Tompkins County Public Library

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Patron Comments March-April 2016



Comment:  I just wanted to mention how unpleasant I find the painting of a large red rifle that “killed 17 people.”  The image and information is out of place in a public library.
Response:  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback about our recent art exhibit, “Project for a Re-Volution in New York.”  As a public library, we find ourselves at the center of many important and thought-provoking community conversations.  While the services and collections we provide are carefully selected to serve as a reflection of our community’s needs, we also feel very strongly that we shouldn’t censor art, books or music based on personal preference or political ideas. In the case of this exhibit, Curator Todd Ayoung asked artists to translate their perceptions of the word “revolution” into art.  The result was an eclectic exhibit with 22 different perspectives, including the painted guns placed throughout the stacks.  Though uncomfortable for some, housing an exhibit of this type within the library allows for a safe place for community members to hold important, difficult discussion about societal trends and issues.  We hope you will consider joining us later this spring when we host a presentation about public art, its roles and responsibilities.  Please know how much we appreciate your thoughtful comments.  They will help us as we plan for future exhibits.

Comment:  Order more books for the STEAM Book Club.
Response:  We are delighted to hear of your interest in our Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Book Club.  We truly believe that programs like this one will prove instrumental in helping prepare young adults for the high school, college and beyond.  A relatively new program, the Club has been gaining “steam” of its own in recent weeks, which has resulted in the need to order additional copies for interested patrons.  Please know that we want as many students to attend as possible and will always order additional copies to accommodate interested participants.

Comment:  Label the Comment Box.
Response:  Thank you for this practical suggestion!  We’re glad you were able to find the box so that you could share your feedback!   We will be happy to create signage to make locating the box easier.



Comment:  Audio recording for phone messages needs improvement.
Response:  Thanks for sharing your concerns about our recorded phone greeting.  We are always looking for ways to make contacting and communicating with the library easier for our patrons.  Please contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at cwheeler@tcpl.org to offer additional insight into the improvements you would like to see.

Comment:  Put a recycling bin up front.
Response:  As a leader in our community’s sustainability movement, we are delighted to receive your request to make recycling easier during your visits to TCPL.  We will be happy to add an additional recycling bin to our lobby,