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Photo by Richie Frohlichstein

Although wireless Internet upgrades at Lauinger Library were expected to take effect by the spring semester, the installation of the new network remains incomplete, just one of several library services with which students and Lauinger employees have expressed frustration.

Electrical outlets, lighting, study space and online services have been characterized as inadequate as the university looks to upgrade its aging library facility.

While University Information Services recently began work to improve wireless access on the second floor of Lauinger last month, students say that wireless Internet access remains spotty.

Scott Rossow (GRD ’09) described the problem of locating and keeping a wireless signal on his laptop as “interminable.”
University Librarian Artemis Kirk said that more wireless improvements are on the way.

“University Information Systems is working with us on improved wireless access and they expect to complete a major renovation project soon,” she said. “Some people have already noticed improvement in their access.”

In addition to Internet access, students looking to plug in their laptops for general use have encountered a slew of broken outlets.
Currently, 16 of the 72 electrical outlets in the only section of cubicles on the fourth floor with individual outlet access do not work, accounting for one whole row.

“Some of the cubes don’t have power at all on the fourth floor,” Emily Kolodner (MSB ’08) said.

Kirk said that the library’s administration recognizes the shortcomings with the library’s outlets.

“We have installed a number of power outlets on the seating floors of the library. They are still not completely adequate, and we know that the electrical capacity of the library is limited,” she said.
She said that students have frequently complained about inadequate lighting in the library. “The lighting can’t be fixed without a complete overhaul, but we have purchased lamps that can be checked out from the circulation desk and used anywhere in the library,” Kirk said.

Electrical difficulties are just part of the problem for the 38-year old structure that has seen an increase in the student body over the years.

Melissa Bell (MSB ’11) said that lack of space deters her from studying in Lauinger.

“During finals, it was really crowded,” she said. “I tried to stay in my room or Leavey as much as possible.”

Monica Munn (SFS ’09) said that finding a space at a table with access to outlets can be a challenge.

“If you want to do group work, it’s difficult,” she said.

According to Kirk, the space constraint poses a challenge that the administration has tried to address more creatively.

“It’s not ideal, but in the middle of each semester through the end of exams, we arrange to have six classrooms opened in Healy Hall for late night study,” she said. “Thanks to willing student workers, the registrar’s office, and the officers in [the Department of Public Safety], we have been able to provide group, quiet and silent study spaces to augment Lauinger.”

The Lauinger Web site offers an apology for ongoing technological upgrades of the GEORGE catalog. “We are currently upgrading our library systems,” it says. “Some of the screens in the GEORGE catalog may not display correctly during this time. Please bear with us as we address these issues.”

According to Craig Sallinger, an access and technical services specialist at Lauinger, these improvements should cause minimal inconvenience.

“They are tweaking how it looks when you check out a book online and what you are able to do there. It should not affect the actual process of checking out a book,” he said.

Still, Nancy Lucchese, who works at the reference desk on the third floor, defended Lauinger as one of the best libraries she has worked at, but still acknowledged its inadequacies. She said she must frequently respond to student complaints about the slowness of the printers just a few yards from her desk. Students working on any of the computers on the floor can send files to print on one of two printers, and often four or five students will gather around one backed-up printer, she said.

“We have tons of printing problems,” Lucchese said. “They take a lot of wear and tear, and they break down.”

Georgetown is also a member of the Association of Research Libraries, a non-profit organization of research libraries. The association makes annual assessments of member institutions based on collections, expenditures, staffing and service activities. In the most recent ranking, out of the 113 libraries surveyed, Georgetown ranked 46th, Kirk said.

Yet for some, including Rachel Cohen (COL ’09), the library’s electronic offerings are not adequate for students studying government. Cohen said that Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call are “must-reads” for those interested in government, especially interns on Capitol Hill.

“Though Lauinger receives paper copies of these publications, this is an inconvenient and frankly unrealistic way to offer students access to these resources,” she said. Cohen started a Facebook group called “Get Lauinger Out of the Stone Age — SUBSCRIBE TO CQ AND ROLL CALL!,” which currently has 17 members.

“Though a number of students have petitioned Lauinger to add online subscriptions to CQ and Roll Call, and though I have left messages with the appropriate bibliographers, I have heard no response,” she said.

Lucchese said that she finds Lauinger’s services, including its electronic databases, such as LexisNexis and JSTOR, impressive, although she said that relatively few students take advantage of the databases.

“Maybe they take it for granted or don’t see the value of it,” she said.