General Suggestions for Queen's Campus Library

[wbqt83]

Are there any other improvements we could make to Queen's Campus Library environment?

[tpvt32]

personally I think that the entire library shouldnt be a food and drink free zone.
other universities allow food and drink in certain areas and just lay down ground rules with regards to bringing smelly food.

[wbqt83]

Thanks for your comment. I've passed it to the Queen's Campus Library Manager and I'll post a response when I have a reply.

[wbqt83]

Thank you for your suggestion re eating and drinking in Queen’s Campus Library.

The reason why we have not allowed food and drink in the library up to now is to ensure academic papers, books, and expensive equipment such as laptops aren’t ruined through spillages etc and so that study surfaces and chairs remain clean. I don’t think anyone would appreciate studying at a table that is covered in crumbs, and greasy stains. Unlike the café where staff are employed to wipe down the tables every now and again, library staff aren’t expected to clean down tables so my concern would be if we allowed eating and drinking in the library how clean would the tables remain and whose responsibility would it be to keep them clean and fit for purpose i.e. for studying.

The Main Library in Durham allows the consumption of food and beverages on level 2 but prohibits this in the rest of the library. We could consider trialling a designated area of Queen’s Campus Library as a place where it is ok to eat and drink, possibly where the large tables and comfy chairs are in the group work zone. I think that the student representatives should be consulted at the next Library Student Users’ Forum to be held at Queen’s Campus today, to find out if the student body as a whole would appreciate being allowed to eat and drink in the library, or not. We could suggest trialling this from January 2011 if there is sufficient support from students at QCL.

Jane Hodgson
Queen's Campus Library Manager

[qmtc82]

I think it would be really helpful if there was a facility to text library staff when areas of the library have unacceptable noise levels.

This system currently works at other university libraries and means that those who are working do not have to be interrupted by having to leave their workspace to complain about noise. The facility is anonymous and also means that anyone in the vicinity can complain about noise without having to approach the individual concerned.

[dul0jah]

Thanks for your suggestion. The library is currently looking at provision of enquiry services, including how students can get in touch with us about issues that affect them while studying in the library so I will raise your idea at the next meeting I attend in May.
For the moment I'd recommend that if you want to alert Queen's Campus library staff about any issue, for example noise, and you want to be discreet about it and dont want to leave your study table in the library, either email stockton.library@durham.ac.uk during staffed opening hours which are Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and weekends 2pm-6pm. Alternatively you can contact library staff via Meebo, our instant messaging service, between 10am-12 noon and 2pm and 4pm weekdays. The weblink to Meebo is http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/contacts/im/
Yours sincerely
Jane Hodgson
Queen's Campus Library Manager

[kzvd41]

Thursday really highlighted how little provision there is at Queens Campus in regards to the library. There are far too few computer available, particularly around assignment deadlines and exam periods and apparently the first day of term. To me, it would have made more sense to expand the library than the cafe, especially as the waterside is right in the next building. Priorities Durham: you've got them wrong. Do we come to a top university to study or to eat??

[d67a9y]

Apologies for the delay in responding to your comment.

Over the summer, there have been a number of positive changes made to enhance services at Queen's Campus Library, which included increasing the number of PCs and study spaces. Taking over the area vacated by Careers has enabled us to increase the number of study places in the quiet zone of the library. We have also increased the number of network points for laptops and net-books and added to the number of bookable study rooms in the library from 4 to 6. D222 in the library is now available on open access when not in use for teaching by the Library or Computing and Information Services (CIS). D222 contains 25 PCs and has study tables too in the centre of the room.

Another development at Queen's Campus is the library study room for postgraduate students, which previously housed Cafe Aroma. This room is opposite the entrance to the library and contains PCs, study tables and seating, wi-fi access, and a pod for group work with a PC, monitor and wireless keyboard.

The Library is not involved in decisions concerning food and drink areas on campus. We are pleased to have been given the space vacated by the cafe and we think that it is important for there to be other areas at Queen's Campus where students are able to eat and drink.