Library and Exams

Le Rack

Firtsly, was in the library during the week, first time in there this year, was on the top floor, at a five person desk, myself at one end a mate of mine at the other, no one else near us. I had my laptop out and a few pages of notes, no books, my mate had a few pages of notes and a refill pad. On the desk beside me I had a Ballygown bottle half full with orange cordial, it wasn't even near me let alone anyone else. Suddenly a guard dude comes out of no where, nearly knocks the bottle over pointing at it and barks at me to get it out of the library, that orange juice isn't allowed.

He continued to go around to everyone at every table around shouting at them to get things out of the library etc, he even kicked one of two people out that he seen eating stuff. Now I can understnd not being allowed full on food in it, I've never even seen people bring sandwiches or whatever into it, but to kick people out for malteasers?

I used to work on the second floor last year and spent hours in there writing essays etc, and the only thing that the guard there ever did was tell people to stop talking, has there been new rules enforced, the older ones made stricter or is it just that guard, he was a big bald guy? Either way, it was ridiculous.

Also, does the college purposefully make exams awkward, in co ordance with other exams and days that they know people are going to be out or whatever the night before?! Last Valentines I had two exams one after the other that evening, and now I have a Final and a Mid-Term, with a half hour gap, and they're in seperate campus', AND they're the day after Halloween!

Sorry
/rant

Red Alert

Yep - exams office had their fun and that's all that matters.

Stepherunie

Le Rack wrote: »

Also, does the college purposefully make exams awkward, in co ordance with other exams and days that they know people are going to be out or whatever the night before?! Last Valentines I had two exams one after the other that evening, and now I have a Final and a Mid-Term, with a half hour gap, and they're in seperate campus', AND they're the day after Halloween!

Sorry
/rant

I'd get onto Ronan the education officer about that - he was saying they've implemented a new system this year to try and get rid of these sorts of things and they'll have an exam clash type room on campus for events like this.

Assets Model

Yeah the have gotten a lot stricter this year in the library the guards patrol all the time and give out about bottles of coke that they wouldn't have in previous years.

Le Rack

well the library stuff SUCKS!

thanks steff, I shall be off to visit him asap!

Notorious

Yeah the guard with white hair and glasses has started patrolling the third floor. He went mad at me the other day for having an unopened Yop on the table. I told him to relax, and he said "if you don't like it, get out". Another day I saw him just walk around and literally just pick up opened bottles of coke etc. that people had at their desks but weren't currently drinking. He just took them and kept walking, didn't say a word to the owners.
I mean its a library, and I know these guys have always taken their job too seriously, but this just takes the biscuit.

Riamfada

Yeha

Librocop is going to come back. Arnie style and "take out ze thrash" to a chorus of our whoops and cheers. Only to end scene with his shirt ripped and two girls linking and looking on longingly.

Men want him, girls want to BE him ... or something to that effect.

Yes I have decided now that I will go into the library with a bottle of coke, you know Im always good for it . Should be a laugh.

Red Alert

I'd be much more concerned about noise and general disruption in the library than going after people eating/drinking.

Stepherunie

Indeed.

I'm so glad I've moved libraries now. In saying that the black Libocop wouldn't actually let you back into the library if you had a sandwich in your hand which I always thought was very cruel, I mean most of the time you were just putting it in your bag for later.

stolenwine

Stepherunie wrote: »

Indeed.

I'm so glad I've moved libraries now. In saying that the black Libocop wouldn't actually let you back into the library if you had a sandwich in your hand which I always thought was very cruel, I mean most of the time you were just putting it in your bag for later.

Thats odd because he walked past me 3 times the other day when I was tucking into my sandwich and said nothing. Suppose it depends what kind of mood they're in after sitting in that glass box downstairs going stir crazy.

Chinafoot

Red Alert wrote: »

I'd be much more concerned about noise and general disruption in the library than going after people eating/drinking.

Noise is always something that should be sorted but the preservation of the stock is equally important. The damage that can be done to books by drinks is incredible. Get anything other than water on a book and its ruined and has to be taken out of the library system. For somewhere like UCD where, if I remember correctly, the books are not exactly in abundant supply I can totally see the reason behind no orange juice/coke in the library. Same with food.

Granted, the library attendants might not be going about it in the most polite of manners, but I agree with the reasoning behind it. Keep the bottles in your bags if you insist on having them in the library tbh

The_Minister

Stepherunie wrote: »

Indeed.

I'm so glad I've moved libraries now. In saying that the black Libocop wouldn't actually let you back into the library if you had a sandwich in your hand which I always thought was very cruel, I mean most of the time you were just putting it in your bag for later.

Just smile and explain that you are not going to consume it in the library, worked for me when brought in donuts. I actually kept my word though.

Stepherunie

I don't go to the main library anymore. Works just fine for me.

sitstill

Librocop made me cry before

machiavellianme

Red Alert wrote: »

Yep - exams office had their fun and that's all that matters.

The Assessments and Logistics office dont organise Mid terms. Its down to the individual schools and often just the lecturers themselves to sort them out. All the A&L office do is supply a list of possible venues and/or invigilators if required.

farva

sitstill wrote: »

Librocop made me cry before

That doesnt suprise me...he rules this library with an iron fist. He has a serious job that must be carried out with utter efficiency!

Actually one strange thing that I noticed about this clampdown on drinks is how tough a time the girls are getting!! Remember before how librocop would turn a blind eye and give a cheeky wink to girls talking on / using their phones and how he'd have an absolute fit if he caught a guy with a phone. And now he seems to be giving girls a hard time about the new eating/drinking policy!

Red Alert

Never actually thought about that Chinafoot - which is odd considering i often make mince meat of refill pads with my tea habit.

Chinafoot

Red Alert wrote: »

Never actually thought about that Chinafoot - which is odd considering i often make mince meat of refill pads with my tea habit.

Yeah tea is terrible. It leaves horrible stains. Orange juice is definitely one of the worst though. There's nothing you can do there at all.

Le Rack wrote:

Now I can understnd not being allowed full on food in it, I've never even seen people bring sandwiches or whatever into it, but to kick people out for malteasers?

Do a little experiment for me. Get a packet of Malteasers, put yourself in a warm environment similar to the library, get some of the softening/melting chocolate on your hands/fingers and touch the clean white pages of a book. Now, try and get that chocolate off. Seriously, try it.

Would you want to take out a book with manky brown stains all over it?

Red Alert

Just dawned on me there you're the expert too

Le Rack

Okay, I'd understand that further if the library was too hot but the only time I've been in there and it is is during the summer on the top floor at the back, the rest of it is freezing, and ok whatever have a no food/drink rule implented and enforced but not be bloody power hungry gits like they were! All the examples that have been given here are just going too far like, and to whomever mentioned the black security guard, I always found him absolutely lovely, would tell people to stay quiet but that was it, and was just always really nice and pleasant...

Chinafoot

Le Rack wrote: »

Okay, I'd understand that further if the library was too hot but the only time I've been in there and it is is during the summer on the top floor at the back, the rest of it is freezing,

Sorry but do you expect the library attendants to change the rules based on the weather? Come on now. If you borrowed a book from a friend would you eat over it? Or would you be careful with it because it doesn't belong to you? I probably sound like a book freak but I work in a library and the lack of respect people can show for stuff that doesn't belong to them is sickening.

Le Rack wrote: »

and ok whatever have a no food/drink rule implented and enforced but not be bloody power hungry gits like they were!
All the examples that have been given here are just going too far like

Well then make a complaint. But make it based on how they are enforcing the rules, and not the rules that they're enforcing.

stolenwine

Stepherunie wrote: »

I don't go to the main library anymore. Works just fine for me.

Where is this promised land that you speak of?

Stepherunie

Lol, tis noisy but the Health Sci Library and a decent set of ear plugs. Heaven it be.

pretty*monster

The rules against eating and drinking in the library have always existed for the very good reason that Chinafoot has pointed out.
If enforcement has stepped up suddenly this year it seems very unlikely that each member of staff simply took it upon him or herself to become a hardass all of a sudden. Orders almost certainly came from above. Cut the guys some slack.

Le Rack

Chinafoot wrote: »

Sorry but do you expect the library attendants to change the rules based on the weather? Come on now. If you borrowed a book from a friend would you eat over it? Or would you be careful with it because it doesn't belong to you? I probably sound like a book freak but I work in a library and the lack of respect people can show for stuff that doesn't belong to them is sickening.



Well then make a complaint. But make it based on how they are enforcing the rules, and not the rules that they're enforcing.

I am incredibly careful about stuff that is mine let alone stuff that isn't mine, it's common descency, (sp), respect, and I know and am aware that other people can make sh!te of stuff that isn't their's, but why not fine people for it, I've seen them checking the books when you drop them back.

pretty*monster

Le Rack wrote: »

I am incredibly careful about stuff that is mine let alone stuff that isn't mine, it's common descency, (sp), respect, and I know and am aware that other people can make sh!te of stuff that isn't their's, but why not fine people for it, I've seen them checking the books when you drop them back.

Prevention is better.

Chinafoot

Le Rack wrote: »

but why not fine people for it, I've seen them checking the books when you drop them back.

Like pretty*monster said, prevention is far, far better. If the books aren't damaged then there's no problem. If you can't have food or drink in the library there's less chance of the books getting damaged.

Do you really think every single book that's dropped back to a large university library is checked? I work in a local authority library which is nowhere near the size of UCD library and there's no hope of us checking every book. When a book is obviously damaged, more often than not with food or drink or scribbles, the borrower has to pay for the book. However, that book is then taken off the shelves and out of the system. Sometimes no replacement can be obtained because the book is out of print. Not exactly an ideal situation.

How hard is it to pop out of the library for ten minutes to eat your malteasers? You can keep your bottles of orange juice in your bag and away from the table of books and notes. It's really not that hard.