Health Sciences Library - book drop

Dinkie

hi,

Can anyone tell me if there is a book drop thingy outside the health sciences library. I have books due back today and while I have the books I forgot my library card to get in.

I find the staff there a little intimidating so was hoping there would be a book drop box rather then asking them to let me in.

I don't live in Dublin so was hoping to get them back today.

Thanks

IrishKnight

If I remember rightly there is one beside the services desk...

delta_bravo

There is one but for some stupid reason it is locked while the library is open.

Ado86

Because library staff are too lazy to service both the desk and retrieve books from a box thats a few metres away from their comfy chair! Just go even though you dont have your library card, they'll oblige you.

parker kent

Ado86 wrote: »

Because library staff are too lazy to service both the desk and retrieve books from a box thats a few metres away from their comfy chair! Just go even though you dont have your library card, they'll oblige you.

Well when the place is open is it really that big of a deal to walk the extra few feet? You only have to do it once, they would be doing it all day long, back and forth. It can get very annoying to constantly have to empty the box and serve people at a desk and the other myriad of tasks they have to do.

Ado86

Isn't that what they get paid to do - service the library ?

parker kent

Ado86 wrote: »

Isn't that what they get paid to do - service the library ?

If they were going to the box every 10 minutes (which they would as it is not one with an automatic sensor that returns the books like the one in the JJL) people would be complaining about queues at the desk. They have to log the books out anyway so it makes no sense to have people dropping the books back int he box during opening hours. I don't see how an extra 10 seconds walk for a student makes much of a difference.

It strikes me as being the same as the lazy attitude that has people making a mess and saying "what are the cleaners for?".

delta_bravo

parker kent wrote: »

If they were going to the box every 10 minutes (which they would as it is not one with an automatic sensor that returns the books like the one in the JJL) people would be complaining about queues at the desk. They have to log the books out anyway so it makes no sense to have people dropping the books back int he box during opening hours. I don't see how an extra 10 seconds walk for a student makes much of a difference.

It strikes me as being the same as the lazy attitude that has people making a mess and saying "what are the cleaners for?".

In the JJL the drop box at the main recption desk which you dont need a card to use is emptied either every 2 or 4 hours. Students are informed not to return books for this box if the due date is soon. Only the short loan drop box is automatic. I cant imagine how much strain it would be on the library for one person to leave the desk unattended for 2 minutes and empty the box.

parker kent

delta_bravo wrote: »

In the JJL the drop box at the main recption desk which you dont need a card to use is emptied either every 2 or 4 hours. Students are informed not to return books for this box if the due date is soon. Only the short loan drop box is automatic. I cant imagine how much strain it would be on the library for one person to leave the desk unattended for 2 minutes and empty the box.

I'm well aware of the JJL setup. The big difference is that in the main library, there are scanners inside the box that automatically return the books whereas this does not happen in health sciences or in Smurfit. That is why in the JJL you can only enter one book at a time.

So they would have to empty the boxes very regularly to prevent people having books registered as being returned late. I don't see the problem with walking to the desk. They are not going to take your eye out or anything.

delta_bravo

parker kent wrote: »

I'm well aware of the JJL setup. The big difference is that in the main library, there are scanners inside the box that automatically return the books whereas this does not happen in health sciences or in Smurfit. That is why in the JJL you can only enter one book at a time.
.

Thats not the case at all. The drop boxes where the library "security" people sit and watch the cctv are not automatic and you can shove as many books as it can fit at one time.

parker kent

delta_bravo wrote: »

Thats not the case at all. The drop boxes where the library "security" people sit and watch the cctv are not automatic and you can shove as many books as it can fit at one time.

Well I confused that box with the short loan one. I thought I had read a sign beside it saying to only enter one book at a time.

Anyway there are far and away more staff in the JJL compared to the other libraries. But anyway the "they are there to serve" attitude is incredibly annoying.

Dinkie

Thanks for your help, but I decided to wait until tomorrow. The fine is the same as the price of the short term car parking (about E5 an hour)....