Category Archives: Uncategorized

Research Questions? Send them to the Research Desk!

We’re ready for research questions! Research Desk hours resume on the first day of classes, Wednesday, September 16. We’ll also be at the Research Desk on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 15.

How to cite a web site in a bibliography? How to find more (or fewer!) scholarly articles? Where to look for statistics? We can help!

Refer research questions to the Research Desk, or to librarians in the offices behind the research desk. Contact info and hours below and at http://go.middlebury.edu/askus.

researchdesk-fallSign

24/7 stats, Spring 2015

Head counts:

Spring 14 Spring 15
137 140 Sun>Mon
122 188 Mon
173 259 Tues
259 253 Wed
250 n/a Thurs
84 closed Fri
125 closed Sat
330 405 Sunday
235 239 Mon
245 325 Tues
408 382 Wed
382 433 Thurs
413 269 Fri
182 290 Sat
215 247 Sun
152 240 Mon

16d 14d # of days
3712 3670 Total

Gate Counts:
Spring 2014 Spring 2015
134 101 Sun>Mon
213 245 Mon
189 180 Tues
297 181 Wed
173 223 Thurs
115 closed Fri
128 closed Sat
373 293 Sunday
183 130 Mon
210 191 Tues
407 268 Wed
379 232 Thurs
165 135 Fri
n/a 41 Sat
135 169 Sun
179 150 Mon

15d 14 d # of days
3280 2539 TOTAL

Research Desk for spring

We’re back to our regular hours at the Research Desk as of today. Regular hours are:

  • Sunday: 1-5 and 7-10
  • Monday – Wednesday: 11-5 and 7-10
  • Thursday: 11-5
  • Friday: 11-4

Please send any research questions over to us! We’re happy to help. If you don’t see someone at the desk, simply call x5496 or write to us at http://go.middlebury.edu/askalibrarian. Or, walk over to our offices behind the desk!

In the fall, there were a few questions about when a research librarian would be available. Our hours are posted on the research assistance page at http://go.middlebury.edu/askus, but you also may write to us using the askalibrarian form. That’s the best way to reach all of us during off-hours; it sends an email to all librarians.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Collection issues @ the circ desk

Hi everyone

I wanted to ask staff who deal frequently with patrons (circ/reserves/ILL) that if you are placed in the uncomfortable position of telling faculty (or others) that our policies don’t allow us to do “something” (e.g., purchase textbooks, multiple copies, multiple formats (e- and print), etc.), and you get pushback about this, to please feel free to refer the patron to me, or you can just give me a call yourself at x5045.

There are several reasons for this: sometimes we do make exceptions, and I don’t want you folks to be caught in the role of “nay-sayer,” only to be overruled later by me or someone else.  Also, it is helpful for me to know where the pressure points are, and where our existing policies might be causing stress or distress.  Knowing about these types of issues can spur us to revisit and rethink policies that may be proving to be more of a hindrance than a benefit.  So keep me in the loop!

Thanks!

T

Importance of Wrapping Mac Charger Cords

This is a reminder to our veteran circ student employee staff members, and it will be news to our incoming circ desk students.

We need to wrap all of the Mac chargers with a loop at the top so there is no tension on the smaller cord. They are expensive to replace, and wrapping them without the loop will wear them down quickly, and then they are off to the electronic recycle bin. There is a poster on top of the Mac computer case which shows the way it is done.

If you have down time during your shifts, you can check the charger bins to ensure they are wrapped correctly.

Thank you, and welcome back to the circ desk!   We hope your summers were full of adventure!

 

 

New Zoom Audio Recorders in our Inventory

Hi Circ Supervisors!

We just received 5 new audio recorders, which will eventually replace all of the older digital voice recorders. They are in the same drawer as the other recorders. There are only 2 parts to the package we will check out: the recorder with a foam audio buffer, and a USB connector. They actually came with several other parts but Dan and I thought it best that we keep this item simpler. The barcode is on the luggage tag, since that was the only available space for it.

We are getting a few more pieces of equipment, including some graphing calculators. You may have noticed that we now have a third digital Rebel T3i camera too!

I am also adding new Mac chargers, which is really great for the fall semester.

We look to be in good shape for the coming year.

Circ Desk Rule on Mac charger loans

TO ALL STUDENT CIRC DESK WORKERS:

DO NOT loan out Mac chargers to anyone longer than one day. This is a rule that cannot be altered. So don’t alter it. I have heard that someone overstepped their bounds by allowing Mac chargers to be loaned out for an entire week.  That is absolutely, unequivocally unacceptable. We are low enough in our charger inventory, as you are well aware, so this is particularly bothersome. You have to ask a supervisor for ANY EXCEPTION to a circ rule. Specific equipment questions can be directed to Janine or Dan.  Be careful.

New Equipment Arrives at Circ!

We are pleased to inform supervisors and student staff members that 12 near professional-grade hand-held camcorders (Canon Vixia R42 models) have been added to our inventory, as well as one additional very popular high-performance digital camera, the Canon Rebel T3i. The intent for the hand-held camcorders is to have a uniform supply, which simplifies loan use and instruction. We also have seven new Canon Power Shot Elph 100 cameras and Behringer headphones. There was a particular enthusiastic welcome to a  palm-sized Aaxa Pico LCD player.  Feedback so far on the Pico LCD has been A+, despite its less than perfect technical features to the larger models; it has been checked out since we added it last week, and reports are that DVDs screen just as vividly as on larger projectors.  Naturally, the ease of transporting cannot be over-emphasized.

These items were on our “wish list” back in the Spring, and we are so grateful to have them to loan out. We now have 12 LCDs (10 at Davis and 2 at Armstrong), yet we still had an empty LCD shelf Wednesday night, the last night of break. It was movie night for plenty of students!

The new headphones have also had excellent reviews from the students.

We are trying to keep up with the high demand for Mac chargers each night. Many suffer wire damage with use and others get lost.  I know our most popular items are chargers and headphones.

Please ask questions if any arise about the new equipment. In the meantime, as the saying goes in U.K. applies here at Circ, “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

Thank you to Dan, Petar, Charlie, Mary and Carol for managing these additions. We are so glad to have them to loan out.