We've had a fantastic response since we launched our online suggestion box in January 2008. We know we haven't always been as quick as we could have been in responding to your suggestions, but we're currently implementing strategies to improve our response time. Please keep your comments coming -- you help make us better!
10 Recent Suggestions
(Feb 11/19) just posting this to recognize our awesome cleaners at Thode. First rate service.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful compliment with us. We will forward this along to the custodians and their manager!
(Feb 11/19)Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Feb 4/19) Hi, I have noticed that multiple people continue to vape (smoke) in the middle of the library, especially all over second floor. It smells gross and I really would rather not breath that in. Please put signs or something saying no vaping or actually enforce the rules. thanks
Thank you for your comment. We were not aware this was happening.
We will not post signs since we are at a Smoke Free Campus, so there should be no need for the signage, but we will start monitoring the area on a regular basis and will call Security Services to deal with any offenders who are contravening this policy.
Please do let us know if this continues to happen.
Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian
(Feb 5/19)Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Jan 29/19) Thode and HSL are probably the best two libraries on campus. Thode because it services science and engineering students, who make up the majority of the population, and HSL because of its natural light and great study atmosphere. However, to a lot of students (mostly those who live on the side of campus near the football field) these libraries are very inaccessible/ inconvenient. It can take almost half an hour to get to these locations from Les Prince Hall and even longer in the winter. In the cold weather, it is especially brutal. There and back, its almost an hour of walking! Has the library considered running shuttle buses or golf carts from this area to the various libraries so students do not need to waste so much time and can make the most of what the library has to offer? It would be nice for students not be discouraged by a long trek in the freezing cold?
Thank you for your suggestion. Transportation to/from and within campus is a very complicated topic, one which is discussed at many different tables and in many contexts.
I cannot see us being in a position to provide the kind of shuttle service between libraries (basically to and from other parts of the campus) which you are requesting at this moment in time, but it may be that this becomes part of a larger conversation related to the LRT, city bus schedules/routes, opening of the new Peter George Centre for Living & Learning, and the proposed reconstruction of the School of Business. We will continue to raise these types of concerns at meetings where we are involved in these larger conversations.
In the meantime Mills Library is much closer than HSL and Thode, and there are some parts of the building which students do enjoy studying in very much. Why not give us a try?
Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian, Services/Facilities
(Jan 30/19)Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Nov 28/18) Fire alarm at 12:07 today: 55 LOUD bells & no announcement (as of 12:14) why ! ?? !! whos in charge ? and: has no one ever heard of / considered damage to hearing ? This is a hospital, correct ? ----
Thank you for your comment. The library has no control over the announcements made in the building. We have forwarded your comment to hospital administration.
(Nov 28/18)Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Nov 22/18) Hi! I was wondering if the libraries at MAC are providing any pen scanner? By pen scanner, I mean the scanners that you can run through specific lines on a paperback and the pen will automatically transcribe the lines to your laptop document. I think this will be a great addition to a lot of students, including students with disabilities, undergrad, or grad students! Regards J
Thanks for this suggestion. I don't believe we have any pen scanners, but will pass this along to our Library Accessibility Services group to consider.
The new Adaptive Technology Centre for use by students with disabilities is located on the 2nd floor of Mills Library. They do have many kinds of assistive technology in this space, but I am not sure this device is part of that.
We will definitely look into it. I found some information about this device which we will look at.
Thanks again
Anne
(Dec 17/18)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Nov 18/18) Hi! I have noticed that all other libraries have somewhere to report loud noise in quiet spaces. The health science library does not have this option. I find that the group study rooms near the silent study space do not have very good noise cancelling abilities and groups are often very very loud while they are using them. I was wondering why the health science library does not have a noise reporting system like the other libraries do.
Thanks for your feedback. The library serves multiple purposes and sometimes they are at odds with each other. Though it is not ideal to have group study rooms in close proximity to the silent study space, this was necessary due to the limited space. Sometimes groups in the study rooms are not aware that their voices carry outside. The walls tend to give a false impression that they are good sound barriers which, as you have noted, they are not. Signs are posted inside the Group Study rooms reminding students to keep the noise level down and staff regularly walk around the library monitoring the space. I will ask staff to increase their vigilance to help educate those not observing the use of space, especially leading up to exam time. Please inform staff at the Service Desk when noise levels become an issue so it can be addressed in the moment. If you are comfortable doing so, you may wish to speak to the groups in the rooms. Unfortunately, we do not have sufficient resources to implement an online noise reporting system similar to the other campus libraries, though we appreciate the suggestion.
(Nov 19/18)Answered by: Neera Bhatnagar (Head of Systems & Public Services, Health Sciences Library)
(Oct 18/18) Often students book rooms and do not use them. Potentially figure out a way to confirm this so that others may use. i.e. send an email 10 min. before to confirm.
Thank you for your comment and suggestion regarding our group study room booking system. We do have a policy for group's who do not show up for their selected booking time. They have 15 minutes from the time of the booking to show up at their selected group study room. After the 15 minutes, if the room is still unoccupied their booking will be cancelled and another group can use the room. https://library.mcmaster.ca/mrbs/ If you see an unoccupied room please do not hesitate to ask a full time staff member at the Services desk for assistance.
Thank you again for your comment and suggestion.
(Oct 18/18)Answered by: Ann Pearce (Supervisor, Information Services, Innis Library)
(Sep 10/18) It would be helpful to list the locations of prayer spaces within the libraries on the new website.
That's a good idea, thanks. I have passed this along to the group who is adding new content to the new website.
(Sep 10/18)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Sep 5/18) The sixth floor in Mills is suppose to be a silent study area, yet every time i come here there is always 1 group that is not mindful of others. It may be a good idea to have a worker regularly monitor the floor throughout the day to make sure that people are respectful of others and follow the rules.
Thanks for your suggestion. We do have staff walk through all of our spaces on a fairly regular basis, but can't be everywhere at all times.
In the future, may I suggest you first ask the loud parties to quiet down, and if this doesn't work please send an email to quiet@mcmaster.ca or complete the form which can be found at https://library.mcmaster.ca/forms/report-noise-quiet-area
These get sent directly to staff who will come speak to the chatty groups. Please make sure to give us some indication of where the problem is so we don't waste time trying to figure out where they are.
Hope this helps!
Anne
(Sep 10/18)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services)
(Jul 16/18) Chairs at HSL are not comfortable, there is no back support. The chairs are not ergonomically correct. Very uncomfortable.
Thank you for your feedback. We have had most of our chairs for over 10 years and this is our first complaint. I am wondering if you can provide us with more detail about where you were sitting when you were in the library. I am concerned that some of our chairs may be breaking down which is why there is no longer any back support. We are working to get some chairs replaced and your feedback will be useful in helping us decide where in the library we need to start. Please contact me directly so we can discuss. Thank you.
(Jul 17/18)Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)