The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 17, 1980 Page: 8 of 20
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Book system 'on line'
by Allison Foil
Checking out books at Fondren
Library takes a little longer than it
used to. The new borrowing
procedure involves a lot of
xeroxing, labeling and stapling at
the circulation desk, all part of
Fondren's five- or six-year project
to convert library records to its
new computerized system.
"The reason we photocopy
bibliographical information is so
that we can enter it in the
computer," said Charles Gibson,
Library Systems Coordinator.
"This is most economical,
timewise, for both the library and
the students."
Plans to install the new
computer system began in March
of 1978 when the old system
"literally wore out," Gibson said.
Checkout was then done by hand
until October 22 of this school
year.
"Right now we've recorded all
the books checked out until
November 1," said Gibson. The
reason for the backlog is a
lack of trained library personnel."
"We are recording information
about books checked out at a rate
of 15 hours a day," said Gibson,
adding that the library is now
about 750 hours behind in
inputting.
During the first few months of
operation several problems have
cropped up, many in the area of
overdue notices. The computer is
designed to automatically bill
students for overdue books, yet
students have been receiving
bewildering notices.
Early last week, for example, a
student was surprised to find a
notice marked "final" which said
that unless some book—identified
only by numbers—was returned by
mid-December of 1979 he would
have to pay for the cost of the book
plus the fine.
Notices for December were also
mixed up because the library was
trying to change the loan period on
some books so that they would not
be due over the holidays. This
problem has been cleared up,
according to Gibson.
"Another problem we have been
having," said Gibson, "is finding
out whether a book is checked out
and who has it. That will be fixed,
though," he promised.
Of Fondren's one million books,
so far only 20,000 have been
recorded in the computer. Books
are labeled as they are checked out.
Gibson noted that while 20 percent
of the books get 80 percent of the
use in most libraries, 60 percent of
Rice's books get 80 percent of the
use. This broader use means
Fondren has more books to label.
Fondren is one of the first
academic libraries to use its
Version of the system full-time.
Gibson believes Fondren's system
is superior because it allows search
based on either author, title, call
number, subject, Library of
Congress classification number, or
series.
Installation of a similar system
at the University of Houston
Library took five years, even
though the U. of H. logging time is
two to three times faster and their
staff is much larger.
Gibson said that the reason this
system was chosen is because of its
speed in searching, its
-dependability, and its record in 150
other libraries.
Gibson and Acting Librarian
Samuel Carrington declined to
state the cost of the new system.
"We have run into a couple of
unique problems because we're
one of the first ones to use the latest
version of this system," said
Gibson. Among the problems
mentioned were: locking-off
terminals; battery bacK-up;
transmissions loss; and
temperature control problems,
mostly due to the University's
policy of energy conservation.
Despite the problems, Gibson is
optimistic about the new system.
"Our error rate now is
comparatively low compared to
what we've had in the past," he
said.
Jones College commons extension
to be completed by schools' end
Jones dig
—Wayne Derrick
by Lela L. Smith
Although "construction has
been held up waiting for a delivery
of steel," according to Jones
College Master Ronald Stebbings,
the college's new $260,000
commons addition should be
ready by the end of the school year.
The addition is in response to
common complaints that there is
not a large lounge area in Jones
and that the commons itself is too
small to accommodate all college
members on occasions such as
College Night.
"Work on the Jones College
commons extension began in
December and is targeted to finish
in May," said Russell Pitman,
manager of campus business
affairs. The proposal for the
construction was made a year ago
and was lately approved by the
Rice Board of Governors.
Stebbings said that work has
started in the middle of the year
rather than in the summer because
"we have chosen to build now to
act against inflation." The
construction work itself is really
not much of an inconvenience, he
added.
Rice professor Harry S.
Ransom is the architect for the
project, which will provide an
extra lounge area and also an
outside patio. The existing
commons, with 2,288 square feet
of floor area, will be expanded by
an additional 480 square feet by
Jones' covered walkway and 1,488
square feet on its west side.
Jones College, constructed in
19S8, has the smallest college
commons. College members
proposed that Stebbings, Pitman,
and Residential Management
Advisory Committee Chairman
Marion Hicks arrange for the
enlargement.
Akers gets manager job...
continued from page 1
the number of major adminis-
trative positions by consolidating
them.
"I think the reorganization that
Dr. Hackerman has done is the
right thing to do," said Pitman,
adding that "if it doesn't work out
he can always undo it. Bill Akers is
here and he's been around a long
time. I can turn it over to him, and
if it gets to be too much for him
then they can hire another
Business Manager; that's all there
is to it."
Pitman explained that his duties
as Business Manager are done on a
half-time basis. "You could argue
that I would have done a better job
had I worked all day, but I've only
worked half-time since 1968," he
explained.
"What (half-time) means is you
work faster on things," Pitman
continued. "Sometimes you fall
behind and sometimes you don't
have enough time to devote to a
project," he admitted. "I've found
that that's a weakness in my
working half-time, but on a whole,
I think it's' worked out pretty
good."
When asked if Akers would have
too many responsibilities by taking
Heat plagues buildings
Abnormally high temperatures
in areas of the Rice Memorial
Center for the past two weeks were
due to an equipment failure which
was fixed yesterday, according to
Physical Plant technical analyst
Athletes' tutorials closed...
continued from page I
tutors "very poor wages" in order
"to condense material" for student-
athletes. Bockeloh felt that the
tutorials do not give athletes
special advantages.
"Personally, what I get upset
about is that they have a Rice
tutorial program, but most of the
people just look and see what I'm
doing," he said.
So far this semester, Athletic
Department group tutorials have
not really been closed to non-
athletes, but it has been more
difficult than in past years for non-
athletes to find out when and
where they are given.
Less publicity is being given to
the athletic tutorials because of
cases last semester of meetings
being swamped by non-athletes
right before examinations were to
be held.
Thirteen student-athletes
attended the Mathematical
Sciences 376 tutorial "two or three
times a week for about five weeks,"
Bockeloh noted, but on the day
before a major test was to be given
41 students—most of them non-
athletes—showed up.
Bockeloh complained that these
fellow-travelers "were breaking the
continuity of study hall" by
"asking stupid and inane
questions" because they had not
attended the first five weeks of the
tutorial. "Our kids had to leave
because their time was being
wasted*" Bockeloh said.
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"I think that Mark has a point,"
responded Dr. Ken Kennedy,
chairman of the Committee on
Undergraduate Teaching, adding,
however, that "the teaching
committee is concerned" about the
disparity between the quality of
regular tutorials—when they
exist—and athlete tutorials.
Dean Brown will meet Tuesday
with the college masters and Dr.
H.C. Clark, supervisor of Rice's
general tutorial programs, "to see
if we can identify, maybe through a
student questionnaire," what
courses seem to have tutorial
problems.
Brown prefers more compre-
hensive tutorial systems as a way to
involve colleges more closely in the
academic system.
Ruth Kendrick.
RMC worker Stan Barber
reported a thermostat temperature
of 90 degrees in the Thresher office
Monday.
Other buildings on campus,
including Herman Brown and
Rayzor Halls, have suffered from
high room temperatures. Kendrick
believed the trouble may be due to
the fact that the chiller for water in
the central heating and cooling
system was turned off during the
holiday cold spell. Now that warm
weather has arrived, it will take a
while for the circulating water to
be cooled again.
" Rice has received a month's
extension of its deadline to
conform to the "Houston plan"
energy conservation system. New
temperature restrictions will go
into effect at Rice February 4.
The extension was granted
"because of the great number of
buildings on campus. We had
trouble returning the forms on
time, so we applied for an
extension and it was granted,"
Kendrick said.
on a new position, Pitman
explained that new appointments
in the past year have relieved Akers
of many of his duties.
"Theoretically, he's had less to
do this year," said Pitman, "so that
by taking my job maybe he gets
back on an even keel."
The shifting of position will not
be accompanied by a salary
change, according to Akers.
Dr. Hackerman said any
connection between Atairs'
appointment and possible plans to
ready him for upper-level positions
such as the presidency is "of no
substance."
Asked if he would accept the
position of president, Akers
discounted the possibility of being
asked, but added, "When I came
here, I was just an ordinary
professor, and I've been here 25
..yeats, You know, this University
has been very, Very good to me,
and I thought that some day I
could do something good for the
University."
Akers expressed pride in the
University: "Rice is a good quality
place. It's even in the way a janitor
speaks to somebody."
Akers' appointment has caused
differing reactions from members
of the faculty. One college master,
who preferred to be anonymous,
explained that masters are con-
cerned that Akers may not place
enough emphasis on the residential
college system.
"Oh, no!" exclaimed one faculty
member on hearing that Akers had
been appointed.
Pitman, however, expressed
confidence in Akers' ability. "I've
worked with Bill for a long time
and we've had a very good working
relationship," he said.
Akers will start his duties as
Business Manager on July 1, the
day Pitman retires.
~4&
2484 BOLSOVER
MON-SAT. 9-6
(713) 527-0398
The Rice Thresher, January 17, 1980, page 8
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Muller, Matthew. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 17, 1980, newspaper, January 17, 1980; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245426/m1/8/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.