Suggestion or comment:
On Friday October 7, 2011 at 5 P.M. I went down to the Children's Collection to check out books. Obviously I figured this part of the library would remain open until 6:00 P.M. as stated on the TWU website and as I have been told in the front desk on the first floor. However, 15 minutes before 6:00 PM, as I searched for books in the back of the Collection area, I was surprised to find myself in pitch black when the lights were turned off with no warning. Not only did I have to stop looking for books, I had to find my way out of the place nearly tripping over things in my way and smacking into book carts. As I left I saw the person in the office packing up and leaving, STILL 15 minutes until the "supposed" closing time. I didn't even get as much as a "have a good evening" after being left in the dark in the back of the Children's collection. Needless to say I am very upset and while I would hate to call this sexual discrimination, I will leave that up for you to decide. If I encounter this situation again I promise I will not be writing a complaint, but filing something else.
Response:
I am very sorry you had an unpleasant experience at the TWU library. You are correct that the Children’s Collection is scheduled to close at 6pm on Fridays. When this collection is closed, patrons may request services such as book retrieval and research support from the 1st floor Reference and Circulation Desks.
It is my understanding that the student assistant working at the Children’s Collection desk on Friday evening thought everyone was already out of the collection when she turned the lights off. She simply did see you or hear you call out to her. Preparations for closing do start a few minutes before 6pm, but we have made a change in the closing process and the lights will not be turned off until a staff member actually walks through the stacks area. There was an unusually large number of carts spread throughout the collection on Friday due to a book shifting project to make shelf space for new books. These carts have been removed.
Connie
Connie Maxwell
TWU Libraries
cmaxwell@twu.edu
