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Olin Library

LibQual 2012 User Comments and Responses

Here are the responses from Jonathan, the Library Director, to all the 265 comments received on the 2012 LibQual survey. Where necessary, individual names and identifying information have been removed. The comments have been grouped into major themes. Frequently your comments touched on more than one topic, in which case a single comment may be extracted from a longer comment.

Personal Service (Positive)

Personal Service (Negative)

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Hours

Group Study Space

Renovated Space

The Bookmark Cafe

Furniture

Noise

Building Temperature

Printing and Copying

Books, Journals, and the Library's Collection

Access to Computers

The Website and Online Search Tools

Equipment Checkout

Individual Comments and Questions

Personal Service (Positive)

  • The service is brilliant.
  • Friendly.
  • The library has excellent service.
  • Overall, the librarians provide quality service with a few exceptions of abrupt confrontations.
  • Everyone on every floor in the library exemplifies professionalism and courtesy from the Basement to the top.   No matter what your needs are they ALL go over and beyond to serve the student, faculty, staff.  Thanks.
  • I am always pleased with the services provided at the library. The employees are always helpful and knowledgeable. I always find what I need.
  • The library staff is always so friendly, helpful and accommodating!
  • The library staff friendliness and services have been greatly improved over the past several years. Having been at Rollins for quite some time, I am very glad to see it go this direction.  Great job.
  • The people at the desk are very accommodating.
  • I'm rarely ever in the library, but when I am there the staff is great.
  • Since 2010, I have been treated with the upmost respect, and the help I've received was always helpful.
  • The Olin Library provides exceptional service in all areas. I have yet to be disappointed with the service therein.
  • Thank you so much for being so helpful!
  • The library is amazing in regards to the employees and content.
  • I have always loved the Library Service from Rollins ever since Upward Bound.
  • Olin Library is wonderful! The staff if always courteous and helpful.
  • Library staff are always willing to visit classes and provide excellent support in student research.
  • For the most part I am pleased with the friendliness of the staff members and their ability to resolve noise issues that usually occur on the 3rd floor.
  • Very helpful.
  • Staff has always been helpful, friendly, receptive and willing to go the extra mile.
  • As a general rule, the library and the library staff are very accommodating and helpful.
  • I love the library at Rollins. The employees are generally very helpful and knowledgeable.
  • Great service and people willing to help if need be.
  • The staff is very helpful and caring.
  • The women at the front desk are always friendly and courteous.
  • All the employees are extremely friendly and nice to be around.
  • Those who work in the library are very helpful and patient.
  • Always receive prompt, courteous service for all my needs.
  • The library employees are extremely helpful when asked a question. They are also very caring and personable. Even if they don't know the answer to my question they will ask around and try to help me to find what I need.
  • The staff is great and always available. The staff members I have reached out for help have been very knowledgeable about resources and ready to assist.
  • I recently thought I lost my USB with all my school work in it. A couple of days passed, and to my surprise when I called the Library with no hopes of finding it the girl with a very exiting voice told me "yes we do have it someone found it and brought it  in. We also SENT you an email to let you know it is here." I was very happy. You guys are awesome and for that I want to thank you. I never had a bad experience and everybody is very helpful.
  • Love the help desk in the computer area on the first floor. SOOOO helpful and approachable!
  • The library staff is extremely useful all the time, and I am able to receive the help I need.
    People are very helpful, plethora of useful books, tools and other resources, excellent help on IT issues.
  • Dorothy does an excellent job and is always willing to help!
  • The staff for the most part are friendly people. They have a desire to help their patrons the best way that they know how!
  • The staff has been extremely helpful and knowledgeable with any requests I have had thus far.
  • I love the level of service provided by the staff.
  • Elizabeth Hunt is great! Very helpful and available whenever I need help:)
  • I have had a positive overall experience with the Olin Library. The tech help desk was able to solve my problem when it occurred. I found the library staff, including students, willing to help me.
  • Great service when I take out books - very courteous and accommodating.
  • The rest of the library staff is great!
  • Very organized and always willing to help. :)
  • All of the staff is lovely.
  • Everyone is very helpful and friendly.
  • Everybody is always willing to stop what they are doing and help me as best they can. They are proactive and courteous, and I always leave in a better mood than when I came in.
  • The staff is OUTSTANDING and I could not be happier.
  • The staff at the library has always been outstanding in my experience, always friendly and ready to be helpful and informative.
  • My first experience with my librarian, Johnathan Harwell was fantastic. He is very informative and helpful!!
  • I love Mrs. Mays!!
  • The international business librarian is great at helping me with projects and is always so friendly!
  • Elizabeth gave the new counseling students an awesome presentation and is very helpful!

JonathanJonathan's Response: I am happy to that there are 49 positive and 14 negative comments about service. So, while we take the negative ones seriously, we take at least take some comfort in that more than 3:1 ratio. It is also great to see specific individuals complemented for their service. Everyone in Olin works hard to provide the best service possible and I am happy to see that many of you recognize that.

 

Personal Service (Negative) [Names and identifying information have been removed]

  • The staff is quite rude. They act as if they are constantly being bothered when approached by students.
  • The place looks great, now you need to work on the people from the very top down.
  • Poor customer service in general.
  • For the most part I've had good experiences with the library, I just don't always feel the people are necessarily the most attentive or willing to help - almost like dealing with library patrons is a chore distracting from their job rather than being their job.
  • Unfortunately, the librarians have always been rude to me, so I don't feel comfortable asking questions. I only ask if I really, really need to. I'm not saying all of them are rude, but most of them have been rude to me. They've constantly barked/yelled at me when I've used the wrong door. One librarian even yelled at me and told me that I could've hit someone on the other side, when it was an honest mistake. I don't appreciate being treated like a child. I give respect, so I hope to receive the same back in return. I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble. I just think they need an attitude adjustment.
  • Some of the workers of the circ desk could be more friendly with students.
  • The library staff customer service skills are horrible! They need to be trained and held accountable for their actions. If they continue to act this way, I and others, have said we'll take it higher up and demand corrective action.
  • The people who work in the library should learn to be a little nicer. There is one lady in particular, whom I thought was being protective of the students she feels belongs. I am an older, minority student and she may feel that I don't belong, thus the major attitude. I looked past her attitude, but it is a very wrong attitude. I have to remind myself I also belong.
  • One of the senior staff members who works at the ... desk is particularly unpleasant and unwelcoming. That is really the only problem with the library so far as treatment of others goes.
  • I had one bad experience with a person at the front desk, I was looking for a specific journal and she gave me the incorrect location; I was never able to find it.  Other than this unfortunate episode, my experience at the library has been great.
  • It would be nice to have the feeling that there is a personal connection between the library staff and the students (again your customer). At present, we feel as though we are viewed as nothing more than a means of funding this campus and in turn, the library. We are not a nuisance, a burden nor should we be seen as someone who will be gone in four years so why bother to make a personal connection.
  • My overall library experience has been good, but I do have one complaint. Now, it should be said that as someone who held a minimum wage job dealing with the idiotic public, I normally keep my mouth shut in the way of complaining because I know how tedious it can be dealing with a bunch of college students, but I'm making an exception. There is one librarian in particular I am aiming this at - I don't know her name, and perhaps this is a good thing - who is NOT a work study student, but an actual employee. Long story short, she is the rudest woman I have ever dealt with. Now I could understand this if I had been acting like a brat to her, but my disposition is a far cry from loud and obnoxious (and I also respect people), so I know it was no fault of mine for her disgusting behavior. It's also happened multiple times, whether I was by myself or with a companion asking a (completely rational, not idiotic) question, this woman was downright VICIOUS to me for no apparent reason. I know this complaint won't do anything but I just thought someone should know we have a rather rude librarian on our hands.
  • Any service issues I may have are relevant to the personality of the person working with me. I don't want my results to reflect the overall quality of the library, because there are definitely some wonderful individuals who give top notch service. There are just a few individuals in customer service roles who are not as friendly as others or come off as being sarcastic. Otherwise, I love the library!
  • Jonathan Miller can be curt and abrasive at times.
  • I feel like there are only two librarians and they are always busy. Getting a reserved text should not be so difficult in the actual library and the students running it are always difficult, busy, or disinterested. I would rather study at home or online then deal with it.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Yikes! I am sorry to hear that anyone has had these experiences. It is certainly not our aim. It is clear from these comments and from the numerical results of LibQual that, although we are providing great service to many of our users, we still have some work to do. We are planning to address these issues as a group. I am concerned to see comments like, "I know this complaint won't do anything." Your comments and complaints do make a difference. If anyone has a bad experience in the library we certainly want to know. The more specific and immediate you can be, the better, because that gives us the opportunity to work with the individual staff involved and make immediate changes.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

  • ILL is awesome!
  • Sometimes it is frustrating because we have such a small library and limited resources here, but the IL system is great!
  • ILL is a great resource. They do a superb job!
  • I LOVE your interlibrary loan service and you should keep up that great work! I will be using it throughout the year!
  • I appreciate the consistently good ILL services.
  • Great service. The inter-library loan system is amazing.
  • Thank goodness for ILL.
  • You guys do a wonderful job to make sure that we have all the resources that we need. Thank you very much! I love the access we have to books that aren't on Rollins campus.
  • ILL does a great job!!
  • Excellent turnaround time for interlibrary loan.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Thanks for all these kind words. The ILL Specialist, most recently, Denisa Metko, and now Kristen Arnett, with their trusty band of student employees, have continued to do a great job. We have invested in software like ILLiad and RapidILL that has helped them work efficiently and reduced the turnaround time on requests so that now, on average, it takes less than four days to receive a journal article and less than ten days to receive a book. If you have not yet used ILL, it is how we get you copies of materials that are not available on campus. It is free and unlimited. Give it a whirl.

Hours

  • I would change however how late the library stays open and how much of the library stays open on weekdays.
  • Thank you for making the main floor of the library open 24/7!
  • I wish the library was open earlier on the weekends, a lot of students put academics first (not partying!) and are up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to study before the library is open.
  • I really appreciate the 24 hour technology lounge. It was really helpful the few times when I had to use the library while it was closed.
  • Also keeping the quiet floors open longer would be better.
  • I wish the 1st, 3rd and 4th levels were open 24/7!!!
  • I'm just hoping that the use of the former 24-hour lab won't take space away from the new total 24-hour floor. So glad it's 24 hours!! It would be so helpful if even more of the lib were 24-hours too!!

JonathanJonathan's Response: The 24/7 access to the main floor seems to be popular (we are seeing usage of between 100-150 people per night.) As usual, you are a tough crowd to satisfy and would like the whole place open 24/7. However, that would be very expensive. Money that would have to come from somewhere -- fewer books and journals? Fewer staff members to help you? Higher tuition? None of those seem like good solutions. We constantly monitor usage of the building. Last semester, as in previous years, we opened the whole building for 24/7 access before and during exams. We will compare usage during that period with our regular 24/7 traffic to see if that should continue. It is clear some people would prefer some quiet space available 24/7 and we are considering how to meet this need, so stay tuned.

Group Study Space

  • Library has improved tremendously, but could use more tables/private study rooms. :)
  • Great job, i just think the school needs to create some more group study areas.
  • The only downside is they need to create more group study rooms to compensate for the one that were turned into offices.  It's not fair to the students that our studying rooms were taken.
  • I feel that students should have more space and group study rooms, especially because some of the need of faculty offices and the TJ consulting center.
  • I wish there were less offices and more private study rooms.
  • I hope there will be more group study rooms available in the near future.
  • More group study rooms or make it so single persons can't rent them out when groups need them.
  • I do miss the down stairs group study rooms.
  • Need more group study places!
  • More study rooms.
  • I find a big advantage to do my concentrated reading/studying at the library verses at home.  I also have benefited from the group study areas when doing projects with fellow classmates.
  • More quiet space for group study would be really helpful.
  • I enjoy using the library space a lot, but after this semester there are fewer study rooms than before, which is very disappointing.
  • Why do all the study rooms get filled by professors? You take away rooms away from the students – i.e. your customer.
  • It is unfortunate that a few group study rooms were sacrificed and not replaced in order to make room for offices for faculty and printer/copy room. I feel as if the general conception amongst students on this last issue is analogous to the parking on campus for students. Not good.
  • I'd really encourage more group spaces.
  • If there was more space for group studies and then private study that would be ideal.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We certainly have heard your request for more group study rooms. In previous years we have gradually added more group study rooms by moving staff from certain rooms into shared spaces. However, in the last year the College has undertaken the renovation of the Bush Building and the occupants of that building had to go somewhere. The Psychology Department came to the Olin Library and that meant repurposing three group study rooms. In addition in January 2013 another group study room will go offline as Tutoring & Writing Consulting joins us in Olin. Rest assured all of the group study rooms temporarily used to house Psychology will be returned to student group study use by the end of the summer of 2013 and we are looking for ways to actually increase the number of group study rooms. Stayed tuned. As for single persons "renting them out," our guidelines are clear: groups have priority over individuals, so if you find a room with just one person in it, feel free to ask them to move or ask a staff person to do it for you.

Renovated Space

  • Love the new library!
  • Not crazy about the desk situation near the computers...kind of weird.
  • Very pleased with the library services and the remodeling from last year.
  • I love the new changes to the library it’s a great atmosphere.
  • Love the renovation. Makes me want to spend more time in the actual library.
  • Love the new renovations!
  • The remodel of the library has improved the feel of the first floor and it is a more comfortable place to study and do research.
  • I like the library's renovation.
  • The new and improved main floor is very conducive to computer research and group study areas.  The cafe and the computer stations are the highlight.  The "atmosphere" is great.  
    Makes you want to study there.
  • I love the renovations.
  • I really like the new improvements to the space, though I think it provides more of a social atmosphere rather than a studious one.
  • The new set up seems to have limited spaces to sit comfortably and gather without a table or chair.
  • With the changes to the first floor, I feel that productivity and use of the library has increased exponentially.
  • The new design is wonderful.
  • I love the new library.
  • The renovations are absolutely amazing.  My only wish is that they had been made earlier so that I could enjoy the space more.
  • Overall, I love the new changes to the second floor. It is so much more inviting and I feel like the student body is using the library more because of the renovations.
  • I like the library a lot more now.
  • I am also a fan of the new layout of the lobby, especially the seating near the Bookmark Cafe.
  • Refurbishments to Olin have made the library more accessible as well as more comfortable.
  • The library looks very nice and the service is great. I do however find it strange that you have to walk all the way around the desk on the first floor to get to the printer.
  • The library is so much better this year with its new renovations.
  • I love the renovations because there are areas where you do not have to worry about being quiet and other spots where there is no noise, so it is easy to focus.
  • I think that there should be more group work tables on the main floor, there are often no free tables to work at.  Maybe replace a couple of the couches in the middle with some tables.
  • The renovations greatly improved functionality and aesthetics.
  • I love the new library! (:
  • The changes so far have been great, especially the furniture! Thank you!!
  • I feel that the service and atmosphere of the Olin library is wonderful, especially since the renovation. The faculty in the library was already great, but the atmosphere has really improved.
  • When on campus, I spend most of my time in the library, for work and class, it is my favorite part of campus!
  • I love the new second floor layout! And the cafe is awesome!!
  • The renovations at the library this semester are really great.
  • The renovation of the library is wonderful. It has improved the feeling of relaxation and comfort in the second level, while still providing areas of quiet study and research on the quiet floor.
  • I believe the latest improvements are heading in the right direction. The environment is feeling more comfortable and the access to resources much more easily accessed.
  • I like the new renovations, but don't use the library for studying.
  • I was of the impression that a library should be about books and study, not an extended version of a Starbucks. However, the new second floor fits nicely with our beach and the general country club motif of the campus.
  • The new library layout is great and really helps students have more space to study for 24 hours! I honestly really enjoy everything. Sometimes I feel lost as to how to find certain things but i know that i can ask questions and they will be answered.
  • I love the renovations!
  • The library is great, especially with the new first floor rendition.
  • Great creativity center.
  • The new outlets on the tables are also very helpful.
  • Love the recent upgrades!! Looks wonderful!!
  • I love the new layout of the library! I am incredibly satisfied with the services the library offers!
  • I am impressed by the improvements made by the renovation.
  • I like the new look of the library and how the whole floor is 24hrs.
  • I love the library! It is a great place to get a lot of work done by yourself or with a group, especially since the remodeling!
  • I love the new library! The cafe is great and the employees that work there are always so funny and nice. The chairs and the new computers are great!
  • The new cafe is really nice.
  • I love the renovations made to the library. There is more room for studying and a more comfortable atmosphere for students.
  • The library has improved every year I have been here and the renovations this year have definitely been the best!
  • I love the renovations! It'd be great if the whole library could be in the same style now.
  • You guys are doing a great job, and everything looks much better after the remodel!

JonathanJonathan's Response: Well, we are delighted to see the many positive responses you have to the renovated space (both the Center for Creativity and the main floor renovation.) In the spring Susan will be repeating her study of how the space is being used after the renovation so we hope to get a more complete picture of this and then make any necessary adjustments. Some spaces are clearly tighter than we might have liked, but we wanted to make sure we maximized the seats available to students.

The Bookmark Cafe

  • Bookmark cafe should have more hours.
  • Bookmark Cafe should be open on the weekend for Holt students.
  • Green Tea Lattes in the Bookmark Cafe.
  • It would be appreciated if the bookmark cafe could serve frappuccino.
  • The new bookmark cafe is wonderful to have. The staff there are kind and welcoming.
  • Nice staff at Bookmark Cafe!
  • I know the main floor isn't a quiet floor, but the workers at the bookmark cafe are often exceedingly loud.
  • Cafe staff are awesome! :)
  • Love the Cafe.
  • The cafe customer service … is professional and kind but … is VERY loud and many students agree. …voice carries all the way to the front door sometimes.
  • The woman that works at the coffee stand has always been really nice, and I appreciate her help.
  • You should serve hot food!
  • Thank you for the new food area.
  • Thanks for the free coffee!

JonathanJonathan's Response: Thanks for these comments. They have all been passed on to the appropriate staff in Dining Services. The Cafe has expanded its hours since the renovation, but we are constantly working with Dining Services to see if they can expand them some more. However, it is a business and they have to at least break even. As for their food and drink selection, the only limitations that we have placed on Dining Services is that they cannot serve hot food (too smelly) and cannot use a blender (too noisy.) Finally, it is clear you appreciate the staff but would appreciate them being a little quieter. We agree and continue to make that point.

Furniture

  • In terms of resources, the library is great! However, I wish the furniture on the third floor was as comfortable as the couches on the main floor! I prefer to do work on the couches, but I also prefer to work on a quiet floor....
  • Love what you're doing and i hope you keep it up.  On a side note, where did you put the leather couches??
  • It is often hard to find somewhere for me to comfortably study.
  • Love the library!  My only request would be for even more table space and fewer couches/chairs.  I feel the tables are more useful for study time, and the couches and chairs do not provide the proper environment for most academic work.
  • More big tables are needed!!!!!
  • Library looks great, but there sometimes is not enough seating!
  • The sofa chairs all around the library get really dirty after a while and have stuff on the sides of the seat cushions.
  • I wish there were more group tables available for use.
  • The only thing I request is more of the private cubicle things on the 3rd and 4th floors and there is a big need for more group study rooms.
  • I wish more of the tables on the first floor of the library did not have the individual stalls set up on them so that more tables can be used for group work.
  • I hope to see an increase in the number of large tables that can be used for group work.
  • Wish there were more group table for group studying in floors that can have noise.
  • I would support the idea of more carrels placed among the racks on the first, second and third floors. It's nice to have a desk right next the subject I need access to, rather than having to walk down the hallway multiple times.
  • No public clocks on main floor- disorienting overnight.

JonathanJonathan's Response: OK, we have a real mixture here. More big study tables in areas where you can talk in groups. More individual study carrels on quiet floors. We should be able to move some things around so that we can accommodate that. But then some people seem to like couches and others tables. I guess you can't satisfy all the people all the time! As for the big leather chairs, those have moved up to the 3rd floor and the Pillow and the Tower Rooms on the fourth floor. They seem to be getting a lot of use up there. Oh, and by the way, clocks for the main floor are on order.

Noise

  • The library overall is AWESOME. What I would like to see improved is the level of noise that is allowed because it is very distracting when you are working and it has been quiet and then either a single person comes or a group and begins to make revelries and laughter, joking, foul/inappropriate language or topics of conversation, it really angers me and I cannot work productively in those circumstances. I would come to the library more often, but the noise and distractions have caused me not to come as often as I would like, which is unfortunate because there are a multitude of resources that I would like to utilize.
  • I love everything about the library: staff, resources, comfy sofas & cafe.  I like that there are designated quiet floors and ample of computers for use. One thing I would like to see enforced is in the "non-quiet" areas it be less noisy.  I have sat in the computer area (by the cafe) and find it very noisy - from other students laughing and talking about non-school topics, to the lady who mans the cafe during the week early morning to mid afternoon- who naturally talks loud. I have also sat in the 24 hr lab and students there talk on the phone or listen to headphone music loud enough that others around them can hear.  It's distracting.  I don't expect utter silence in these common areas, but it would be awesome if students realized that we are still at the library!
  • Generally, I think the library and staff are useful resources and do a great job. One thing I would like to see change is enforcement of quiet areas. Many times I come to the library to study on quiet floors, but people are talking, even doing group work, but nothing is done about it without soliciting help from the staff. This detracts from my studying. I should not have to stop studying to request help from staff to quiet students on a quiet floor. Otherwise, I'm happy.
  • I also like how different study areas are identified as a quiet or not. 
  • I enjoy the library, except for the fact that the first floor becomes an unproductive social hub that is loud and hard to study in.
  • My only complaint is that quiet sections are not always very "quiet."
  • My only concern is I wish there were more quiet or silent study areas for students. The third and fourth floors have been extremely crowded this semester.
  • I enjoy coming to the library. Although I like the layout, it could become crowded and noisy. But, I move to other areas such as 3rd Floor to find a quiet space. I love this library and hope as Rollins College grows it would be able to provide the students the same quality of service and resources.
  • The areas designated for group study seem to be intimidating. People ask you not to talk with your group and get upset if you don't comply with their wishes. Thus the point of group study is lacking.
  • It is very cold, people, specially younger people, does not respect the silence or at least talking in a low pitch.
  • My only complaint is that sometimes the conversation gets a little noisy which can make it difficult to concentrate and study for exams etc.
  • I have marked the area of quiet as one of the lower points. I've heard students complain that it is now hard to study in the library because of the noise level. I have not been in the library in the evening to witness this, I'm just reporting what students have said to me.
  • Now that you have the nice big new non-quiet area on the 2nd floor, how about giving back the first floor as a quiet space?
  • Private space is really important for me and maybe a little bit more of that would be helpful.
  • Quiet Floors are supposed to be quiet. This does not seem to be the case.
  • However, one area of criticism is the fact that there is no clearly stated "quiet floor". Or else people don't respect it and/or it is not clearly stated/enforced. I understand it is a library on a college campus, but perhaps more signage for this?
  • The second floor is just too loud for me.
  • My use of the Olin Library is primarily as a doctoral student.  I spend quite a bit of time in the library when not working so to have a quiet place to work on my dissertation.
  • The library is great. Sometimes it's too noisy, but I know that that's hard to monitor.
  • During finals, it would be helpful if every once in a while, someone would come up to the quiet floors and enforce quietness. I'm too shy to tell people to be quiet, but it gets frustrating when someone is on their phone talking loudly on the fourth floor for more than 10 minutes.

JonathanJonathan's Response: The library is probably louder this year because some people who might previously have studied in Bush have moved over here, but frankly noise is a persistent problem in most libraries. Clearly many of you want quieter spaces to study and want help ensuring quiet in those areas. This is what we are already doing: the 3rd and 4th floors are designated as quiet floors and there is signage indicating this, including many humorous table top signs. Users are encouraged to self-police this by asking others to respect the quiet spaces. Obviously some of you would prefer staff to regularly patrol the area and enforce quiet. But that would be expensive and would lead to the library staff (as they were in the past) being regarded as the 'Library Police'; something we want to avoid. What to do? Well, as I say elsewhere in response to a furniture comment, we can move some furniture around so that group study furniture is located in non-quiet areas and individual carrels are located in quiet ones. But that is only going to take us so far. In the long term we hope to be able to create a Silent Study Room that might help those folks who want a really quiet space. In the short term we are always willing to intervene and ask noisy people or groups to tone it down, you just have to ask.

Building Temperature

  • The pillow room and tower room are too hot for me to work in. Air conditioning in those places would be great (especially tower room). The third floor is also particularly cold.
  • It can be a bit too cold in the library to where I cannot work comfortably.
  • The second and third floors are quiet, but they are way too cold. I find myself freezing by the end of every study session.
  • If the sun room upstairs had air conditioning that would be amazing
  • It is kind of cold. Other than that everything's great.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We are constantly working with Facilities to adjust the temperature in the building. As you can see from these comments some places are too hot, others too cold, and this will vary by time of day and time of year. The Tower Room (up where the warm air rises and surrounded by windows) is a particular issue. We have passed all these comments on to Facilities, but all I can suggest is dress in layers and bring a sweater with you.

Printing and Copying

  • Don't like the printing restrictions, very annoying for a busy student who needs more than one copy for a class presentation/handout.
  • I wish we were allowed to print more than one copy at a time. It takes much longer now to get things done when we have to walk to the printer and wait in line for one copy at a time. Thanks!
  • Wish there were more people around the computer area that had background in computers/printers/IT/faxing/etc. I feel like sometimes the computers malfunction and I am on my own - the Library printers are almost always working, but I wish there was a full-time staff member working IT in the CSS computer lab -- cannot always print there! Always just come to the library.
  • The printing services could be a lot better. I really, really, really wish that there was a way to print directly from your laptop! That would make things SO much easier!!
  • I had a problem with the printer saying there is a charge every time I print out material, and I have not exceed my 1000 page limit. I have been inquiring for weeks if I had an 
    outstanding balance, or if it is just a technical error with the printer in front of the BookMark Cafe (\\print01.rollins.edu\reference01), and as of yet not gotten a response.
  • Everything is great, my only comments would be about the 1 copy per page for the printer.
  • The printing process is kind of annoying at times.
  • The copy machines need to be more efficient.. it takes too many steps to make one copy of something.

JonathanJonathan's Response: The single copy print setting was a campus-wide IT setting and you will be delighted to hear that they have removed the restriction. We agree, the printing process can be a little cumbersome because you have to individually login. But unless we can somehow limiting printing and assign print jobs to specific individuals experience has shown that we all print an even crazier amount of stuff. Think of the trees people! As for printing from laptops, your wish has come true. Go to http://webprint.rollins.edu. I have passed all your comments to the staff in Information Technology. If you have individual problems with printing, I suggest you contact IT one more time. It should not take weeks to get a response.

Books, Journals, and the Library's Collection

  • I wish the library had a bigger selection of books.
  • More updated books.
  • It would be great if you got more classical and Broadway recordings!
  • I wish the library had digital portal access to Orlando Business Journal so that Crummer students could use it for research.
  • PLEASE keep the IPA source website subscription (http://www.ipasource.com/) this is incredibly valuable for music students. As far as the software that IT offers students. Students can get Photoshop and the like for steeply discounted prices... yet few students study photography. Sibelius is a program that nearly all Music majors use... yet we all have to scrape together money to buy this very expensive program or... worse yet... use pirated versions. If this program was offered among the programs that IT offers us... it would be purchased by scores of music majors.
  • It would be nice to have online access to the Orlando Business Journal for local business-related news and information.
  • More online resources are greatly needed, but I have a very good overall experience when I visit.
  • I frequently use the business tools section of the Olin library website resource.  I most frequently use Hoovers, NetAdvantage, and IbisWorld Market resource.  These tools are ESSENTIAL to complete the work required at the Crummer school.  Thank you!
  • I was impressed when a professor had us using the library's online source for scholarly reports (Olin is a fantastic resource with their impressive collection ... and their ability to obtain it if document is not there).
  • Continue to add more articles and clear links that no longer have articles available.
  • The online tools are incredibly helpful.
  • I wish they maintained Business School textbook Copies.
  • I think there needs to be more resources for biology majors.  There's Scopus, but that is pretty much to only online research resource.  More journals such as Science, Nature, and the PubMed resource would really help.
  • While I appreciate the inter-library loan program I wish there were more books and journals that were immediately accessible to us. I often don't have time to wait for books I need to come in, and I certainly don't have the money to purchase journals that our library does not provide access too.
  • As a Science major the main thing I would like is more access to journal articles. This is the biggest thing that has helped me succeed as a student as I can access a large amount of scientific information easily. A more expanded source would be even better.
  • I rely more on online journals/reserves than printed books.
  • I also find the time limit for electronic books too short for a resource used to develop a topic and write a term paper, or for a book discussed in class.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We continue to buy thousands of books each year and add them to the collection. In addition we also have about 70,000 e-book titles in the catalog. We also use interlibrary loan (ILL) data to see whether there are book titles that we do not own that are being ordered repeatedly. We’ve now added a question to the ILL book request form to ask you, “Would you like to recommend that this book be purchased by the library?” If there are particular titles you need for your studies, do not hesitate to suggest them. However, we are not going to specifically buy textbooks or books that are required for classes (although we obviously own a lot of those same titles.) This is because students are generally expected to buy or rent their textbooks. We would have to buy enough copies to meet the needs of all students enrolled in a course and this would not be very good use of our funds. As for books that might be out of date, we are constantly reviewing the collection for such titles and they are removed (after rigorous review involving faculty and librarians) when found. We are also finding ways to continually expand our online journal collection. Finally, let me address some of the specific titles, and subjects, you mentioned. Classical and Broadway recordings; have you taken a look at the Classical Music Library and Naxos? Online access to the Orlando Business Journal; we are currently negotiating with the vendor to see if this can be arranged. We will be keeping IPA Source and I have passed your comment about Sibelius on to IT. There are a number of Biology students who ask for more titles and we are working with ILL statistics and the Biology faculty to work out what is missing, or what you have not found yet. (It sounds like you’re aware that we provide online access to Science, Nature, PubMed, etc.) Scopus is great, but we have a lot more sources of biology journals that that. Have you taken a look at Science Direct and Web of Knowledge?

Access to Computers

  • Also love accessing computers and recording equipment.
  • The computer labs are accessible and easy to use, and the restrooms are always clean.
  • One other thing- the availability of computer areas.  At times I have found myself in one of these areas/rooms and class starts... I know times are posted, but it is still annoying having to stop the task you're working on. I suggest a designated computer area that isn't interrupted by class or better yet computers in the quiet floors? Just a suggestion.
  • The library is beautiful. It's a safe environment to work and study. I enjoy that each floor functions differently, so you can chose one that fits your studying needs. The computers need work.
  • Stick with PC's, but make them faster. There are too many start-up programs, so they are slow.   Overall, I appreciate the library, and I enjoy using it. 
  • Without it, Rollins would not be the same. I love and appreciate all of the resources and options of places to study.
  • I think we need more computers on each floor.
  • Sometimes when I try and use the computers in the main area in the mornings it says it can't log me in because there are not enough servers available and it is really inconvenient.
  • The tower room is a great, quiet place to work alone and focus, but there is no internet access up there. I need the internet for almost all of my homework and I can't work up there because I can't get to my online resources.
  • I am satisfied with the services received from the staff and the use of the computers and the equipment.
  • Need more knowledgeable staff on computer programs.
  • Several times this semester, I have tried to use the labs in Olin only to find ALL of them being used or about to be used by classes. On one visit, there was a 15 minute window before the class started, but the professor was downright nasty about having reserved this space for his class and his class only. To print the few pages I needed only took about three minutes after I was shooed away, though it took me about 10 minutes to find a computer that I could use. These experiences make me want to avoid Olin.
  • I wish there was more room to work on and a few more computers to use. Overall I gave my library a 9.5 out of 10! You guys rock!
  • The library is great, however the labs are not available when I need them during the day due to a vast amount of classes being held in the various labs all throughout the day.
  • The labs feel uninviting and prohibiting.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Even though the renovation of the main floor increased the number of computers by a factor of three, the creation of the Center for Creativity did the same, and the wireless network has been increased fourfold in strength, we still see some demand for even more machines. The labs have been heavily scheduled this year because in general technology is becoming infused throughout the curriculum and, with the Bush building offline, more classes have been scheduled in Olin labs that previously would have been in Bush. That should change after summer 2013. We now have three computer labs on the main floor of Olin, two of which have been renovated in the last few years and we hope made less uninviting and prohibiting with art of the walls and different paint and carpet colors used. We are committed to continue to upgrade the labs, and all spaces in Olin. Finally, IT is investigating wireless access in the Tower Room. Our goal is to provide access to the network throughout the building. So, if you find dead spots, please let us know.
The renovation of the main floor increased the number of computers in that space by a factor three. Those computers cannot be scheduled and include the same software and access as any other general computer lab. We hope this eases the problem of users being forced to interrupt their work. However, as noted elsewhere, that space can get noisy, so we are interested in exploring the idea of computing on quiet floors. Obviously, the wireless network extends to most, if not all, spaces in Olin and now you can print from laptops and mobile devices we expect to see more use of those machines in other -- including quiet -- spaces. But we will also be investigating whether or not to install more desktop machines on other floors.

The Website and Online Search Tools

  • I wish I were w better consumer of library resources.  There is so much new that I do not know about.  I wish I could have a tech tour of the new library.
  • Please also look into having the search function on the library's site cover more databases and journals.
  • I find the overwhelming number of portals to get a resource maddening.
  • R-Search search bar is confusing- sometimes people just need books to use right now.
  • I also like Olin's use of social media.
  • The only challenge with the online resource is the ease with which one can access other data banks. I have had difficulty logging into sites that say Rollins is a partner or that Rollins is allowed access. Otherwise happy with the service.
  • The portals to your electronic databases are tough to navigate and look like they were done in 2000. The website for the library is tough to navigate and looks like it was also done in 2000.
  • I wish we had had these services available when I was an undergraduate many years ago! As a graduate student in the MLS program, I have consistently been very pleased by the library services, both in the flesh, as it were, and electronically, and the accessibility of all of the information I have needed for various papers and projects. Keep up the good work!
  • I enjoy the amenities that the library provides, including the online research venues.
  • The Olin R-Search is seldom a useful tool in searching. I often times find myself using Google scholar or jstor databases to find adequate online material for my research needs.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Again, mixed messages here; some people find R-Search confusing, others want even more resources to be accessible via that service. Think of R-Search as Google for libraries, it indexes approximately 90% of the fulltext resources, books, and archival materials, we make available. But like Google, unless you are doing a very simple search, it helps to be aware of some sophisticated search techniques. Make use of the facets available on the left column. For instance, it is easy to get to just “books to use right now" by clicking on the content type facet <books/ebooks> and the library location facet <General Collection.> R-Search should rarely be the only place you search.  I agree Google Scholar is a useful resource. In fact, take a look at David Noe’s comparison of R-Search and Google Scholar. We encourage you to become expert in searching any of the more than 100 specific databases we make accessible.  The numerical responses to this survey indicate that our website is perceived as easier to use and more functional than in the past, but there is always more to do. While we have to maintain a certain style that fits the Rollins web presence style, we are constantly reviewing analytics and conducting usability testing to improve the site. Glad someone likes our use of social media -- if you haven't yet, why not like us on Facebook?

Equipment Checkout

  • I am also pleased with the fact that we may check out laptop chargers, it has been very handy! I am very pleased with Olin Library.
  • I am also very happy with the electronic devices that are available to me as a student and find them to be in very good condition.
  • Awesome! Love all of the cameras/equipment for CMC students.

JonathanJonathan's Response: What? No one likes the bikes? Just kidding. Working with IT to check out equipment -- from laptops to bikes and everything inbetween -- has proved very popular.  Check out the full range of equipment available here.

Individual Comments and Questions

There are a lot of comments that don't fit into a sensible category and that I feel demand an individual response, so here goes.

  • I would really love to see a partnership with Winter Park Library happen before I leave. I have brought it up many times as an undergraduate, and it never happened. The outside of school fun reading of the Rollins library is horribly lacking, and the Winter Park library is an amazing resource that students at Rollins should know about and not have to pay for as a resource.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We would love to see such a partnership as well. We tried to get this in place a couple of years ago but negotiations bogged down. I think both sides tried to make it a bit more complicated than it needed to be. We are committed to trying again. Thanks for pushing this. A public library and an academic library pursue quite different missions. We support your educational needs as students, the public library supports the information and entertainment needs of the community. But as individuals we all have both sets of needs, so it makes sense for us to work together.

  • Beautiful people and books. To raise funds, maybe there should be a book sale on any books that are old, outdated or repeated. Thanks.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Thanks. Book sales general cost more than they raise. We work with a non-profit (started by a Rollins grad) called The Book Network. The Network takes all our discarded books, sells them (so that they have a second useful life), and uses the funds to finance their philanthropic work in Latin America. It is a win-win.

  • I feel that people still prefer to study at that dorms or residence instead of choosing the Olin Library as a place to study.  I feel that the Olin library could be a more interesting place to be if they had people presenting workshops 24 h, group discussions, creating interactive study groups or even offering free coffee at night. There is nothing better and delighting than seeing your friends and colleagues focusing and studying. A good library in my perspective is the one that appears most busy but in the same time offering the most study comfort.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We have seen an 11% overall growth in use of this building during the Fall 2012 semester, so people are choosing to use this place! As for your suggestions about what makes a warm and inviting library, we agree. One of our librarians, Susan Montgomery, is charged with maintaining the sense of this place as a community space. In recent semesters she has organized book discussion groups, hosted workshops, and offered free coffee, as well as a host of those initiatives. I am sure she would love to hear more of your ideas, so send her a quick e-mail at smontgomery@rollins.edu.

  • I am a bit concerned about the expansion of TJ's into the library and how that might impact the student space for studying.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We are very excited to welcome TJ's Tutoring & Writing Consulting into Olin. Their services fit well with the Library and IT in a seamless array of services to support the work of all students. We share your concern about space, but the Lakeview Lounge (the old 24 hour area) at the south end of the building will remain open to everyone, including TJ's and will of course be open 24/7. We will certainly be monitoring this over the next few months to see how our services fit together and how the space works for students.

  • If offered, I would sign up for classes for returning adults to campus who had limited computer skills, especially in light of Rollins' Olin Library extensive resources.

JonathanJonathan's Response: There are a number of one-credit IFT courses in the catalog that cover various aspects of computing technologies and many common software applications. If you want to better understand how to use the library’s online resources, a librarian would always be delighted to sit down with you for 30 minutes or an hour to help you navigate the extensive resources we make available. Just stop by or call the Research Help Desk at 407 646 2507 and ask.

  • I love the Olin Library it is the most conducive study environments I have ever encountered, but it seems so unwelcoming, and I'm not sure the place I'm supposed to be or not. 
    Thank you for listening.

JonathanJonathan's Response: I am confused and troubled by your comment. I don't understand how you can love the library, find it a conducive study environment, and yet also find it unwelcoming. What can we do to make you feel welcome? I am serious. If you read this, please get in touch with me (jxmiller@rollins.edu 407 646 2306) and let's find a time to talk. This is certainly a place you are supposed to be.

  • On the level of service and electronics, one of the biggest problems that the library has is that it no longer has viewing rooms--a major blunder. The fact that some electronic 
    material goes on reserve and can only be viewed on one of the library's tiny computer screens, while one is surrounded by tons of students who are talking, munching on chips or stressing over the pages of some book is not only uncomfortable but absurd. This is a level of service that is comparably more mediocre than you would be able to get by legally downloading the same material from a "pirate website" or P2P network for educational purposes, free of charge, in which case you would be able to watch it in the comfort of your own home or dorm room. Come on... Seriously? Rollins? You people spoil the students. Here you are fundamentally depriving them. There needs to be some sense of balance and order here.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Yikes! "Major blunder." No, tell me how you really think. :) But seriously, the old viewing rooms were consumed by the renovation. Currently, you can check the materials out from the Circulation Desk, if they are on DVD, you can use a laptop (your own or we can led you one of those as well) and a cable to connect to one of the large flat screen TV's in one of the meeting or group study rooms. If it is on VHS (and yes, we still have some of those) we have VHS machines in the Van Houten Room and the Library Meeting Room. We can also lend you headphones. We recognize that this is not as convenient as it used to be and are looking into more flexible solutions like setting aside a few rooms with the machines already set up, and in the long term, finding a streaming video solution.

  • Love the tower room, but much better lighting is needed when it starts to get dark.

JonathanJonathan's Response: We agree. It also gets cold in winter and warm in summer. But isn't it a lovely spot? We have a plan in place to renovate the space including the lighting, but frankly with the location and all those windows it will always be a problem to air condition it effectively.

 

  • All that money spent on renovating the entry floor, but not a book in sight.  Students may prefer to sit in their dorms and to use electronic resources, but that's partly because the library is privileging those over print materials.  The library is remiss in not conveying to students that books are important, too.
    Think about the irony:  we recognize and reward faculty for publishing books, but we fail to emphasize the importance of those same books when our students turn to the library for their own research.

JonathanJonathan's Response: There are approximately 4,000 books in the Reference Collection that surround the main floor in beautifully designed build-in wooden shelves that showcase how much we value books. There are another few hundred popular reading books and a few hundred new books (which change every week as we buy more) on similar shelves facing the stairs and elevator on the main floor. Finally, the large table in the lobby is reserved for a small selection of new scholarly books designed to tempt you to stop and perhaps pick up a title that interests you. So, no, hardly, "not a book in sight." The librarians and staff try hard to convey to students that books are important, as are other information formats.

  • Emailed *** once regarding an item and never got an email back.  After multiple follow-ups found out she had taken action which I greatly appreciate, however, an email stating/acknowledging request would have been helpful.  Thx!

JonathanJonathan's Response: This comment was not about library service, but we have passed it on to the appropriate department.

  • The library has excellent service. There are different levels of quietness to accommodate all types of learners. They have a place to get coffee, a variety of computers to use, unlimited printing, books and other sources at your disposal, staff to answer questions. What more could you ask from the library?

JonathanJonathan's Response: Ah, that is sweet of you to say such nice things, but you certainly can ask for more. As with any profession involved with information -- journalism, publishing, teaching, and telecommunications, to name just a few -- librarianship is undergoing great change and we see no end to that process. So expect to see more changes in the years ahead.

  • I am a grown up and perfectly capable of making healthy decisions. While I do not smoke and have never smoked, I find the libraries attitude toward smokers to be reprehensible. 
    Treating someone like a second class citizen because you feel it is appropriate to dictate life choices to them is absurd and frankly insulting.

JonathanJonathan's Response: Up until 1/1/13 College policy and Florida law has required that there be no smoking within 25 feet of a building or entrance. The library has tried to sensitively balance the interests of smokers and non-smokers by asking individual smoking outside the library to use the table towards the far end of the patio. As of January, the College has installed five smoking locations around campus, which will be the only places in which smoking will be allowed on campus. So you are going to be even more unhappy than you are now. Sorry. The library will continue to politely ask individuals smoking outside the library to move to the closest smoking location, which is between the Olin Library and the Cornell Dining Center down towards the lake. We are not dictating life choices just asking people to pursue those life choices in a location that does not disturb their colleagues.


The rest of the comments are general in nature and only require one response: a sincere thank you for your kind words. 

  • The library has been a wonderful resource place for me so far. Thank you
  • Thank you; Olin is a great representative of Rollins College!
  • The library is great.
  • Love it!!  
  • Thanks for asking my opinion.
  • All is great!
  • The Olin Library is an excellent place to study, acquire resources, and the staff has been able to answer all my questions.
  • OLIN is great!!!
  • Wicked job guys
  • Great job!
  • Overall pleased with my experience.
  • Keep up the good work. Thanks.
  • I am new to Rollins and my experience at the library, although limited, has been very pleasant and helpful.
  • I like this library A LOT...
  • The library is the place to be for many reasons. There's knowledge, camaraderie and food.  More importantly, it is a place for students to just come and relax a bit.  The atmosphere is one of pleasantness for the most part.
  • They are excellent
  • I have not taken full advantage of the services the library has to offer, but when I have the services are great and the employees represent Rollins well.
  • I feel the library is very accessible and a place of comfort
  • The library has everything that I need every time I go. Is very relaxing.
  • Real chill place.
  • The library is doing a great job. I don't know if students need more private desks for not. I personally don't have much need to study in the library or use much equipment. 
  • Most of my research is online now.   
  • The library is awesome, I wouldn't change a thing. Keep up the good work!
  • I think the library is a very relaxing place to do work. 
  • I love the library, it's has the perfect balance of a relaxing and active environment.
  • I like them
  • I love our library!
  • I really appreciate your commitment to students and always improving resources for us.  
  • Great job you have done with the library, thanks!
  • I love the library!
  • Very good this year.
  • Keep up a good work
  • I am overall very pleased with the library services :]
  • Love the library! 
  • I think the library is doing a great job. I can always get my questions answered and it's a great environment to work in.
  • AMAZING
  • The library is a great place where I can comfortably and easily complete school work.
  • Love it
  • Love it!
  • Really awesome library! I am currently studying abroad in Australia and the University of Sydney library service team cannot compare to Rollins.
  • Thank you for all you do!!!
  • You guys are great :)

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