FAQs on the New Library

With the new library opened, some students may take time to ponder questions about the new library, like questions relating to the ASRS or why we needed a new library to begin with. Within this post, we'll write out some questions we've asked ourselves and with some research we'll answer them as well.

Why did we need to build a new library? The collection had begun to outgrow the old libraries facilies. So the construction of the new library was a toss up between constructing a new library all together or refurbishing the old library. With the costs added up it ended up being easier to construct a new library all together.

With the ASRS up and running, will I still be able to browse through books?Of course you can! About 80% of the libaries collections are stored in the collection facilies to be carried out by the ASRS but the remaining 20% remain on the floor for students to browse, so if you're on of those students who manage to find great material just by browsing through collections then there's no need to fret!

What will happen to the old library?Currently there are no plans concerning the old library, meaning uncertainty about its future here at Macquarie University.

These are a few of the most commonly asked questions that students may think about, but if you'd like to view more FAQs you can check more out at the Macquarie University Library's website.

Library After Hours Study Area

The library closes at 10pm and your not done with your studies......
You need that extra few more hours to finish off an assignment....
You need a QUIET studying environment....

Well, head towards C5C, which is located in between the new library and the old library. MQ university has opened an after hours study area forstudents who need that extra few hours with their books. The after hours study area are opened Mon-Sun til 2AM!!!!

The three rooms to be used for After Hours study on each night are:

• C5C 236 (capacity 36)
• C5C 238 (capacity 30)
• C5C 240 (capacity 30)

After hours opening hours: During class teaching and mid year breaks
(21 February to 03 June 2011, 27 June to 11 November 2011)

• Mondays 10pm to 2am
• Tuesdays 10pm to 2am
• Wednesday 10pm to 2am
• Thursday 10pm to 2am
• Friday 10pm to 2am
• Saturday 6pm to 2am
• Sundays 6pm to 2am

Special arrangement for examination periods (4 June to 26 June, 12 November to 2 December 2011) 

• Mondays 10pm to 2am
• Tuesdays 10pm to 2am
• Wednesday 10pm to 2am
• Thursday 10pm to 2am
• Friday 10pm to 2am
• Saturday 6pm to 2am
• Sunday 6pm to 2am

The room to be used for After Hours Study on each night is:

• W5A T1 (Theatre 1) (quiet study room, no discussion)

Who can access these after hour study facilities:

• Only MQ university students are permitted to access these study facilities and any one who is unable to provide a "MQ university student card" when requested by security, will be asked to leave the facility.

SO REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR STUDENT ID OR YOU'LL BE CUTTING YOUR NIGHT SHORT

UCSD GEISEL LIBRARY

The Geisel Library is on the campus of the University of California at San Diego and is open to non-students. It is widely recognised as one of best libraries in the world. Being located so close Hollywood, numerous television shows and movies have used the location as a backdrop for several scenes. The library was named after Theodore Geisel, better known as his nickname, Dr. Seuss. The library was designed by architect William L. Pareira in the late 1960’s.

Height: Eight levels rising 34m above the ground.

Width: The building's widest point is 76m at ground level. The widest floor above the ground is the sixth level which is 64m.

Cost: Total project, including construction, architect, furniture, equipment and administration -- $5,400,000. Construction cost alone -- $4,400,000.

Old Library VS NEW Library

At first, when it was announced that the old library was going to stop operating when the new library had opened doors, students thought that it was a ridiculous idea. Everyone began to question, "Why not have two library's and have double the number of seats, tables, computers and space?"

My comparison here highlights the qualities of the old library with the new library, showing that our new library can alone meet the students needs.

OLD LIBRARY

• Seats-                                   1100
• Fixed computers-                  90
• Power outlets-                       NOT MANY
• Wireless access points-         15
• HDR/postgrad seats-            22
• Presentation practice pods-   1
• Collection capacity-              1 million

NEW LIBRARY

• Seats-                                   2500+ !
• Fixed computers-                  200+ !
• Power outlets-                       2250 !
• Wireless access points-         70 !
• HDR/postgrad seats-            300 !
• Presentation practice pods-   16 !
• Collection capacity-              2.3 million !

Presentation Practice Pods

Did you ever get the feeling that the 1 presentation practice pod that the old library had on level 1, was just not enough?
Well, thanks to the new library, students who are working on group assignments and presentations, now have access to 16 Presentation Practice pods which are located downstairs on level 1.

The presentation practice pods have a variety of facilities such as:

• Interactive whiteboards- connect up your mobile device or laptop to work on group assignments.
• TV screens- connect with your laptop and project your desktop onto the screen so your whole group can view what your viewing.
• Lectern- These are the same lecterns which are used in the lecture theatres. Students are able to use this facility to practice group presentations.
• Frosted glass walls- The walls in the pods can be written using white board markers. If by chance you have a whiteboard wiper, feel free to write and wipe as many times as you like

As an extra, there are Print hubs available on each level for USB printing. With all these facilities placed together, students are able to accomplish their group assignments and presentations with ease.

Overcoming Space issues experience by Numerous Universities

One of the primary features of the new library is the autmated storage and retrieval system which allows university to keep its collection on site by putting 80 per cent of its stack in a compressed space. This features is crucial in comparison to other University, who are coming to grips with the limits of shelf space.

The University of Sydney and the University of NSW are cutting back on hard copies, either by discarding duplicates or moving titles into off-site storage. Since the removal process was introduced, librarians have discovered countless numbers of rare books such as an 1892 copy of The Story of a Puppet or the Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Earlier this year, Students and Librarians protested on Facebook against their planned renovation of the Fisher library. They borrowed 1100 books in a single hour to save them from storage, which included a book that was not borrowed since 1979.

The University of Oxford faced opposition when it ran out of shelves at the centuries-old Bodleian Librarry and trucked books to an industrial estate on the outskirts of Swindon, 45km away. When the Ernest S. Bird Library, at Syracuse University in the US, tried to move books 400km away, staff and students ran the "free Bird" campaign to prevent this from occuring.

Environmentally Sustainable Design

The new library is all about conserving energy, with lots of naturally lighted areas and with a design to promote reduced power consumption - the new library is all about saving energy and promoting e-friendly techniques.

Some key sustainability principles to be considered in the concept design:

• maximise building and siting orientation opportunities
• appropriate solar access
• exploit natural ventilation and lighting opportunities
• design integration of sustainable systems
• appropriate material selection
• renewable in lieu of finite resources
• design to promote reduced power consumption
• alternative and low impact power sources

The new library will stand there for many years so there has be careful consideration into furniture, fixtures and all the liking that they will be able to be there for a number of years and are sufficient enough to last the time.