Western Libraries' Comments Page

Suggestion: Everyday I come into the library to print things off because I do not have a printer. And everyday I have trouble finding a computer to do this because everyone is on Facebook or Myspace. I always have to use one of the labs because the computers near the sky bridge are full and the others behind the desk are also full, sometimes with as many as ten computers being used to look at Facebook. This is UNACCEPTABLE. I have been late to class numerous times because I have to wait for a computer, while other people are surfing You Tube or on Facebook. These sites have nothing to do with school and the people who surf these sites on school computers are blocking other students from doing school related work. Home computers are for home things, like wasting time on the internet. School computers are there for SCHOOL work. You don't see me checking my Facebook on campus, I do that at home. The little signs you've posted are NOT working, this happens to me EVERYDAY five days a week. You need to BLOCK these sites because the use of them is affecting my education. I do not pay thousands of dollars a quarter to stand and wait for someone to stop Facebooking so I can print something off for class. I am very dissapointed.

Our Response: I am sorry you are so frustrated. My suggestion is to visit the Reference and Information Desk on Haggard 2. If all computers are in use and other students are waiting, you can ask them to make an announcement stating the computers are to be used for research and school related purposes. The staff at the desk can also tell you where there are current open computers.

Blocking sites is not something we as a library feel we can really do. As the nature of web use continues to evolve, especially in the area of social computing, the lines between personal use and research become blurred. For example, we know students multitask and use personal email as a way to move research related documents between computers and accounts. We also know YouTube videos can be used in research and there are more and more Facebook applications being created all the time. I'm not saying this is what you are seeing, I am just pointing out some reasons why we can't block these sites.

I sincerely hope this helps. If not, please feel free to contact the library administration office for further assistance. Also, please leave your contact information when submitting a post if you would like us to get back to you.