LibQUAL comments

Read your comments and our responses about

• General comments about the U of T Libraries
• Services to library users: Staff
• Scope and accessibility of library collections via the catalogue and website
• Carrels
• Computers/Microform readers/Wireless/Photocopying
• Downsview offsite storage facility
• Library hours
• Library space/Physical facility
• Robarts Library book stacks
• UTORid/UTORmail

General comments about the U of T Libraries

• Without this treasure, none of us could do what we do. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The UTL has incredible resources available for academic use. Thank you! (Music Library. Faculty)
• It is great to able to use UofT library services during my student life!
• Keep up good work! (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• The library and librarians of this university are two of its finest features. I work regularly with the Gerstein and Data library staff. Both physical, electronic and human resources are spectacularly strong and deserving of continuing and greater support from the university. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• It is amazing the amount and the variety of information that can be found in this library. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• The libraries at U of T are simply amazing. It is the best service I have ever got! (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I am a year abroad in Europe and have realized how much I took the amazing hours and offerings of the UofT libraries for granted. University libraries here are generally closed or do not allow borrowing during the week. For the extensive hours and borrowing opportunities of UofT, I will be extremely happy to return to. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Robarts is one of the finest libraries I ever had the chance to work with in my whole career. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I am emeritus, so I am not answering the whole survey. I would like to say, however, that I have worked at University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Chicago, University of Sussex, and University of Glasgow, and the University of Toronto Library System outstrips all of them in helpfulness, range of services, and coverage of material. I am impressed and grateful. (Robarts. Emeritus Faculty)
• I am incredibly satisfied with the library system overall. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• The experience with Robarts is great (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Robarts is an excellent library. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The library is great. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The library service has always been A-1 when I have used it! (Engineering. Graduate.)
• Overall, I think the library services are above average and I find it really helpful when I need to do research for projects. (Engineering. Graduate)
• I have been using UofT libraries, Sig Sam and Engineering ever since the 1970's. I started teaching here last summer and support from your people is excellent. (Engineering. Graduate)
• Although there are a number of improvements that need to be made in order to enable better navigation of the library system, I would like to highlight that overall the library services are excellent and the staff are overall competent, professional and courteous. Our library system from my perspective sets the bar high and is a role model for other academic institutions for follow, albeit some improvements needed. Many thanks for your support!! (Robarts. Graduate)
• I LOVE THE U of T LIBRARIES!!! The Staff, the environments they create...EVERYTHING! You all are doing a GREAT job. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• For Section question starting #28, I answered according to the assumption that the library itself is an entity. However, if the questions were asking whether the resources provided by the library aided in my studies and research, my answers would be different. I think the resources that the library offers DOES indeed help me in my pursuits (strongly agree) in numerous ways. I also find that I personally have not utilized all the services that the library/librarians have to offer. If I had, I'm sure I would be better able to answer the questions from this survey. (Gerstein. Graduate)
• I use Gerstein, the Physics Library, and Math Library on a regular basis.  I am extremely happy with the service I receive at Gerstein and Physics.  Math library is difficult to use and the staff usually rather sour of disposition. Internet access to journals is very important to me. (Gerstein. Staff)
• I have been exceptionally pleased with my experiences at Innis College Library. Len has been a great help to me and my students: he comes to each of my classes every semester and explains how students can complete library literacy tasks quickly and efficiently. Further, he meets with students regularly and helps them. I appreciate this very much. On a personal note, Len keeps me updated with respect to the newest journals, discussion boards and forums related to my own research and he sends regular messages to faculty regarding library news.
• I can say with no hesitation that Innis College Library and the University of Toronto Libraries have been a wonderful resource to me not only when I was a student, but now, in my capacity as lecturer. Thank you for this opportunity. (Innis. Faculty)
• My work is off campus so that I rely heavily on computer access rather than actual visits to a library. Having e-journals that are easily accessible is therefore my main need. Some responses have N/A because they are not relevant to my specific needs. (Gerstein. Staff)
• It's been quite a while since I was a student. At that time I was always impressed by the services and resources available at the libraries. Now I only access library resources online, and even that is infrequent. But I always find what I need, and I'm pleased with the library. (Robarts. Staff)
• Overall, I think that U of T libraries have a great collection and easy access to online resources. The library lacks people who are willing to help in a friendly manner, lacks people who monitor people who disrupt or do not respect silence, and Robarts is not an appealing library to work in. (Robarts. Graduate)
• Thank you very much for the opportunity to provide feedback. I love the Robarts library for its wonderful collection of books. I am excited to see increasing automation of reading materials in electronic form as I teach many online courses and my students (often off-campus without access to Robarts) benefit greatly from these links. I also teach in French and often use the ILL services which are wonderful. One thing that would facilitate my work further would be better access to international French-language journals and articles in social sciences and humanities -- these are currently very difficult to acquire and access from Toronto but would be of enormous help in strengthening the courses that I am able to offer to my francophone students!! Thank you very much and all the best with this review and future endeavours. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I only buy software at the library. (Robarts. Staff)
• There is a great selection of material at the library. It is difficult to find someone to help you at the library when you are on the higher floors, but they are always helpful once you find one. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Politeness and care in service varies from library to library.  The smaller libraries are generally much better than Robarts. I was responding above to my experiences at Robarts (Robarts. Faculty)
• I primarily use Robarts, occasionally Vic and Trinity. The primary issues for me: too much material in storage (which is often 'lost'), especially non-English material; poor shelving (books not where they should be); too many undergrads talking too much. Otherwise, the library system is a treasure. (Robarts. Staff)
• I am pleased with the resources and library assistance in my chosen areas. Google scholar makes life easier. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I hope there will be more promotions/information of library activities and library in general made available to students, being a third year chemical engineering student, I only recently discovered the Knox Library and have never heard or been to the Chemistry and Physics library and we will have more places to study besides Gerstein and Robarts!!! (Engineering. Graduate)
• Overall, I am quite satisfied with the library services. (Engineering. Graduate)
• Good. (Gerstein. Staff)
• Rethinking the library is an excellent process. As soon as the idea of the gothic building at the center of town is erased and replaced with the idea of the partner in storing and gathering resources for learners is embraced, it will be ensured a long life. The OISE library has not been a partner of mine in my online teaching duties. (OISE. Faculty)
• Generally, I have been quite satisfied with the help I have been given whenever questions have arisen. Occasionally, I have found all computer terminals to be occupied at Gerstein, but there certainly are a great many of them. Thank-you for soliciting feedback. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• Thank you. (Gerstein. Research staff)
• Generally very satisfied with library services. I used to work in a Toronto Public Library, so am somewhat familiar. It might be time to renovate Robarts to be more open and inviting like Gerstein. It's probably easier than I think, but I don't know how to do the proxy server thing to get papers from home. If you wanted to take over Blackboard, and pry it open so that students can check out courses before they take them, you would be heroes to thousands of people. Are you planning to digitize all of your books? (Gerstein. Staff)
• I have always been impressed with the knowledge and helpfulness of the staff at Gerstein. No complaints about anything, great job, folks! But would love more pro-active distribution and reviews of new media resources (pod-casts, iPhone apps, etc.) because I'm too tired/overworked/lazy to search them out myself on a regular basis! (Gerstein. Staff)

The UofT Libraries responds

Thank you for letting us know about the ways in which the Libraries have been of value to you in your scholarly activities as students, staff and faculty! Thank you, also, for the specific suggestions for changes and improvements, which have been passed along to appropriate staff for follow-up. 

Services to library users: Staff

• Generally courteous and informative. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• I find the OISE library help desk/reference particularly helpful and courteous. (OISE. Faculty)
• The library staff in general are doing a very good job. Keep up the good work. (Pratt. Faculty)
• A few years back, I tried the individual research assistance (where a librarian helps collect research on your topic) service and was impressed that that type of one-on-one help is available. It was a very positive experience. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The library staff know their stuff!!!!! (Robarts. Graduate)
• I am unfailingly impressed with the quality of staff and help that I get. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I do not use Library services very often nowadays, as I am only at the University in a part-time capacity, but have always found Library staff to be very helpful. (Robarts. Staff)
• I find the library staff well trained, extremely helpful and responsive, and a pleasure to work with. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I think that individual employees of U of T's libraries are extremely helpful when approached for help. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• In a few words: I have found the library staff to be quite helpful, patient and professional.  (Robarts. Faculty)
• The librarians at the Inforum are beyond excellent! Their depth of knowledge and commitment to their profession as exemplified by outstanding service to their patrons is a joy to experience. (Inforum. Graduate)
• However, the service at the chemistry library is always perfect and friendly! (Chemistry. Undergraduate)
• The library staff I have interacted with over many years have uniformly been helpful. (Gerstein. Staff)
• Great staff. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• I greatly appreciate the high quality of the library resources and especially the excellent staff. (Emmanuel College. Faculty)
• The service at Emmanuel is excellent. (Emmanuel. Faculty)
• Thanks for your help, I have had very helpful interactions with librarians (Earth Sciences. Faculty)
• In my answers in some instances I responded by blending my perspective of the UTM library versus Robarts or other downtown libraries. Overall, my sense is the UTM library, being newer, is more comfortable, nicely set-up for group work, etc. etc. On the other hand, whenever it comes to dealing with library staff, I used UTM as my guide as those are the individuals I have worked with most closely and they are outstanding, extremely helpful and solutions oriented. They should thus receive 9's across the board in terms of both desired level of service and perceived level of service. 
• The other evening I was at Robarts to pick up a book at the loans desk. One staff member did not know where to find it, the other was busy with something on the phone. When the one employee finished being unable to help me, he returned to some work he was doing in the back, leaving a line of people waiting with no service. Many Robarts employees are qualified and helpful, but there are a number who are impolite and don't seem aware that their job is to provide service to library patrons, and this makes a student's library experience so much more frustrating. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I am a visitor and have been surprised at how difficult it has been to get integrated into the library--its holdings, etc. People are not helpful about answering questions and getting me the information I need. (Robarts. Research Staff)
• I went through this survey, I had to backtrack and raise the scores that I assigned to those questions related to library staff. I made the realization that a few bad apples (grouchy, unhelpful, and, quite simply, miserable individuals) have jaded my perception of the other helpful and professional library staff.
• On my very first visit to Robarts library during the initial stages of my degree, I encountered a clerk at the check out desk who was unbelievably rude and nasty and it has certainly coloured my opinions of your services. (OISE. Graduate)
• The East Asian library staff members are less than helpful. They seem to have a lot of resources but are organized in a non-accessible fashion. Difficult to find a complete set of journals. They also have an overly restrictive policy on taking DVDs out for teaching purpose. They gave the impression that they were more concerned over the material than the users' needs. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Robarts is an awful library - poorly set up, awful to study in. Furthermore, on numerous occasions, when I have asked for assistance, I received short, rude responses to my very reasonable questions. Many times the books I have been looking for have been misfiled, or “lost". (Robarts. Graduate)
• My greatest complaint for UofT libraries is the general lack of helpfulness or courtesy of library workers. I have worked several years in libraries and can empathize with how difficult it can be to deal with the public, but please know that kindness and patience with inquiries are highly underrated qualities. Students, like everyone else, prefer to be treated with respect and not like children. (Robarts. Graduate)
• Almost every time I have had to communicate with main floor Robarts Library staff they were unpleasant or impatient. I have experienced rude behaviour from main floor check out staff specifically. We have jobs because of U of T students and it would be helpful if check out staff were willing to smile, be friendly or could answer the simplest of questions with tact and respect. (Robarts. Staff)
• The "content" side of the library is very good, as everyone knows. However, front-line personnel and access information is often not. At Robarts, personnel are often rude and unhelpful (not all, to be sure). At other libraries, personnel are more friendly but are often ignorant of where to find things, how to use this or that, and so on. I also use Graham Library, and I have no complaints there -- but this is also a case where I am personally known. (Robarts. Faculty)
• While I find the majority of the staff at the library helpful, I often encounter staff who tend to treat patrons like, for lack of a better word, idiots. I understand that the library deals with students and other researchers of a wide spectrum of ability, but I find the staff's smugness in dealing with finding resources to be frustrating. Perhaps a graduate/faculty liaison or graduate/faculty research desk would facilitate some of the frustrations that staff and students encounter when trying to locate materials (although I understand not all graduate students or faculty members are library-competent!). (Robarts. Graduate)
• The staff in the special sections of Robarts (reference, media commons, etc.), and the staff at all the other libraries, are invariably helpful and courteous. The front desk staff at Robarts, by contrast, are frequently either sulky or confrontational. As a courteous library user who always returns recalled books straight to the hands of the staff so as to make them available right away, I sincerely wish that I myself could ask for a search on a lost book without being treated like an inferior life form. (Robarts. Graduate)
• It would be a good idea to have staff who speak other languages. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I generally find the librarians helpful. I generally find the clerical staff to be almost rude. They are certainly disinterested in being helpful, and do not like it when I ask questions. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Check-out desk staff generally unfriendly, irritated when approached for basic services. Research-related staff are generally helpful and courteous. (Engineering. Graduate)
• The only interaction that I have with library staff members is at check out. [referring to Robarts] They look disinterested and are rarely courteous. This is a major problem as these people are front line staff. (Earth Sciences. Undergraduate)
• The East Asian library staff members are less than helpful. They seem to have a lot of resources but are organized in a non-accessible fashion. It is difficult to find a complete set of journals. They also have an overly restrictive policy on taking DVDs out for teaching purpose. They gave the impression that they were more concerned over the material than the users' needs. (East Asian. Faculty)
• I've always had excellent help finding things except in Kelly library, which seems chaotic and where some staff only begrudgingly shuffle around looking for, but ultimately not finding, the (multiple) books that are listed as 'in'. (Kelly. Graduate)
• Most staff are very helpful. I have an overall favourable impression after being there for 30 years. (OISE. Faculty)
• It seems as though many/most of the OISE library staff feel that libraries would be nice if it weren't for all those pesky users ;-). In other words they don't seem to enjoy their work very much. Words like 'ennui' and 'boredom' come to mind. They're efficient enough, though. One wonders if the issue isn't structural e.g. union management conflict resulting in entitled and bored employees. The sad thing is that the problems are so clearly apparent to patrons. (OISE. Staff)
• I find the majority of the UT libraries are under-staffed. I believe this is the main reason for library service not being the best that it can be. I also believe some staff members are not as engaged or as caring, when dealing with library students/patrons, as they should be, or could be. We should be asking students/patrons, via a webpage or email address, for their comments or complaints about library staff. I believe all library staff should wear a first-name only and library department identity pin, for our students/patrons to see. I believe how library staff treat students/patrons should be our number one priority. "Excellent Service" should be our figurative 'welcome mat' and 'please come again' exit sign. (OISE. Staff)

The UofT Libraries responds

Thank you for letting us know about all of the good experiences you have had with UofT Libraries staff. Thank you for also letting us know about your less positive experiences. Customer service is a strategic priority for the Libraries and we are committed to improving the user experience on an ongoing basis in keeping with our services values. Customer service training for all staff was implemented following the 2007 LibQUAL survey and continues on a regular basis via our Staff Development Committee and other training opportunities.  

University of Toronto Service Values

• We are responsive to our user communities
• We listen and treat each other with respect.
• We are committed to delivery of services in a helpful and courteous manner.
• We are committed to providing accessible and reliable services which are instructive, accurate and timely.
• We are committed to acquiring, organizing, preserving and enhancing the value of our resources.
• We are committed to delivering information using the most effective technologies available.
• We are committed to maintaining, with both the University and our users, a clean, attractive and secure library environment.
• We are committed to working together as a team, sharing information and expertise.
• We share a commitment to learning in order to enhance our capabilities to provide good service.

Scope and accessibility of library collections via the catalogue and website

• I depend heavily on the Kelly Library; and their service has qualitatively expanded my capacities for research. They are also very helpful introducing (graduate, in my case) students to the U of T system, to electronic resources, to the challenges of sorting out reliable from unreliable sources, as well as to print resources. (Kelly. Faculty)
• The Library System is superb and among the best in the world (Kelly. Faculty)
• The U of T library system is a marvel - a huge benefit of working for the University. The pivotal experience I tell people about is putting together an Intro to Quantitative Methods course and finding everything from 19th century historical materials from the Galton lab (in the Fisher Library) to current print material at Gerstein and the Math library to online articles though the available search engines. My wife marvels that Robarts or Vic always has the latest publications on Jane Austen. I researched an article on 19th century interior design of Atlantic liners pivotally relying on Gerstein's collection of the journal Engineering going back to the 1860s. The regret I have is the lack of access to Old Class. (Robarts. Research Staff)
• Thank you for the access to so many electronic resources, allowing me to connect even when away from Toronto. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Superior access to on-line journals compared to other university libraries with which I am familiar but access seems to be narrower in past two years. Superior collection of (print) books in areas relevant to my research interests. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Electronic/print resources are generally very good. (Engineering. Graduate)
• I appreciate the volume of resources we have at U of T. Although our libraries may not be ideal, I still think they are better than most other university libraries in this country. More electronic sources could be handy for cases in which the print sources are no longer available. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• In general, my experience with library services at UofT has been quite favourable, and I'm impressed with the breadth and depth of print holdings and electronic resources that are most applicable to my research. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• Excellent access to health related e-journals. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• In general, I am very satisfied with your services. I have the following suggestions
  • Make more journals and volumes accessible electronically, especially if they are not accessible in paper form. I can sometimes not access articles through your services.
  • Send out a questionnaire (on a regular basis), in which users can suggest journals and books for your stacks or electronic access. (Math Library. Faculty)
•  If I can suggest anything it is partnering with Google to get more books online for students to read. Google saved me a trip down to Robarts last week and I would love if our awesome libraries provided a similar service. THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING GREAT ALL AROUND! (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• At least we are now gaining the superior online resources that allow serious research without these concerns. The library is seriously limited in its financial and staff resources, and does a fine job with what it has, but it's fallen short of being our reliable 'labs'. On the whole, the staff are excellent. Finally, there is a serious shortcoming with the online resources -- there are so many excellent resources available, but as they multiply it is harder and harder to find out what would be most helpful for one's discipline unless one already knows, since they are mainly sorted in a long alphabetical list (I know, there are many ways to search). See the Oxford University Library system, where they are sorted by discipline in a way that makes everything available and usable! Well -- you asked! You are doing a wonderful job with what you have, I think, but it's not quite the library a scholar longs to work in. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Given that my program is a Professional Masters my classmates and I tend to access library materials online from home. It would be great not to have to purchase packages with the articles for the semester but to be able to find them all online on Blackboard or through the library web page! That would save students money, possibly save paper, and it would be convenient to have working links to all the articles all in one spot (on Blackboard). (Robarts. Graduate)
• So I try my best not to take out library books from U of T anymore. As well, the online library site has a good listing of citations, but often when I want to access an article, the university does not have access to that article database, or "does not have it in print". For the largest library in Canada, it should have better online access to journal databases. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I highly appreciate the Library services will be developing more and more for future educators ,researchers and including all others staffs. (OISE. User group not given)
• I heavily rely on Persian material and Robarts library resources for my work and research. The Persian collection needs to be revitalized and it has been ignored for many years. The library mostly relies on bulk purchases of poor researched and poor content Farsi books from Pakistan. We need to bring our Persian collection to a similar level of other well known North American universities, namely: U of Chicago, U of Princeton and Harvard.
• I wish Ms. Carole Moore would take a serious look at revitalizing the Persian collection and increasing the Farsi annual budget and finding ways to encourage readership of Farsi books among Iranian students. We currently have no Farsi e-dictionary and e-resources to use. The Search engines don’t properly support Farsi search and many other similar problems that need to be addressed. Perhaps a special panel or group of experts needs to be invited to find solutions to this lack of academic level resources. Thank you. (Robarts. Staff)
• In the field of Art and Architectural History, the library does not have up to date resources, especially in foreign languages (French, Italian, German). It has sent away to Downsview many important research tools in foreign languages, especially French. Its holdings of periodicals is spotty. The Art History books are not re-shelved properly, many constantly left on the floor. The librarians who handle inter-library loan never offer to help, and turn people away, just by saying do it yourself. I have to go to or access other libraries on the internet to keep up in the field. I would be willing to come and talk to you. (Robarts, Faculty)
• The RO Hurst library in our Faculty was closed and important reference books are NOT available on-line. Students now have to go to Gerstein to access these books rather than drop into a library and obtain the information on-site. This has wasted time in a couple of my classes. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad (East Asian. Faculty)
• Good selection of books. Slow service. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• The new journal freeze is ridiculous for a serious research library. Would make sense to even forgo some e-resources so that we could make sure we had new journals w/o giving up old ones. (Robarts. Faculty) 
• I'd like to see more electronic resources such as e-books, computer access and digital equipment. (Robarts. Staff)
• We need to develop further the museum studies/museology print materials, journals, and online resources, as well as helping methods and expertise in staff to support academic use and student needs. Though we have a wonderful resource in the Inforum that we are building for our needs, more needs to be done to cover the field of study. Some online journals are not available. (Inforum. Museum Studies Faculty)
• Generally, the library service provided by U of T is outstanding, but there is one very frustrating issue with internet services: it is the inaccessibility to several important journals from locations outside of campus i.e. private office or home. Many journals, such as selected Japanese and European journals, do not allow downloading of research papers off campus. Instead the publishers request that you purchase the paper of interest, although U of T subscribes to online issues of the journal. I have brought this problem to the attention of a few U of T's librarians on several occasions but with little success so far. PLEASE RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (Engineering. Staff)
• The library collection is excellent and staff support is commendable, but inter-library loan service needs improvement. (Robarts. Lecturer)
• I wish that you didn't charge $5 for interlibrary loans. I think that this is expensive. (Gerstein. Research Staff)
• More Unix Books (Gerstein. Staff)
• More copies of the short loan textbooks, and an ability to see if the current book is on hold or not online (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• Some discipline specific journals are not accessible through the library (i.e. Meteoritics & Planetary Science), older issues of Nature, Science. (Gerstein. Graduate)
• Recently, I've been very disappointed that the online subscription to the mainstream journal "Development" was allowed to lapse. Overall though, I've been very happy with library services. (Earth Sciences. Faculty)
• One thing I would very much like to see added to the services provided by the library is access to Pubmed listed journals available to alumni who subscribe to this option. This would be a huge benefit and continued learning aid for many that I hope the university will look into. (Kelly. Graduate) 
• I'm new to the U of T this year. In general, I find the resources at Robarts to be more than adequate for my research (German Studies). To recall a book from Downsview or another UofT library is easy and fast, and interlibrary loans are also fairly fast, though the Racer system is not as straightforward as it could be. I can find most journal articles through the website, but I don't quite grasp the search process and often have to struggle for a long time to get a hold of an on-line or print article. (Robarts. Lecturer)
• When using the advanced search, the fields should not be cleared after returning from the search results to the search form.
• Your search engine could be improved. I (and likely other users) often don't know the exact journal title, especially if it is in a language other than English. For example, searching for "annal di matematica pura ed applicata" in the field " journal title " does not yield the desired result: "annali di matematica pura ed applicata". (Note that the only difference in the two titles is in the word "annali".) (Math Library. Faculty)
• I think the search engine in UTCat needs to be updated/replaced. Finding materials with the current system involves an incredibly inefficient process (compared to other search engines). (Robarts. Graduate)
• I can't access the electronic journals I need from home. (Robarts. Lecturer)
• Online searches are the most frustrating; the number of clicks required; number of clicks to store an item; variation in user name; variation in what 'previous' means: is that previous page, previous volume etc? (Robarts. Graduate)
• I would like to learn how to use databases like Scholars Portal, OVID, etc. for various research purposes. For example, how do I do a literature review? How do I find all articles by one author? How do I use the thesaurus function available on some databases? How do I find articles from the UK? The above are some of the research activity that I would like to learn more about. (Robarts. Research Staff)
• I do not find the library on-line access to material to be very user friendly. (Robarts. Faculty)
• One area that needs work on the "information access" side of things is navigating (on the library website) e-resources: searches don't always turn up what is actually there, it's difficult to move from one area to another without starting all over on a search, and so on -- I speak as someone who is not particularly tech-savvy, but who also is willing and desirous to use the e-material as much as possible. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The new web interface is a step backwards from the old one. One can no longer search by Serial title, and students repeatedly report difficulties in finding materials that are in the library. (Robarts. Faculty)
• I've noticed that there appears to be no option to use the library website to put a hold on a book that is not listed as unavailable in the catalogue, but which cannot be found on the shelf (due perhaps to active use, being misplaced, or stored elsewhere than in the stacks while still listed as being in the stacks). This seems to be particularly applicable to historical intelligence service related books - which is very inconvenient - and I don't know if they're restricted, reserved for a particular class, or simply see a great deal of use every day. This lack of a convenient electronic option does not help with my historical research. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Less confusing journal login methods, condense all the different search engines to one search engine, fewer 'tabs' of search engines. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I find the new website very difficult to navigate. In particular, the appropriate electronic resource is not always apparent (although I really appreciate the number and variety of electronic resources available) (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I find the stacks terrific, but I think U of T's on-line research programmes have been designed by people who are quirky to say the least; perhaps less than competent. There is nothing intuitive about using them; they are not the least bit user friendly. They reject your input and say they do not have the item even when the professor has given us the exact title. The catalogue claims that if I type in my student # once I will never have to repeat it again. I have typed it in numerous times but it never remembers. Why there is a difference between MyLibrary and reference is obscure to say the least. I often cannot find them again, having saved material to them, and in spite of trying to make them my favorites. One contains too much information for handy reference if you are going to the library to get the books; the other too little as it does not have the call #. Also the setup is confusing and I always have to relearn how to use them when I go back because there is nothing obvious to tell me what to do when I want to save items either to reference or MyLibrary. When I go into the stacks I am always struck by how many books are available that have not shown up in my electronic search. Perhaps I just don't know how to search well, but I think there are also problems with your search engine and search words. I am also struck by the number of times I research using exactly the same search words yet I get different results. I also get a completely different results format depending on how I do the search. Your journal search engine called e-resources is virtually useless. It is much too complicated. I can find nothing unless I go to Jstor or to other outside search engines such as Google Scholar. I was in the professional business world for 30 years. Today electronic resources are considered an essential component of market competitiveness. U of T has not yet realized this as far as I can see. My daughter is a doctoral student at U. Michigan; the ease of using its computer resources makes U of T look as though it is in the dark ages. You may dismiss my view on the basis that we oldsters are not as computer literate as the young. I readily acknowledge that this is true. However, my husband has been in the computer business for 30 years and he finds the U of T electronic resources just as frustrating, obscure and technically out of date as I do. On a final note, why do I have to keep signing in so many times and why do I not have just one sign in that gets me into anything at U of T? If that is good enough for TD Bank, it should be good enough for U of T. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I also have some beefs with the handling of information in My Library.  The protocols seem both rigid and inappropriate. (Robarts. Faculty)
• When the survey asks for minimums and expectations re: electronic services, I must clarify that in this age of technology, my expectations are very high. I want to be able to do most of my research electronically off-site of the physical library space. The U of T library services have really expanded their tools and electronic resources over the last five years. However, I do often find it frustrating to search for an e-journal and to find multiple databases that one must search through to find one that has the years released for downloading. I know this is a system issue for how databases are catalogued, but wanted to take this opportunity to bring it to your attention. Also, it is sometimes difficult to know which database has access to the electronically-released advance articles that are not yet in print. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• As for electronic databases, there are times when particular journals or journal articles are said to be non-existent when searching through the library's catalogue. However, through searching in publishers' sites (to which the library has a subscription) that is found not to be the case. Perhaps, the library's e-catalogue can be updated more thoroughly? (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• The current design of the general library website buries the access to electronic journals (e.g. my library). This is my main form of library use and each time I am at a new terminal I have to go searching. Otherwise your services, including response to requests for technical support/advice are excellent.  (Gerstein. Faculty)
• I find that library home page has a lot of information on it, and sometimes it is hard to navigate to find what exactly I'm looking for. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• Platforms for search engines change frequently and at times dramatically with no update evident (if one exists). Questions sent through the email "help" not always answered - timely or otherwise. Students are frequently working on weekends and there didn't seem to be sufficient staff to support. (Gerstein. Graduate)
• I don't really use on campus resources very often because I don't really know what's available. Needs to be more clear about how to find out what books are available for loan (similar to how Toronto Public Library works). (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• When external systems change their format the library could be of assistance to help with searches by sending out notifications ie. PubMed changes (Gerstein. Faculty)
• The website is an area that could do with a little more enhancing (as always I imagine!). I must admit, the new site (when it appears) is more annoying than the old one, with windows appearing on windows and, as I recall, some things that seem more hidden than they used to be. I certainly appreciate all the efforts being made to enhance it though -- better to try it and see how it works than not try it at all! So thank you for everyone's efforts in this area and the many others you continue to work on -- and thank you for taking the time to develop and administer this feedback survey! (UTM. Faculty)
• Library access through portal is a little confusing; I think steps could be better described if one is trying to find an article - though the screens tell you how to search, they don't explain the retrieval choices. (OISE. Undergraduate)
• I use mostly the electronic library, which I find is very helpful. I would like to have the ability to export references directly to EndNote, as opposed to going through RefWorks to do that. I really like the e-books section. (OISE. Graduate)
• I find it very difficult to find the articles I need through the online system. I am in the MSW program and I have found it easier to go through Google Scholar to find the articles I need for my research methods class and backtrack through the library, rather than spend hours finding them through the online library system. (OISE. Graduate)
• GREAT Collection - Improve usability and work flow (ability to access info) with non-Utoronto platforms like Google when logged in on faculty computers but not using the library system, make Google show me what is in the UToronto libraries as well as what shows up with Scholar. (Architecture. Graduate)
• Often articles will show up in Scholar's Portal searches that perfectly suit my topic but they will not be available through the U of T online library. I am not sure why they show up in the searches if they are inaccessible to me. Some of my friends have had this same experience. (Pratt. Undergraduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

Thank you for your feedback about the scope and accessibility of our collections. We are fortunate at the University of Toronto to be in a resource-rich environment. Through the UofT Libraries users have access to over 862,000 e-books, 74,000 electronic journals, 1,100 online databases and indexes which function as the primary access point to our journal collections, and resources in many other formats totaling over 16 million items. Resource-sharing partnerships with libraries around the world further broaden the volume of resources to which we have access. We realize that with this volume of resources comes a greater challenge in finding materials. As such, one of our priorities at the Libraries is facilitating access to materials through the creation of research guides and tutorials, the provision of instructional workshops and the availability of librarians to assist users directly. In addition to drop-in reference assistance available at our reference desks, over the phone and online, we provide individual library research consultations and our 75 faculty liaison librarians are available to work closely with faculty and graduate students to locate appropriate resources and facilitate connections with materials selectors in your discipline who are happy to hear purchasing recommendations. Our Internet & Technology Services team also incorporates feedback into updates and improvements to the library website and catalogue on an ongoing basis to improve usability. Your feedback helps us to continue refining these resources. We are very happy to help our users locate the materials needed for your academic activities. Please feel free to contact us for assistance if you are having trouble accessing online materials or locating resources in your area(s) of research. We’re here to help!

We are excited to announce that we will be implementing Summon, sometimes referred to as an "uber" database, this summer. Summon brings together in a single system with a single index, over 600 million items from 6,800 publishers and 100,000 journals. The Summon system will allow users to query the entire database, yet be able to refine their results with the same kind of faceted navigation approach currently available through the library catalogue. The system will also provide database and journal recommendations based on your searches. Watch for more details in the coming months!

Carrels

• The process of applying for and getting a locked carrel is utterly mystifying and inefficient, and most of my dissatisfaction with the library administration derives from that. Otherwise, the library system is very good and makes everything I need available to me. Thank you! (Robarts. Lecturer)
• Also, the carrel allocation system should be improved: the "system" (and I use that word advisedly) as it stands is opaque, unfair, and unclear. In addition, the staff in charge of the carrels is unresponsive and often rude--despite having renewed my carrel repeatedly when asked, I still received numerous notices about failure to renew. This is just one example of the incompetence of this system of carrel management. (Robarts. Graduate)
• Please provide new chairs for carrel users. The chairs that are currently in these rooms are not ergonomic, nor are they the appropriate height for the desks in those rooms. (Robarts. Graduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

The carrel chairs will be replaced over the summer of 2011.  We will review the communication strategy regarding how carrels are assigned to ensure a consistent message is available to all inquiries.  New carrel assignment software is under development, which will improve the accuracy of the carrel administration.

Computers/Microform readers/Wireless/Photocopying

• Robarts Library BADLY needs a microfilm digitizer (UTM has had one for ages). (Robarts. Faculty)
• I wouldn't mind if the New College library computers were upgraded (or at least the monitors). They're slow and small and hard to read after hours of research. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• It would be wonderful to be able to print wirelessly from my Linux operating system, but there is no software on the U of T system that supports this. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• The Earth Sciences Library is a nice small intimate library that is the best for studying. However, the computers available for use are decrepit and painfully slow. (Earth Sciences. Undergraduate)
• Copy machines are way too expensive (Law. Graduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

Thank you for these specific suggestions. They have been passed along to appropriate department heads for follow-up.

Downsview offsite storage facility

• We have one of the best libraries in the world and I am proud to tell people about Robarts. HOWEVER, the recent wholesale move of materials to Downsview so that undergraduates may have one more place to park and talk, etc. has me absolutely livid with you. One of the glorious things about having open stacks is coming across books and materials that you were not looking for... Well, that's been done away with now, thank you very much. And what do we have in return? The aforementioned chatting spaces and row upon row of EMPTY SPACES in the stacks. Why were these books moved? It is very disheartening to see. Robarts is a research library NOT an undergraduate student centre. Bring the books back! (Robarts. Faculty)
• I also find the way in which journals and other materials are delivered to Downsview with little or no information about their availability to be frustrating. In addition, some of these journals that are said to be in storage find their way to the shelves creating misinformation and confusion about their whereabouts. I would find it helpful if more information were given about this process (i.e. "will be available in 6-10 weeks" is far too general and only creates frustration for those waiting on the materials for time sensitive research). In addition, I am concerned about the growing number of books sent to Downsview--if this is a top five North American research library (as I have seen it advertised) shouldn't we have our resources available at hand? (Robarts. Graduate)
• The en masse, almost secret (w/o consulting w/faculty) move of books to Downsview is a disaster and disrespect to learning and the university community. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The volume of materials shipped to Downsview is substantial, and it is not clear why certain materials (standard journals, research tools) were shipped to Downsview. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The removal of many books and periodicals to the storage level of the Robarts Library or to Downsview without any prior consultations with the appropriate departments is a process that must be stopped immediately and revised entirely. This is currently causing researchers at the UofT as well as visiting scholars a tremendous amount of wasted time. Before the beginning of this process which was unasked by UofT teachers and researchers, we could justifiably boast of an excellent tool of research in the collections of the Robarts Library, this is becoming less and less so the case. (Robarts. Faculty)

The UofT Libraries respond

We are transferring low-use materials to Downsview based on our usage data and availability of alternate formats or other copies in the UTL system. We welcome suggestions regarding errors in our selection and these may be sent to the Head of Collection Development, caitlin.tillman@utoronto.ca or the Head of User Services, lari.langford@utoronto.ca.

Library hours

• Sundays at the music library are needed! And Sunday mornings at Robarts! (Music Library. Graduate)
• It would be helpful to me if the library opened earlier. There have been a few times when I wanted to pick up some books or complete some required reading I was unable to get online before work. However, since access to the stacks at Robarts isn't until 8:30am, this option is not available to me. (Robarts. Staff)
• The smaller libraries like Vic and St. Mikes, which is where I often like/need to work, have very restricted hours in the summer. If UofT is serious about being a world-class graduate school, the libraries need to recognize that graduate studies don't stop on April 30th (quite the opposite - we redouble our research efforts once our undergraduate teaching responsibilities are done for the term). I generally work very regular hours (9-5 or 10-6), and I find it very frustrating to be told to leave my workspace at 4:45 on a weekday. I understand the logistical/staffing reasons why the libraries do this, but, at the same time, I need to be able to put in an 8-hour day in the same building as the resources I'm using. Even 9:00 to 5:00 would be better than 9:10-4:45, which is the window of time I usually have in the summers. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I have been pleased with the service provided at OISE. On occasion, though, I have wished that the hours of opening were standard throughout the entire week e.g., 9:00-8:00, Monday-Saturday at OISE library. When coming from work, I find that there is sometimes no time to get down before 5:00 and therefore not much point in racing downtown on a Friday, for example, so as to have one hour before closing. "Teacher-flexible" hours would be nice. Thank you. (OISE. Graduate)
• I'd like extended library hours please. People differ in terms of studying time and I have the highest concentration from 11pm-3pm. Other than Robarts, there's no where to go. (Pratt. Undergraduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

The libraries are constantly reviewing their hours of opening in conjunction with the levels of service that they want to provide. At the Robarts Library, we will be looking at expanding the Sunday opening hours in 2011-2012.

Library space/Physical facility

• Overall I welcome the library's willingness to accommodate its users. I think the new study areas were very well done and addressed several of the issues I myself had--i.e. more plug outlets, more lighting, more study space. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The study areas in the Gerstein Centre (both the Morrison Pavilion and the Gerstein Reading Room) are stunning, inspiring. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• The library offers a great quiet place for studying independently when needed, with adequate room to find a seat. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• Good overall except not enough rooms for individual study. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• More quiet study space in Robarts is a must. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The elevators in Robarts being perpetually out of service is extremely annoying. The stacks should be accessible from the ground floor by stairs. Clear and accurate hours should be posted at the 4th floor elevators that go to the stacks. The elevators are constantly stopping there when the gates are shut, at any hour of the day (for this reason, the hours should be posted in the elevators too). Carrel sign-out machines should be on every stack floor. Sirsi should notify carrel users when their books are due, rather than let them collect massive fees. (Robarts. Graduate)
• Power outlets needed at each study space in Engineering Library. Check-out desk staff are generally unfriendly, irritated when approached for basic services. Research-related staff are generally helpful and courteous. Electronic/print resources are generally very good. Study/work spaces are either noisy or uncomfortable. Second floor should be completely for quiet study, first floor for group activities. Furniture is uncomfortable (ergonomic designs are needed, considering the length of use per session).  Electronic access to more conference proceedings would very valuable. I think there should be more public access to computers at Robarts (floors 2-5) as the limited spaces are always full in the Engineering Library; I believe that universities should provide some resources for public research activities. Courses offered by the library are good and need better promotion. (Engineering. Graduate)
• Robarts is a great one stop for research material. However, it is one of the worst places to study. This is due to it being uninviting and having to share a table with people who are usually eating/sleeping/talking. This isn't really the library's fault, but a little reminder to those people would be great.
• The Earth Sciences Library is a nice small intimate library that is the best for studying. However, the computers available for use are decrepit and painfully slow. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Make the interior of Robarts more colourful. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I have found the renovations in the library a welcome addition but the negative effect of that is that students now use those spaces as socializing areas. Students feel no compunction about having normal-voice-level conversations in the library. I find this unacceptable. Our library is a research library, not a social study zone. More signs around the library emphasizing that it is a quiet study zone would be appreciated. Lastly, the elevator situation is abysmal. I would be happy to walk down from floor 9 to floor 1 if that were an option instead of waiting five to ten minutes for the elevators to be free--is there no way a stairwell could be opened up?(in addition, more signs about using the stairwells within the stack levels would be welcome--with only two elevators working it is frustrating to have students use the elevator to get from floor 10 to floor 9).
• I love Robarts but my only negative comment is the level of chatting that is tolerated on the study floors. Perhaps some signs "this is a chat and cell phone free zone". I realize I'm flogging a dead horse but it would make the idea of going up to the stacks to study more inviting. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• Overall, I am satisfied with the services offered by the library but I would like to have more study spaces available (desks, rooms, carrels) especially in the upper floors (10-13). I also use Victoria and Kelly library resources and computers. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The library is on its way to greatness, but still deserves its undergraduate title of Fort Book. Some plants, fountains, and the like, similar to the Metropolitan Toronto Library would make a huge difference. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The method of accessing the stacks-- by four small, slow elevators -- is claustrophobic at best. Finally, as someone with frequent reason to work in the Fisher library, I have had much chance to observe the leaks and seepage due to moisture penetrating the concrete structure. The charming and helpful staff of Fisher won't be much good for me or my fellow researchers if the rare books all rot and mold, martyrs to the name of modern architecture. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I am generally very happy with the U of T libraries. It is really a great library and one of the best features about the U of T. Personnel is very good too. My main complaint is the noisiness of the Robarts where undergraduates have lost the old sense of respect for libraries that once was exaggerated perhaps but now seems totally absent. (Robarts, Faculty)
• Insufficient quiet study space. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• It would be nice to have an after-hours drop-off at the Mathematics Library. (Gerstein. Faculty)
• I think that individual spaces and group spaces are important because some people use the individual spaces for quiet study to talk to each other or discuss matters which disrupt other people. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)
• The elevator service to the (Robarts) stacks simply has not been acceptable lately. When elevators are out of repair for long periods of time, it is absurdly time consuming just to get to and from stack levels. (Kelly. Graduate
• Thanks. From the beginning (january '10) I have found the OISE Library to be a very accessible and accepting place to meet my library needs --  if I have one recommendation, it might be to renovate your entry/area with more contemporary and comfortable furniture ... it's rather 1950s in its appearance, don’t you think? (OISE. Graduate)
• While the staff in the library are most helpful, it is the atmosphere that I cannot stand. I don't know if I've ever had a question that the staff couldn't answer but the design of the libraries I have been in has been nothing short of atrocious. The lighting is awful, the private space is unwelcoming, and the distinct lack of outlets makes the library out of date in this laptop-based age. Keep the staff, keep the resources, gut the buildings. (OISE. Undergraduate)
• The OISE library is a challenging place to work--the demands of the ITE program and the numbers of Teacher Candidates must be overwhelming for staff. I often choose not to work at the library because it's noisy and the mezzanine level is completely uninspiring...(where one can find quieter work spaces). As a doctoral student I wish there were more library services/spaces available for doctoral students...and I confess that it is highly annoying that one can only load one's TCard for printing articles, etc. in the Education Commons, for example, in the stacks of the library. Thanks for this opportunity. Sincerely appreciate. (OISE. Graduate)
• The main reason I don't use the libraries more often is because they are generally too hot. I can’t concentrate when I am hot and can't breathe properly. This problem needs to be resolved, and it is with the whole library system, not just one library. (Pratt. Undergraduate)
• Not many group spaces available, or made aware of. (Pratt. Undergraduate)
• I want more cubicles. (Pratt. Undergraduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

Recent feedback from library users has identified quality study space as a top priority. In response, we have renovated several St. George campus libraries over the past several years to improve existing study space and add new space. At Robarts Library, renovations have added 30 new group study rooms and 100 new study spaces on each of floors nine through thirteen. The new space features abundant natural light, inspiring views of the city and new furniture with built-in task lighting and laptop outlets. Fundraising is in progress for an addition to the Robarts Library building which will add 1,200 new study spaces.

The Mezzanine level of the OISE library is currently undergoing renovations, which are due to be completed by mid-April. The floor will have a mix of group rooms and single study spaces, with new furniture and many outlets added to improve the study experience for OISE library users.

The Engineering and Computer Science Library and Gerstein Science Information Centre have also undergone recent renovations to add and improve study space. Renovations to the Gerstein Reading Room received honourable mention in the competition for the William Greer Prize for renovation excellence in 2009 and the Ontario Library Association Building Award in 2010.

Robarts Library book stacks

• The connection between what the computer says and what is on the shelves is very imprecise (in Math AND in Robarts). (Math Library.  Faculty)
• The sorting of books has to be improved. There are times when a book is returned but problems in sorting mean that the book remains registered as "not-returned". (Robarts. Graduate)
• With limited financial resources, the library does a good job. There are some real problems, however. First, a huge percentage of books that the catalogue claims are available on the shelf are NOT there. Often they are, I suspect, in carrels, not signed out. Since there are no staff to check books in carrels, theses can disappear for years. Robarts has the collections and wherewithal to be a major research library, but it does not function as one. It is incredibly difficult to find or recall (quickly) a book that one really needs to complete (on time) serious humanities research projects. And, unlike other major research libraries of its stature world wide, it gives NO priority at all to serious scholars engaged in major research projects. There is no place for them to work and meet with other serious scholars. There is no serious effort to find books they need quickly. At a university that claims to be a major research university and demands this of their faculty, the library does not seem to put any priority on assisting with this, as apart from serving the large masses of undergraduates. Robarts was intended originally as a research library. That case was lost early on. But it should still serve active researchers, and not just shrug it off if books researchers seriously need are lost, missing, out of service. Faculty should have some priority over undergraduate students in this. For humanities faculty, the library is their 'research lab', their only serious resource for research. While Robarts has, in the catalogue, a fine and deep collection, I often travel to other libraries, the Bodleian, the British Library, the Folger, etc., to do serious research, because our library does not create a space for serious research. Fisher is great, but it is not a place where researchers can work seriously with secondary and primary research resources at hand. It's only a place to check the isolated rare book. Perhaps this is a lost case. (Robarts. Faculty)
• The staff are uniformly courteous, competent, and do their very best. My only complaint overall is that some of the books that I referred to occasionally a few years ago are now in storage, but when necessary, I have been able to recall them. Somewhat discouraging are the "missing" volumes, but perhaps some natural attrition is occurring. I am encouraged by the amount of cooperation Robarts appears to have exhibited in having rarer older books and journal issues scanned and digitalized (at least some of the ones I find come from Robarts). I have always enjoyed and profited from browsing in the shelves, so the new trend towards digitalization hurts me a bit there. Browsing on the web is also interesting, but you can't usually go as deep into the things you find there, unless you come back for follow-up to a rich library such as Robarts. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Too many books missing on shelves. Carrel service should be regulated more frequently: too many unused carrels, and unsigned (not checked out) books kept in carrels. (Robarts. Graduate)
• There is no check for a student if a book gets lost in the library system after they have returned the book, but before it has been processed. This situation arose for myself, when I returned at book, but the system reported it as unreturned. I was emailed AFTER my due date about it, even though I had returned it before the due date. After telling them I had returned it, and insisted that they look for it, the found it after much searching as one of their workers had put it in a different/wrong place in the back area. I asked the librarian working what would happen if they had not have found the book (i.e. they had no proof that I returned the book, and they couldn't find the book in the back to prove I was telling the truth), and they said it would be up to the individual librarian I was dealing with at the time, as there was no system to check that a book was returned. This same situation has happened to at least two other grad students I know. (Robarts. Graduate)
• It is extremely difficult to find books in Robarts library even when they are indicated to be "in" by the online catalogue. Library staff are then unfriendly when you ask for assistance in trying to find these books. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• I hate when one returns a book and the book is not discharged on the system. So, it seems as if one still has it (along with the fees). It has happened to me at least a dozen of times at Robarts. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I use materials equally from both Robarts and John W. Graham libraries. Too often, books at Robarts are missing. I have not yet had this problem at the John W. Graham library, which is also a much more comfortable - and quiet! - environment in which to work. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The books are never there! The computer tells me they are on the shelf, but 7/10 times I attempt to retrieve the books, the books are not there. I have had to purchase books (many, many, many books) because they are 'lost' in the library and I need them. I have a feeling that PhD students hoard them in their rooms without signing them out of the system. This is intensely frustrating, and has cost me hundreds of dollars. (Robarts. Graduate)
• I do not use the library for academic/research purposes, only for taking books out for pleasure reading, and for IT help at the Info commons. Info Commons has always been great. My biggest complaint is books not being shelved where they should be. (Robarts. Staff)
• Books get misplaced often, staff does not look for them before sending notices. (Robarts. Usergroup not given)
• I only wish newly returned books and books secreted in someone's research office could more quickly be placed on the shelves. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Always great to have 24hour study facilities, but wish there were more books in library or faster turn around because it makes getting assignments done more difficult. (Robarts. Undergraduate)
• There are, however, serious problems with the collection: many volumes reported as 'in' are not: either stolen and not reported, mis-shelved, or misplaced. As far as I can tell there has not been a proper shelf-read in quite some time (years?). (Robarts. Faculty)
• For the particular research that I came to graduate school to do, UofT has one of the best library collections in the world, and I'm grateful to be here. That said, books go missing here with alarming regularity, which sometimes impedes my research. (Robarts. Graduate)
• A couple of points: Robarts has an amazing ability to acquire materials, but less so to organize them (ie, reshelving, etc). This could stand to be improved. (Robarts. Graduate)
• As much as I can, I avoid using the Robarts Library in favor of the smaller college libraries-- Kelly, Victoria, and Trinity are far superior to Robarts in the service of the staff and the ease of use. I've never known a library as poorly maintained (in regard to the organization of the shelves) or with such poor service to its patrons as the Robarts library. It's an insult to scholars and an embarrassment to the University that any research institution of its size should have a main library more directed towards the canoodling of Undergraduates than the maintenance of its cataloging system, let alone that the employees should be so begrudging and rude when it is necessary to search for a missing volume or check out a book in person. Most offensive, of course, is when a book cannot be found, and when one complains, one is asked, "did you look twice?" Yes. I would look twice before I came down here to be treated like a small child with as brusque a manner as you can manage before you return to your Metro sudoku puzzle. (Robarts. Graduate)
• The staff is excellent (I use Media Commons a lot and find the staff there wonderful), but there are too many books missing or not where they should be in the shelves. This can make for many frustrating searches in the library. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Books are almost never on the shelf when I need them; lost books are never replaced. You don't have certain significant texts in my field. Library staff is indifferent. (Robarts. Faculty)
• Overall, I am very satisfied with the staff. However, there has been an incidence when a returned book was not checked in properly and I was told to look for it in the stacks so that it could be brought to the returns desk. I feel that once a book has been "returned" by the user, it is no longer their responsibility for them to perform tasks that should be carried out by library staff. (Gerstein. Undergraduate)

The UofT Libraries respond

A new automated book return kiosk and sorting system implemented at Robarts Library in November, 2011 has greatly increased the speed at which books are re-shelved and therefore, the accuracy of the library catalogue in relation to the shelf (books are marked “In” in the catalogue as soon as they are checked in but take some time to return to the shelf). Books returned through the kiosk are taken by conveyor belt to a behind-the-scenes system which sorts them into the appropriate bin by floor, by books with holds, etc., saving time previously spent on sorting and allowing materials to be returned to the stack floors more quickly, sometimes within thirty minutes. The kiosk processes returned books and generates a confirmation receipt within three seconds per book.

Robarts Library’s role as an academic research library means that we do not ‘weed’ (ie. discard older materials) from the collection. Items in our collection are held in perpetuity and we collect materials as comprehensively as budgets allow on an ongoing basis. As such, our collection continues to grow and has met and exceeded the holding capacity of the building in recent years (~4.5 million books). To facilitate the acquisition of new materials and make room to properly house and organize existing materials, we have built a 5 million-item-capacity storage facility in Downsview. This state of the art facility will ensure that treasured materials from the collection are properly stored and allow for the collection housed in the Robarts Library building to match its true capacity, making it easier for staff to maintain and organize and for users to access. Materials housed at the Downsview facility can be requested online and usually delivered the next day. Although it would be ideal for all of our materials to be under one roof, careful planning and consideration have indicated that this is the best solution at this time for finding the balance between preservation and access.

In conjunction with the revitalization of Robarts Library, a new signage system will be installed in the building this spring. We hope that the new signage will make it easier for users to navigate the building efficiently and improve your library experience in general. In addition to new static signage, which will better communicate information about elevator schedules, the location of stairways, call number ranges in the book stacks, and other important details, digital signage at library entrances and on the stack floors will provide information about available computers and study spaces in the building. The new digital signage will also allow us to promote such things as the use of the stairs to travel between stack floors. We unfortunately cannot provide access to the stack floors via the stairs on the first through eighth floors at this time due to limited staffing resources. As priority access to the Robarts Library stacks is given to members of the UofT community, staff are required to verify T-Cards at entrances to elevators leading to the stacks. We are unfortunately not able to provide staff for this purpose at the stairwell entrances at this time.

We hope that the new automated book return, shifting of materials to create space and facilitate better organization in the stacks, and new signage will improve access to library materials and usability of the building. 

UTORid/UTORMail 

• I think the library does its best. There is need to really enhance electronic security information for students, especially e-mail.  Graduate)
• As a part time lecturer, I find access to the library and its services very limited. The time it takes to get "set up" in the system, means that I often don't use the facilities and its resources at all during a given session. (OISE. Faculty-Lecturer)

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