<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel>
<title>Idea.informer.com RSS - UT Libraries Idea Hopper</title>
<link>http://idea.informer.com</link>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>UserIdea.com</copyright>
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<title> Website Redesign Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2013 17:26:06 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=70651</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Website Redesign Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Career Advancement Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:50:24 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=65985</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Career Advancement Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Career Advancement Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:50:17 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=65984</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Career Advancement Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Reassess the PCL plaza</title>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:58:44 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=58014</link>
<description><![CDATA[The plaza area in front of the PCL is not very inviting.  We are missing an opportunity to make it a more lively space.  Redesigning the look of the plaza would make it an asset to the library by creating a perception that study, research, and learning are exciting, inviting, and an essential part of the University community.  

Perhaps the redesign could even be used as outreach to the community.  We might present the redesign to the architecture, landscape architecture, and fine arts design classes as a semester project.  The project could culminate in a winning design could be chosen for implementation.  This would be an ideal way to present ourselves to the media.


Some essential problems I see with the space include:

Colorless.  The building is monolithic and gray.  The brick plaza is an unbroken sea of neutral dark brown.  I was sad to see the sculpture chosen for the plaza was the same color as the plaza brick, when it could have served as an accent.

Empty.  The patron amenities (tables) we have are narrowly assigned to two tight corners.  The emptiness of the space, accented by the unbroken gray wall of the main entry, is depressing and oppressive.  I was also sad to see that the sculpture chosen for this site was undersized, making the space seem even larger and emptier.

No shade.  No outdoor area in Texas is comfortable without shade. Add shade to make the area more comfortable as a place to stop to chat, rather than encouraging patrons to race through another heat radiating obstacle to reaching the air conditioning of the lobby.

Purposeless.  Using the space for the Girl Talk movie was a move in the right direction.  The space should be utilized as a community meeting space. 

Poor night lighting.  The area can be perceived as unsafe at night due to inadequate lighting.  Creative lighting in this area would be more comforting as well as provocative.   


Suggestions for improvement:

I offer the Main Plaza in San Antonio as an award winning example of adding both shade color, shade, and controlling scale:

http://www.ifaipublications.com/iaa/articles/1101_vibrancy.html

Other examples include:

The Skysong shade, which also collects rain water:
http://specialtyfabricsreview.com/articles/0409_sw10_song.html


The Sundance Square shade:
http://fortworthtexas.gov/citynews/default.aspx?id=100060

The Metropole Parasol: http://www.solaripedia.com/13/393/5651/metropol_parasol_provides_shade.html

The Blue Earth ]]></description>
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<title>Internal Communications Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:13:44 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=55894</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Internal Communications Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
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<title>Fundraising Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:56:24 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=55893</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Fundraising Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
</item>
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<title>UT Libraries Facilities Master Plan available</title>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:27:44 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=54135</link>
<description><![CDATA[The UT Libraries Facilities Master Plan is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports [password: planning] .  ]]></description>
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<title>Commencement</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2012 16:34:30 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=50099</link>
<description><![CDATA[I was coming into work this morning as people were coming onto campus for Commencement. There were all sorts of people out there Connected to the University in a very Personal Way looking for a nice air conditioned place to use the Restroom, get a drink of water, maybe check their email, ask a directional question, etc. etc. etc.

In other words - The Perfect Opportunity to Get the UT Libraries name Out There and win Customer Loyalty and Build the Brand.

How about we start capitalizing on these Outreach Opportunities? 

Library Staff seem ot Enjoy volunteering to staff and run such things. I think a table and some chairs and an awning might be required outside to Direct people Into the building. In other words, Minimal Investment is all this would take. But you have to get out there off the plaza on the sidewalk closer to Jester and be seen and direct people into the building.]]></description>
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<title>Services to Users Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 17:14:43 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=49069</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Services to Users Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
</item>
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<title>Submitting questions online to be discussed at the coffees?</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:01:51 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=42194</link>
<description><![CDATA[Wasn't the Administration going to develop a way for staff to submit questions for the coffees anonymously online? Filling out cards at the coffees or handing in a card with a question in the Library office are hardly anonymous. As for questions/ideas/comments sent to the Idea Hopper, they  never seem to be brought up at the coffees.]]></description>
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<title>Supervisor training for all?</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:05:45 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=40166</link>
<description><![CDATA[Under the new "evaluation procedures," will supervisors of hourly employees, work study students and GRA's also be required to attend supervisor training sessions? If not, why not?]]></description>
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<title>Set goals for employees working over the holidays</title>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:48:52 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=37629</link>
<description><![CDATA[If you supervise an employee who would like to work over the holidays, sit down with them ahead of time and discuss what you feel they should be able to accomplish based on the number of hours they plan to work. Obviously, unforseen difficulties can arise, but if significantly less work is being completed than normally and the employee cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, there's something going on that needs to be addressed. As a supervisor, I would certainly think twice about agreeing to let that employee work over the holidays again. By the same token, there may be instances where the amount of work completed exceeds expectations. I would definitely want to comment on either situation on the employee's evaluation.]]></description>
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<title>Process Improvement and Organizational Development Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:24:14 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=35089</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Process Improvement and Organizational Development Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports]]></description>
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<title>Personnel Issues Working Group Final Report</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:06:59 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=30666</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Personnel Issues Working Group Final Report is available on the Planning Wiki at http://wiki.lib.utexas.edu/planning/pmwiki.php/PMWiki/FinalReports ]]></description>
</item>
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<title>Ebooks should be considered in the ILL Buy On Demand process</title>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:13:29 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://Hopper.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=28009</link>
<description><![CDATA[As part of the Inter Library Loan unit’s ‘Buy on Demand’ process, it should be determined whether the title wanted by the patron is available through any of the Library’s ebook vendors.  The patron could be asked whether or not the ebook edition would be suitable for the patron’s purposes.  If the ebook is acceptable to the patron, then the Library could have the ebook added to the appropriate ebook database.  This would be much quicker than placing a firm order for the paper edition of a title.]]></description>
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