Piping Up

Q. Hi, Could you please clarify if the 5th and 6th floor computer workstations are quiet study areas or if light discussion is allowed. It seems this ambiguity makes it difficult to enforce quite study, especially on the 6th floor. This has been an ongoing problem for quite sometime and signs indicating quiet study would help CONSIDERABLY.

A. The computer areas on the 5th and 6th floors are quiet but not silent areas. It would be fair to say that light but not prolonged discussion is allowed. Of course, this is ambiguous and will be interpreted in various ways. The NW corner of the 6th floor is Silent, as is the Silent Study Room on the 5th floor. No discussion is allowed in these areas and peer pressure has been quite successful. “Silent” is unambiguous.

Rather than more Quiet signage, it may be that we need to explore creating a Silent computer area, something we don’t currently have.

In the meantime, if you are not comfortable asking people carrying on prolonged conversations to move elsewhere or to desist, please feel free to ask a staff member at a 3rd floor service point to do so. If you don’t want to leave your workstation, send a request via the Feedback link. We monitor these regularly, although we can’t promise an instant response.

Thanks for raising this concern and we will factor it in to our regular reviews of space/facilities in the Library.

Best,
Elaine
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Elaine Fairey
Associate University Librarian, Learning & Research Services

Q. Hello, I am a frequent user of group study rooms on 2nd floor of Bennett library. I understand that the rooms are in high demand, but I am frustrated that some groups book a room online, but they do not use it. If I can’t use the room at the time of convenience, then at least I’d want the room to be used by some other group who really needs that location. I see group names like “menggggg” or “meng” always booking the room, but I am suspicious that they might just be being inconsiderate to other groups who’s in need of a location. The easy procedure to book a room is convenient to students, but this convenience is being abused by some inconsiderate students. It would be much better to have just one more procedure – confirm that the room is being used at that time. Say, pressing a button within 5 mins of starting time enables the room to be shown “in use”, if not, the booking be automatically erased from the booking schedule for other group to book at that time. I’ve seen SFU gym use this booking strategy for the trademill and etcs – If the person who booked the exercise instrument is not using it after 5 mins, other people are freed to use it. Please consider this suggestion and make Bennett library a better place to communicate with others and exchange knowledge. Thank you.

A. Thank you for your email. If a room has not been occupied within 10 minutes of the booking time, you are welcome to use it. This option is listed on the booking page, just above the date:

Regards,
Natalie
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Natalie Gick
Associate University Librarian, Administrative Services

Q. Please, please make first floor a quiet study area. Please post signs and patrol. Thanx.

A. Thank you for your suggestion to designate the first floor of Bennett Library quiet study. We are planning to review space use in the building, and it is very helpful to hear directly from our users.

Regards,
Natalie Gick
Associate University Librarian

Q.
about 9:50 p.m., 15 Dec

Just left computer area on 2nd flr, SE corner. Several guys talking and eating pizzas — big pizza boxes laying around computer.

PLEASE PATROL THIS AREA BETTER. Often loud talkers and food eating.
Thanks

A. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Alas unfortunately some students take the food policy too liberally. For budgetary reasons there is no regular patrol of the area but if this occurs again, feel free to talk to a staff member on the 3rd floor and we’ll follow up.

Todd M. Mundle
Associate University Librarian

Q. people in offices on 5th floor are being rude. There being loud.

A. Thank you for your feedback.

Janis McKenzie
Head, Information and Instruction
janis@sfu.ca

Q. I’d like to make a complaint. The library staff in the office on the 5th floor are being really loud. It’s making it hard to study!

A. Thank you for your feedback.

Janis McKenzie
Head, Information and Instruction
janis@sfu.ca

Q. 3 students making a lot of noise on 1st floor. Help!

A. Sorry we didn’t get back to you sooner on this but this feedback is not checked hourly so time sensitive issues such as yours don’t get resolved right away.

Todd M. Mundle
Associate University Librarian

Q. hi, I’m studying in the graduate area on the 1st floor and a few students are talking loudly. It’s disturbing us.

A. Sorry we didn’t get back to you sooner on this but this feedback is not checked hourly so time sensitive issues such as yours don’t get resolved right away.

Todd M. Mundle
Associate University Librarian

Q. The staff in the 5th floor library offices are loud when they talk on the phone.

A. Thank you for your feedback.

Janis McKenzie
Head, Information and Instruction
janis@sfu.ca

Q. boys are talking in the silent room on the 5th floor. It’s so hard to study!

A. Hi,