Responses to Suggestions - January 2008
Please refer also to Frequently Asked Questions or Responses to Suggestions
COMMENT RECEIVED 01-27-2008
The new printing system in the Morgan Library that many students are forced to use, because many course reserve materials are in formats that can not be printed on older home computers is unacceptable. First it is highly inefficient given the level of technology today for the vendor who provides this service to introduce yet another "white" card that students are now going to have to carry and maintain. We know this is not technically necessary because money credit was just last semester placed on student ID cards. And apparently this same vendor requires yet another "gold" card for other services at the university.
I pay over $4000 per semester out of pocket to go to this university and this is an insult. This vendor should be fired and one found who is smart enough to make his machines compatible with the student ID. If the problem is with the university's inability or lack of desire to have money credit on the ID card then they are at fault and the policy and! or technical system should be changed to suit the convenience of the citizen taxpaying customer students. Finally the increase in cost to 15 cents per copy is unacceptable. The university should shop around for a lower price or better yet tell all professors to provide all ER course material in DOC files so students don't have to deal with this needlessly complicated system. Again given the level of technology available now there is no excuse for this situation.
Finally on a philosophical note just because there is a needless proliferation of cards that customers are required to carry for every grocery store and business in the rest of the society does not make it correct to extend this needless consumption into our university, a place of learning. A university should serve as an example to students of how the world should be and not capitulate to obvious stupidity.
RESPONSE:
The new card system has been implemented by CopyRite to solve a number of vending card coding problems that existed last semester. The new card allows library users to again both print and photocopy materials while in the library. We will forward your comments to CopyRite.
Many of the instructors that post materials on the current Electronic Reserve system submit print articles and book chapters. It is necessary for the Library to scan the articles. We have found that the PDF format offers the best image resolution and Adobe offers a free viewer that functions with multiple operating systems.
Tom Moothart
Coordinator of Onsite Services
Colorado State University Libraries
970-491-1875
All responses by Tom Moothart, Coordinator, Onsite Services, unless otherwise noted.