Your comments and feedback - whether you pass them to us in writing, by email, in person or on social media - are a crucial element in our service development. Feedback is considered on receipt, and again by managers within Library, IT and Archives. We can't always act on your suggestions, but when we do, we like to let you know.
These recent developments have all been informed by your comments.
Book Delivery Service
This facility has been in place since Summer 2014, allowing staff and students based at King's Manor
to request items held at the main University Library for delivery to King's Manor, and vice versa.
This scheme was well-received from its implementation, but recently we were asked to further raise awareness of the service, especially amongst students at King's Manor. We've responded to this with posts on social media, information on the digital screens around campus, and information sent to the department to share with students.We continue to receive positive feedback about the service:
- Fantastic service - many thanks.
- It's great! Fast & efficient and really useful.
- I love this service ... so easy, and the book turns up quickly, thank you!
Behaviour and space
As ever in the approach to exams, the Library has been busy - much as we'd like to have a seat for every student, space and fire regulations don't allow for this.
However, we've done our best to make your life easier and to encourage best use of the space available in a number of ways:
- Our seating availability page shows where there is space in the Library - it's on the web, and also displayed on the digital screens.
- We've worked with the University to provide and promote pop-up study spaces across campus - our blog post 'Taking your Library home' introduces the Library resources that you can access wherever you are.
- We've encouraged use of our 'Text a problem' service so that we can take quick action where people aren't respecting the needs of other Library users - whether this means talking in the silent area, or reserving seats with bags, coats and books when they leave.
- We've received repeated reports of people leaving property here overnight to keep a place for the morning, so our overnight teams check the Library and note any apparently abandoned property - if it's still there at 9am when we start to get busy, it's removed to free up the space.
Find out more about how we believe we can work together to make the Library a happy and effective place for all - and please get in touch if you have any suggestions:
Hot water in the Library cafe
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| The kettle by Benjamin Lehman Used under a Creative Commons licence |
making tea and coffee, and for adding to instant meals like noodles.
We've talked to Commercial Services, and agreed that we would provide a kettle next to the water cooler when the Library Cafe is closed overnight. Commercial Services are now also providing self-service flasks of hot water during the day.
Please remember to stick to the Library policies on food and drink:
- if you make yourself hot food like noodles, please only eat these in the cafe;
- if you make hot drinks to take to your desk in the Library, always use a lidded mug.
No more printed receipts
We know it's important to many of you that we do as much as we can to protect the environment - over the years, we've introduced power-saving on PCs, provided recycling bins in the Library and IT rooms, and ensured that our printers are filled with paper approved by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Our latest change is to stop issuing printed receipts for standard loans and returns. You can still check due dates online and in the weekly account summary that we email to you.
"Glad to see that @UoYLibrary are doing away with paper receipts. Save the environment and all that jazz!"
Office 365
In the Autumn we announced that we had subscribed to Office 365 in order to provide students with a free copy of the Microsoft Office suite to install on their own PCs, laptops, tablets etc. Almost immediately, members of staff asked whether this could be made available to them too.
Although staff already have access to MS Office for University owned PCs and laptops through the Campus Agreement, it made sense to give them the opportunity to install it for free on their own devices, and on University owned tablets and smartphones, which aren't covered by the campus Agreement. Accordingly, Office 365 was rolled out to staff in May.
Wifi
We've had lots of comments from students in Constantine College and Halifax College who feel that the wifi service isn't meeting their expectations. Our Networking team have been carrying out some detailed investigations, and have changed the wifi setup in some areas to establish whether this improves the situation. Residents of these areas (Constantine blocks A and E, and Ainsty Court) have been asked to complete a short survey to help us find out whether to continue with the new setup - we hope to be able to report more in our next update.
iMac trial
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iMac by Adam Maracz
Used under a Creative Commons licence
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From time to time, both staff and students have asked why we don't provide a Mac service. In response to this, our Desktop and Printing Services team have investigated and discovered that this is now something we can feasibly offer. We're running a trial iMac service in the Fairhurst building over the summer, and will decide at the end of the trial whether this is something we should continue, or indeed expand.
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