I read once in an article "comfort and atmosphere play a huge role in getting in a quality study session" which holds true in my eyes plus inspiration. I would like to feel more inspiration in our medical library. At UPC you get all that and more with such beautiful architecture and large spacious work stations, why has HSC stayed behind? aren't we all in the same Trojan Family? After my first year of graduate school at HSC I am very disappointed to see that not much work has been done to upgrade the campus but for the sake of this page I'll keep my comments towards the library. I, like many of my colleagues spend most of our time in the library to study and work on projects since we live so far away but we would really like a place that's more inspiring and majestic. While studying and spending a lot of time in there it would be nice to take a break, look around for a bit and have a sense of proudness to be in such a beautiful campus, which is what I get at UPC but sadly not in the HSC campus and library. So for the sake of giving a quick tip on how to improve the library's image and environment, I'd say it needs a good paint job, new and inspirational artwork (especially representing medicine and health), and newer furniture. I'll leave it up to the designers to do their research on the type of furniture and decor that would make it easier for students to do their work and make it look more innovative. In the long run I would like to see the entire building upgraded, I don't like to think that other campuses have more stunning libraries than us when we're paying double than most other college students.

I seriously think that USC should get license for matlab simulink 3D animation toolbox as we(mechanical engineers) are given licenses for many other toolboxes. This will really help a mechanical guy to simulate complex mechanical model which may not be possible to do in any of the CAD softwares available in market or with USC. How it works? First a model can be made in any CAD software and then saved in .vrml format. A simulink 3D animation toolbox realize .vrml format files and then
one can simulate models with complex user-defined equations.
OR
There is only one other way of simulating CAD models in matlab and i.e. linking a CAD software to matlab which requires downloading a linking software which is free on internet and registration of matlab as an automation server. All these things are provided by matlab but as a student, we are not able to install anything on a USC computer which requires administrative permissions. Everyone in USC knows good CAD modelling but limited or no 3D animating and simulating skills.
We can simulate results in simulink or through matlab programming but we are not able to visualize 3D mechanical models moving and performing actions according to equations in matlab. As an example:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqLSwadl5SU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfiAZBsWac

There is way too much noise in the libraries at USC (especially Leavey). There is not a day that I go to the library that there isn't someone on their cell phone, listening to music loud enough for those around them to hear, holding full conversations with others... this all in the supposedly "quite areas", not the group areas. At my previous University, the staff would not stand for this. The staff of the libraries should be making rounds on these floors to check for this distracting behavior. This proactive approach is the only way to ensure that people understand and respect library etiquette, maintaining a low distraction environment that is vital to many students' academic success.

As an employee of Leavey Library it would be greatly beneficial to have the printers easily distinguishable. As of right now they have made it much more simple by naming them BASEMENT A, B, C, etc. etc. but individuals still seem to have a hard time figuring out which is which or will just hit print without much though. This clutters the touch screens and can cause a patron to run around the library looking for their job. If the printers had completely individualized names it would be much easier to direct them/have them find it themselves.

"I printed at Optimus Prime" is for the patron to find than "I printed at A".

Also, change the backgrounds on the computers to directions on how printing works instead of the arbitrary Windows/Mac background. Throw a cute little USC logo onto it as well because we're that arrogant of a school. Maximize our viewing space, no matter what students are going to look at the desktop, why not offer them information there as well.

Offer an ability to name your job. Instead of having it say "C:/Random Folder/Random Folder/Random Job.docx" give the option to name the job as it used to be such as "PowerPoint - Session 1" so the patron's know which jobs are theirs as well as which job is which.