Bio-Med Library Access Services Blog

JOURNAL TITLE COUNTING ON FOR March 2-16
Please, ALL READ, Pages AND Deskers:

For the next two weeks (Sunday, March 2-Saturday, March 16) we will be recording the number of volumes and issues of journals that we handle in shelving by title in an online database. We have done this before, and will do so again, later in the semester--in fact, after skipping spring break week, we'll resume this on Sunday, March 23. For some of you this may be new, and perhaps a little review doesn’t hurt any of us. We're going to follow up on the feedback that some of you gave us, and reduce the more time-consuming procedure of looking each volume up in the FileMaker database, and instead mostly rely upon the Aleph system in-house use function. We will use a new FileMaker database for just the unbound issues.

The week of March 2-9 is the week that the whole University Libraries counts the turnaround time for books. Since Brianne always records every book that she is shelving on the 4th floor into the in-house use function, we attempt to use this data to get a more accurate count on this question during this week. I want to remind everyone that ONLY Bri should be inputting these books into the in-house use input window. I have learned that there has been some confusion about this matter: when you take books to preshelve on the 4th floor, do NOT read their barcodes into the Aleph in-house use window. Bri will do that before she shelves them.

All pages should be inputting each journal volume (and any unbound issues with the library barcodes--there are a few, mostly copy 2's) into the in-house use window before the volumes get shelved for this week and the following week (and probably for a couple more weeks, later in the semester). Each volume must be scanned and recorded in the database on one of the computers at one of the service desks. Here are the steps to follow, subject to clarification over the next few days.

When starting a new truck of journals for shelving, put an “uncounted” (red) indicator in the pocket on the end of the truck. (If there are two pockets, two labels may be used—but mainly make sure that we don’t have two conflicting messages). Put journals on the truck as usual, whether you’re collecting them from tables in the stacks areas or by the copy machines, and then take them to a counting station at the 2nd or 3rd level desk.

Read each barcode into the "in-house use" window in the Aleph client at the circulation desks. For Sunday and possibly Monday, photocopy the cover of any unbarcoded unbound journal issues, and leave that for me on my chair or in my box. Presumably by Monday there will be a new database up in FileMaker, perhaps called "2008 March Journal Statistics". There we will record the unbound issues by title.
Once the FileMaker counting database, 2008 March Journal Statistics, is up and running, look up each unbound issue title and record the number of issues that you’re shelving. Then:

When the truck is finished, change the “uncounted” red indicator to a green “counted” tab, and the truck is ready for shelving as usual. After emptying a counted truck, change the indicators back to uncounted.

• Obviously, do NOT pick up any loose journals along the way to shelving and add them on to the truck—these must be counted first.
• All journals should be counted before they are shelved.
• Books with call numbers are NOT included in this process, so just handle them as usual--Bri will take care of inputting them.

If the FileMaker database is not up, you may need to sign in: use the pull-down menu command “Open Remote,” and choose the listed file, "2008 March JOURNAL STATISTICS"---Do NOT use the old “JOURNAL_STATISTICS” file, further down the list. Like most FileMaker files, put in the usual password, and the user name should be "Circstaff." The password should appear in the place where we keep the passwords, known to all desk staff.

I’m not going to try to fully discuss using the database to record these counts, but if no one has gone over this with you, please stop and ask to review this with either one of the desks students who is familiar with the process, or preferably with me (if I’m available) or Melissa or Steve. If there are particular points that you think should be highlighted, please add them in the comments that you can attach to this memo. Please at the least initial this memo, so that I know that everyone has read it.

This process obviously adds a bit to the time it takes to pickup, sort and put away the journals. As I’ve previously discussed, this work can and ought to be shared between the pages & the desk staff.

Thanks for your help with this project. --David

Posted by David Lenander at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Beginning March 3, 2008, requesting a book from a Twin Cities campus library will be a one-stop process for University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) faculty, staff and students. Book delivery services at the TC University Libraries are as simple as clicking “Get It”!

The “Get It” link in the availability page of the MNCat library catalog consolidates book requesting services previously found in 5 places:

o Recall –changing the due date of a book that has already been checked out for earlier pickup at any convenient campus library

o Point-to-Point - for delivery of books not checked out, to be picked up at a more convenient campus library than the owning library

o Libraries to U – for delivery of books to on-campus faculty/staff offices

o MLAC Paging – for delivery of books housed at the Minnesota Library Access Center (MLAC) storage facility

o Tech Services Notification – for expediting Technical Services processing of items “In Process” or “On Order” or “Sent to Bindery”

An additional service is now being offered with the “Get It” link:

o Paging – pulling books from the shelves of a library to be held for users at the Circulation Desk of that same library

To use “Get It” patrons must log into Your Account. Users no longer have to fill out web forms; personal information and book information pre-populate. All the user has to do is make a menu choice indicating where s/he would like the book to be sent for pickup!

This includes an on-campus office delivery option for UMTC faculty and staff. Once a book is either returned or found on the shelf, shipping will take place within 48 hours on weekdays; most requests can be done within 24 hours.

Questions? Let us know! Please post your initials to indicate you have read AND UNDERSTAND this post. If you don't "Get It", talk to a supervisor. (Hee.)

Thanks!
Emily

Posted by Emily Reimer at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Hi all~

This is just a reminder to everyone that is closing on the 3rd floor to make sure to shut down the computer (the one in the back near where Joel's office used to be) every night. On Sunday mornings (and I'm assuming other mornings) it is still on. In order for the computers to install the needed updates, they have to be shut down/restarted. Also, if they are left on all night, personal information is able to be accessed, not to mention it is a waste of energy if no one is using it. :)

Thanks!

Katie

Hi everyone -

By the same token, if you're opening, make sure you turn on and log into this computer, as well.

Thanks!
Emily

Posted by Katie Pilarski at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Minnesota is committed to the safety and security of its students, faculty, and staff. The safety of our campus community during an emergency requires planning and awareness about how emergency plans will be implemented.

This Web site will help you understand how the University prepares for and responds to safety, health, and weather emergencies. It also provides important information about personal safety and how to respond in the event of an emergency. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this site and bookmark it for future reference.

In the event of any campus emergency, dial 911.

Posted by Emily Reimer at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Everyone must send me a copy (just cut and paste) that they have completed their U of MN Privacy and Security Training. Do this ASAP!!! IF you have not completed it you MUST do it this week.

Please post your name that you have read this and sent it to me.

If you have any questions please see me or David or Steve.

Thanks,
Melissa
ps...read about the shifting below and post to this blog and include 'read shifting blog'.

Posted by Melissa Aho at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

The Journal Shift

The journal shift project is intended to consolidate the journals that remain after we sent 30,000 volumes to the storage facility on the west bank into a smaller amount of space. This will allow us to take down stacks in other areas, freeing up space for other kinds of student activities. In particular, we’re expecting to vacate much of the central core area of the 3rd floor for Bioinformatics offices and a “Collaboratory.” We’re also going to be dismantling the 3rd floor desk and consolidating Circulation and Copy Service activities on the 2nd floor with the Reserve and Reference desks.

When shifting we need to make efforts to collect or “reap” all of the available space, but also leave a prudent amount in order to allow for a few new titles to sneak in here and there, and to accommodate the issues that arrive over the next few years for those titles where we still actively receive issues. Towards this end we have been trying to observe several practices:

• leave 5 years of expansion space for active titles
• don’t put current unbound issues on the top or bottom shelf
• Leave space between different titles/sets of journal volumes,
• Think about what you’re doing and use common sense in juggling these rules and titles
• Record your work in the Pagelog
• Ask questions when you’re not sure

These are explained or at least I’ve expanded on these themes in additional paragraphs below the cut, or in separate memos under paging. Be sure to read these carefully, and add your initials to the memos.

leave 5 years of expansion space for active titles
We try to leave 5 years of future expansion space for apparently active titles. We look at how much space the last five years have taken up for a journal, and look in particular at how much space the last bound year takes up on the shelf, and then leave space for a similar growth. If you notice that 5 years ago the journal fit into two bound volumes, and it’s continued that way for the past five years, then it seems reasonable to assume that you need to allow for 10 volumes more on the shelf (Plus the box for unbounds). If the journal used to fit into two bound volumes, but now it takes 6 bound volumes, you should probably assume that the future will be 6 volumes per year, and leave room for 30 volumes.

don’t put current unbound issues on the top or bottom shelf
We don’t put current unbound issues on the top or bottom shelf. So we have to leave a couple of shelves empty if the shifting would result in current issues ending up on a top shelf, as the previous bottom shelf will have to be skipped. This also means that you may have to leave even more space empty for the five year expansion—don’t count those skipped shelves in the space you’re leaving for the future growth.

Leave space between different titles/sets
Leave an empty space between different titles/sets of journal volumes. If the adjacent titles are the same color or similar enough that patrons might well overlook the fact that these are separate titles, leave extra space. Maybe leave extra space around single-volume or very small sets, so that they won’t be overlooked. If there are unbound issues without a box, label a box for them. Don’t put older issues in a box at the end of the set—nobody’s going to think to look in a box of recent issues for older journals from the 80s. Instead, put the older issues in a box labeled appropriately and put it in the sequence where people will expect to find them. Then put the most recent issues that come after the last bound volume in a box at the end of the set. Use the wire bookends to space the journals and keep them upright. ON the top shelf, if you need to space journals and keep them upright, use emptly boxes with the tall side out as spacers/bookends to fill in the spaces. (This was one of our student shifter’s idea when we ran out of standalone bookends).

Think about what you’re doing and use common sense in juggling these rules and titles

When you see that you will have to split a title across an aisle or around the end of the stacks, try to minimize the impact. If you have to leave an extra empty shelf or two to keep the whole set together, that’s probably worth it. If you have to split between volumes, try to at least keep the whole volume together. For instance, if the volumes are bound into six separate parts, say with three issues per volume, don’t split the set across an aisle between volume 87 (7-9) and volume 87 (10-12)—which would make for awkward labels on the end of the stacks, by the way—instead, leave a little extra space and move all of the parts across the aisle so that the division is cleaner, between volume 87 and 88. If you feel some doubt, come and talk to me or one of the other full-time staffers.

All of these different considerations aren’t the whole story. You need to be thoughtful about what you’re doing, and pay attention to what’s been done before you. If you think that something looks like it was done wrong, or if you have doubts about what you’ve been doing because it appears that someone else is doing things differently, this is the moment to ask. Don’t assume that you’re wrong because someone else did it differently. Don’t assume that you’re right, either. Sometimes, of course, we’re having to make compromises between different competing values/imperatives/judgment calls. So there may not be a perfect right or wrong, but in cases where you’re not sure, it’s worth discussing this with me (David) or Steve or one of the stacks supervisors: Brianne, Tony or Rebecca.

Posted by David Lenander at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

We have had reports recently of a phishing scam email circulating and wanted to remind you make sure to protect the integrity of your online identity. In this case, the "phishers" ask for your UMN email account and password (X500) in order to prevent your UMN email account from being closed and/or permanently losing your data. If you get this email ~ do not reply - delete the message. If you already have replied, change your X500 password right away.

The University will never ask you for a password through an email. Emailing passwords is rarely a good idea. Email is generally sent in the clear over the Internet, where it can be seen by someone with access to the network in all the locations along the way. Think of unencrypted email as a postcard.

Feel free to contact autosys (4-9094) or let a supervisor know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks,
Emily

Posted by Emily Reimer at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting Sunday February 17 both Circulation Desks will be doing a daily survey to record the number of questions and inquiries they receive.

In the first two boxes record if the question was In person or on the phone. Then record what type of question/inquiry it was. Also if you receive any reference questions write what it was in the last box.

If you work on a Friday or Saturday please place sheet in Melissa's mail box at the end of the night and take a new one from my mail box.

If you have any questions please see me or Emily.

Please respond to this blog post that you have read it.

Thanks,
Melissa

Posted by Melissa Aho at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to drop my 6:45-10:00am shift on Thursdays. As a result of my off-campus living situation and course load, I've been putting in 15 hour Thursdays on campus. I don't know how much longer I can take it - please, someone take the shift!

William

Posted by Roland at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The student who had a seizure Sunday night stopped in to say Thank You. She said she was feeling fine and that there is nothing wrong with her.

She also left two bags of candy as a Thank you to everyone here at the Bio-Med for being so helpful to her. They are on the back table (by the timecards).

Melissa

Posted by Melissa Aho at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All
Wangensteen Library has been receiving a number of toner scam phone
calls recently. Individuals call to "verify" a toner order.

Please do not respond to these callers. Legitimate orders will be
placed in the Administration Office and any follow up will be through
this office. You may refer them to 612 626-0998 and we will deal with them.

If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks
Arlys

Posted by Emily Reimer at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The day is the 16th, two weeks from now. my bad

Hello,
I am wondering if anyone would be interested in picking up a few hours on Saturday the 16th for me. I am attending a class at MCTC in the morning and am looking for someone to cover my hours 9am to 1pm. If the interested party would like to stay and work the whole day or just extend the end time and not close I am open to accommodate.
Thanks,
Tom Kaz

Posted by Tom Kazmerzak at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’m not sure if everyone is aware that our reserve 2-hour loans have not been automatically accumulating overdue fines like the books and journals in the 1-day or 6-week or 1-week categories (or even the permanent reserve 2-day loans). We’ve relied upon manual calculation of these fines in egregious cases. Up til now.

As of this week, probably on Tuesday (2/5), Aleph will begin automatically calculating and assessing these fines at a rate of $1.50 per hour. I have written a long 2 page memo that you need to read carefully at the desk. This has a number of consequences for our practices, which must now change. Please initial this memo here, and also initial the paper memo at the desk.

Posted by David Lenander at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

A new feature of PubMed is that citations now link directly to information on particular drugs based on the MeSH terms and textwords in a particular record. The Patient Drug Information links show up directly under the Related Drug Information links in the Abstract Plus view. The data comes from MedMaster™; a publication of the American
Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), which is also used in MedlinePlus.

Posted by Melissa Aho at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)