What We Do (Part Deux)

I have tried to organize the huge list we made a few weeks ago into different categories. Please take a look, and comment on any and all of the following:
1. What on this list could/should we stop doing? Why?
2. What on this list are you not sure why we are doing?
3. What is not on this list that we should be doing? Why?

WHAT WE DO

CIRCULATING ITEMS:
Check-out/in
Pick up books for borrowers
Maintain Media Collection, including unused Laser Discs
Maintain all Browsing Collections
Selection of browsing materials
Maintain new book shelves
Hold shelf
Oversee the self-check
Create lists and reports
View holds
Recalls
EQUIPMENT
• Equipment bookings
• Gaming Lab
• Maintain large collection of equipment
• Clean and inventory equipment
• User agreements
PATRONS
• Maintain borrower data base
• Bills and fines, refunds/credits
• Personal Overdue notices
• Add guest borrowers
• Overrides
• Intervention with overdue material
• VT reciprocal borrowing for faculty
• Block accounts, insert user notes, track activity
Pack/unpack bins
Check/empty book drops
Provide support to Ilsley, return their items
Provide front desk coverage
Staff Davison Library
NExpress – paging, fax, check-in etc
Borrower notices
Provide support for off-campus
Thesis carrels and library lockers
Echo pass
Update policies and user documentation
Test new circ functionalities
Building sweeps for materials
Make exceptions
Courier between branches
Shelf reading

AS EDUCATORS:
Educating new patrons
Lecture, user education about policies
Manage conflict, negotiate differences
Supervising users at microfilm scanner in ILL work area

FOR RESERVE:
Maintain Reserve Media
Maintain Reserve Collections
Scan docs and create PDF’s
Review copyright
Eres

SUPERVISING STUDENTS/STAFF:
STUDENT EMPLOYEES
• scheduling
• hiring
• training
Party planners
Write letters of reference
Recognize birthdays – goodie bags
Coming up with student projects
Counsel students
Make tea for students; feed our student employees
Wipe keyboards; encourage Lysol wipes to reduce illness
Help students move / store personal items
Supervising ILL students at Main, monitor schedules
Student/staff reviews – personnel
Enter and approve time

AS THE ONLY ADULTS IN THE BUILDING:
Constant presence in libraries – only staff on weekends/evenings
Act as Info Desk staff at all Circ desks – room reservations, general questions
Open and close the libraries
Communicate with faculty and all LIS depts
Custodial staff link
Facility issues
Letting people in the back doors
SAFETY
• Central hub for emergency response
• Monitor ice falling / building safety
• Re-set emergency doors
• Hand out band aids
• Public Safety link and communication
Re-direct phone calls
Monitor/troubleshoot computing labs
Troubleshooters for media services
Change toner
Jump in wherever, whenever
Water incursion, place buckets
PA system
Diagnose where strange beeping noises are coming from
Noise control
Deal with issues of theft
Deal with problem behavior
Buildings knowledge – comings and goings, hours at other service points, staff schedules
Unlock/lock the Bitner terrace
Make judgment calls
Turning off viewing equipment/rooms
Building sweeps for users at closing
Troubleshooting printer/copier issues
Handle repair requests
Field questions re: library classrooms (capacity, availability), and direct users to
Scheduling Office

AS A CENTRAL LOCATION:
Requests for special items, short term hold shelf
Central lost and found
Key Central
Maintain a collection of Umbrellas
Office supplies lenders
Order Office supplies
Student display go-to
Door Health
Book sales
Staging area for all lib materials, all pass through Circ
Clearing house/transit station
Service point for media services
Link to Media Services
Media Repairs
Basic directional
Entry point for Admin Offices
Requests to find people and give them messages
Awareness of building events
Go-to person for the ATM, vending machines at Main

NON-CIRC WORK (a.k.a. all the other stuff):
Provide customer service
Customized service
Do film screenings assume total responsibility for availability and preparation of materials
Cash, Equitrac cards
Have adequate change
Empty copy card dispenser – link to purchasing dept, handle repair requests
Keep stats / desktop stats
Prepare deposits
Weekly reports
Security gate log
Update Outlook calendars
ILL – pack books, ship (branches)
Handle branch problems
Prepare materials for bindery
Maps
Cataloging
Look good for tours
Withdraw materials
Weeding collections
Support to BLSE Office
Cross-training / subbing
Personal business
Go to scheduled meetings
Informal meetings on-the fly; inform colleagues
Blog and wiki (read and write)
Circ mailbox
Gov Docs
Copy forms
Weekend newspapers
Festive! (Holidays)
Create displays
Re-labeling and re-marking
Quick Check quality control for new materials
Special LIS projects
Dusting
Shifting
Boxing, packing shipping books
Surveys, collect feedback
Space planning and management – moving furniture
Answer phones
Set, monitor, and post library hours
Clean bulletin boards
Maintain documentation
Update web pages
Allen wrenches for shades
Change batteries in door alarms
Change light bulbs
Oil compact shelving
Prepare budget
Water plants
Decorate with flowers
Periodical Survey
Provide hospitality
Look for and find (non-library) items
Attend workshops and conferences
Site visits
Test new products
Follow up on obscure requests
Report mice
Take photos and video
Change the messages on the phone
Laugh a lot

9 comments

  1. Why do we need to have change? Isn’t there a retail establishment in the form of the Cafe in the building?

  2. Should we consider putting a limit on the number of hold requests students can place on available items? (to cut down on the number we have to retrieve.)

  3. Have we ever had to fall back on a user agreement? In other words, has it ever been useful for us to have them signed?

  4. I’d be interested in at least exploring the possibility of limits on hold requests.

    I think that we have to have cash on hand at Circ — making change for guest borrowing fees, fines, copy cards, and on and on. The Cafe isn’t open all the hours that the library is open, and is closed entirely on Saturdays.

    I’ve completed the first draft of an “all purpose” equipment user agreement, so we only need one form, and one clipboard, to cover all the assorted equipment that we circulate.

  5. as long as we are the central location for change ( money), then the function of emptying the equitrac black box is necessary or else I would be running to the cashiers office several times during the day. The other option is to install a change machine in the building and shift responsibility for maintenance to the cashiers office

  6. I absolutely endorse limiting the number of HOLDS placed by patrons on retrieval items. This is a very easy process for our patrons to do. many many times when a patron picks up a large number of HOLDS at the desk, their response will be they don’t need them all.. sort of as an after thought..

  7. I agree – time to explore limiting the number of holds – too easy for the patrons to click that button on MIDCAT – especially dangerous at the beginning of the semester. Shall we consider limiting the number of requests to 3 per patron?

  8. If it’s OK to continue adding to “What We Do” — I’d add that we let faculty, staff, and students into their offices/carrels/lockers when they’ve lost or forgotten their keys.

Leave a Reply