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Welcome to the new site which gives users of the University of Bolton’s Library a chance to comment on any aspects of our service. We welcome all comments and suggestions on library services.
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I think the Library staff do a grat job, sometimes in trying circumstances.
I think the library staff are extremely poor communicators. They never answer direct questions, and thier emails seem to consist of a limited range of standard responses. In my opinion, a pretty useless bunch of bureaucrats.
I’m concerned about the number of hours the library opens. As an effective library, it should remain opened longer like most of the best libraries in the world. (From 8 am to 11h30pm and all days. Saturdays and Sundays included). Since Chadwick and Eagles are unified, it’s a great occasion to manage later closures.
Noise also must be dealt in a more effective way. Plans made up last year were insufficient and often inappropriate . The way noise was dealt often created more noise ( trying to stop people and so forth…). Arrange tables separately in the computer area, Students shouldn’t face each other while working. It increases noise.
Despite those two majors errors, the library should also change its VHF material to DVD format. Few use VHF (Students don’t like it) at home otherwise you have to book a room in the library (not effective for both uni. and student). In construction, make efforts to bring
sufficient digital materials. (You have them (DVDs) then give them to students). If it is a copyright problem try to make your own materials. I’m confident you can do it.
Thanks
A reply to the above message from the Deputy Head of The Library .
“Thank you for your comments about the Library.
Opening Hours
Your suggestion regarding the Library opening hours will be passed to the Library Senior Management Team. It should be noted, however, that the Library regularly canvasses opinion on opening hours through the annual survey and the vast majority of our users are satisfied with the current arrangement. We will, however, as always continue to review our opening hours.
Noise
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience and distress caused by noise during your time in the Library. Even though overall, we have less space in the combined library we do see this as an opportunity to tackle some of the causes of noise and disruptive behaviour e.g. only one PC per table and screens between desks where possible.
DVDs
The Library has a rolling programme to replace stock items which are in video format with DVD format. We record programmes under our off-air recording agreement only onto DVD, and have done so for the past six months. The Subject Librarians are selecting which video items are to be converted and, due to limited funds, they are concentrating on replacing classics and core texts. Copyright restrictions do not allow us to convert originals – we have to buy an original on DVD – however we are able to convert to DVD anything which we have recorded. Poor quality recordings are obviously not being converted. “
The library is more like a social venue than a quiet place of study. I would also like the library to extend opening hours into later evenings Mon to Fri and weekends too please.
Thank you for your comment. Your suggestion regarding opening hours will be passed to the Library Senior Management Team.
Regards,
Liz Chinn
Information Desk Manager
The Library regularly seeks opinions on our opening hours through the annual satisfaction survey and we have found that the majority of our users are satisfied with our current opening hours. We will continue to review our opening hours on a regular basis.
Liz Chinn
Information Desk Manager
Do you ever publish a breadown of the results of this survey?
What about the minority of ‘users’ who are not satisfied? I would have thought that, presuming that you actually care, your percentage satisfaction target should be in the high 90s. Is it?
By the way, have you ever considered that the ‘users’ you refer to are actually CUSTOMERS?
Thank you for your comments
The Library publishes feedback statistics from our Comments, suggestions and complaints on our webpages – click on About Us and then on Feedback Statistics for information.
The Library also produces Performance Standards and an Annual Performance Report which details how we perform against our standards and if they do not meet expectations what we intend to do to rectify the situation.
The term ‘users’ is one that is used by the academic library community.
With regards to caring, we care very much. The Library service is a proud holder of the Charter Mark standard. The Standard measures excellence in customer service and the Library has held this prestigious award since December 2002. The standard is assessed by Cabinet Office trained external assessors. The Library has recently undergone its second year surveillance check against the Charter Mark Standard and it has come through with flying colours. At this latest assessment the service gained full compliance for each sixty three criterion.
Finally, as the blog is intended as an informal mechanism of feedback, if you would like a more detailed response may I suggest either filling in a Tell Us What You Think leaflet with your details on and a senior member of staff will respond to your comments or make an appointment to speak to Trevor Hodgson, Library Manager at one of the desks in the Library.
I find the new library issue/renewal/return machines near the entrance to be a good investment, they allow the student to view all the relevant information at a glance and then obtain a hard copy in the form of the receipts. I far prefer these machines to manually issuing etc. from the library staff.
I do however, have a complaint. I understand that the merging of the two libraries will take some time getting used to, but I cannot help but find the layout confusing. If I wish to find a quiet corner, I often find myself sat next to/opposite someone tapping away on one of the poorly placed computers. I have used this library regularly since the semester began, and yet I still find myself asking staff the whereabouts of certain items such as the photocopier and its top up machine etc. Perhaps an A4 layout of the library could be created, citing the whereabouts of such appliances. I would find it much easier to look at a print out of this on the wall and then finding it myself.
In reference to the layout, I would find it much easier if all the appliances were together eg. the photocopier, binding system, top up machine and printer were all in one place as well as having one whole section for the computers/printers than having them scattered about.
I also sometimes find it difficult to find the right books, after using the library catalogue computers and writing down the correct book number, I often find myself wandering the aisles to find the right section. Perhaps the subject matter signs at the end of each aisle need updating or perhaps need more detail.