Staff at Queen’s Library are to take action against students who ‘lock’ computers or leave them unattended for long periods of time.

UPDATE: All-student email sent to students.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Since library 24-hour opening commenced last week, an increasing number of students are abandoning computers for long periods, leaving books strewn across keyboards and workspace. Many students are also using a locking facility on PCs to prevent other students using them. Once a computer is ‘locked’, students are prevented from logging in until it has been ‘unlocked’ by the original student.

Senior staff members within the library are meeting today to confirm an agreed plan of action on the matter.

“We are meeting shortly to discuss and try to define the “how” to tackle the problem and then the “what to do” where we identify an offender,” Mr Cunningham, Assistant Director of IT Systems & Services confirmed.

In the last few days, library plasma screens have displayed messages encouraging students to refrain from leaving their belongings unattended. A leading library staff member has already tackled some offending students about the issue, according to Cunningham.

On the matter of locking computers, Cunningham was reluctant to remove the facility completely.

“A student may have personal or confidential information on a screen and have to legitimately be absent from the machine for a short while, for example, to get a print, go to the toilets, get a book, etc. It’s just unfortunate that some misuse the tool,” he said.

Once an official line has been agreed, it is believed that an all-student email will be sent across campus, and action will be taken against offending students.

UPDATE: All-student email sent to students.

Dear student

You will be aware that there is great pressure on seats in the Library at this time of the year.  We have received a number of complaints from students that other students are ‘reserving’ seats by leaving their belongings at the seat or by leaving the computer logged in.  We would therefore ask all students to note the following:
- It is not permitted to reserve seats (either with or without computers).
- Reserving seats as described above is unfair to fellow students.
- The Students’ Union fully supports our efforts to ensure that seats are available to students and to stop any reserving of seats.
- Library policy is that students may leave their seats for a short period – for example, to get a book from the shelves – but the seat should not be left unoccupied for more than 20 minutes.  Please note that it is your responsibility to close/save your files and to protect your work and belongings should you leave your seat for any period.

We hope that students will co-operate with us, and respect the views of fellow students, by following the policies above.

If these policies are not followed, then we will have no alternative but to start clearing desk areas of belongings and logging out any computer in use.  We would prefer not to get to that situation and hope you will work with us to make such actions unnecessary.

Regards

Elizabeth Traynor

Queen’s have clarified their plans on the library services to be open 24-hours to students during the forthcoming exam period, stipulating the several ground floor areas to be made accessible.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

The extended hours study area, Language Lab 1, the atrium, and the coffee lounge will be made available. 24-hour opening of the library is set to begin this Sunday (29^th November), as announced previously on the library plasma screens.

A post on the library blog yesterday said that only the extended hours area, atrium and coffee lounge areas would be made available. However, today has seen Language Lab 1 added to the roster.

Elizabeth Traynor, Assistant director of Library Services, said, “We will monitor usage closely and take steps to put additional provision in place if required by actual levels of usage.”

Many students have expressed concern over the amount of study space and computer workstations to be made available for the remaining weeks of term. Users of the new library have found it increasingly difficult to find free PCs or enough desk space as the semester has progressed.

Ms Traynor highlighted that during the day there are computers available for students in Elmwood, the Ashby, MBC and PFC. In regards reading space, she asserted, ”During normal hours there are plenty of reader seats to be found in the new Library.”

“PCs in the new Library are in demand during busy periods but even then there are still free PCs to be found, including the wireless laptops available for students to borrow,” she noted.

Jim Cunningham, Assistant Director of IT Systems & Services, has encouraged students to check the availability of computers through their website (see bottom of this page), which refreshes every few minutes to show up-to-date information on available computers across the campus.

Due to the huge demand, Mr Cunningham and his team have been tasked with providing additional machines for students.

“Equipment is very heavily utilised…My cabling team has just finished installing services for an additional 12 machines in the Extended Hours Room and the 12 PC’s are on order,” he said.

Some students have called for the Seamus Heaney library to be re-opened during the day so that there are more computers available. Ms Traynor ruled this out as an option, explaining that the building is now under the management of the Estates department at Queen’s. The building is being redeveloped as a centre for International and Postgraduate students, and is due to open in April/May 2010.

Ms Traynor advised students to be aware of the other areas around the campus where computers and study space are available.

For an up-to-date record of computers available: http://www.qub.ac.uk/SCC/qub-only/SCCoccupancy0-1.html

For those old timers at Queen’s like myself, it can certainly be agreed that the new library is a welcome addition to the University. For years we had the overcrowded and noisy Seamus Heaney library; a place that at times perhaps mirrored a night out rather than a study venue. We’ve had an antiquated, crumbling tower block, and a Science Library that also looked like something from the past. It was thought that The New Library at Queen’s would offer the ‘be all and end all’ solution to these problems. After all, it IS part of the University’s master plan: 1) Russell Group status 2) drive for Top 100 University status in world 3) attract as much money/investment as possible…blah blah blah…

BY PAUL LILLY

If we are to believe the Queen’s website, the New Library marks “the greatest contribution to the University’s search for excellence.”  Yes, it is true that the New Library certainly is an excellent building. One can do nothing but be in awe of the C.S. Lewis Reading Room or majestic views over Botanic Gardens. Yet, image and first impressions are one thing, but is the building really fit for purpose?

At a recent meeting of Academic Board, students as well as myself raised quite serious concerns about the New Library. Many of these centered on the proposed opening times for ‘exam period.’ While we were told that current Library opening times are “reflective of demand”, certain students felt that demand is much greater than Library services actually realise.

With the Library being busy on most nights, students felt concerned that Library plans for 24-hour opening are not sufficient as we enter exam season. John Gormley (Director of Information Services) and Elizabeth Traynor (Assistant Director Library Services and Research Support) informed the Academic Board that there were indeed no real plans (save for contingency plans) to open anything other than the front computer room of the building for 24 hour access. Exam season therefore, would have no open study space for Queen’s students after normal times. This is certainly a worrying scenario, and one that should be addressed now, rather than later.

While the Seamus Heaney may have been occasionally loud, the building did meet the needs of students; at least one large open study space was open throughout the night during exam season. I feel that The New Library should at least open the entire bottom floor to accommodate demand. If they cannot do that, then it is a poor reflection on the New Library, and will only further highlight the University’s scant regard for the views of its students.

Paul Lilly is VP Equality and Diversity in the SU.

DISCUSS!