LRC slash pretend library

JavaSa

Personally im tired of the LRC, 3 floors and its still impossible to find a quiet spot to work on a project.

Between groups chatting with each other, others chilling out between classes, some taking time to enjoy their lunch and others sitting on the third floor mauling each other and the rest playing games.

For students like myself, who actually want to study and work on course work what are we meant to do, wear blinders, industrial ear plugs, ear phones with music so loud we cant think to block out the noise ???

Its has been brought to the attention of computer services, library services, and student services, none of them seem to give a damn and basically they all pass the blame to someone else.

I dont know about other students, but i have paid €2250 this year, im really pissed off, the college is not providing a suitable environment for students to study,

is the college going to take this into account when deciding our grades.

Meathlass

Isn't there a quiet room on the ground floor?

Artful_Badger

Bit of annoying all right. More of a recreation area than an actual library. The quiet room downstairs is nice but no good when you need a pc to work on.

So its up to the zoo to try and find a free pc that works, and a chair that hasnt been dragged over to the tables by large groups of noisy people on their lunch.

Then do your best to ignore the noise, pray the spare pc that opens up beside you isnt taken by 3-4 giggling idiots and try to get something done.

The college could at least make an effort to discourage the place being used for purposes that have a negative impact on those trying to use it for whats its for. It wouldnt take much really. An e-mail, a few signs and a walk through a couple times of day by security staff with a mind to keep noise down and stop people misusing the facilities.

entropi

I have had the same problems myself, guys, and know exactly what you are talking about. All I can suggest, is that if nothing is being done from the library staff, try contacting someone in the SU office, see if they can intervene in any way.

The college is for everyone, and we should be able to avail of the facilities in a reasonable manner.

Meathlass

I have to say I was surprised when I first arrived in the college to find there were lecture rooms in the library. All that foot traffic doesn't make it conducive to studying.

Genghiz Cohen

Maybe even get the top floor marked as a silent area.

Should free up a few computers too

NedNoodles

The LRC is a disgrace. It's a social area with some computers in it.

zeds alive

Yes it's getting beyond a joke now , I have a serious amount of projects to work on and trying to find a computer is hard enough , but then you have to deal with the massive groups of people hanging out , yesterday I counted 7 people around 1 PC looking at videos on youtube and roaring an shouting.
I did see the security guard break up a huge group at the back of the 3rd floor , I counted 22 people !!

This really needs to be addressed , but I doubt by the student union , they are totally useless.

Artful_Badger

zeds alive wrote: »

Yes it's getting beyond a joke now , I have a serious amount of projects to work on and trying to find a computer is hard enough , but then you have to deal with the massive groups of people hanging out , yesterday I counted 7 people around 1 PC looking at videos on youtube and roaring an shouting.
I did see the security guard break up a huge group at the back of the 3rd floor , I counted 22 people !!

This really needs to be addressed , but I doubt by the student union , they are totally useless.

I'm not exactly sure what the student union actually does. First week in and they were organising binge drinking sessions for freshers week. Then they organised meetings, letters and a protest about grants, soon as the grants came through it was rag week and more organised binge drinking.

Safe to say whatever their purpose its nothing to do with education. So they would probably take the opposite view of the LRC and try to keep it a social centre rather than a study facility.

Doff

Artful_Badger wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure what the student union actually does. First week in and they were organising binge drinking sessions for freshers week. Then they organised meetings, letters and a protest about grants, soon as the grants came through it was rag week and more organised binge drinking.

Safe to say whatever their purpose its nothing to do with education. So they would probably take the opposite view of the LRC and try to keep it a social centre rather than a study facility.

This is completely my view. They are useless in my opinion when it comes to things that actually matter.

Has anyone ever reported someone for noise in the Library? If so what happened?

Meathlass

Aren't student elections coming up soon? A good platform for someone to stand on.

oscillating wildely

Have any of you contacted Helena Johnson as she is suppose to be in charge of student support services.

It has been my experience that the students union are not interested in anything unless it involves a drinking session or there is a back-hander in it for them, which is also normally associated with drinking sessions. They seem to think that anything academic is beyond their remit.

Has anybody tried contacting the students union on twitter? Get it out there in the public domain and perhaps you will force them to address the issue.

zeds alive

What are the Student Union going to do? I can't see them going around the LRC telling student to act accordingly in a work area.
While we are on the subject of the Students Union , how are they funded? do they receive a portion of the fees I pay( I don't get a grant)

Meathlass

zeds alive wrote: »

What are the Student Union going to do? I can't see them going around the LRC telling student to act accordingly in a work area

No, but they could have meetings with the college and put in place procedures to deal with this sort of thing.

entropi

oscillating wildely wrote: »

Have any of you contacted Helena Johnson as she is suppose to be in charge of student support services.

Has anybody tried contacting the students union on twitter? Get it out there in the public domain and perhaps you will force them to address the issue.

These two options here sound like viable options. The first step though, is somebody actually doing this, to get the ball rolling.

Meathlass wrote: »

No, but they could have meetings with the college and put in place procedures to deal with this sort of thing.

Possibly, with some luck anyway if they are prepared to help out. They'll be canvassing for votes soon with the upcoming elections, I say try get them to earn your vote, their remit for office wont only stick to what they pledge beforehand.

Artful_Badger

Master of Nothing wrote: »

These two options here sound like viable options. The first step though, is somebody actually doing this, to get the ball rolling..

OP stated that it was brought to the attention of the computer services,library service and student services so I can only assume Helena is aware of the issue if she's head of student services. I'd imagine its something that comes up every year too with a new batch of students realising the library isnt really all they were told it was.

Hopefully enough people mentioned it on the student survey too to further highlight it to the powers that be that the environment is just woefully inadequate for study.

oscillating wildely

Somebody has to take the first step if you want something done and as I'm not a student I obviously cannot.

Contact Helena Johnson, also contact the Students Union and if possible get some form of petition together as they may view one voice as a moan but a collective obviously has more influence and indicates there is a swell of support for your proposal.

As to who funds the Students Union, it is the taxpayer and lets not forget the service that ex-Students Union chiefs are doing the country - Pat Rabbitte and Eamon Gilmore :rolleyes:

entropi

Artful_Badger wrote: »

OP stated that it was brought to the attention of the computer services,library service and student services so I can only assume Helena is aware of the issue if she's head of student services. I'd imagine its something that comes up every year too with a new batch of students realising the library isnt really all they were told it was.

Hopefully enough people mentioned it on the student survey too to further highlight it to the powers that be that the environment is just woefully inadequate for study.

True, I did read that. Maybe if more people brought it to her attention, she might be able to look in to the matter a bit more? I know they tried something last year, but it only worked for a few weeks or so.

Queenalocin

It might also be worth finding out is there a way to stop all of the secondary school students from using LRC. They all start piling into the place after Easter, take up room and make loads of noise.

patdshaker

I find that a certain section of the foreign exchange students(not the majority tbf) seem to take over the top floor running around making noise etc, perhaps they could be encouraged to use the SU or even the canteen when the SU is shut. As regards the 2nd level students, why don't the library staff stop them,when they walk in past the front desk

artanevilla

I went to DCU previously and the library in ITC is an absolute joke compared to it. I've gone in some nights and just had to leave ten minute later cause my head was melted listening to the gaggle of talking all around.

Place can be filthy as well with people leaving cup and rubbish around. I wouldn't be big against a cup of coffee or that in the library, but at least clean up after yourself.

I know DCU is a lot bigger, but they had someone walking around sorting people out who weren't doing college work or just chatting.

They also had a turnstile which you had to scan your student card with, this would stop any second level students coming in.

entropi

That turnstile thing is a good idea, I know that Trinity have that too for their libraries, and they are always quiet (and usually have someone posted out front by the turnstile making sure things will be as they should be). Would be worth submitting that idea to the student council, or student services themselves.

Meathlass

Meathlass wrote: »

Isn't there a quiet room on the ground floor?

True, but in all fairness shouldnt a library be a 'quiet room' in essence?
Although this almost politically correct term of 'KRC' perhaps gives a licence not to stay silent these times.

Meathlass wrote: »

I have to say I was surprised when I first arrived in the college to find there were lecture rooms in the library. All that foot traffic doesn't make it conducive to studying.

Thats true enough though it is mad it is probably not the biggest culprit of noise in truth but it is another potential cause. The college seem to have this obsession with keeping everything on site and therefore everything is clustered as much as possible wherever possible. Small as the site is by comparison to many other IT's/universities, there is lack of parking which really cant be remedied in the short term because there is space taken up with pitches. I mean surely they could have used one of the local clubs pitch or could have purchased land to build pitches in the past or correct me if im wrong? Perhaps with the sports courses in mind well in advance it was thought it best to keep all students on one campus if possible unlike DIT for example.
I suppose to be fair, back in 1970 when the IT was established i would doubt that initial management visualised a day where campuses would have such demands and therefore the site the IT was initially established on seemed huge with loads of room to build on

artanevilla wrote: »

I went to DCU previously and the library in ITC is an absolute joke compared to it. I've gone in some nights and just had to leave ten minute later cause my head was melted listening to the gaggle of talking all around.

Place can be filthy as well with people leaving cup and rubbish around. I wouldn't be big against a cup of coffee or that in the library, but at least clean up after yourself.

I know DCU is a lot bigger, but they had someone walking around sorting people out who weren't doing college work or just chatting.

They also had a turnstile which you had to scan your student card with, this would stop any second level students coming in.

Thank you because i said the exact same thing the other day. Im frankly amazed at the people in society who cant use a bin this day and age. Its a sheer fúcking disgusting act of pure laziness. Of course Mammy or the maid is probably looking after most of them all their life and some of them, god bless, are probably barely off the tit. :rolleyes:

entropi

Deleted User wrote: »

.

Less of this type of talk in future, your post was grand up until that point. Consider this a warning for future reference.

Master of Nothing

Master of Nothing wrote: »

Less of this type of talk in future, your post was grand up until that point. Consider this a warning for future reference.

Apologies mod i've edited my post there

Artful_Badger

Deleted User wrote: »

Thank you because i said the exact same thing the other day. Im frankly amazed at the people in society who cant use a bin this day and age. Its a sheer fúcking disgusting act of pure laziness. Of course Mammy or the maid is probably looking after most of them all their life and some of them, god bless, are probably barely off the tit. :rolleyes:

Just on this point. I think part of the problem with the rubbish is the fact that bins are not provided (or not enough of them) because eating and drinking is not permitted. But the eating and drinking is not stopped.

I see paper bins for recycling paper in the library but general waste bins arent that prominent (if they are there at all). So when you have lazy dirty people who will use any excuse not to clean up after themselves, coupled with the lack of bins t put the rubbish in, you get lots of crap left around.

Same thing in some of the computer rooms, where there are no bins. You'll always without fail find rubbish left around at the pc's.

entropi

Deleted User wrote: »

Apologies mod i've edited my post there

Thank you.

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Just on this point. I think part of the problem with the rubbish is the fact that bins are not provided (or not enough of them) because eating and drinking is not permitted. But the eating and drinking is not stopped.

I see paper bins for recycling paper in the library but general waste bins arent that prominent (if they are there at all). So when you have lazy dirty people who will use any excuse not to clean up after themselves, coupled with the lack of bins t put the rubbish in, you get lots of crap left around.

Same thing in some of the computer rooms, where there are no bins. You'll always without fail find rubbish left around at the pc's.

I'm in agreement with that myself. It seems that it steadily gets worse through the year, with the library remaining mostly clean of coffee cups etc until around Nov-Dec, then it just gets worse after the xmas break. More bins are definitely needed, and it would be nice if someone could tour the floors every while to check if people are bringing their stuff to bins or not.

The main query is, what can be done by the college to people who consistently leave their dirt all around the place and are too lazy/apathetic to clean up after themselves?

Artful_Badger

Master of Nothing wrote: »

I'm in agreement with that myself. It seems that it steadily gets worse through the year, with the library remaining mostly clean of coffee cups etc until around Nov-Dec, then it just gets worse after the xmas break. More bins are definitely needed, and it would be nice if someone could tour the floors every while to check if people are bringing their stuff to bins or not.

The main query is, what can be done by the college to people who consistently leave their dirt all around the place and are too lazy/apathetic to clean up after themselves?

I'm not sure the college can do much to anyone. I'd say all they could do is just try to encourage people not to do it and hope enough listen that it doesnt become too much of a problem.

I think if they tackled the group/social aspect of people using the library it might have a knock on effect in regards to the more dirty/lazy people. One person on his own having a coffee and a packet of crisps while doing a bit of work isnt that likely to leave the rubbish if there is a bin near by. A large group chilling out however and the chances of crap being left dramatically rises. Both in terms of the amount of rubbish they would have if they are on their lunch or whatever and the whole trying to impress their mates by acting like they dont give a shít. Without a group to show off to most people will fall in line in terms of whats expected of them when using the facilities.

So in my mind a few more bins and a crack down on the facilities being used by groups as a hang out between classes and you would turn it into a cleaner, quieter and much more study friendly place.

entropi

Definitely, it's a social thing more than anything. They do say that the tables on the 1st and 2nd floor are for group work, maybe it should be pointed out more that actual work has to be taking place? The new SU area was created for hanging out, and should be utilised more. There are so many days I've walked by it and it was almost empty!

Finding a computer these days to do actual work is becoming much harder too. On two days last week I walked around the place three times during the day and nothing was free, not even one in the classrooms. It's gonna be a nightmare coming up to exam time, it was the same last year too.

artanevilla

Tempted to go in with a dB meter to compare it with other places during the day. SU and restraunt are probably quieter.

patdshaker

artanevilla wrote: »

Tempted to go in with a dB meter to compare it with other places during the day. SU and restraunt are probably quieter.

Do because it was a disaster up on the 3rd floor yesterday