The prospective and new student tour groups need to adjust their meeting spots in such a way that minimizes the impact upon those attempting to make use of Paley Library. Currently, the tour groups tend to mob the self-checkout machines, drop boxes, and leisure Reading sections severely impacting and often preventing their usage.

Thanks for sharing your concerns about the impact the new student tour groups have on the first floor of Paley Library. We too have observed this problem in past years, and we have repeatedly contacted the office that supervises the tours to remind the students guiding them that they have to be aware of where they are in the Library, and to be careful not to create an access barrier for students wanting to use the self-checks, get to the stairwell or whatever it might be.

I will take two actions in response to your complaint. First, I will send a reminder (and your complaint) about this to the the person who supervises all the campus tours for prospective students.Second, I will send a reminder to our staff members who work at the “Ask Here” desk asking them to remind the students leading the tours to keep pathways to doors, collections and equipment clear when this becomes an issue.

To what extent these actions will improve matters I cannot say – hopefully quite well. I can only hope the student tour guides will remember this. In the future if you or other students have a problem being created by one of the student tour groups, keep in mind that you can ask the groups to move aside, or work your way into or around it, or ask a librarian to assist you.

But do let us keep in mind that these tours are important, and that we want our prospective students to come into the library. Let’s just hope we can have it be less of a barrier to access for you other students.