Add New Suggestion
Study Space Suggestions for all Libraries
(Mar 28/24) We need a system to report conversations/noise in the silent study area like mills does.
Library response: Thank you for your response. We are looking into the system at Mills to see how it works. In the meantime, feel free to drop by the Information Desk at the front of the
library at any time and report noise issues. You can also contact us via email at hslib@mcmaster.ca. We want to ensure the library is a welcoming place for everyone and
that you feel comfortable studying in our space. (Apr 1/24)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Nov 30/23) The Thode meditation room should be soundproof. It only slightly masks sound which is disappointing since its name implies that it would be silent. It’s not much different than just being in the first floor of Thode.
Library response: Thank you for letting us know. Unfortunately, we are unable to make this room completey soundproof but we have been considering renaming it to "Individual Study Space". You are correct in sharing that this room
is not different from the rest of the first floor, which is labelled as "Collaborative Work Space". I appreciate your feedback. (Jan 26/24)
Answered by: Lynne Serviss (Associate University Librarian, User Services and Community Engagement)
(Sep 26/23) The chairs on the second floor are very squeaky and make so much noise
Library response: Thank you for your comments. Since the 2nd floor is a very popular and busy study area I suspect the chairs are squeaking due to wear and
tear. We can look into this and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Thank you again for your comments. (Sep 27/23)
Answered by: apearce,servisl
(Aug 14/23) 4th floor Mills - study space in the stacks near the window overlooking the centre plaza between MUSC and Mills - the outlets near the study desks are not working. Considering how limited study space is on
campus, this becomes a problem for students who cannot reliably use these spaces to work when they need to charge their devices. Please address.
Library response: Thank you very much for letting us know. We will put in a call to the electrician to take a look at our outlets on the fourth floor. (Sep 12/23)
Answered by: Lynne Serviss (Associate University Librarian, User Services and Community Engagement)
(Mar 6/23) I am frustrated with the noise level in the library, which has significantly increased over the past few weeks. Despite the librarys quiet
policy, it has become difficult to concentrate due to noise from group discussions, loud phone calls, and eating. This is affecting my
academic performance and that of other students who also require a quiet environment to study effectively. I suggest the library
management implement stricter measures, such as designated areas for group discussions or noisy activities, or hiring more security
personnel to enforce the rules. Please address this issue promptly to maintain a conducive environment for studying and research.
Library response: I am sorry that Thode has been so loud that you have not been able to study. This is indeed frustrating! Staff respond to noise complaints
sent via the form or the Quiet email very quickly - you
are welcome to use either of these reporting tools when you notice students being too loud. You can also speak to staff at the front desk.
From the staff side, I can encourage staff to make more frequent walk-arounds in the library as this does help with noise control. We are
also looking at making some improvements with our Quiet signage (adding more signs and making them more visible). We are also
working with a group of students who are investigating alternative ways to report noise complaints. Hopefully these solutions will help
with the noise. Thank you for bring this issue to our attention. (Mar 7/23)
Answered by: Lynne Serviss (Associate University Librarian, User Services and Community Engagement)
(Feb 7/23) There should be an online-live chat or something where we can report if people in study areas are being inappropriate / loud. SO many
times there are people who are extremely loud in the quiet areas which isnt fair for the many students who choose to sit in quiet areas to
study.
Library response: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The library has a Report Noise in a Quiet Area online form that is monitored by library staff
throughout the day. Staff normally respond to a noise compliant within a few minutes. We also have a chat box on the bottom right side
of the library homepage which you can use. We have recently been discussing alternative ways for students to bring noise complaints to
our attention - we would be happy to take any suggestions on how you think we can make this process more visible and easier for our
students.
Here is a link to Noise form: https://library.mcmaster.ca/forms/report-noise-quiet-area
(Feb 8/23)
Answered by: Lynne Serviss (Associate University Librarian, User Services and Community Engagement)
(Feb 10/22) Hello, I wanted to know if there were any private 1-person conference rooms on campus (to hold meetings and such). When discussing
sensitive research data, I want to ensure the privacy of participants in research studies but dont have a place to hold Zoom meetings with
professors.
Library response: I am sorry, you did not provide an email address so I cannot reply to you directly.
Feel free to reach out to me at pottier@mcmaster.ca
I need to understand a little more about what you need before providing any suggestions.
The only one I have at the moment is to book a Group Study Room in any of the libraries.
Have a good day
Anne Pottier
Associate University Librarian (Feb 11/22)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(May 4/19) I was very disappointed to see today that the Health Science Library will be closed every
weekend (along with every other library on campus) over the summer.
I find this to fall embarrassingly far below the standard of services expected at a world-
leading medical school. It is well known that medical students and residents do not follow
the traditional University calendar and often have many exams (ALL Royal College exams, MCCQE
etc) taking place during the summer months. As such, the Health Science Libray plays a vital
role to medical learners at McMaster, as residents and medical students continue to study,
learn, teach, and work. I would also underscore this fact by highlighting that there are NO
other dedicated study spaces at any of the other major teaching hospitals across the city. As
such, the library has remained the only place for medical students and residents to study,
collaborate, and advance their clinical knowledge.
A quick online review demonstrates that this thrifty approach is unique to McMaster. In fact,
there is no other medical school in CANADA that closes its health sciences library on
weekends (this includes a review of all 14 English language medical schools health science
libraries). This is for good reason - the medical community including medical students,
residents, and faculty depend on the library as a space to work year round. In an era where
our medical school has received some of the largest philanthropic donations in Canadian
history, I find it puzzling that the very heart of any univerisy, its libraries, would be a
place the University would try to pinch a few pennies.
I wonder if the medical school/students, PARO resident representatives, or Post Graduate
Medical Education, were consulted when this decision was made?
Library response: Thank you for sharing your concerns. Unfortunately, the Health Sciences Library budget has been showing a deficit for the past several years. We have worked to balance our budget by cutting some of our services (including weekend hours) and cancelling journal titles. We have recently received some additional funds to prevent the cancellation of additional journal subscriptions, but no additional funds were provided to cover staffing costs. We continue to provide 24 hour access to our online collection and we hope this will help you with your information needs. Please feel free to contact me directly if you wish to discuss your concerns in more detail. (May 7/19)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Apr 15/19) Hi! The Grad study room in Mills has some great high desks at the windows, but not enough high
chairs to fill them - might it be possible to get a couple more?
Library response: Thanks for your email.
We will definitely look into providing some more stools in this space.
(Apr 24/19)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Mar 24/19) This year I have noticed an increase in 2 issues that have made Thode more and more
unfriendly to study in.
Number 1 There has been a huge increase in the lack of respect for the quiet study areas and
staff are less and less responsive to complaints.
Number 2 There has been an explosion in the number of people vaping inside the library. It
was bad enough when people were doing it outside despite McMasters status as a non-smoking
campus but for it to now have spread to inside a university building makes it look like the
new rule only made things worst
Library response: Thank you for submitting these comments.
The Library just ran its Respect Campaign to try to encourage students to be more respectful of those around them in many ways, including respecting what type of space they are choosing to study in. We will try to be more digiligent in responding to noise complaints, but can only do this during the regular hours of opening. If this is happening in the late night study period, please let the security guards know there is a problem and they will talk with the offending groups.
With respect to your comment about vaping, this is not condoned by anyone. Please report these issues to the staff at the main floor service desk as soon as this happens and they will deal with it. We have been told to notify Security immediately when these incidents happen and they will come talk to the offenders. If you are unable to come to the desk you could report this kind of a situation using the
noise@mcmaster.ca email address as well. Please make sure you clearly identify where the vaping is taking place and we will send someone to deal with it.
Thanks again for bringing these issues to our attention.
Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian (Mar 26/19)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Mar 19/19) There is an awful buzzing noise in Mills Commons which makes it quite distracting/annoying when
Im trying to get work done there. The buzzings been going on for a couple of weeks and gives
me a headache Im there for long - could you kindly look into remedying the situation?
Library response: Thanks for submitting this suggestion. You are correct, there is a terrible buzzing coming from the lights in this area. We suspect the ballast for each light will need to be replaced, but this is not work we can do until after the end of term.
We appreciate your patience while we work to get this problem resolved. (Mar 21/19)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(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
Library response: 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/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(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.
Library response:
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)
(Apr 26/18) Thank you so much for providing a small and comfortable working space to focus on studies and
learning. All the attention provided by the librarians towards the students is truly
appreciated. McMaster is a better place with Innis library.
Library response: Thanks so much for taking the time to share these kind words with us. I will make sure this is passed along for the Innis staff to see.
Hope the exams went well. (Apr 26/18)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Oct 26/17) The Health Science Library is great, and people love studying here, but recently (particularly during midterms) it has gotten to be very full all the time. The problem is, many students are coming early, and then taking very long breaks while leaving their books/notes on a desk for hours at a time, while there are students working on the floor because they cant find a desk. It might be useful for staff to go around at random times to check and make sure that people arent saving their spots for extended periods of time.
Library response:
We are happy that you like the space and we appreciate your feedback. It is a great place to study. Our
policy on the use of study space does indicate that it is not acceptable to reserve study space except for the group study rooms. Staff will be more vigilant on monitoring the use of the space especially during mid-terms and exam times. (Oct 27/17)
Answered by: Neera Bhatnagar (Head of Systems & Public Services, Health Sciences Library)
(Sep 18/17) The water bottle fill station/ drinking fountain on the lower level of HSL has very poor pressure. It took me 3 minutes to fill my water bottle. A possible reason for this could be that the filter is clogged/needs to be replaced.
Library response:
Thank you for your comment. We have placed a work order to have the filter changed. I am hopeful the water fountain will soon be fixed. (Sep 22/17)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Apr 20/17) Emphasize the the Reading Pavilion is a group study space (as listed on the map on the website)
rather than silent study. Most people are not aware of this and get upset at people using the
space for group work as they are talking.
Library response: Thank you for your feedback. You are correct, the Pavilion space is not reserved for
silent study. We do our best make sure all students understand that we have quiet, silent, and conversation zones. When students complain, we direct them to the appropriate signage in the library and to our website. However, it sounds like the message isn’t reaching everyone. Therefore, I will be sharing your comments with our Marketing team and ask that they come up with new strategies for sharing this information. Please contact me directly if you wish to discuss your concerns in more detail. (Apr 20/17)
Answered by: mckinn,bhatnag
(Mar 20/17) Having Group study rooms in the basement of thode effectively defeats the entire purpose of
the basement environment, which is supposed to be a quiet study area with no talking. When
multiple groups get together in the rooms and talk/laugh very loudly it is disruptive to the
outside environment, even though they may not realize it.
Unfortunately, the only solutions I can think of that involves keeping these rooms as group
study rooms is to properly and professionally sound proof the rooms to allow minimal sound to
escape. Or, staff can conduct patrols to keep the noise down, however, this solution would
waste staff time and resources.
Quiet study is the main reason I come to thode instead of other libraries, but its becoming
difficult with the level of noise in the basement. Any assistance in this matter would be
greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Library response: Thanks for sending your comments in.
You are correct, it is not ideal to have Group Study Rooms situated next to Silent Study. We did do some soundproofing in these rooms a couple of summers ago, which helped a bit, but given how the rooms were built we can't do anything more at this point. We have posted signs in these rooms reminding the students using these rooms that they need to keep the noise down.
As you may have noticed, we are starting to do some renovations on the lower floor. When this work is completed there will be an enclosed large Silent Study room on the lower floor. The plan is to build many group study rooms on the 2nd floor. You might consider working in the area outside the Makerspace on the far side of the floor. It is quite quiet there.
Please report any loud groups to
quiet@mcmaster.ca - this email is read by the staff at the service desk on the 1st floor and they will come speak to any groups who are making noise.
Our apologies that there is nothing more immediate we can do at this time, but this is a problem we are very much aware of and are working towards resolving as we move forward. (Mar 21/17)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Dec 8/16) can we please get standing desks installed somewhere as it improves health and studying
Library response: Thanks for your suggestion. We will make sure to include some standing tables/desks as we continue to renovate and change up our spaces, but in the meantime you can borrow a laptop stand from the service desk in any of the libraries which will permit you to stand while using your laptop.
Good luck on your exams! (Dec 9/16)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Mar 31/16) I am consistently surprised by how dirty HSL is, regardless of the time of day. I find garbage on the floor, hair in the cubicles, spilt drinks, used toilet paper on the bathroom floor. Its just disgusting. Students are of course part of the problem. Maybe posters in the cubicles reminding people to pick up after themselves would be helpful. But I am very doubtful that HSL is being cleaned regularly, especially the cubicles and washrooms.
Library response:
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. The Library has been working closely with housekeeping and facilities management in an attempt to address these issues. Last Thursday (March 31st) all of the public washrooms were steam cleaned. We are now reviewing housekeeping’s cleaning schedule to see if they can prioritize other areas of concern (i.e. garbage removal & wiping down the study carrels and tables). The Health Sciences Library has over 50,000 visitors each month, making us one of the busiest spaces on campus. Keeping up with cleaning demands has been challenging, but we are committed to addressing the issue.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions or comments. (Apr 5/16)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Mar 21/16) Spaces that are labelled silent study such as the sixth floor are not being used by students in
this way. There should be a better way to monitor this such as putting cameras or something to
ensure that students are using this space appropriately.
Library response: Thanks for your email. We agree, it would be great if everyone would use designated spaces as they are intended.
Unfortunately there aren't enough staff on duty at any one time to patrol all of our spaces, or to monitor cameras. We have provided an email address which can be used to report problems in Mills, Innis or Thode libraries. This email address is monitored at all times and a staff member will be dispatched to address the problem. We have posted this email address on posters in both the Quiet and Silent areas of the libraries.
Next time, feel free to tell us about the problem when it is happening - drop us a note at
quiet@mcmaster.ca
Good luck on your exams! (Mar 22/16)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Mar 16/16) I love the new arrangement of bookshelves in the Reserve Room (2nd floor behind main desk)! I think moving some of the couches/armchairs from the Reading Pav to the new space, or some desks/tables would be an excellent use of the space. Thanks!
Library response:
Thank you for the positive feedback and the great idea. We have ordered new furniture for the empty space and it should arrive tomorrow (March 22nd). We have ordered tables and chairs for individual study. Once everything is set up we will see how much room is left for armchairs. If we can add more seating we will. We are always looking for ways to add more places to sit in the library so any suggestions you have are appreciated. (Mar 21/16)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Mar 2/16) The second floor on thode gets really loud, especially during exam time. I understand its a
busy time of year, but sometimes there are people that crowd in big groups and talk really loud
right beside people that are clearly trying to study.
It makes it really hard to concentrate, even while wearing ear plugs
Library response: Thanks for your email. We do realize this floor can get quite noisy, especially given the number of study seats on this floor.
Much of this noise is rising up from the 1st floor in the open area beyond the ends of the 2nd floor balcony. We will be adding acoustic panels on the round brick wall and hanging acoustic clouds from the 3rd floor ceiling to help address this issue, but we won't be able to start this work until the end of this term. We expect this to make a great difference in terms of noise levels on the 2nd floor.
If the noise is being generated by people near you on the 2nd floor, please first ask them to tone it down, but if that doesn't help feel free to send an email to
quiet@mcmaster.ca. This email is monitored by staff in Mills, Innis and Thode libraries. A staff member will be dispatched to speak to anyone making too much noise, especially as we approach exams. Please make sure to give us enough details to help us identify those making the noise.
Good luck on your exams! (Mar 22/16)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Feb 24/16) I really love the new online room booking and was wondering if it will be permanent? It makes room booking and staying organized so much easier. Please keep it!
Library response:
Thank you for your positive comments about the new online room booking system. We have every intention of making this service permanent. We’ve launched the service as a pilot to give us flexibility to make changes as we work out the bugs. From time to time we may need to take the system down while we tweak the software. Please share this message with your classmates and encourage them to contact us if they encounter any problems. The more feedback we get from students the faster we can move through our testing phase and arrive at a permanent system.
(Feb 25/16)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Feb 13/16) I would like to thank the maintenance staff, administration and contractors responsible for getting the water pressure for the bottle refill station on the lower floor study area back up to normal. This is tremendously convenient and deeply appreciated.
Library response:
Thank you for taking the time to write us. I will pass your comments on the relevant parties (HHS Engineering and FHS Facilities) to let them know you appreciate their work. (Feb 16/16)
Answered by: Jennifer McKinnell (Director, Health Sciences Library)
(Apr 10/15) The 6th floor at mills has varying temperatures; It is getting unreasonably hot for some
reason. I asked around, and people feel the same. Its been like this for the past couple of
days that Ive come here. If something can be done to maintain a normal room temperature, that
would be nice. Thank you.
Library response: We apologize for the situation - campus facilities staff are trying to figure out what is going on so they can resolve it. We hope they will identify the problem shortly, with a solution to go with it. There is nothing else we can do but keeping reporting it and asking for updates. Sorry - we know this is a very difficult environment to study effectively in. (Apr 14/15)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Dec 18/14) Love the Basement study space however can you add some comfy chairs like the ones in Mills to
the study space, cause sometimes it is nice to get comfy when studying.
Library response: Thanks for sending your suggestion in.
We do intend on adding some comfy seating to both the lower level and 2nd floor at Thode Library.
The problem is that we need to keep the area Quiet, which is why there are so many carrels in this area.
Keep sending your suggestions in - we are happy to look at them and will do our best to act on them! (Dec 22/14)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Dec 3/14) Ive noticed recently that there are not enough chairs on the second floor of Thode library. I
was looking for a place to study, and, while there were perhaps a couple dozen empty desks,
there was not a single unoccupied chair in the room. I know people tend to move chairs around
without returning them, but it definitely seemed like there were not enough chairs to cover all
the work areas.
Library response: Thanks for letting us know about this. We did purchase enough chairs for each of the study sections when this area was renovated a couple of years ago, but students do move chairs around. We will walk through and try to put things back at the tables.
Good luck with your exams! (Dec 4/14)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)
(Nov 18/14) It is unfortunate how many students are disrespectful of the 6th floor silent zone. Every
time I use this space I have to tell students to stop talking, which is frustrating because
this shouldnt be happening. I have used the quiet@mcmaster email before, however, I wonder
if a more effective approach would be to have someone patrol the floor every hour as my email
isnt always responded to immediately. Its frustrating to have to ask this. I am baffled by
how many students do not respect the quiet zone. I was going to also suggest more posters
about how it is the quiet zone, but Im not sure how helpful that would be considering that I
have often asked students sitting next to the giant SILENT ZONE letters to stop talking. Any
help with this matter would be greatly appreciated!
Library response: Thanks for your suggestion. We will try to patrol this area more regularly, but in reality people quiet down when they see a staff person then the noise goes up as soon as we leave. We do try to make our presence felt more regularly during the time leading up to exams, and we will continue to do this.
We appreciate your efforts to resolve the problem yourself, and would encourage you to keep doing this by speaking directly to anyone making noise, reminding them that people are choosing to be there because it is a designated Silent Study space. And please continue to send emails to quiet@mcmaster. ca. We do try to respond to these emails as quickly as possible.
Thanks for your patience - if we all work on this issue we might make an impact!
(Nov 19/14)
Answered by: Anne Pottier (Associate University Librarian, Library Services/Facilities/Learning Support/Collections)