Suggestions and Comments

QUESTION: On the 3rd floor, removing the large table near the semi-circular curved window in front of the QH 603 section would make this area quieter.

ANSWER: I understand that you are frustrated with the noise level on the third floor, near the QH section. Finding the perfect place to do one’s work is very specific to every person — the combination of light, noise, and furniture make up the variables that will hopefully lead to productive scholarship.

As you may know, there is an ongoing tension between those who enter the library to engage in quiet contemplation and those who are meeting classmates to engage in group study. For that reason Shields Library does have designated quiet study areas. These are located on the second floor and can be found within the Main and Nelly Branch Reading Rooms. There are also other areas that are quiet by default of their location. If you want to know where they are located, ask at our Reference or Circulation Desks.

Unfortunately the area you like to study in is not considered quiet study and it would be difficult to make it quiet space. The architecture (hard surfaces near lots of glass) and a busy traffic path ensure that this space is a medium quiet space. For quiet, truly quiet space, I suggest you move to the east side of the building (almost every floor) where we have the single carrels or study in the reading rooms on the second floor.

If a group of students are making too much noise, please let us know at the Circulation Desk and we’ll have our security guard ask the group to be more considerate of others or ask them to consider moving to one of our more noisy locations.

The Library is a place of research in action and thus will never be completely quiet. But we do strive to allow for all modes of studying. Hopefully, with this knowledge you’ll be able to find a favorite spot to settle down in.

QUESTION:  The Internet connection becomes really slow in the 24-Hour Reading Room when the room is busy.  I would appreciate it is the wireless capacity could be increased.

ANSWER:  We are looking into this.  We hope to have a happy solution soon.

PS: I was able to explore this situation a bit more and what I found out is fascinating.  Our 24HRR is very near the sidewalk, a sidewalk that is traversed by hundreds of students every hour (possible slight exaggeration).  Campus IET has ascertained that many if not most of these students are carrying smart phones and laptops that have their wireless feature enabled.  This means that each and every one of these wandering scholars is dipping into and using up a bit of bandwidth.  This also means that the wireless system is slowed down a wee bit.  Imagine how this  “walk-by effect” messes with wireless access in the MU?

The good news is that we are limiting the reach of the wireless in the 24HRR so it doesn’t query devices not in the building.  Also, further testing shows we still have amazingly strong wireless connectivity in the library.  So while there may be slight downturns of performance during our busiest periods (ex: midterms) most of you will never notice the blips.

QUESTION:  I would like to see hand soap in all bathrooms that is not anti-bacterial.  Anti-bacterial soap kills off non-resistant bacteria, strengthening the bacteria present that are resistant to antibiotics.  The Library is a good place on campus to start.

ANSWER:  Thank you for feeling that the Library is a good epicenter of change, we feel strongly that we are.  We’ve worked on incorporating lights that save electricity and $$.  We’ve provided gender neutral/family bathrooms and we are dedicated to improving UCD life as we know it.  I, too have seen some anti-bacterial soap studies (look them up on Biosis! http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/research/subjects/index.php?id=50) that suggest you are right and others that argue in the other direction.

What I will do is put your suggestion forward to campus facilities.  I suggest that you also contact them and advocate for what you believe.

QUESTION: I don’t know who to go to about this, but I’ve noticed that UC Davis is one of only a few universities that does not have a mobile website. Who can I ask to access the mobile website if one does exist? I am not talking about an iPhone application, I mean a real mobile website.

ANSWER: Thank you for taking time to ask this question. The good news is that the campus is actively working on a site. The  Head of the Library Systems Department reported that Campus has hosted an event to discuss a framework for all campus units. They did not discuss a time frame, however, for actually doing developing the ucdavis domain.

PS: the Library’s mobile site is up and running!  Visit us @ http://lib.ucdavis.edu/m