Bundoora: Improvement to computer access…
Many students have complained about long queues at the express computer terminals due to people spending long periods of time using Facebook and other social non-academic sites.
To help address this problem restrictions have now been placed on 8 of the express computers (stand-up computers) nearest the Library’s front entrance. These computers are restricted to the La Trobe University network.
Please leave a comment if you notice an improvement (or otherwise) in waiting time.
14 comments
26/09/2008 at 3:07pm,
Finally the problem has been addressed. Thanks so much.
Also, I believe this restriction should be applied to all express workstations in the library or sites like Facebook should be totally banned and filtered out so that express workstations have some sort of access to sites outside the university but NOT Facebook and other “social non-academic” sites. I say this because the computers upstairs that are meant to be used for catalogue search are used for accessing these sort of sites.
I would greatly appreciate it if this problem was addressed and the restriction extended to stand-up computers.
28/09/2008 at 1:01pm,
Restricting any PCs to La Trobe sites is an over reaction. When an article I need is not available at La Trobe I use the express PCs to check the Melbourne uni and RMIT library catalogues and bookshops to see if I can immediately borrow or buy what I want from an alternative source. Try removing access to facebook, myspace, sports and foreign language sites on the express PCs to shorten the queues. It is annoying to wait while inconsiderate students browse such sites endlessly. Control the offenders by increasing staff supervision of these areas, install timing-out software or find another solution, but don’t narrow our ‘express’ online research focus to just one university website. This is already a problem with the PCs at Digital cafe. Please don’t repeat the mistake in the library.
28/09/2008 at 2:08pm,
Thanks for the new arrangement. It does create reduction in waiting time. I do hope that such measure is expanded to computers at workstations. It is quite unfair for some students who need to do academic work on computers waiting while some other students are simply browsing news in their local language, face book, etc all but non-academic work.
Thanks
28/09/2008 at 3:08pm,
I think that if people want to access external sources for research should then rely on non express computers – after all that is what they are there for. Only 8 pc are blocked, I do not think it goes far enough. I have seen some people using facebook in the reserve section. I don’t think it is effective that staff are made to walk around monitoring computer use. The fact remains that we are in university and people should be mature and considerate enough to know what library computers should be used for.
29/09/2008 at 4:09pm,
I wholeheartedly aggree with those who are frustrated at abuse of pc use in the library. It is ridiculous that people watch films, tv series etc. while others queue. Another alarming trend seems to be the use of pcs by children. On three occasions in the last two weeks I have watched as a parent brings in a troup of kids and logs them onto a pc in the AV area, where they happily play games etc. as Mum or Dad does some work or disappears with friends. The last time this happened, I watched as a queue built up, and finally told the first person in the queue that perhaps they would like to suggest to the child on x pc that they stop using it. This resulted in an angry attack from the parent. Why aren’t staff controlling things like this? Furthermore, last week in the AV area, a staff member announced that anyone who wasnt using the AV pcs for AV work should leave and find a pc elsewhere. This resulted in all the timewasters watching movies and u tube sit! ting on a pc for even longer, and other people who were actually doing academic work (on AV computers as they were the only ones available)having to cease work.
30/09/2008 at 3:10pm,
Check the Melbourne Uni library and IT site and you will see what we are missing out on. e.g 24 hour access to computer labs and IT facilities.
02/10/2008 at 10:10am,
I’m glad to see something is being done, but I wonder if it is the best possible solution. Limiting computers solely to the LTU network will inadvertently prevent students from gaining access to academic-related resources outside of the LTU network. I often need to track down references from news sources, government agencies and other organizations.Prevention of this is surely not what LaTrobe aims to achieve. Rather, we want to prevent people from using these computers for non-academic purposes. Therefore, attempts to block access to specific sites that are definitely not academic – such as facebook, myspace and youtube – if possible, might be a better targeted action. Moreover, because the problem of non-academic use of computers takes place on more than just 8 computers within the express section, such an action should be applied to all computers in the library.
02/10/2008 at 1:11pm, Bundoora
We can see from the range of blog comments that academic use of Library pcs is an important concern. The eight workstations have been restricted to the LTU network in response to student requests/complaints to have quick access to the library catalogue and database resources. The practice of restricting access on a small number of computers is common practice in many libraries to manage the overall use of computer facilities and to reduce queuing.
In some instances the use of social network sites, such as YouTube, is a legitimate academic requirement, therefore it is difficult to justify a blanket block on these sites.
The Library staff encourage patrons to notify staff at service desks if they become aware of others misusing computers for non academic purposes.
07/10/2008 at 1:50pm,
I think the solution is okay, but not ideal… When I am at uni for 12 – 15 hours, I need to check email etc. and should have the chance to quickly check Facebook etc. without having to queue for a sit down computer, when I will legitimately only be 15 minutes.
The best solution is to require every user to sign in with the La Trobe ID and a 15 minute timer (or 1 hour depending on computer) starts…Once the time is up they are logged out. My local library uses this successfully. In off peak times, I can request to a staff member that time be extended, and they generally oblige by simply typing in a code.
In short — the long queues are a problem because of wait time – so fix the TIME on computers, not the CONTENT.
10/10/2008 at 1:12pm,
THANK YOU! Finally I can access the LIBRARY CATALOGUE without having to wait. All the people complaining about not being able to get a computer – find a computer lab! We do have them you know. We also have 24hr computer labs. It suprises me people don’t know this.
10/09/2009 at 11:16pm, Bundoora
where are these computer labs? i’ve never been informed about them (and i’m a third year!!) maybe info about where the comp labs are should be displaced in the library around the computers so thse who need cmop access and not book access have an idea where to go?
11/09/2009 at 9:21am, Bundoora
@Katie – they are the first row of the “Express Machines” (the stand-up computers facing the Agora, just behind the plasma screen) nearest the front entrance on Level 2, Bundoora.
18/09/2009 at 11:42am, Bundoora
I think an equally, perhaps more, important problem is the absence of software updates on the computers in the library. If I want to use a computer with EndNote, a version of MS Word compatible with that I use at home, and a decent sized monitor I work in the study hall, if I want quiet I work in the library (after converting my work and inevitably losing reference details). Tough choice! If only the library computers could be updated with the latest Microsoft programs and with EndNote… Anyone listening?… Please!
23/09/2009 at 12:42pm, Bundoora
Hi, and thanks for your post.
Library staff are aware of this issue and understand your frustration. It is now the practice to install EndNote on all new machines in the public area. I believe the newest machines are located in the area between the Inquiry Desk and the Research Help Desk, as well as the glassed-in study area on Level 2. Hopefully these computers are more compatible with your software. Thanks for your patience.