July 2009 Archives

The answer is no and yes. Here's an explanation. It is the mission of Temple University to serve the community. Since the Library supports the mission of the University, we serve the community as part of our mission as well. To do this we allow members of the public to use our Libraries, although those who do not have a Temple ID must show photo identification to enter the building and must sign in with the door guard. Also, because the Library is a government document depository, we are also required to be open to the general public.

However, the computers in all the Temple Libraries are not generally available to the public. You may have noticed that virtually all of our computers require a Temple network account to access anything more than the Library online catalog. But given our mission to serve the public we do make available a limited number of computers for members of the general public. For fall 2009 the public use computers will be located in Tuttleman opposite the Circulation Desk. To use a computer a member of the public (no currently valid Temple ID) must register in advance at the Circulation Desk, and if approved will receive a unique code to logon to the designated public use computers.

So the anwer is yes, but in a rather limited capacity. We believe there are sufficient computers in the Libraries - along with laptops that can be borrowed from the Circulation Desk - to accommodate Temple University students. But let us know if you think we need to be doing a better job with our computers.

I'm sitting here using a computer and there's a group nearby that is kind of noisy and they're watching a video with loud music. I'm reluctant to ask them to stop. I don't want to get into a confrontation. What can I do to get some quiet in the library?

We want your visit to and time spent in the Paley Library to be productive and peaceful. In other words, we want you to have a good library experience - and we want you to tell others about it and come back again. So never hesitate to let us know what we - and by "we" that means any library staff member at any desk or at work in the library or someone in our administrative office on the mezzanine level - can do to make your time in the library more satisfying.

Were you in one of our quiet zones? The computer commons on the first floor west (13th Street side) is not designated for quiet study so you can expect more noise there. However, we do ask everyone to use headphones if listening to music or any type of audio. If someone is creating computer noise that is disturbing you feel free to ask a library staff member at any service desk to intervene on your behalf. There are quiet zones throughout the Paley Library. Many of the quiet zones have computers. You can also borrow a laptop or netbook computer from the Circulation Desk in Tuttleman for use anywhere in the library. Take a computer to your own quiet spot.

In the future, consider simply asking your fellow students to hold down the noise, especially if it's a quiet zone. Most students are courteous and will be glad to comply with your request. If that doesn't work or you would rather not ask, again, seek assistance from a member of the Library staff.