PATRON COMMENTS - January 2012

Comment:  As the Finger Lakes are an emerging wine region, it might be nice to consider expanding your wine section.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. Your suggestion has been shared with the acquisitions librarian.

Comment: A DVD should be renewal based on the number of total hours not the number of disks, for example Auschwitz, inside the Nazi State.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion.

Comment: The library art book collection is great! It would be wonderful to expand it. Thank you.
Response: Thank you. Your comment has been shared with the acquisition librarian.

Comment: Game day is great fun for my family. Thank you.  Game day is awesome.
Response: We are thrilled that you enjoy this program, which is run by wonderful volunteers.

Comment: Patron called and said the collection agency is giving the wrong phone number for the library and the wrong extension for circulation.
Response: Thank you for this information. We are double checking with the agency to ensure that correct information is provided.

Comment:  Extra time on computer more than 65 minutes.
Response:  Demand for the computers is very strong. To provide equal access to all our patrons, we provide one hour day on our computer stations. There is also free wireless for anyone who has a laptop or mobile device.

Comment: Please keep kids programs on Tue & Friday. Thanks!
Response: Youth Services storytime programs will return in February. In the meantime we have play time in the Thaler Howell room with great new toys. Please join us.

Comment: I LOVE THE LIBRARY.
Response: THANK YOU! You are welcome.

PATRON COMMENTS - December 2011

Comments: Love the Library! Please, please, please make better signage in the audio book area. I check out audio books often and find the section non-user friendly. It would be very helpful to have more signs on shelves (not just shelf ends) showing where to find things. Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We will review the signage in the audio book area and see what we can do to provide more help.

Comment: Wonderful service at reference. Wonderful computers and printers.
Response: Thank you for your comments. It means a great deal to us to get your feedback.

Comment: Thanks! You just saved me $50!
Response: We are delighted that we were able to help.

Comment: Would the library consider selling water? Would we consider a vending machine?
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We have consulted with vending companies and they have indicated that the return would be too low to justify the service here.

Comment: Logging in to many of the computers means spending a few minutes disabling the various TOOLBARS…Yahoo, My Web Search(?) etc., which people have layered. Each makes the viewable screen smaller. Please disable this ability. Thanks
Response: Thank you for your comments. The internet computers are in heavy use throughout the day. Efforts have made to provide access to the most information to the biggest percentage of our patrons.

Comment: I think the library should have a wider variety of movies and books on tape.
Response: Thank you for your comment, which has been shared with our acquisitions librarian. We would also encourage you to suggest titles if we are missing some desirable items. Purchase request forms can be found at all the public service desks and on our website tcpl.org

PATRON COMMENTS - November 2011

Comment: I found the Value Calculator very interesting indeed. I knew I loved my local library for many different reasons but to put an actual dollar amount on it was a fantastic idea. I calculated the amount of my bi-weekly trip and found the results to be as accurate as possible.....the yearly cost would be off the charts. Thanks
Response: Thank you very much for your positive comments. We value our community and want to provide the best possible service.

Comment: Lamps on tables?
Response: Thank you for the suggestion. We will investigate the possibility.

Patron Comments - October 2011

Comment:  I would love to have books on tape by Louie L’Mour. I listened to everything currently held. Thank you.
Response: Thank you for your recommendations.

Comment:  The lighting stinks. How about some free natural light from skylights, like Walmart does?
Response:  Thank you for your comments. We do have skylights in the Avenue of the Friends and there is plenty of natural lighting in the North Reading Room.

Comment:  My sincere thanks to the reference librarians for their help when I had a computer problem!
Response:  Thank you. We have a very talented staff who are dedicated to providing the best possible service.

Comment:  Please get more of the Mythbusters DVDs. So fun and so educational.
Response:  Thank you for your recommendations.

Comment:  There are a lot of young people hanging out during the day on Green St. next to the library. And it’s become the new hang out and smoking spot all Day! SAD. Now I hesitate going to the library like I avoided the commons.
Response:  Thank you for sharing your feedback. We will be posting No Smoking signs around the exterior of the library. If you would like to talk more about what you are experiencing, please contact me at scurrie@tcpl.org.

Comment:  I like the books and DVDs.
Response:  Thank you.

Comment:  Please put a “No Smoking” sign out front.
Response:  We will be posting No Smoking signs around the exterior of the library.

Patron Comments - September 2011

Comment:  We enjoy a reading time with children in the nice reading area on the sofa next to the information desk in the Youth Area. However, we feel children are disrupted by comics on the shelf right next to the reading area. I as a parent try to encourage kids to read books, not comics yet, so I would appreciate very much if you can consider moving comic shelves to other areas. Thank you.
Response:  Thank you for sharing your reading experiences and suggestions with us.

Comment:  I think there may be a mold problem in the vent over study tables in NE corner of periodicals. It makes me cough and hoarse to sit there, and a student of mine sneezes every time. Not true elsewhere in the library.
Response:  Thank you for letting us know about your experience in this area of the library.We will contact Facilities and ask to have this checked out.

Comment:  Can you please put baby changing table back in handicapped stall? It is nasty to have to walk by and be forced to watch and smell a mother changing her baby’s diaper. I am a mom – but it is different when it is not your child.
Response:  We are sorry this was an unpleasant experience for you.

Comment:  I locked the computer to talk to library staff and it was almost out of time when I came back. It’s ridiculous, then they tell me it keeps subtracting time while you’re away and reference was snotty when I said it wasn’t for sending a resume. Even if it wasn’t for employment everyone should get extra time even if they are doing “silly” stuff according to your “rules”.
Response:  We are sorry you had a difficult time. We have very dedicated staff who try to be as helpful as possible and we have a tremendous demand for computer time. If you would like to talk more about this situation, please contact me at scurrie@tcpl.org so that we can schedule a time.

Comment:  More Inspector Morse DVDs please!
Response:  Thank you for the suggestion.

Comment:  You are my life saver when we are in town- have a summer place where there is not internet access. Wanted a recipe for making soap bubbles for entertaining her grandchildren.
Response:  Thank you so much for your feedback. We are so happy we were able to help with your information and technology needs.

Comment:  I can never get an Ithaca Journal to read. Someone always has it. 4-5 times a day I look! Get more!
Response:  Thank you for your suggestion. We do have two print copies available and the current day’s news is available free of charge online.

Comment:  Can you please carry a new series for teens-these are books by George R.R. Martin. Right now only Trumansburg has one and they won’t let us have it. There are five books in the series – All bestsellers.
Response:  Thank you for the purchase suggestions.

Comment:  CDs are overdue in 1 week. Heimat is a 6 CD (12 hours) set. Please extend the lending period on multiple CDs so that people can have a reasonable chance to finish or make them renewable. Thanks Thank you for this suggestion.
Response:  We will review our policy about multiple CD sets.

Patron Comments - August 2011

Comment: I love this library, they have great movies and the computers are great. I will come all the time.
Response: Thank you for your positive comments. We have a talented, dedicated staff who love providing resources and services to a wonderful community!

Comment: Play a little music but quietly. This library is awesome, good books and movies. Enough time on computers.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. Music is such a personal preference it would be impossible to accommodate the variety of tastes. In addition a number of patrons expect the library to be a quiet place. In this day and age this is very difficult to accomplish, but we try to reduce the sound level.

Comment: Please keep getting the videos as good as you are. Love It!
Response:Thank you for comments. We are very happy that you are enjoying the collection.

Comment: Please do something to encourage the “loiterers” who congregate on the side of the building to move along and not block the sidewalks for pedestrians. They seem to be there quite frequently in increasing numbers. Thank you! “A concerned mother”
Response: The library is also concerned about the situation. We have increased monitoring of the area outside the library and spoken with the groups of young people gathering on the sidewalk. They have been told that they may not block the sidewalk and that they may not congregate in that area. The Ithaca City Police Officers have also spoken with the groups regarding blocking the sidewalks and moving to another area.

Comment: We LOVED the doll making (Bendi Dolls) workshop. PLEASE have workshops this fall and winter for elementary-aged children. I.e. Knitting, painting, drawing, clay and arts! In our climate inside options in cooler weather are great!
Response: Thank you for your comments. We too love the dolls and the exhibit and will direct your suggests to our public programming and community relations coordinator.

Patron Comments - July 2011

Comment: Suggestion – Have a motorized chair available for patrons who have difficulty walking.
Response: Thank you for the suggestion. We do have an automated cart at the front entrance of the library for this purpose. We can investigate the purchase of an additional cart.

Comment: I hope you can do away with the monitors at the checkout counters. They interfere with human to human contact.
Response: Thank you for your feedback. They have been helpful for providing additional information to patrons. We have dedicated staff at each station to help maintain the human to human contact but we will certainly carefully track the use of the additional monitors to make sure they are not interfering with customer service.

Comment: For your “families” theme this month, could you please display a photo of a gay or lesbian family too? We use the library too, and it’s hurtful to be excluded. Thanks.
Response: Thank you for this suggestion. We will make sure that our displays represent everyone who lives in our community.

Comment: Monitors are distracting at circulation.
Response: Thank you for your feedback. We will carefully track the use of the additional monitors to make sure they are not interfering with customer service.

Comment: Great Library! Keep it up!

Response: Thank you! We love our community and love providing services, resources and materials.

Comment: A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman.  New York Times Book Review July 3, 2011.
Response: Thank you for the purchase suggestion.

Patron Comments - May 2011

Comment: I think the library should have a wider variety of movies and books on tape.
Response: Librarians select DVDs and audiobooks from a wide variety of resources and strive for a diverse and well rounded collection.  We welcome your suggestions for titles not in our collection.  Patron request forms may be found at any of our public services desks and on our website tcpl.org  under the “contact us” dropdown menu.

 

Comment: About 28 years ago, in the old library location, I dropped my 8 year old son off for a movie.  When I picked him up and asked how he liked the movie, he said,”Oh, I forgot to go.”  He had discovered TinTin and was so engrossed he forgot all about the movie.

Response: Thank you for this wonderful story.

Comment: The number of audio books on CD that can be checked out at a time should be increased.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion.  We have already made the change and you may now have 5 audio books checked out at any one time.

Comment:  We LOVE our library!  Equal access to information is essential to a healthy democracy.  Thanks for being an important part of our vibrant community.

Response: Thank you!  We are in total agreement.

Comment: Find funding for replacing the NYS law books.

Response: Thank you for your comment.  The law books are expensive to maintain and to keep up to date.  Much of the information is available online and our reference librarians can help you with your search.

Comment: I LOVE your “young person’s” art exhibit. It has moved me so much I have cried.

Response: We are very happy that you are enjoying this wonderful exhibit created by students from the Ithaca City School District.

Comment:  Great art show by the local high schoolers!!!  Impressive.

Response: Thank you.  We are very fortunate to have a community with such amazing talent.

Comment: I was returning a friend’s book.  I wanted to check it out and was told I could not.  It needed to go back on the shelf first.  That is silly!  A reader is a reader.  Please change this policy.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion.  This is a policy which we will be reviewing.

Comment:  I am being a bit sarcastic, but not all “large print” readers like mysteries with cat protagonists. 
Response: Thank you for your comment. The library now has kindles and nooks available for checking out for one week.  These reading devices allow you to control the size of the text.  They are preloaded with titles.  They also allow you to download eBooks from our Overdrive service.  Reference desk librarians are happy to help you learn more about this service.

Comment: I should be allowed more time on the internet if there are available computers.
Response: The demand for access to our internet computers is consistently high.  It is our goal to provide equal access to everyone.  Occasionally there are empty stations that allow patrons to get onto the internet quickly.

Comment: I am only allowed 5 DVDs on my county card.  It’s hard for me because I live far away.  In the past I could check out 3 DVDs at Dryden too. 
Response: The county card is a new service to increase the ease for all patrons in using all the Tompkins County Libraries.  We are still reviewing and modifying our policies and procedures.

Comment: As of now TCPL audiobooks are only loanable to Tompkins County libraries. Would you reconsider this policy? From a Cato patron.
Response: This policy will be reviewed.

Patron Comments - April 2011

Comment: There seems to be a number of smokers gathering at the entrance by the sidewalk lately and patrons are forced to walk through a cloud of smoke to enter the library.  Could the smokers be deterred please?

Response: Thank you for providing this feedback. We will review the signs indicating the “no smoking” areas. 

Comment: I love this library.  But not the new flashy screen at the checkout.  Do we need it?

Response: Thank you so much for using the library and for your positive comments. The large screen allows us to provide announcements about new library services, policies and programs. We have had many positive comments about having an additional space where announcements are made.   

Comment: PBS NOVA Elegant Universe DVD

Response: Thank you for the purchase suggestion.

Comment: Upstairs/Downstairs full series BBC requested, many of the collection was VHS tapes now 9 are very popular right now as PBS has started a new series again.

Response: Thank you for the purchase suggestion and noting that this series may once again become very popular.

Comment: I’d love to see more children’s art* in the kids’ section at their eye level.

*As in:  produced by children or kids could bring in their collections.

Response: Thank you for this suggestion. We do have a student art show each June with art from the High School but we agree having a children’s art show is a lovely idea. We will share this feedback with the art exhibit coordinator.

Comment: This library is a vital part of the community.  You all provide a service to us all.

Response: Thank you so much for your positive feedback. The staff are very dedicated to providing outstanding service to a wonderful community.

Comment: Please make the NEW books renewable even for one week.  Some of them are very lengthy (eg. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen)  Thanks.

Response: Thank you for this suggestion. One reason for the short loan time is that there is so much demand for the new items.

Comment: I am shocked, stunned, appalled, disgusted – to find that the new combined cards seriously limit the number of items I can take out.  Please reverse this nauseating plan.

Response: Thank you for your feedback. We will share your feedback at a meeting of the County libraries

Patron Comments - March 2011

Comment: The selection of books on display for Women’s History Month is disappointing: 2 books on yoga for pregnancy, a book from a reality TV star?!  How about books about great women in history.

Response: This is a very popular display table that changes and is updated frequently.  A review of this table and the table in youth services this afternoon had books about a number of important women including Geraldine Ferrara, who passed away this week.

Comment: Please put a changing table in the children’s restroom, which uses the blue key.

Response: Thank you for the suggestion.  We will pass the request onto facilities.

Comment: The new screen at the checkout line is a minus for our family. One more flashy screen…other than that we love the library.  Thank you.

Response: We are delighted that you love the library and we are sorry you do not appreciate our screen.  This is an opportunity to inform our patrons of new materials and upcoming programs while they wait to checkout.

Comment: Every day I take out 5 DVDs.  They are all in English on the outside, but are in a foreign language.

Response: The library has an excellent collection of foreign language DVDs.  Our reference staff would be happy to show you how to identify which DVDs are in another language with subtitles. 

Comment: I understand the need of a guard to "watch" the library-but there is one certain guard who hovers over you all the time. Most of the patrons that come to the library are adults-and we do not need to be supervised all the time. Whenever I come into the library-he is always talking to the Reference desk, or going to the gas station to get a cup of coffee. As a former Securitas guard myself-you're not suppose to leave your post just to get a cup of coffee, and you need to respect the privacy of other people which he does not do.  Usually this guard is in on the week days!! I do not know his name-but I do know a lot of people do not like him, and FYI-when he’s working-his guard license needs to be shown at all times.  That’s a rule for Securitas guards!!

Response: Thank you for taking the time to send us your thoughts about the security procedures at TCPL. We appreciate all of our security guards and their dedication to helping make the library a welcoming and safe place for everyone. I invite you to make an appointment with me to discuss any specific concerns that you may have regarding security procedures.

Patron Comments - January & February 2011

Comment: Library staff is always polite and helpful. I appreciate their professional attitude. They do try to remind customers about food and noise.
Response: Thank you for your kind comments about TCPL staff. They are dedicated to providing the best possible service and do try very hard to help everyone use the library appropriately.

Comment: The volume of noise is rising every day and it is difficult to use the library resources for research. People talk loudly, headsets blast music, computers play music; cell phones go off and people shout; students get tutored at classroom level volumes. Whatever happened to respect of customers and “silence”? Why isn’t it encouraged?
Response: We are very sorry that this has been frustrating for you. We do have quiet areas within the library such as the Ezra Cornell Reading Room. Your descriptions highlight how the world around us is changing and how traditional notions of the library are changing as well and we would be happy to ask anyone talking overly loud or shouting to be quieter.

Comment: I enjoy the art displays at the Library; I especially liked the costumed dolls. Anymore costume dolls on the horizon?
Response: Thank you for your comments about the art exhibits. We have a wonderful art exhibit coordinator. The Erway Dolls are usually on display in December each year.

Comment: The Library should have been open more days between December 22 and Jan 3 to accommodate residents of the county who do not vacation away for the week. There was no access to the internet services and no access to children’s services for their education. Many people on a limited income have no access to newspapers.
Response: We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate that the library is needed for access to services, materials and the internet. We try very hard to have a schedule that works best for our community and we are open many holidays when other libraries and institutions are closed: President’s Day, MLK, Jr. Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. This year, while the library was closed, we were able to have some much needed maintenance work done that cannot be done when the library has regular hours (Painting, carpet cleaning, etc.)

Comment: The upholstered chairs are so dirty that they actually smell. With the threat of bedbugs, could he Library use a K2R(dry cleaning product) to clean them?
Response: Over the holiday break, all the upholstered furniture was given a “deep” cleaning by facilities staff. We regularly inspect the furniture and any dirty or damaged furniture is removed for repair, cleaning or replacement. Upon reading your comment, we have been in touch with facilities to inspect the chairs more often and to have them cleaned more often. Thank you for this feedback.

Patron Comments - November 2010

Comment: We noticed some negative reaction/vibe toward small children who may make unexpected loud noises and not quite understand a “library voice” yet. Could you please consider rethinking why the children’s section needs to be silent?
Response: We agree children should be able to enjoy youth services and not be completely silent. However continued loud noises are disruptive to other patrons. We are reviewing all our policies with all staff. Thank you for your comment.

Comment: Where’s the banned book display?
Response: Thank you for asking. We had a “Freedom to Read” display at the end of September during banned book week. We will continue to have displays on this very important topic.

Comment: Please have a periodic public orientation on how to use the website, download and other special services.
Response: The librarians at the reference desks are always willing to give you an orientation of our website and the services available. Thank you for the suggestion of a workshop and we would be interested in providing this program. Can you suggest a time when we would get the best response from the most people?

Comment: Many Thanks to the TCPL for co-sponsoring the 17th Annual Conference on Depression - "Stories of Our Transitions: Recovery Can be Learning to Tell a New Story." And thanks to TCPL's Sarah Glogowski for her terrific presentation, "A Book Talk: Stories of Recovery." It was a great day all around!
Response: Thank you! We were honored and proud to participate.

Comment: Can I return my books to Southworth or Lansing as well as TCPL?
Response: Thank you for writing to ask about book returns. We have good news--you can return your TCPL books to Southworth, Lansing or any library in Tompkins County or the Finger Lakes Library System. If you'd like more information, please If you'd like more information, please feel free to contact our Reference Department. You can also contact me directly at scurrie@tcpl.org.
Thank you,
Susan Currie, Library Director

Comment: I would like to be able to check out a book for a month - not every book, just an occasional very long one
Response: Thank you for asking about different loan periods. We do allow a book loan to be renewed as long as it has not been requested by another reader. That gives another 3 weeks and you can even renew online. While we are a little limited by our automated system in loan limits, we do review loan periods and try to set them as liberally as possible to meet demand. Please feel free to contact me directly to talk more. We love hearing from our patrons and thank you,
Susan Currie, Library Director

Comment: The video display next to the circulation desk does too fast. I always miss something and end up standing there waiting for it to come around again.
Response: We appreciate your observation and will inform the staff who monitor the slide show. This slide show also appears on the monitors at the reference desks. Librarians at the reference desk can provide additional information for you.

Comment: It is hard to express in one note how much I appreciate the library. It has always been a source of comfort to know you are here in this location and how it serves my needs as an aging adult. I find the service desk in the rear or the building is very helpful in many ways.
Response: Thank you for those kind words. We are very pleased to provide these services for you and hope that you will continue to enjoy using the library.

Patron Comments - September & October 2010

Comment: A poster of the top 100 books fiction and non-fiction
Response: We do appreciate your suggestion. There are many lists of the top 100 works of fiction and nonfiction. Our adult services librarians would be very happy to provide you with some of these lists.

Comment: Please stop charging for book holds.
Response: Thank you for your concern. Currently holds provide significant revenue and in a tough budget year this is difficult to remove the fee. That being said, we are reviewing the hold fee and looking at our options to see how we can eliminate this charge in the future.

Comment: Very nice exhibit of mobiles, but no sign telling us who the artist is.
Response: Thank you. Physics Professor Werner Sun is responsible for the wonderful mobiles.

Comment: Twice I have experience a wifi signal turned off 15-20 minutes before the library closes.
Response: The wifi signal is scheduled to turn off 10:00 pm. We have forwarded your comments to our computer technicians to check on the time table.

Comment: There are not enough internet computers in the teen section. My daughter waited nearly an hour by which time our one hour parting in the garage was nearly up. Perhaps you could combine the teen and adult sections.
Response: We are sorry that your daughter had to wait to use the internet computers. Reference librarians in youth services and adult reference are very willing to work with students to find the information they need and may have been able to direct your daughter to the database computers as well as the internet. Youth services have 4 internet terminals in addition to the 2 teen computers. Your daughter may use the adult internet computers if she is over 14.

Patron Comments - August 2010

Comment: Thank you for calling me about my headset. Very nice to know that people like that are still around.
Response: You’re welcome.

Comment: Thank you for the directions. We appreciate it.
Response: You’re welcome. We enjoy helping.

Comment: I have gone to 2 libraries trying to get help downloading books. I was told that help is available Tuesday or Thursday evening. Please make this process less painful.
Response: Thank you for your comments. Librarians at our reference desk can help you in person with your questions all the hours we are open. At times downloading books can be problematic and we have informed the vendor of these problems. Nevertheless we are always willing to work with you to assist you with your questions. The reference desk has a direct line at 272-4556, come in person, email us from our website tcpl.org , or use our 24/7 chat reference.

Comment: I saw your security guard handle a very noisy woman with remarkable tact. She was screaming at him that she would get him fired. I and others around me felt he handled it very well.
Response: Thank you for those words of support. Our security guards work very hard to treat each situation with sensitivity while enforcing the library rules.

Comment: Fantastic ceramic display in the cases. By high schoolers? Very talented!
Response: Thank you. We live in a very creative and talented community.

Comment: I love the public library.
Response: Music to our ears!