Imperial will leave Uni of London

[scalyboy]

Well, there's security gates.

But in fact book theft is one of those problems that library managements don't really want to hear about.

YES. I used to work in one, theft was an ongoing problem. On one occasion a user set the alarm off and, on further investigation, admitted he was trying to steal the book. What happened to him? F-- all.

I couldn't undertand it, if I went into a Tesco's, got caught nicking a bottle of scotch and some smoked salmon sarnies I would expect to be banned for life and/or to be prosecuted. Why are libraries any different? In fact its worse, cos the thief is depriving other users of a book which may be out of print or otherwise irreplaceable.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

The problem is that the library is (and has to be) under the control of the univesity rather than an independent institution: so it's not in control of who gets admitted to its premises and on what terms. So what sanctions actually exist against book theft and other transgressions of library rules depend on what action the university thinks it necessary to take. Very often it'll just wash its hands of the responsibility, which means that the library has the responsbility to take care of security (both in terms of theft and in terms of access) and excess noise and other student behaviour issues: but it won't have any power to enforce its own regulations.

In turn, the senior library managers pass those responsibilities down the batting order and in turn refuse to provide any back-up to librarians who actually have to implement them: the result is some very frustrated and angry librarians.

You wouldn't believe the problems I had, for instance, just trying to invoice people for books they'd borrowed and not returned: nobody else gave a stuff and prepferred to act as if trying to recover the costs of missing stock was a completely superfluous activity rather than something absolutely necessary.

 

[_angel_]

In turn, the senior library managers pass those responsibilities down the batting order and in turn refuse to provide any back-up to librarians who actually have to implement them: the result is some very frustrated and angry librarians.

eeek like the scary one that chased me out the local library to inform me of my £26 fine over a trashy £3.50 novel that I didn't even finish reading


Don't mess with librarians folks!

 

[scalyboy]

In turn, the senior library managers pass those responsibilities down the batting order and in turn refuse to provide any back-up to librarians who actually have to implement them: the result is some very frustrated and angry librarians.

Sounds familiar. In the end I gave up bothering to tell users to stop making noise, eating, drinking etc (unless they were taking the piss by doing it right in front of me) - why should I bother, I thought, cos nothing happens to them anyway. I used to just say "excuse me can you put your KFC out of sight cos its against regulations to eat in here". But why try and enforce rules that management weren't prepared to enforce?

I heard a rumour that no-one was ever banned, because, as students they had a 'right' to access the library, particularly in final year. Even if they had been caught nicking the stock!

 

[Skimix]

I'm not sure what that means. The Business School is Imperial's Big Thing at the moment.

Yeah, and the fees they charge are quite frankly eye-watering so cant imagine imperial would be keen to let them go. Can't remember what exactly I read, something about the business school wanted more independence.

 

[Pickman's model]

I read somewhere that the business school is distancing itself from imperial as well...no idea what will happen though

d'you mean london business school?

 

[Bob_the_lost]

would you work the graveyard shift in a 24 hour library? cos i fucking wouldn't.

IC's library is open 24/7 during the summer, although i think the only staff on call are the security guards.

 

[Skimix]

d'you mean london business school?

No, Tanaka at Imperial

 

[Pickman's model]

No, Tanaka at Imperial

one person?

 

[Skimix]

one person?

Lol...tanaka business school as you know very well ;-)

 

[Pickman's model]

never heard of it.

is it a new addition to south ken science poly?

 

[golightly]

Formal education and leftist thoughts can and have gone in hand quite nicely.
Chomsky went to harvard and yet is clearly a left activist and social commentator and very down to earth. (ive never met him, from interviews from a a mixed political groups, he appears that way)
W.E.B. DuBois , well known as a African American civil rights activist. he went to harvard.
Richard stallman , free software creature who went to harvard.
Scientist who contribute to the human cause, many of them went to university.
I could list many many more.
Universities are owned by captilist pigs, that i won't argue, but what happens to the culture of the unversity and the students after they leave takes a diffrent turn.

No question. My beef wasn't about University education. I'm more concerned about people developing an elitist attitude.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Sounds familiar. In the end I gave up bothering to tell users to stop making noise, eating, drinking etc (unless they were taking the piss by doing it right in front of me) - why should I bother, I thought, cos nothing happens to them anyway. I used to just say "excuse me can you put your KFC out of sight cos its against regulations to eat in here". But why try and enforce rules that management weren't prepared to enforce?

I heard a rumour that no-one was ever banned, because, as students they had a 'right' to access the library, particularly in final year. Even if they had been caught nicking the stock!

Events of this kind were pretty central to my resignation, as it happens.

 

[scalyboy]

Events of this kind were pretty central to my resignation, as it happens.

Ah, tell more! And did you explain where they were going wrong in an 'exit interview'?

 

[Brainaddict]

A familar trajectory.

As I recently resigned my job at Imperial College on the grounds that I would rather live on fresh air than work for the bastards any longer, my position is that I hope they do whatever causes them the most harm.

hehe, as an ex imperial student I kind of agree - it is run by some of the most arrogant bastards in the world and needs taking down a peg or two.

 

[Lava]

This is news to me. Probably a sign that I should go in more often... or ever.
:-/

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Ah, tell more! And did you explain where they were going wrong in an 'exit interview'?

No, they don't do them.

 

[Pickman's model]

No, they don't do them.

they know what would happen.