Email, chat, etc.

[Anthony J Adam]

Since everyone else has chimed in....

We have about 30 public stations in our building--four in periodicals, 
thirteen in reference, and the rest in the library computer lab--for a 
campus serving 6500 students.  From the time we open until the time 
we close, every day, students monopolize the reference and 
periodicals stations with chatrooms, even sitting next to each other 
and chatting (we've all seen that).  Much of what the students write 
(these are college students, mind you) would probably offend almost 
everyone on this list.  We've also had more and more students 
complain that they can't get on a station to do their research, and 
our general policy is to kick students off email and chat if someone 
needs to do research.  Thus far, everyone has been fairly 
cooperative.

Yes, it's a question of limited resources, but I see no immediate 
solution.  Add more stations?  That would require rewiring the 
building, adding additional outlets, purchasing tables, and probably 
either uprooting bookshelves or putting the stations in the middle of 
the floor (the fire marshall would probably look askance at that).  
Some universities have email-dedicated stations, and we'll probably 
go that route.

Yes, there are additional stations all over campus, but they are 
either in locked areas, available only to certain students (e.g., 
business majors), or are accessible only through a cardswipe 
system (which means that everyone without an ID card or a 
research need comes to the library).   

If we're keeping tabs on such things, I should also note that (1) yes, 
we have short queues, especially at night; (2) no, there are no 
working typewriters available on campus for student use (the last few 
were abused and are now unrepairable); (3) we've called our 
students much worse than 'bozoes,' but never to their faces (I have 
a few choice descriptions of the education major who literally kept 
whacking the mouse with the palm of her hand after I and a student 
worker both repeatedly showed her that a simple light touch was all 
that was necessary). 


Tony Adam
Reference Dept./Coleman Library
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, TX 77446
email: anthony-adam at tamu.edu

"I believe that when it comes to books, conventional morality doesn't exist."  Arturo Perez-Reverte, THE CLUB DUMAS