----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 05:59 PM 2/2/98 EST, Bobbie Xuereb wrote: >We seem to have problems keeping our students "happy" with our copiers. > >I was wondering who is in charge of copier choice, copier problems etc. >in other libraries or is it the responsibility of the administration or >building facilities. Dear Bobbie, etal., Our Business Office Manager (BOM) has been the one to deal directly with Xerox and others regarding the contracting for the copier in the Library. However, it appears that the Library staff has had at least some input as to the choice of models, etc.[i.e. the BOM had been convinced by the previous Librarian that the slanted "library edge" was an absolute requirement]. This was particularly true recently, when our Library moved to a new building, necessitating the purchase of an additional copier for that location. I made sure that I had direct input about the purchase, even to the point of joining the BOM for a demo of various machines at Xerox's local sales office. The copier that is in our Library is used by the students to copy (10 cents/page) assigned and researched readings as well as bits, pieces, and parts of their design assigments. It is also used by the school faculty and school, museum, and library staff to copy (with bypass key) syllabi, bibliographies, correspondence, etc. About what, exactly, are the students complaining? The cost of the copies? The quality? The features of the machine (or lack thereof)? When choosing copiers, there are a number of "trade-offs" that one ends up making, especially if you have to work within a small and finite budget situation. I'm sure many of us have opinions about what features should take priority in the decision-making process. For example, I found the recent discussion about the merits of the slanted "Library edge" to be very beneficial when making my purchase. I opted to forego the edge in lieu of a number of other features including a broader range of reduction and enlargement, expanded paper capacity and choice of paper trays/sizes, and a feature that allows both pages of a book to be copied without moving it. Deborah L. Barlow Head Librarian Corcoran Gallery of Art Library 1705 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20006-3908 ph: 202-822-1484 fx: 202-822-1486 [log in to unmask]