Please install full Microsoft Office on the second floor computers. (i.e. Microsoft Word).

Thank you for your recommendation. The computers on the second floor are primarily intended for access to the library’s catalog—that’s why they’re placed near and among the book stacks. We know that people use them for checking email and other quick tasks, but we don’t want people to use them for more than a few minutes. This way everyone will be able to check the catalog when they’re in the stacks.

If you’d like to use Microsoft Office programs, they’re installed on the new computers on the first floor, and on the computers in the lower level classrooms (which you’re welcome to use as computer labs when there’s no class being held). Additionally, the Microsoft Office suite is installed in the laptops that are available from the circulation desk for two-hour, in-library loan.

Since Drexel is an educational institution, any time there is not a line for computer use, please extend or eradicate the 20 minute usage rule.

Thanks for making this suggestion. In general, if there is no line, we allow patrons to use the standing computers on Hagerty’s first floor for more than the 20 minute limit. However, these computers are not meant to be used for lengthy projects or in ways that violate the university’s acceptable use policy. If we feel that rules or privileges are being abused, we reserve the right to ask patrons to stop their use of these computers.

The new computers on the second floor are not secured to the table and look as if they could fall off and hit someone on the first floor.

Thanks for the comment. I’ve alerted our Systems Department, and they are checking the second floor computers to ensure their security.

The printer in the side room on the first floor is *never* working properly. It’s always off center!

Thanks for writing. The card scanner screen in the first floor copy room does sometimes annoyingly shift off center so that you can’t read it. If this happens, please come to the reference desk—we have a tool to quickly get it back on track.

The outlets all over the basement and the router cords in the basement quiet room do not work. Not every stall has an Ethernet cord and sometimes these cords do not work. There has been a lot of difficulty with the wireless internet in the past couple of months, and Ethernet cords would be a reliable alternative if only they worked.

First some great news: IRT has recently upgraded the wireless system at Hagerty. We hope this will mean better access for everyone in the library. Read all about it here.

However, if you’d still like to use an Ethernet cable, they are still available and working. If your cable appears not to work, the jack has probably been inadvertently shut off by a previous user; if this happens, please alert a member of the library staff and we will call IRT to turn the jack back on as quickly as possible.

Please put a time limit on the copier and scanner on the entrance level. I understand there are other scanners, but they are a pain to work.

This seems fair. A time limit is difficult to enforce, as it would require library staff to stand at the scanners, stopwatches in hand. But we can put up signs asking patrons to limit their use to 15 minutes as a courtesy to their fellow students when there is a line.

Please allow alumni to access some of the journals from home. Driving down to Philadelphia just to access the journal from Drexel’s computers is just wasting people’s time and gas.

Thanks for your comment. The cost of database subscriptions is based on the number of users—and the more we can control the number, the more databases and information we can provide. Although we would love to offer access to our subscriptions to our alumni, doing so would significantly increase our costs, causing a decrease in the number of resources available to our current students and faculty.

The bad internet makes me cry. Could you give out complimentary cookies every few hours to help ease the pain?

The cookie brigade is busy, so instead we’ll offer you something better: Ethernet cables. We know the wireless problem is a big one, and we don’t want to make you cry, which is why we offer Ethernet cables, available from the circulation desk. These can be plugged into any of the numerous jacks in the building. So please, find a study space you like—chances are you’ll find an Ethernet jack just a cable length away. If an Ethernet jack isn’t working, it may have been shut down because of problems with the previous user. If this happens, please alert a library staff member and we’ll call IRT to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

I am currently sitting in a carrel on the first floor with my laptop plugged into an Ethernet jack that doesn’t work, and, not surprisingly, neither does the wireless internet.  Where am I supposed to go to get my work done?

I’m sorry that you were unable to access the internet.  We have taken many steps to try and improve the situation for students, from working with IRT on DragonFly to installing new Ethernet hubs in various study rooms.  Please consider filling out this survey so that IRT can gather information about the problems with DragonFly here at Hagerty.  University administration has also been attempting to create new study spaces around campus to accommodate students.

Can 1-2 scanners (w/chairs) be placed in the Bookmark Cafe?  Thanks for consideration!

Thanks for your suggestion. We are not sure if scanners in the Bookmark Cafe would be the best idea- when we had public computer systems there, they were often unplugged and down for several days at a time. The conclusion we have drawn is that most students would much rather prefer the electrical and network outlets over the potential scanning capability. We will, however, look into getting the current copier in the Bookmark Cafe replaced with a scanner capable one.