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PHONEServices: General
Great facility, last time I checked out, clerk was very sarcastic. :(
Undergrad, Curriculum
ability to check out videos and dvd's for home review would be an asset
Undergrad, Marketing
The best thing about the library is the employees and their helpfulness.
Grad, Counselor Ed
The libraries primary set up is very nice, however i do alot of my work on a laptop and it many of the rooms wireless connection is not possible. I am not the only one who has this issue, possibly place more wireless accespoints would help increase the range for connections. Also consider upgrading to a G network.
Undergrad, Computer Science
I really appreciate all the help I get from the library staff. And believe me I call and ask a great deal and they are always wonderful about helping me find what I need. I think everyone that works there is wonderful. And although I use the system a great deal at home when I need to go the service is wonderful and extrememly helpful. I am working on my dissertation for my PhD and they have been outstanding in my research.
Faculty, Nursing
I noticed that there aren't many current software books for programs such as Adobe Framemaker, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.
Undergrad, English
Love the online chat feature with a libraian. That is a great service. Would like to see more electronic articles online and available for download through the library
Grad, IPT
I don't use the library, so cannot comment on existing services, but I was encouraged to complete this survey anyway.
Staff, Undecided
An additional valuable resource is ILL. I can generaly expect an electronic copy of a requested article within 1 week, although my realistic expectations would still be 2-3 weeks. I have recently requested a difficult reference to track and still had it within a short time.
Faculty, Biology
We have greatly appreciated the interest and assistance extended to the departments of political science and public policy/administration by Nick and Mellisa. I have worked with Nick for several years and he has become an unofficial member of our department because of his ongoing interest in and support of our political science program. I have also appreciated the help offered by Donna and the other people who work in the reserve section.
Faculty, Poli Sci
I have had limited interaction with the library, as a couple of classes have necessitated, but felt I was well served.
Undergrad, General Studies
Always find staff helpful.
Staff, Accountancy
The staff are very helpful
Staff, Undecided
I do like how at the very enterance, all the materials you need to navigate around are there for you, plus there is almost always a person at that desk to assist you
Undergrad, Psych
Every dealing I have had with the staff has been exceptional. Janet Strong is particularly sensitive to the needs of night students and arranges classes to acommodate our schedule. Her presentations are clear, concise, well-researched, pertinent to the writing assignments, and specific in content. Kudos to her!!
Faculty, English
The only major complaint I have is the layout for doing searches of the libraries assets It is cumbersome and often confusing when you want just a book to find the correct search engine as it is now.
Undergrad, Early Childhood Ed
My students frequently complain that books are mis-shelved or missing. I myself frequently have the same experience.
Faculty, Music
Janet great
Faculty, Undecided
Library demonstrates commitment to on-going improvement. I'm happy overall with resources and services provided. I love the orientation that Janet Strong provides in the computer classroom.
Faculty, Curriculum
I use the library mostly for the VCR collection to show in my classes. I also use the new Westlaw service that is available. The library personnel provide a training session for my students and me.
Faculty, Applied Tech
The staff at west campus are very pleasant and very helpfull. thank-you.
Staff, Poli Sci
I know West campus Library is new -- and space is limited, it would be nice if there were a way to have more study space -- and I would like to take a training class -- I do not know what is available -- on how to use the various library resources etc. The Library staff has always been extremely helpful and polite --- I would like to learn how to do more things independently instead of asking for help ---
Grad, Bilingual Ed
I'm impressed with the responsiveness of the Albertsons Library staff at BSU.
Faculty, Management
I am very pleased with the CRC. I usually need help finding videos (some are numbered, some are alphabetized), but it is a great collection. Thank you.
Faculty, Modern Languages
The staff at the library are always helpful and friendly, especially the reference desk staff. The computer monitors are friendly and patient when I ask what I think are dumb questions.
Thanks!
Undergrad, English
I think the library staff has consistenty been helpful throughout the years--don't ever lose that focus. The transition to a more electronic environment is hard on faculty, who are not aware of the possibilities of services like electronic reserves--despite the mailings that were sent out when it first became available.
Faculty, Communication
I have switched to using the Nampa library since I live in Payette, but miss the CRC in Boise. The CRC was/is so great with curriculum ideas and help from the second floor ladies (mostly ladies). I miss their help so go back about once a month to the library in Boise.
Grad, Bilingual Ed
Obtaining teaching cases, on a short notice, is sometimes difficult. Library personnel, however, is most helpful with this problem. I am very grateful for their help, especially Ms. Kozel and Mr. Taylor.
Faculty, NOIS
The library seems to me to be one of the most progressive IT organizations on campus, with people like Dan Lester leading the way. Even more needs to be done, however, to continue enhancing online access to materials such as journals from any computer anywhere.
Faculty, NOIS
The library personnel are great; it's just that I'm a fairly savvy library user and don't need help very often. Of course would like more scholarly journals in my area, but ILL works quite well for filling in the gaps.
Faculty, Psychology
Given the resource crunch, the staff of Albertson Library do a wonderful, professional job.
Faculty, Poli Sci
The services of the Curriculum Resource Center and its staff are excellent, and make the difference between the library functioning and not functioning for me.
The re-shelving staff make far too many mistakes in call number order in the music section, and the musical scores are often in disarray, partly due to porr hardware for the many sizes and partly due to inadequate maintenance and mis-shelving.
Faculty, Music
I think they're doing a great job. i really appreciate the inter-library loans
Faculty, Modern Languages
I have always had excellent service in the library.
Undergrad, History
The staff is wonderful, and has always been wonderful and ready to help with even small questions.The collection is limited, but inter-library loan is great. They are doing a good job of increasing subscription to online collections.
Faculty, Electrical Engineering
Overall, I think the library is pretty good. The journal collection is a bit limited, but interlibrary loan is quite fast. Library staff have always been helpful, no compaints there.
Faculty, Biology
I think the library services are important and the personnel is great. I have always had answers to my questions and have been able to get the help I need. Good job and keep up the good work!
Faculty, Nursing
The people are tremendous, industrious and helpful. Unbelievable what they do with the meager resources. IN the past five years the outreach has improved 400%.
Faculty, Construction Management
I have always found the reference librarian helpful and willing to show my students how to use the library for research projects. I have found that requests I have made to have materials purchased do not happen in a timely fashion.
Faculty, Marketing
One library contact has been consistently slow in getting back to me. My responses are indicative of that. I find the practice of making non-elec journals (recent eds of major journals) avail thru film rather than as bound volumes to be a disservice
I would like to see new faculty grants usable for journals (perhaps by reducing the grant amount). Imporant knowledge transmission in my field occurs through journals. In my field books for the most part do not matter.
I would like to get an email when materials are over due
Faculty, NOIS
The library staff are always most helpful in my experience, and my students say much the same. The only complaint they have had (and not too often) is that some information they got from what appeared to be part-time or workstudy staff was not accurate.
Faculty, English
I'd like to see an update in how library reserves are handled, if possible. I've stopped using the library for this purpose because I was required to do a lot of work (several forms, copies, etc.) to make it happen
Faculty, Communication
I have been pleased with library services. I find people to be helpful, willing to reteach what I have forgotten and patient.
Faculty, Kinesiology
More accessibility to media and primary materials in the special collections and archive. Make the archive more noticeable, it is a great resource for historical and cultural materials. The staff does a great job .
Faculty, Anthropology
I have not had much success with library staff helping students find journals for research or assisting students to most effectively use the computer services available in the library. The library staff has not shown much enthusiasm toward assisting students to use the library resources most effectively.
Faculty, Radiology
ILL service is excellent here.
I could not function without it.
Faculty, Geosciences
There are some staff/students who are not always available to help students or faculty. The prevailing attitude is to find it yourself. On the other hand, there are some staff who go out of their way to help, but I think they are helping others. It seems that there should be a way to do something other than Microfiche.
Faculty, Early Childhood
I think that the library is doing a great job; I'm especially impressed with the strides made in the last 5-10 years in online accessibility. The BSU library's interface is a lot better and a lot easier to use than many other library web sites that I've visited. I would love to see more individual articles made available electronically, but I'm sure that's more of a publisher decision than a library decision.
Faculty, Biology
Alot of information is stored on Microfilm, but I can't always get to campus to use it. I know it would be a very expensive undertaking, but it would be great ot have electronic versions that could be accessed online. Also the office in the microfilm room seems kind of hidden. It might be a little easier to ask for help if the employee was sitting out in the main room ready so it didn't seem like you were going into some random person's office to as for help.
Undergrad, Psychology
I enjoy utilizing the Albertsons Library. The staff is extremely helpful and provides prompt responses to my questions. I work in a campus study/tutor lab and refer students to the library staff and website when they have questions regarding research for topics/papers.
Faculty, Applied Tech
Most of the time people are friendly and helpful when it comes to assisting me in finding information I need, although sometimes the information isn't always available. I have never had any major difficulties though, and am overall satisfied with the service at the library.
Undergrad, English
The online jornals are great. However, the search engine that is used to search for topics in these jornals is worthless. They are difficult to understand and the staff offeres no help in making sence of them either. For example I was searching a particular topic, trying to find it in a number of jornals. The search engine showed gave tons of articles, but none of them relevent to the topic. Unusual because the topic is widely disscussed. Perhaps, it would be better if I understood the engine better or if it were easyer to navagate.
Undergrad, History
Since 1995, I have gone from heavy use of the library for teaching - checking out dozens of items per semester, putting things on reserve for student use etc - to almost no use since roughly 2000. This reflects my perception of an environment hostile to adjunct faculty, and policies that were ridiculously out of step with my needs. Perhaps things have changed. I have not been back. I consider the library a parody of poor service. An example: adjunct rights to borrow books used to begin with the first paycheck of the semester (which comes several weeks into the new semester) and end with the last paycheck (finals week). This made using the library to prepare for the next semester impossible. I also found several circulation staff members dismissive, pompous, and rude, and found requests for service to involve interrogation. The library has played no role in my teaching since around 2001. One service was helpful - and this was the quick, helpful response to my requests for materials using the in-library request cards.
The Boise Public Library has filled the gap for me for 4-5 years. This is amazing, given that they aren't an academic library. I can actually access more electronic professional journal articles using the Public Library than at BSU, and the interlibrary loan system has been superior.
It should be obvious that ANYONE who teaches at BSU needs full access to all services, print and electronic, that the library can offer. This is especially true between semesters, when preparation occurs. ANYONE who teaches at BSU deserves to be treated as a valued patron. Staff should be friendly, welcoming, helpful, and respectful, and act as if their job is providing access to information rather than obstructing that use in a petulant, disdainful manner.
Perhaps you should consider inviting faculty members (adjunct and tenure) for a departmental-based visit and consultation.
Faculty, Anthropology
Our librabry needs JSTOR. I cannot emphasize this enough. Also, electronic reserves are not available from off campus computers. Why? Isn't that the purpose of making them electronic? Stay open later on Fridays. There is nowhere to study of Friday, it would be nice if the librabry provided a place on Friday evening.
Undergrad, History
Technology needs updating.
Undergrad, Marketing
Very good service from all the staff. Would like to see more display of material in Spanish.
Staff, Bilingual Ed
Staff is skilled and gracious. Collections are limited and dated.
Grad, English
When trying to find a scientific journal one day the information desk couldn't find it and didn't understand what I was looking for, it was a bit frustrating. The library is a great place to study I go there three times at least a week to study between clases its very enjoyable.
Undergrad, Biology
This survey is worthless. What is the difference between Min. level and Desired Level?
What this library needs is more quiet study space with more comfortable seating to study in. The electronic resources are a pain to navigate when looking for professional journals and looking for information. The library staff seem to be very efficient at it but I dont find it so easy when I do it myself. Avalilable journals dont seem to be up to par there is a lot of information that I can get on interlibrary loan but when attempting to evaluate infromation for a reasearch paper I dont have time to wait or hope the information will be sufficient. Finally cell phone usage in the library is out of control and we could use more computers and printers on all floors.
Undergrad, Accountancy
They are usually pretty helpful but sometimes just expect you to know how and where to get information for yourself.
Undergrad, Radiologic Sciences
It would be nice to be able to locate the books needed for specific papers based on the topic not the book, in electronic and scholarly journals.
Undergrad, Early Childhood
The people I know are all very nice!
Staff, Management
I really appreciate the helpfulness and pleasant attitude of the library staff. All of my encounters with them over the past 18 months have been very positive. They are attentive, friendly, and efficient.
Staff, History
I have not used all of the materials provided by Albertson Library, but the resources that i have used were easy to locate.
Undergrad, General Studies
The Boise Public Library is the one I use most and it is great, the Albertson's Library has antique books and is staffed with people who will go out of their way to discourage you from asking for their help, especially the people in the CRC department.
Undergrad, Early Childhood
The library has helped me greatly as a distance student!
Grad, IPT
Great service, great asset to the university.
Undergrad, Computer Science
Reference librarians know all
Undergrad, Nursing
The staff provides outstanding support when I need it. My only hope is that the library continues to improve, and advance, the online resources such as the articles and indexes.
Grad, IPT
I would like to see more friendly and helpful people that are willing to follow through and make sure that I actually find what I needed.
Undergrad, Early Childhood
When I have had the oportunity to use the Library the staff was very hepful in all matters. I didnt have to wait very long for assistance and am overall very pleased
Undergrad, Respiratory Therapy
Library employess really need to increase the level of customer sevice skills as well as notifiying students when they have late fees rather than being rude to them when they check out a book.
Undergrad, Applied Tech
In my opinion the library staff are wonderfull--they remain patient and helful even when students sometimes do not.
Grad, Public Policy
I am especially pleased with the library instruction staff and the reference librarians. I have had excellent response from them, as well as positive comments from students that I've sent to them.
Faculty, English
The library seems fine. But, I have the impression that they aren't very high tec.
Some time the staff are slow to respond to emails, and phone calls. It takes days, and, honestly, I can't imagine that they are really that busy, the books don't go anywhere. So, that's a little annoying, because most offices on campus respond to emails immediately, or very quickly.
One thing you should be aware of that there are professional staff, who are a part of a discipline, but not a discpline that is taught at Boise State. I do research in my discipline, but, you only put majors we have at Boise State as a part of this survey. So, my discipline is not correct on this survey you don't have it listed, and I can't submit the survey without putting something.
Staff, Ed Tech
I have found the service to always be friendly and helpful. The reference staff is invaluable. The hours are very accommodating and I like to use the ASK A LIBRARIAN site when I'm stumped.
Staff, Accountancy
I am very impressed by the amazing services i receive every time i visit the main campus as well as the west campus. Great job!
Undergrad, Applied Tech
I often (on a bi-monthly basis) need to resort to ILL for journal articles to which the library does not subscribe or for which the subscription only goes back a few years (typically the case for online-only subscriptions). That said, the ILL srvice is usually speedy enough and, of course, free of charge.
Grad, Geosciences
I think the biggest thing lacking is that there needs to be more guidance on how to use the resources in the library. For instance the online catalog. I suggest some type of orientation for first year students so they will be set for their years at Boise State. Also more interaction between staff and students, maybe if students look confused or lost ask them if they need help. The website is also a bit confusing to navigate.
Staff, Art
I would like to see a comprehensive ibrary tour program for all incoming freshmen. I schedule tours and am grateful for the friendly staff who run them, but it's hit and miss. Some students are absent, some classes like mine do not require tours, and in any case the tours are only 1 hour. Many of those who pay attention still have trouble keeping up with the information presented, information which itself is only a small part of what they would need to know to feel comfortable using the library. Many students have no clue how to use library resources, and the reference staff is small, often busy. I think it is fine that new students are expected to use the library independently, but a better introduction would help them do that.
A redesign of the home page would also be helpful. I use it all the time but still find it hard to use, and info isn't prioritized or put in a hierarchy, so new students often don't know where to begin. For example, the link to the tour stands out in no way; new users aren't likely to notice it. The main resources for searching--journal titles, article indexes, and book catalog--are not well distinguished from rarely used items.
Faculty, English
My interactions with the library have been positive.
Undergrad, NOIS
For years, Janet Strong has provided an excellent introduction to library research methods for my writing students. She is always smiling and answers questions efficiently and kindly.
Faculty, English
It would be great if we could request books online & have them delivered to our mailbox. Perhaps this is not reasonable, however.
Staff, Community Health
The Reserve Library staff often doesn't understand the need to regularly use certain materials every semester for the large survey classes.
Some of the full time circulation and CRC staff could use a workshop on service.
Elaine Watson in Reference has been outstanding in keeping faculty abreast of new books and other information. She regularly conducts workshops for classes that are very useful.
Faculty, Art
Online help is fantastic!
Staff, Public Policy
Interlib loan has always gone out of their way to assist.
Staff, Geosciences
The folks at the Checkout counter should behave as though the person checking out materials is the only reason they have a job instead of as though they wished we would stop interupting them.
Staff, Management
The majority of the library staff I have worked with have been efficient and helpful, particularly within the Interlibrary loan office and the Curriculum Resouce Center.
Thank you.
Staff, Ed Tech
The West Campus library staff is very knowledgeable and always helpful!
Staff, Biology
When I need help in the Library I find the staff to be very friendly and knowlegeable, but I do seem to have to wait a bit for someone to be available. I have tried to use the Web searchs to see what is available in the library and have found it difficult, or have found the materials I'm looking for unavailable.
Staff, Accountancy
I have found the staff at West Campus to be very helpful. They solicit opportunities to be of service to faculty and students. My primary use of the library is in directing students and faculty to its resources.
Staff, Undecided
I would just like to note that Beth Brin has exceeded all expectations I would have for library staff. She is knowledable and friendly. I wish all your staff were like her
Faculty, English