• Touch screen kiosks to display maps and class number locations
• Retain Library presence in Founder’s at all costs

In terms of it being a shared building the focus should be on areas like careers and study skills rather than students finance and counselling etc. However, any area coming into the building shouldn’t be at the detriment of the existing service requirements.

To be fed into the thinking about a potential new extension, noting that at present this is a vision.