Comments and suggestions
We welcome feedback regarding the Library, our services and resources. Responses to comments and suggestions are posted here. If there is something on your mind, let us know.
You can contact us in lots of different ways:
Email: library@st-andrews.ac.uk
Call: 01334 462281
Feedback card: the feedback cards and comment boxes are in the Library.
Chat: send us an instant message where you see this logo: 
Semester 2 2011-12
"Please build more toilets (male). They are always occupied and it really disturbs my studying to go and check whether or not they are free. Especially now during the examinations period they are always occupied."
Thanks for your feedback and I agree that we do have real problems with insufficient toilets. We would love to have built many more during the redevelopment project but the relatively modest budget did not allow us to do so. We did, however, include one additional cubicle in each of the female toilets, one additional urinal in each of the male bathrooms and will be providing disabled toilets for the first time on levels 3 & 4 during this summer’s refurbishment work.
The sinks, which have been a real issue in terms of being too small and causing flooding in the toilets, are being replaced this summer with what will hopefully prove to be a more effective solution.
Ultimately, however, we will probably continue to struggle with the lack of toilets in a building that is so much more heavily used than it used to be.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"You could put live usage numbers on the main uni/lib site so people can check how busy the lib is before leaving home."
Thanks for completing a Library comments card recently. You make a very good suggestion about using the live usage numbers in terms of occupancy of the Library on our website. This is something that we’re keen to do we and other libraries who use the same system, have been discussing this with our supplier.
I’m particularly keen to be able to replicate this type of live data on mSaint, the website and digital screens throughout the University, much in the same way that we already have for PC availability.
This type of useful public data is of course only achievable because we now have this system and because we require users to scan out of the building when they leave. It’s encouraging to get your feedback as it demonstrates that some users are starting to see the positive aspects of the system, something we’ll continue to work on developing.
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"You did pretty well."
Thanks for completing a Library comments card the other week – we appreciate all the feedback that we get and it’s nice to learn that you think we’ve done a good job.
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"Thank you for all your efforts in improving the main library.
I consider myself lucky to have been here during all phases of the modernisation, and so am able to really appreciate the positive change.
I know you get a large quantity of student complaints, but I've nothing to complain about: despite inevitable 'teething problems',* the changes we've seen this year have been excellent, and I only look forward to next year and the full transformation.
*you have clearly done your best to deal with them."
Thank you for your comments and can I say how refreshing it is to receive such overwhelmingly positive ones. You are right when you say that we do get a fair number of complaints which, as much as we encourage the dialogue with our user community, can be a bit depressing to read sometimes!
So with that in mind, it’s nice to know that some people believe that we’ve done a good job and delivered a successful project, despite the limitations of time and budget. I’ve shared your feedback with my colleagues on our own internal staff news portal.
Thanks again and I hope you are pleased with the changes we’re making this summer when you see them completed.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"The way in which the re-shelving process of all the books before the summer closure is frankly the most illogical and incompetent system I have ever come across in a library. There is no cohesion of alphabetical order on the shelves and fragments of different sections are distributed across the floors. Saulcat is unclear as to which books are and are not in storage and the library staff although they try to help have no idea where the books are either. This is a complete waste of everyones time."
Thanks for taking the time to complete a Library comments card.
I’m sorry that you feel the way in which we’ve temporarily organised stock over the last few months has been both illogical and incompetent. I would agree that initially some of the sequencing may have seemed illogical but this has been caused primarily by the complexity of the project.
In particular I would draw your attention to the extremely short space of time during which we had to move in the region of 6 linear km of stock from the upper floors into storage. This was enormously challenging particularly given the lack of easily adaptable free space available to us. We continue to work on our records for SAULCAT in order that they are as accurate as possible but appreciate any specific feedback about which records are incorrect.
One thing that the redevelopment project has allowed us to do is finally arrange the books and journals on the upper floors into more logical sequences – e.g. journals on level 4 and books on level 3. Despite first impressions, there are clear benefits from the project for users navigating their way around the stacks.
I do disagree that this work has been done incompetently. The complexity of this project and the logistics involved have been highly demanding and been managed by an exceptional team of Collections and shelving staff. I believe that their hard work and talent has been pivotal to the successful removal of all of the required stock over the last few months, a project that was completed ahead of schedule.
I’m sure they would be happy to spend time with you if you would be willing to share your own ideas on how this process could have been managed – we’re always grateful for the feedback.
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"A Large amount of printing takes place on a daily basis at the JF Allen Library. For this reason, I think a double-sided printer would be a very good and welcome investment, not least due to the environmental benefits of regularly cutting such large amounts of paper consumption in half. Overall, though, I am very satisfied with the Library's services."
Many thanks for taking the time to complete a library comments card and please accept my apologies for the delay in my reply.
You make a very good point about double-sided printing and I’m pleased to say we are in the process of introducing new multi-function printing and copying devices throughout the University – so double-sided printing will soon be available right across the campus.
Please do not hesitate to get back to me with any other comments of suggestions.
kind regards
Graeme Hawes
Graeme Hawes
User Services Manager
"Having met Mr *****, who used to work in St. Andrews Univ. Library, I now understand more exactly that you are permitted to talk to one another in Level 2 of the recently refurbished St. Andrews Univ. Library. In the area near to the DVD screens they sometimes will talk to one another but I was guilty of that myself having conversed with Mr *****, who has recently written another book about St Andrews in collaboration with I think - the St Andrews Univ. photographer Mr *****. While I was a student at Dundee Univ. (1996/2000) the authorities there placed notices on some of the tables in the library in order to request that the users refrain from speaking too loudly."
Thanks for taking the time to complete a comments card a few weeks ago – my apologies for the delay in replying.
We appreciate all user feedback and I note your comments about the library at Dundee University. I worked at Dundee between 2003 and 2009 before coming to St Andrews, having been based in the Main Library during its extension/zoning project and latterly managing the Law Library.
I do hope that you were able to complete our recent online survey on noise and other zoning/behaviour issues in the Main Library. We had over 1300 responses from staff, students and other users and the comments were predictably varied!
What’s particularly clear from the survey is that for as many people who find level 2 (our ground floor) too noisy, there are as many users who find the upper floors too silent or too quiet. This applies even to those users working alone – they like the noise of other people around them as they find silence too distracting.
It’s not clear from your original comments if you’re asking for any particular action to be taken by us but please do get back to me if you have any specific requests.
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"Please can we be allowed to bring paninis from the library café onto the ground floor of the library? I know they count as 'hot' food but really they are just a warm sandwich.
I can understand not letting soup through the gate but not letting us eat a panini purchased from the café on the ground floor seems a bit odd."
Thanks for filling in a Library comments card a couple of weeks ago – we always appreciate feedback from our users.
As you may know, we have just closed our recent month-long survey on the Library’s rules on food and drink and I hope that you were able to take part. Your view, that hot food should be allowed in the library, is echoed by those of other users who have responded to our survey. There are also others who think we should allow food everywhere. However, there are equally strong opinions within our user community that are in total opposition to any food (and hot drinks) being allowed anywhere in the Library.
St Andrews does, believe it or not, have some of the most liberal policies in the country in relation to food and drink in the Library. Many other university libraries allow bottled cold drinks only – no coffee, no food (hot or cold) anywhere, no talking.
We don’t currently allow hot food everywhere on level 2 primarily because of the smell – some users object to their study space being affected by the smell (and noise) of other people’s food. We also have to consider the amount of cleaning that is required when food and drink is allowed in the Library, something that we keep under constant review with our cleaning colleagues in Estates.
We’re processing the results of the survey and will publicise these and our responses in due course. For now, you can of course eat your hot food in the café or make use of the outside seating provided last year – although I appreciate that the weather in St Andrews isn’t always good enough for lunch outdoors!
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"Can we have a 'please keep your shoes on' policy? I'm sick off having to sit next to people in stinking socks who think its ok to treat the library like their flat. There is such a thing as too casual!!!"
Thanks for your comments and I appreciate that your experience of other users taking their shoes off in the Library can be frustrating. We’ll keep an eye on this situation as we are currently looking at a range of user behaviour issues including the reserving of study spaces, food and drink, zoning etc. The challenge for us is to have practical policies in place that meet the vast range of user needs in a relatively small building.
Having a “shoes on” policy sounds good in theory but may prove difficult to enforce in practice.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"I want hot water! HOT! NO hot water after café closed."
"Dear Librarians,
You’ve done a great job for providing us an amazing library, but there is one thing I’d like to ask, is there any possibility that we can get free hot water here? Or we can pay as long as we can get it after the café closed. I know there is a tub, but the water is freezing all the time."
Thanks for completing a Library comments card last week. It’s encouraging to hear that you generally think we’ve done a good job. I’m afraid that we have no plans to install hot water urns in the Library at this point in time.
This is mainly due to lack of space that we would require to install some kind of heated supply – although we are installing new water fountains on each of the upper floors this summer – but also because our rules on food and drink are already very generous. Most university libraries do not allow any hot drinks (let alone food) anywhere in their buildings. You are more than welcome to bring in your own flasks of hot water to the Library.
Best wishes
Ewan
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Liaison & User Services)
"If the sun is not shining directly through the windows, it is a bit too cold in the library and I often have to wear gloves while working. Especially moving from the 'middle' of the library towards the outside walls you can feel the temperatures dropping and it is unpleasant to sit at the most appropriate desks to study at."
Thanks for completing a comments card in the Library the other week – sorry for taking a couple of weeks to reply. It’s not clear from your feedback which level of the Library you tend to be working on when you experience the cold temperatures but I’m assuming it’s either level 3 or 4.
As you may know, the redevelopment work last summer only allowed enough time for the introduction of new perimeter trunk heating on level 2, meaning that temperatures on the upper floors this year have still tended to be unacceptably low. The trunk heating system – along with other refurbishment works – will be installed on both of the upper floors this summer so hopefully the problems you’re experiencing at the moment will be short-lived.
Until a couple of years ago we didn’t allow students to take any hot drinks into the Library so at least now – despite the cold – you can take a coffee or tea upstairs to help keep you warm.
I hope this helps but please let me know if you’ve any more questions or comments at this stage.
All the best
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Public Services)
"You do very good - thank you for that.
- the entrance machines however are absolutely useless - the gatekeepers let you in anyway
- and the tables do not have enough plugs."
Thanks for taking the time to complete a Library comments card and for your positive feedback.
I’m sorry you feel the gates are useless. The technology that the gates currently use is based on the barcode on your ID card. Whilst the system has improved dramatically in recent weeks – most cards scan pretty easily now – there are clearly some cards that don’t read as well. I had similar problems with my own the other day.
We are working with IT Services and our suppliers to introduce a system of proximity chip (which most ID cards are enabled with) scanning over the next few months and this should improve the situation dramatically. Prox scanning usually allows for cards to be read even if they are still in a wallet or purse so it’s a far smoother process. I was at Aberdeen University’s new library yesterday and they use the same system as us but with prox and there was a constant and smooth flow of students in and out.
As you pointed out, the Attendants will currently let people in who are without their card or with card that’s not working properly. It was always our intention to introduce this system with a light touch in order that people got used to bringing their cards in. However, the current system of allowing people in without cards will not last as we intend to introduce a strict no card no access policy during the summer. People who forget their cards will be allowed up to 3 day passes within a set period of time (either a semester or full academic year, yet to be determined) and we’ll have a range of visitor passes available for those people coming in from outside of the University.
We have added far more power point provision in the last year – pretty much every study space on Level 2 has power and this is because of the raised floor access that we were able to build. There will be more power points installed on the upper floors this summer but unfortunately, due to the relatively modest budget for redevelopment, we are unable to install a raised floor on these levels so additional sockets will only be around the perimeter of the building.
Please get back to me if you’ve any more comments or suggestions.
Best wishes
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Public Services)
"I do not think this is at all a good idea practically or logistically. Requiring the card to get in and out causes hold-ups and is rather frustrating, especially since now moving between the cafe and toilet or Library and cafe is a strenuous task. Getting your ID card in and out just to use the Library seems highly unnecessary."
I’m also sorry to learn that you find the new security gates frustrating. The technology currently in place uses the barcode on your ID card and occasionally some cards don’t read as smoothly as they should. We are moving towards a system of proximity chip scanning – this will mean a far quicker and smoother process with cards being read even when they are still in wallets or purses. Queues don’t tend to last and our staff at the Welcome Desk are now instructed to over-ride the gates if a queue does build up towards the entrance doors.
By introducing this system, we are able to not only improve the security and safety of our staff and students but also generate invaluable data on how the building is being used. Without such data, it is more challenging for us to make the case to the University for on-going investment in staff and services, including the maintenance of our long opening hours.
To illustrate this point, there was a theft in the Library last weekend but that had been the first one since the introduction of the security gate system. In addition, I am in the process of making a case for additional staff to the relevant University committee that makes those decisions, in order that we can continue to improve our opening hours. Part of the evidence that they have requested is data on the occupancy levels and patterns of the building, something we only have now that this new system is in place.
The system that we’ve introduced is standard at most other university libraries so St Andrews is really just catching up with everywhere else. The technology will improve over the coming months but I’m afraid this system is now a permanent feature of the University and will not be removed.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Public Services)
"I just wanted to point out how I enjoy the new Library. The entrance and ground floor look vibrant and modern. It is a shame that the 2nd and 3rd level still have the lovely mustard feel. The 'You said, we did' board is very useful since it shows us our feedback isused. Thank you for trying your best to improve our Library."
It’s lovely to hear such positive feedback about the Library and reassuring to know that, for some of our users at least, the changes on Level 2 have been a success. I agree that it’s a shame we couldn’t refurbish Levels 3 and 4 at the same time but our budget and project timescale didn’t allow for that. They will of course be redeveloped this summer and will hopefully be equally well-received.
We would like to get the publicity for our “You Said/We Did” service generated more quickly than we do just now but have a new member of staff starting shortly who will be able to help with this important work.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Public Services)
"I just encountered problems with shelving - which is absolutely fine as the library staff were all so helpful. Made the experience so much better. Thank you!"
I’m delighted to hear that you have had helpful support from our shelving staff – that’s what they are there for. We’ve made significant efforts in recent years to make our staff more visible in the public areas through the wearing of ID and branded clothing – this seems to have made a difference to students and other users looking for help.
Ewan McCubbin
Assistant Director (Public Services)
"To be blunt, whoever is in charge of 1. the Library and 2. the 'renovations' is doing an awful job. I'm not quite sure why it was necessary to wait until the middle of the year, when students are using the Library most, to strip teh shelves of the books, but it was a bad idea. Also the gates are a moronic idea; St Andrews is a safe town and all the gates have done is created lines and frustration and served as a colossal waste of our tuition."
As the senior member of staff with responsibility for frontline services and who was heavily involved with planning of Level 2, I’m sorry to hear that you feel I – and my colleagues – have not done a good job. To answer your points in turn:
- In order to create the space necessary for our contractors to start phase 2 of the renovations in May, this work has to be done now. The project that the University asked us to deliver over 2 summers was to a very tight timescale and with a heavily-reduced budget from that originally planned. If you have suggestions as to when we could have moved such large volumes of material from the upper floors please let me know – it would be very useful feedback as you may identify options that we didn’t consider.
We are of course moving such large volumes of material because we’re trying to create more study spaces on the upper floors and this can only be done by reducing the amount of stock in the building. Ideally we would have a bigger building and limitless storage but neither of these are a reality.
- St Andrews, as much as you may feel it is, is sadly not as safe a town as you say it is. Students and other users of the Library have been victims of numerous thefts over the years as well as more serious incidents including physical assault.
- We are moving towards a system of proximity chip scanning – this will mean a far quicker and smoother process with cards being read even when they are still in wallets or purses. Queues don’t tend to last and our staff at the welcome desk are now instructed to over-ride the gates if a queue does build up towards the entrance doors.
- By introducing this system, we are able to not only improve the security and safety of our staff and students but also generate invaluable data on how the building is being used. Without such data, it is more challenging for us to make the case to the University for on-going investment in staff and services, including the maintenance of our long opening hours. We are also able to restrict access to the building to just our students and staff at peak times of occupancy – e.g. exams.
- To illustrate this point, there was a theft in the Library last weekend but that had been the first one since the introduction of the security gate system. In addition, I am in the process of making a case for additional staff to the relevant University committee that makes those decisions, in order that we can continue to improve our opening hours. Part of the evidence that they have requested is data on the occupancy levels and patterns of the building, something we only have now that this new system is in place.