Piping Up

Q: Another question is that from the website of the CFA Institution, the investment series consists of 6 textbooks – can we add the other two books in our library?

A: Thanks very much for your suggestion that we purchase the other textbooks in the CFA Institute Investment Series. Generally SFU Library does not purchase textbooks unless they are requested for reserve by the course instructor. However, in this case, it looks like the books are very appropriate for the Master of Financial Risk Management that is taught at the Segal Graduate School of Business at SFU’s downtown campus. I am therefore purchasing copies of the books that SFU does not have (actually 4 titles) and an additional copy of the 3 which are not already at Belzberg for the Belzberg Library downtown. You will be able to request to pick up these books at the Bennett Library in Burnaby if they are not on reserve for a course. If you email back and let me know which 2 of the 4 texts you were particularly interested in, I will be happy to have them rush catalogued and held for you when they arrive.

best regards,
Karen Marotz
Head, Belzberg Library

Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a First Semester PhD student. I would have to print/photocopy about 150-200 pages to cover my course work per WEEK. But the cost for printing is so high in the library which is most of the time discouraging me to not print. So I am loosing substantial interest for reading, as it is not very comfortable to read articles on computer. My department has no printing facility for grad students. So library is the only place where I am forced to come to print in a very high rate. I know my email will not change a system over the night which already accepted by majority of students over the years. But I am curious to know, if I am qualified to get an answer, why a public university should not subsidize printing cost, at least on graduate level? Do I not deserve the right to print my academic material for free of cost since I pay the tuition fees? If free is not a viable option, is there anything a student can do to reduce the rate he/she cannot afford? Apologies if my queries cause inconveniency. Thank you for your time.

A: Hi – Tuition fees help offset the costs of providing services to students but it barely covers 1/3 of the overall costs for the University. As such the Library is not in a position to subsidize the costs of printing any further than it already does. The current cost per page covers the cost of the lease of the printers, toner, paper, tax, maintenance and some staffing costs. It cannot be any cheaper without impacting the Library’s tight budget.

Best regards,
Todd
—
Todd M. Mundle
Associate University Librarian
Special Projects, Budget and Personnel

Author: an amazing journal!
Title: work, organisation, labour and globalisation
Publisher & where & when published: london, uk
Where you saw this item mentioned: http://www.dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/green/gtg72/wolg.html
Acquire for which library?: Belzberg (SFU Vancouver)
Your affiliation: SFU Alumna/Alumnus

A: Thanks very much for your suggestion that Belzberg Library subscribe to the journal “Work, Organisation, Labour and Globalisation”. Unlike book purchases, journal subscriptions represent an ongoing annual cost to the library (in this case about $350 US per year). Given the current library collections budget, this may mean that another journal must be cancelled in order to start a new subscription. Since journal subscriptions are generally funded by the collections budget allocated to support a specific SFU department, I am forwarding your suggestion to the liaison librarians of the appropriate departments so that they are aware of your suggestion and can determine whether this journal is critical for their department’s research and teaching needs.

Sincerely,
Karen Marotz
Head, Belzberg Library

Q: It is 5:30PM October 17th Saturday right now and I want to apologize for returning a NEC Projector and Speakers late.. I will bring the projector and speakers back tomorrow morning as soon as possible. A question I have though is, is there a place at SFU Surrey where I can leave electronic equipment ? or am I responsible and should take it home and bring it back tomorrow ?

A: I see from your record that everything was checked in this morning. The projectors and speakers are meant to be used on campus and returned before the Library closes, which is 5 pm on Saturday. You are responsible for the equipment while it is checked out to you and there is no where on campus to store it. Equipment must be returned when the Library is open.

Regards,
Natalie
—
Natalie Gick
Campus Librarian

Q. I have been advised not to step foot into the harbour center because i have flu symptoms. i have a book overdue today, but I’m not sure what to do.on the one hand I have to return the book, on the other, im not permitted to come to school..what do you suggest?

A. I’m sorry to hear of your illness. Is it possible for a friend or colleague to drop off the book at any of our SFU Library locations (Burnaby, Vancouver or Surrey)? You may also mail the book back to the library at:
Library Loans
WAC Bennett Library
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6

If you are unable to return the book by these means, I have put a note on your record regarding your illness and we will look at adjusting any fines when you are able to return the book.

regards,
Karen Marotz
Head, Belzberg Library

Q. Would you please email me the “Last Steps to PhD Defense-Sept.4″ pdf file.

A. I hope you have already been able to obtain “Last Steps” direct from your grad assistant or my webpage at http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/theses.
However, I am attaching it and another key guide to completing a thesis, just in case.

Penny Simpson, BA (Hons), MA
Assistant for Theses, SFU Library

Q: Just to let you know that the link to MIT for the journal – Journal of Industrial Ecology appears to be broken. The library e-journal database suggests that the library has a subscrition [sic] to current issues through MIT. However, when a pdf version of an article is clicked the website asks for subscription details.
Cheers

A: Hi
Thank you for contacting the Library about the problem with the Journal of Industrial Ecology. It appears that something has happened with our subscription, as we have a current subscription, but we are not gaining access. I have contacted the publisher to resolve the problem. In the meantime, if you need an article from the last 12 months, we do have it in print in the Bennett Library and will send you the article you need to you via the Library’s Document Delivery Services post-to-web service (as your home campus is Harbour Centre).

Best regards,
Don Taylor
——————————-
Donald Taylor
Assistant Head, Access Services

Q: there are four books for the CFA Institute investment series one of them is in the Belzberg as a 4 hour reserve item since there are two copies of the same book can one of them becomes a 3week material so we can borrow it home?

A: Hi
I assume the book below is the one about which you are inquiring:
International financial statement analysis / Thomas R. Robinson … [et al.].

take care
Scott Mackenzie
Head – Access Services

Q: Hi,
One of my students who is doing a presentation would like to rent a projector to do a powerpoint. I was wondering if the library rents out such materials, or whether these things are provided through the department?

A: Hi

take care
Scott Mackenzie
Head – Access Services

Q: Hello,

As e-readers such as the kindle grow in popularity, I was wondering if our library in particular or libraries in canada in general are gearing towards offering content in a digital format (as downloadable to such a device).

Just interested.

Thanks,

A: Hi,

Gwen Bird
Associate University Librarian, Collections Services