Feedback | Dana Porter Renovations | Library

Thanks for your feedback

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback on Porter's main floor.

During the renovation we made a lot of changes and added many new features to the floor, so we have appreciated hearing what you think of them.

Interested in what others have been saying?

Read all comments or view comments and our responses by topic:

Furniture
Computers and internet access
Printing
Art work
Environment
Space
Food at Browsers cafe
Funding
Time
Miscellaneous

Furniture

furniture Everyone loves the comfy chairs, but think we need more of them. Some individuals have expressed appreciation for the new ergonomic computer chairs. Others wish there were more group tables. A lot of people like the group collaboration booth and want more booths like it. See furniture comments

Our response:

When the floor opened, not all of the seating had arrived yet. We have since added 8 laptop barstools and additional comfortable seating, and we will be adding barstools to the Browsers counter shortly. We know that there could always be more seating!

We are glad that students like the group collaboration booth

We have recently got an additional group study table in place, which had been delayed for a number of reasons

Computers and internet access

computerse Everyone is happy with the additional computers and ethernet connections. Some people felt there was too much open space that could have been used to put in more computers. There were a lot of complaints about the poor wireless signal on the floor though. See computer and internet comments

Our response:

We are happy that people love the additional computers!

With regards to the “wasted space” in the lobby, this space fills up at peak traffic times. Prior to the renovation, there were display cabinets in the foyer and this area would become very congested with people waiting for the elevators and lining up for Browsers and the Circulation desk. To avoid congestion, we decided against adding more computers or seating

Internet problems have been very recently addressed in at least two ways:

by a new library proxy server

by various actions taken by the UW’s Information and Systems Technology department

Printing

Many people noted that there have been problems with the Library's printing service lately. See all printing comments

Our response:

The problems with our printing service were mostly solved around the beginning of December, by updating the print drivers. Thanks for your patience!

Art work

A handful of people have suggested that the floor needs artwork. See art comments

Our response:

Art is planned for the 5 panels across from the Graphics Copy Centre once something appropriate has been identified

Temporary display space has also been discussed for the large foyer area, and will be put in place when appropriate displays are identified. Specific suggestions are welcomed

The large portrait of Dana Porter will also be placed on the floor, as well as another piece of artwork commissioned for the university’s 50th celebration

Environment

People raised concerns about the smell of the new floor after the renovation. Many individuals were interested in learning more about "green intiatives" investigated during the renovation. See environment comments

Our response:

The “gassing off” of new carpets and furniture is normal – we are mostly through this period now

‘Green’ initiatives were investigated during planning, including: demountable walls; LED lighting; better recycling. Some of us wanted a living wall too, but this was too expensive. We are still working on some aspects such as recycling

The new colour printer is ‘eco-friendly’ in that it uses solid ink which does not require cartridges to be refilled and creates much less waste than lasers or inkjets

Space

space A lot of people said that there is too much wasted space. An equal number love the spaciousness and open concept, describing the floor as beautiful, bright, and open. See all space comments

Our response:

One of the goals of the renovation was to increase space in the public areas and to open up window views. This has been accomplished, adding a very spacious feel to the floor

During planning we went through a lot of different arrangements for using the space in the foyer but they all created traffic issues for peak times, such as when classes are turning over. We experienced this congestion prior to the renovation and in the end we concluded it would be a mistake to recreate this situation

Another benefit to this space is that it can be used for temporary exhibits in future (if exhibits can be timed not to create too many traffic problems!) It can also be used occasionally for special events that the Library hosts from time to time

Food at Browsers Cafe

Browsers cafe Everyone is happy to have Browsers back. Many think that this area could have been larger and some miss the candy bar and the barstools that were along the counter area. A couple people have commented that the food selection could be improved. See all food comments

Our response:

Staff are happy to have Browsers back too! We struggled with competing visions of how the space on the main floor should be used. Please see the input that we obtained before making a decision on the best mix of uses

Food Services removed the candy bar to accommodate an additional cooler, which will be put in place over the December holiday break

The barstools by the Browsers counter will be installed shortly

In keeping with library policy, Food Services does not offer hot foods at this location. Specific suggestions for cold foods can be directed to Food Services

Funding

Most people said that the renovation was money well spent. Some suggested that the money was "wasted" and were under the impression that funding was taken from tuition fees. See funding comments

Our response:

The majority of funding was raised through donations

None of the cost of the renovation was derived from tuition dollars

92% of Library staff donated money to the make the renovation possible

Time

Many felt that the renovation took too long and were disappointed that construction extended beyond the anticipated completion date and was not ready in time for the start of the fall term. See all time comments

Our response:

We agree that the renovation took too long! Our deadline for completion was August 15 in order to be ready for the fall term. However the renovation was delayed by 2 months mainly because of unexpected work that needed to be done to the first floor emergency exits, and to one of the third floor stairwells. For reasons of “Life Safety” (the term used by building inspectors) we could not start the main floor until the temporary entrance on the 1st floor exit had been upgraded. This was a last-minute addition to the project.

Miscellaneous

Washrooms: "Looks great but washrooms should have been added"
Our response: Washrooms were high on our list of things that we wanted to add, but as we worked through the space needs for the floor we just couldn’t find a way to fit them in. It may help to know that we considered options for moving staff off the floor in order to create more space, but the options were not workable
Colours: People both like and dislike the chosen colour scheme
Our response: The renovation team could not agree with one another on the colours either. We deferred to the architects in the end, trusting their experience and training. The debate continues!
Feature Wall: Some people don't like it.
Our response: The main feature didn’t turn out quite the way anyone was expecting. We are still discussing ideas for it.
Flooring: Some people miss the carpet.
Our response: We liked the carpets too, but they simply weren’t practical in the centre area. You may recall we installed a new piece of carpet at the entrance in May 2007 when the attendant booth came out and the security gates went in, and within a year it already looked tired. We are sorry to hear that the floor is slippery when wet. This issue was discussed in advance and these are the highest grit tiles available in this line, for that reason. We will put mats down at the entrance way to absorb as much water there as possible.
Microwaves: A few individuals suggested that the main floor should be equipped with microwaves.
Our response: Nice idea, however our food policy is that hot foods should not be in the library, as the smell can be disturbing to others.
Noise: There were some complaints about the noise level on the floor.
Our response: Noise was on our top three list of items that we paid attention to, as it has been a frequently cited concern by our users. However we recognized that the nature of the floor was going to generate some noise, and we decided that we wanted to manage it and not eliminate it. In the spirit of encouraging conversation about coursework and campus events, we wanted users to feel comfortable engaging in discussion in some areas. We have sought to manage noise by:
- Thinking of the public space as three different areas for noise: the Browsers area; the area in front of the circulation desk; and the reference collection area
- Installing high-end acoustic tiles in these three areas
- Putting up the glass wall to keep most noise out of the reference collection area
Temperature: Some people have complained that the floor is too cold
Our response: We are working to find solutions to solve this problem.
See all miscellaneous comments

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December 6, 2008

Locations • Dana Porter Renovations 2008