The staff of the Bentley Library thanks everyone who submitted comments and suggestions during 14 Days to Have Your Say! During the 14 Days period, library staff refrained from commenting in order to encourage a free and open discussion, but rest assured, every post and comment has been examined.
Now it is our turn to respond to the issues that arose most frequently and to highlight the solutions that will be implemented in the coming months. If you have questions about anything you see (or don’t see) here, don’t hesitate to contact us at library@bentley.edu.
We’re still listening! We’d like to remind you that you don’t have to wait for the next 14 Days to Have Your Say! blog to voice your opinion or make a recommendation. Contact us at library@bentley.edu or use the Contact Us link on the library’s website to send us your feedback anytime.
Avoid annoying overdue notices and fines by returning your library books and DVDs before leaving town for winter break. Now’s the time to log-in to your library account to see what you currently have checked out. Return your library items at any time using the 24-hour return box located at the main entrance of the library.
If you plan to stay in the local area and use the library during break, you may renew your items online. Log-in to your library account to request book and DVD renewals. Most items can be renewed one time – books for 4 weeks and DVDs for 7 days.
Contact Library Services at 781.891.2168 or libraryservices@bentley.edu if you have questions about your checked-out items or need renewal assistance.
Thank you to the Bentley community for contributing so many thoughtful comments and suggestions to the 14 Days to Have Your Say! blog.
Between October 29th and November 11th we recorded 4,728 blog views and logged 113 posts and 73 comments. You gave us much to consider, and in the coming weeks we will be reviewing what everyone had to say. The library will post a response on the 14 Days to Have Your Say! blog site as soon as we can.
The blog is now closed, but you can always send your comments, suggestions and feedback to the Bentley Library at library@bentley.edu. Thank you!
Spread the word…today is the final day of 14 Days to Have Your Say!
The Bentley Library’s 14 Days to Have Your Say! blog ENDS TODAY – Tuesday, November 11, 2014. Please, visit the 14 Days blog to see what people are talking about and to add your voice to the conversation!
14 Days to Have Your Say!
Wednesday, October 29 – Tuesday, November 11
The Bentley Library is pleased to announce the launch of the fourth 14 Days to Have Your Say!project. This limited-life blog is an open forum for the Bentley community – an opportunity to post your comments, suggestions, criticisms and compliments, as well as to see what others are saying about the library.
The past three installments of 14 Days to Have Your Say! (2008, 2010 and 2012) were very successful, and the library has made many changes to our services, policies and resources as a result of the thoughtful feedback received through the blog. For example, based on past 14 Days feedback, the library has:
increased normal operating hours and exam period hours
adjusted borrowing policies to allow better/longer access to our DVD collection
improved the features and functionality of the group study room reservation system
improved the physical facilities by upgrading lighting, installing extra recycling receptacles, adding more study carrels, better signage, etc.
worked to combat the problem of noise in the library by installing cell phone booths and adding an anonymous Help Keep the Library Quiet chat widget
responded to student requests for access to coffee outside of the cafe’s hours by installing a coffee vending machine
installed new equipment and technology – including “quick print/lookup” stations, color printers, and scanners – and increased the number of black & white printers to reduce wait times and lines
We hope that this installment is just as popular and fruitful. So, don’t be shy, tell us what’s on your mind! We want you to feel comfortable posting publicly, so your name will not be made public on the blog.
Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read, is taking place this week, September 21 – 27, 2014. During Banned Books Week, librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, authors, teachers and readers work together to draw attention to the freedom to seek and express ideas. You can follow this national conversation by liking the Banned Books Week page on Facebook, following the #bannedbooksweek hashtag on Twitter, and watching the celebrity Virtual Read-Out videos on the Banned Books Week YouTube Channel.
In 2013, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) logged 307 book challenges. You can find specific details about some of those challenges in this document: 2013-2014 Books Challenged or Banned. Last year, challenges were made against classics such as Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man, as well as contemporary bestsellers such as John Green’s Looking for Alaska. In one instance, a history textbook was challenged in a Florida county, and protesters went so far as to recommend that student volunteers tear a chapter out of the textbook.
It’s National Library Card Sign-Up Month! Each September, the American Library Association campaigns to remind folks to sign up for a library card at their local public library. Fortunately for Falcons, your Bentley ID is your Bentley Library card!
During First Week, the Bentley Library welcomed all new Falcons with “Passport to the Library,” a self-guided open house/tour of key Library resources. Those who participated got those much-sought-after Bentley Library lanyards. If you’d like to get your very own Bentley lanyard, here’s your chance:
TWITTER: Follow @BentleyLibrary and tweet us a photo of your favorite library study spot or a #shelfie in the library and use the hashtag #BentleyLibrary.
INSTAGRAM: Follow @BentleyLibrary and tag us in your library #shelfie or favorite study spot pic. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #BentleyLibrary.
Once you’ve posted your photo to Twitter or Instagram, stop by the Library Services desk, show a staff member your photo, and we’ll give you a free lanyard (while supplies last).
Look, it’s a #bentleylibrary #falcon #shelfie! Tweet or Instagram your #shelfie or a picture of your favorite library study spot to get a lanyard for your Bentley ID. Don’t forget to tag #bentleylibrary!
Since it’s National Library Card Sign-Up month, we encourage you to visit the Waltham Public Library, where all current Waltham college students are eligible for a free library card. This card includes access to their Museum Pass Program and a plethora of resources from the Minuteman Library Network. The WPL will be celebrating its 150th anniversary next year.
If you prefer digital to print, all current Massachusetts residents and students are eligible for a free eCard at the legendary Boston Public Library. You can register online and gain access to their extensive online book collection (through Overdrive) and streaming content through Hoopla.
The most frequently asked questions at the library this week have been “how do I print?” (from new students) and “are these printers working?” (from returning students). Just before fall classes started, Bentley’s IT Client Services made an important change to the campus printing network, affecting library computer use and printing. Users who wish to print from a library computer are now required to login to the computer using their full Bentley email address and network password. To release a print job, users must swipe their Bentley ID at the printer.
Details about the network printing changes were provided in an email sent by the Help Desk to all students on Tuesday, September 2nd (copied below):
Dear Students,
Welcome back to Bentley.
Over the summer there has been a change to the network printing stations located in the Library and the Student Center. The keyboards have been removed and you will now swipe your ID only to view and print your jobs.
The network printing queues are named “Falcon” (black and white) and “Falcon Color”. As a reminder, print jobs remain in the queue for 48 hours only. After that time, they are deleted.
If you plan to print from the Library computers, you will need to login to the Library computer using your full Bentley email address and your network password. The username, “.\classuser”, is no longer a valid login to the Library computers.
As a recap, printing from the network printers in the Library and the Student Center will now be done by swiping your ID card.
When using a Library computer, you will need to use your network credentials (Bentley e-mail and password) to login and use the computers. The username “.\classuser” is no longer available.
Please contact the HelpDesk at the contact information below if you have any questions.
Best wishes for a successful semester.
IT Client Services Help Desk
Library Lower Level
Faculty Staff Help Desk – 781-891-2854
Student Help Desk – 781-891-3122
Email: helpdesk@bentley.edu
If you need help using the library computers or printers, please visit either the Library Services Desk or the Reference Desk.
