how on earth do they expect us to do any research here?!

[aryanhwy]

OK, I'll admit it. I got spoiled by the library system at UW-Madison. Virtually all books published after 1800 were check-outable, all journals more than 10 years old were check-outable, you could have books shipped from any library on campus to any library on campus, grad students got semester loan (books were due either 30 May or 30 Dec), you could renew up to 5 times, meaning you essentially could have a book for three years without having to bring it back, and the stacks were open.

Here, the stacks in the main library are closed. No journal issues can be checked out. Books from the main library can be sent to a limited number of other libraries, but books from other libraries can't be shipped any where. The loan period is a month, with three renewals. Many books, even newish books in decent condition which aren't really general reference books, must be used in library only. And on top of that, I just found out today that the circulation desk and reading room in the main library CLOSES AT 5:00PM!!!! So all those "in library only" books you have to have returned by then. HOW ON EARTH DO THEY EXPECT US TO DO ANY RESEARCH HERE?!?!?

Comments

How bizarre

[bend-gules.livejournal.com]

What's the point of having stacks if they're closed?
OTOH - what does 'closed' mean - does it mean the librarian has to find the book for you, and you can't browse?
Or are they reserved for profs' use?
Or does it mean noone can use the books, at all, ever - these are basically archive items, for future generations?

When I was at school I did find the reserved books (within-library-only) maddening. I didn't like being in the libarary, and found it very condusive to dozing off, no matter my good intentions to study. As a result, I didn't read the reserved list as often as I should have.

It's also odd - I'd thought European libraries were better than N. American ones.

When I was at school, A scottish exchange student told me that he didn't own any textbooks; all the required books were in the school library, and there were enough copies to go round, with very flexible loan times. Noone in his classes ever bought their books.

He was shocked at the money he was going to have to spend.

But in Canada, it was the opposite - everyone bought their own copies, and it was unlikely you'd be able to find a copy of a required book to borrow (except reserve reading). I can't say I ever tried.

But in the end...I guess you have to ask your colleagues how they cope.

Are you at least allowed to take in your laptop?

Re: How bizarre

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

By "closed stacks" I just mean "not browsable by the patron". You can request any book in the stacks to be retrieved, and it's a fairly timely system, but I've always found my gems of books by wandering through shelves, not wandering through the library catalog.

I was allowed my laptop, which is a darn good thing, because otherwise the books would be basically useless for my purpose (making a list of the names of the children of foreigners living in London in 1571. I suppose I could do it all by hand, and THEN type it in, but gah! that would have been irritating, so I'm glad I don't have to. :))

Re: How bizarre

[pedropadrao.livejournal.com]

"By "closed stacks" I just mean "not browsable by the patron". You can request any book in the stacks to be retrieved, and it's a fairly timely system, but I've always found my gems of books by wandering through shelves, not wandering through the library catalog."

I've found that that's the research method preferred by lots of people (myself included). While a card catalogue (in either real card form or the more common online form) is supposedly a virtual method of shelf-wandering, it's just not the same. There's no chance to skim for who has the better charts (which is pretty important for some of my patrons & for my astronomical interests), for instance.

Re: How bizarre

[tedeisenstein.livejournal.com]

I suspect "better" means "more books", not "more usable as an institution".

The Library of Congress has closed stacks - which isn't surprising, considering how many books it has; but they do assign qualified scholars and grad students part of a shelf (errrr, it's a shelf-per-person, not one shelf for all) near the circulation desk, where you can keep the books you've "checked out" for quite a while. It's a good compromise: the books have to stay within the building, but its remarkably easy for you to access the books you need over a period of time.

. . . and there's the other method: build your own. Too bad it's bloody expensive.

European vs. North American libraries

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

In both Italy and the Czech Republic I found the libraries much less "user-friendly" than what I was used to in either Ontario, Missouri or DC. The librarians all seemed to operate under the assumption that students would simply destroy the books if left alone with them (of course, I seemed to get the same impression - about the sheets and towels - from the cleaning ladies at the residence in Prague, too). Luckily in Prague, my program was mostly practicum and I didn't need to spend much time the library. Italy was frustrating.

I think your experience says as much about the difference between the Continent and the Isles as it does between "Europe" and North America ...

[tedeisenstein.livejournal.com]

Books? We don't need no steekin' books. Students? Research? Nah, can't be; they're supposed to sit at the feet of their professors, look up with an adoring gaze, and absorb all the knowledge they need right then and there. If it was good enough for the Ancient Greeks. . .

I suspect American universities are more customer-driven/product of a consumer culture. Or we have several centuries less of custom and tradition (read: less old-fogeyish) in our Institutions of Higher Learning.

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

::Snort::
I had a prof first year who announced on the first day of classes that all exams would be based on his lectures. Two girls in the row ahead of me threatened to die right then and there, I think. They didn't know how to take good notes. All their high school exams had been based on the text books ...

[pedropadrao.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the situation at an weird underfunded public library. Sheesh. After I graduated from CUA about 9 years ago, I pretty content myself with whatever CUA has (with a loan time of 3 weeks, but renewable), see if the Prince George's County public system has it (hah!), or purchase the title from Abebooks. Now, I have the additional resources of the NASA HQ library. Granted, our collection is tilted more towards history, policy, & law, but there's plenty for the amateur astronomer & science fiction fan to enjoy. That being said, I'm still purchasing things using Abebooks, but that's because I'm collecting Bonestell-illustrated books.

[jpgsawyer.livejournal.com]

When I wanted stuff from Journals I used to have to photocopy it. Of course for more recent journals most of them are online so you just download a PDF and away you go.

I know its more difficult for more reference based research than mine but that was the solution most of the Arts PhDs I knew and I know Fiona recycled a filing cabinet full of paper after her Honours thesis.

Good Luck.

John

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

for more recent journals most of them are online so you just download a PDF and away you go.

That's true - so far, most journal articles I've been able to get via the web. However, Studia Logica is not available in electronic format of any type, which is irritating given how many good articles there are in it.

[pedropadrao.livejournal.com]

That's the fortunate thing about being a student-those wonderful passwords. A lot of times, your smaller library isn't going to have a subscription to many journals-electronic or otherwise. That's where ILL comes in, at least in America.