Library Survey Responses 2005

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who responded to the Library Survey. The responses were for the most part extremely positive. Respondents were especially pleased with the helpfulness of staff, the book and database collections, and the online, at home resources. In addition, many thoughtful comments will help us to improve our service, as well as help us to focus on long-term goals for the future.

Here are some of the areas we already have begun working on, based on your feedback:

Hours

In response to numerous comments, the Library’s hours will be extended. Beginning September, 2005, the Library will remain open until 10 pm Monday through Thursday, and a librarian’s help will be available until 7:30 pm. This is an added 2 hours of librarian coverage and an added 2 hours of Circulation Desk coverage. Friday and Saturday hours will remain the same. Sunday hours are not a possibility because of budget restrictions.

Here are the libraries that are open on Sundays from September to May in New York City:

NYPL’s Donnell Library Center, 20 West 53rd St., Manhattan, Sundays 1-5 (huge children’s and young adult collections)
NYPL’s Humanities and Social Sciences Library, 5th Avenue and 42nd St., Manhattan, Sundays 1-6.
In the Bronx: NYPL’s Fordham Library Center, 2556 Bainbridge Ave., Sundays 1-5
On Staten Island: NYPL’s St. George Library Center, 5 Central Ave., Sundays 1-5.
In Queens: Queens Borough Public Library Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica. Sundays 12-5.
Also in Queens, branches in Richmond Hill, Jackson Heights, Kew Gardens, and Flushing have Sunday hours.
In Brooklyn: Brookyln Central Library, Grand Army Plaza, Sundays 1-6.
Also in Brooklyn, branches in Borough Park, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, and Midwood have Sunday hours.

Collection

Several respondents mentioned that there are too many older books in the adult collection. We agree. This is an extremely important concern. Weeding, that is, removing older, no longer relevant books from the collection, as well as purchasing new books for the collection, is an ongoing process. Please know that we are constantly buying new books for the collection to improve our coverage in all education-related areas. Because of the vast number of books that still need to be weeded, all the new books may not always be easy to see. But we are working hard to remedy this situation! In addition, we continue to welcome your comments and suggestions about new materials you would like to see added to the collection.

Noise Level

Many people noted that studying in the Library is difficult because of the noise. Because our Library is so small, and it is used for many different purposes, we have tried to create quiet “zones.” The quiet study room in the back is always the quietest place to work. If you encounter work going on there that is not quiet, we would appreciate knowing about this. Please let a librarian know. Tutoring is limited to several carrels on the north side of the Library near the copy machines, because photocopying is itself a noisy activity. The area around the computers will always be noisier, because this is where research instruction often takes place. We look forward to the day when we have a larger facility, but for now quiet zones are the best solution we can provide.

Food/café in the Library

Space restrictions obviously prevent this from happening. In addition, rodents are a recurring problem in the building, and rodents and insects will damage books, which is why we have the no-food rule.

Slow, old computers

We have been informed by the College that our computers will be upgraded during Summer, 2005. Also, Please Note! We now have wireless access in the Library. Go to the 7th floor computer office, Room 703, to register your computer with the College wireless system. Wireless access enables you to use your computer and the Internet from anywhere in the Library.

Technical Issues

Some people expressed particular concerns that we would like to answer here.

YES, books on display MAY BE CHECKED OUT. We put them on display to highlight new books in the collection and encourage you to check them out.
Graduate Students should be able to access ALL THE DATABASES from home. If this is not working for you, email or call Carol: 212-875-4456 cvanhouten@bankstreet.edu or check the troubleshooting section on the Research Databases page.
Assistant Teachers in the SFC MAY CHECK OUT BOOKS for the classroom.
Reserve books are arranged by CALL NUMBER. That is why we need the call number to locate the book on the reserve shelves.
If a book is missing from the shelf, and the catalog says it should be there, PLEASE ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR ASSISTANCE. Books are sometimes misshelved or waiting to be shelved; we can help you locate books. PLEASE ASK.
The quiet study room in the back is for QUIET STUDY ONLY. If you see it being used in some other way, please let a librarian know.
Children’s books in Spanish have their own section, directly next to the Children’s Book Committee shelves (just past the bathroom.) Dual language books are intershelved in the children’s collection. Use the computer catalog and enter the term “bilingual” along with the language you are looking for (e.g. “Spanish bilingual”) to generate a list of these books.
Each of the research databases has a description within it; see the “help” feature or the “list of publications” for each database to see what is in it. If you are not sure where to start your search, Wilson SelectPlus is an excellent place to begin. If you need help searching, please ask a librarian and we will be happy to assist you.
The Library lobby, in front of the elevators, is available for small groups who wish to meet without disturbing others in quieter parts of the Library.
Yes, we do have copies of the books you need for class. The Library purchases multiple copies of ALL REQUIRED texts for classes. We do not have the space or budget to purchase multiple copies of all recommended titles, but we can always request a book for you through interlibrary loan.
Access to other college libraries is available on a limited basis through the issuance of a Metro referral card. See any librarian for this card if a neighboring college library owns materials that you need to use. Borrowing materials from those libraries is only possible through an interlibrary loan request. Ask a librarian for help with this.
Books placed on hold from home are retrieved by our staff the following morning. There is a 24-hour turnaround time for this service.

There were additional comments made in the survey that we hope to be able to address in the future. Many of them concerned the seating and the carrels in the Library. Unfortunately, library furniture is quite expensive. At present, our budget does not permit us to make changes in this area, but please be assured that we, as well as you, would prefer more comfortable seating everywhere!

Statistical Data

Total number of respondents: 198

Affiliation:

Graduate School Student 64.6%

Graduate School Faculty 10.6%

Bank Street Staff 7.6%

SFC Parent 5.1%

SFC Faculty 4.0%

Alumni 2.5%

Other/No Affiliation 5.5%

Responses to Questions:

Question followed by percentage of 4s and 5s (very good and excellent) responses

Getting help in the Library 90.9%

Orientation 70.7%

Getting help on the phone 94.4%

Check out/ Circulation Desk 78.3%

Using databases at home 90%

Finding things in Library 79.4%

Photocopiers 54.2%

Collection of books in Library 85.4%

Collection of databases 87.7%

Website 87.7%

Again, thanks to all who responded. Your comments are most helpful to us.

For more information, contact: cvanhouten@bankstreet.edu
Last Modified: May 4, 2005
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