Spectrum - Volume 19 Issue 07 October 10, 1996 - Library recall response concerns CGSP

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Library recall response concerns CGSP

By Susan Trulove

Spectrum Volume 19 Issue 07 - October 10, 1996

Students and faculty members expressed frustration with library users who do not respond to recall requests. The comments were offered during the October 2 meeting of the Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies (CGSP).

When Eileen Hitchingham, library dean, reported that the library committee was discussing allowing faculty members only one renewal without bringing materials back to the library-which would mean having material out for six months instead of a year-Joel Donahue commented, "The biggest problem I have as a graduate student is recall. If recalls were effective, the loan period wouldn't be a problem."

Hitchingham said borrowers are barred from additional loans if they ignore recalls, "but that affects different people in different ways."

Asked if it happens often, Donahue said it did. "There's been material I've never received."

Graduate student representative Janet Wojcik said she'd heard similar concerns from other graduate students.

A faculty member on the CGSP said that at another institution, "if the material were checked out by another person in my department, the library would tell me who had it. Often, all I had to do was go down the hall and look at the material." Donahue agreed that would be helpful.

Hitchingham said there were issues of privacy, and a CGSP member said there are also issues of shared resources.

Hans Rott suggested the recall slip could ask for permission to tell the other person who has the material. Hitchingham said she was comfortable with that.

Hitchingham also reported the Library Committee is considering a serials review "in anticipation of a $1-million shortfall." Salary savings covered any shortfall this year, but next year there will be a shortfall due to increased costs.

In other business, the commission heard a report on the self-study process, made assignments to subcommittees, and established an ad hoc committee to set up the process for university review of graduate programs.

Topics for future meetings will be information sessions on the graduate institution clientele and on state support of graduate tuition.