Welcome to the Access Services Unit of the Bio-Medical Library. The principle library responsibilities of the unit are Circulation, Reserve, Interlibrary Loan, Stacks Maintenance, and Fines.

The unit is located in the Bio-Medical Library. The official address is:

Access Services

Bio-Medical Library

505 Essex St. SE

Minneapolis, MN 55455

The Circulation phone numbers for the Bio-Medical Library are (612) 626-4045 (2^nd Floor) and (612) 626-5653 (3^rd Floor).

Work Hours

Monday-Thursday 7:00AM-11:00PM

Friday 7:00AM-6:00PM

Saturday 9:00AM-6:00PM

Sunday NOON-11:00PM

All hours are subject to change.

Members of the Access Services Staff

Melissa Aho is a supervisor in Access Services. Her areas are Circulation and Fines.

Randy Brooks is a supervisor in Access Services. His area is Interlibrary Loan – Borrowing.

David Lenander is a manager in Access Services. His areas are Stacks Maintenance and Circulation.

Steve Llewellyn is the unit head for Access Services.

Emily Reimer is a supervisor in Access Services. Her areas are Interlibrary Loan – Lending, Copy Center and Circulation.

Pat Seeley is a supervisor in Access Services. Her area is Reserve.

General Employment Information

Twin Cities Campus Student Employment Rules

Every student employee must be aware and familiar with the Twin Cities Campus Student Employment Rules. This document is available online. The address is:

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/policies/governing/student/appendixa.html

Student Position Description

The job title for students working at the Desk is Student Desk Worker. Desk Workers assist patrons using the staff and public sides of the online catalog, Library web pages and FileMaker databases, provide access to copy and print services and operate cash registers. Desk Workers answer phones and route calls to the appropriate departments. They are also expected to be able to locate materials in the stacks and will be asked to work on additional tasks occasionally.

Student Eligibility

Students must be registered for a minimum amount of credits to be eligible for student employment. Dropping below the minimum credit load will result in loss of job and negate payment for hours worked. Check with a supervisor for minimum credit level. Students employed at one or more campus jobs cannot exceed 40 work hours per week. Notify a supervisor if you have more than one campus job, or change the number of credits you are registered for.

Work Study Students

In addition to the rules governing student employment, there are rules and conditions that apply to Work Study students. Students receiving Work Study may have limited earnings eligibility. The Work Study amount is determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Earnings are monitored to ensure they do not exceed the Work Study award. Important: Tell your supervisor if you are awarded Work Study funds.

Work Study Status

When students are no longer eligible for Work Study, staff will try to transfer them into a non-Work Study position. This is dependent upon available funds and is not guaranteed.

University Closings

University closings are announced on WCCO 830AM. Closing information is also available by calling the University Librarian’s office (612) 624-4520.

Access Services Policies

Blog

You are required to read the Bio-Med’s Access Services Blog before or during each desk shift. On the blog you will find procedures, policies, changes and updates, a searchable copy of the Student Desk Worker Guide, and links to many useful sites.

Breaks

Employees may take one fifteen minute break during any continuous four-hour shift. A staff member who is scheduled for eight hours or more is entitled to two breaks that may be combined into one thirty minute paid lunch break. When scheduled for eight or more continuous hours, employees may also punch out for a thirty minute unpaid lunch break. Desk workers must coordinate breaks amongst themselves and with supervisors so that the Circulation Desks are covered at all times.

Duration of Semester Schedule

Students hired to work during a particular semester are expected to work their scheduled hours through the last day of finals week.

Email as Official Student Communication

From the University website:

A University assigned student email account shall be the University's official means of communication with all students on the Twin Cities campus. Students are responsible for all information sent to them via their University assigned email account. If a student chooses to forward their University email account, he or she is responsible for all information, including attachments, sent to any other email account.

http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/policy/Email_Pol.cfm

This means that you are responsible for all email sent to you University account. We will use this email address to send you important information regarding scheduling, meetings, policies, etc.

Games / Chat / Laptops / Email / Internet

Game playing is not allowed on library computers.

Online chat or internet games are not allowed. This is so you have the maximum view to determine if patrons need assistance.

Laptop computers are allowed, but are under the same restrictions as library computers—no online chat or games. Also, you are not permitted to watch movies/tv shows/etc on your computers while you are working the desk, nor are you allowed to wear headphones. This is just bad customer service.

These restrictions are in place to promote good customer service. You must be able to acknowledge and respond to a patron as soon as they step up to the desk. If you are engrossed in another activity this does not happen.

Email is allowed as it is required for your job.

Internet surfing is also allowed as it takes less attention than gaming, and it is not as obvious to patrons what you are doing.

Should these activities become problematic you should expect action to be taken by the on duty library assistant or manager. If it is slow, you may work on school work or read. This has the appearance of being less rude to patrons. If you are doing non-library activities, you may be asked by full time staff to work on a library project. If you find yourself bored, see the supervisor on duty for tasks to work on.

Using library service desk computers on your off hours is not allowed.

Paycheck Availability

Paychecks are available in Room 278A after 10:00AM on paydays. A list of paydays can be viewed online at http://www.hrss.umn.edu.

Personal Printing and Photocopying

Please use your judgment when making personal copies or prints. If you make copies or prints, you may be charged a reduced staff rate (currently 50% off), even if using the desk machines. If you make more than 10 copies or print more than 10 pages, you need to pay for them at the reduced rate.

Studying on the Job

Studying on the job is not allowed when there is other work to be completed for the library. Before concluding that all other work is caught up, you should report to a supervisor to ask for other work suggestions.

Sick Line

When it is impossible to come in for scheduled work time due to illness, a student should call the Sick Line (612-626-5179) as soon as possible to explain the absence. It is your responsibility to find a substitute for yourself whenever you need to miss a shift.

Please also see the “Access Services Attendance Policies” for additional information and rules.

Telephone Use

Employee use of the Bio-Med telephones should be limited to brief calls during your break or before or after your shift. The telephone on the Circulation Desk is the one to use during the day (calls are limited to a maximum of two minutes). Or, by special permission (you must ask each time), a supervisor may allow you to use one of the telephones in his or her office. There are pay phones in the lobby if these options are not sufficient.

Except for emergency calls, discourage your friends, family, enemies and acquaintances from calling you at work. We recognize that there may be occasional emergencies; however we do not look favorably on any part-time employee who regularly receives calls at Bio-Med.

Also, you are not allowed to sit and talk on your cell phone at work. Your phones should be off when you are at the desk. Obviously, on your breaks is not a problem.

Access Services Attendance Policies

Regular attendance is important. We need to count on you being here for your shifts on a regular basis so we can plan our schedule and budget accordingly. However, we understand that sometimes you cannot work a scheduled shift. Therefore…

Uncovered Absence Policy

If you anticipate an absence and are unable to find a substitute, please call the Sick Line (612-626-5179) and the 2^nd Floor Circulation and Reserve Desk (612-626-4045). You will be allowed 3 uncovered absences each semester without penalty. During other scheduling periods (Winter/Spring Break, e.g.) you are allowed 1 uncovered absence. Please note: being out sick without a substitute counts as an uncovered absence. During semesters, after your third uncovered absence you will receive a disciplinary letter verifying your absences and informing you that you have reached the absence limit. At this point you will need to meet with your supervisor. If you are have an uncovered absence after you have reached the absence limit, you will be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal.

If you are sick and go to the doctor, get a note documenting the visit and give it to your supervisor—in this case your absence will usually be excused.

Covered Absence Policy

If you anticipate an absence from a scheduled shift (you will be out of town, etc.), you must complete and post a Substitute Slip. You will remain responsible for working that shift until someone else signs up for your shift. You may agree to cover someone else’s shift only if you have been trained for the duties of that shift. Once you agree to cover a shift, you become responsible for that shift and must find another substitute if you subsequently cannot work a shift you signed up for. Provided you find a substitute to cover you shift, you will not be counted absent. There is no limit to how many times your shift can be covered by a substitute.

Lateness and Missed Punches Policy

“Late” to work is defined as more than 5 minutes past the scheduled starting time of your shift. Work missed due to lateness or leaving early (without permission) will count as one half of an absence (2 late arrivals = 1 absence). Students who forget to clock in/out (i.e. miss a punch) will be counted as late. If you think you have mispunched, you MUST immediately inform a supervisor and have them initial your time card with the correct in/out time, otherwise you may be counted as absent for the shift.

Timecard Rules

Please be sure to punch in and out for every shift that you work.

Check your card each time you punch in or out to be sure that you have not missed a punch. If you have missed one, take the card to your supervisor (or a person designated as back-up for your supervisor) and have them write in the missed time IN INK and initial it. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CARD ON THEIR DESK. If you cannot find a supervisor to initial it, leave him/her a note explaining what happened and ask them to make the correction. PUT YOUR CARD BACK IN THE RACK.

If you write in missed punches, please do so in the margin, not in the center of the card where the next punch will punch over it.

The dates the timecards are pulled are posted near the time clock. If there are PUNCHES MISSING on your card on that date, YOU WILL NOT BE PAID FOR THOSE HOURS IN THAT TIME PERIOD. Your supervisor will contact you in the next two weeks and it will be added to the next time card. To sum up, if you don’t take care of missing punches, you will have to wait nearly four weeks to be paid for those hours. If your card is missing from the rack, for any reason, you will not be paid for any hours in that pay period.

YOU MAY NOT WORK MORE THAN 40 HOURS PER WEEK (a total of 80 hours per pay period). This includes ALL jobs on campus. Please be sure to monitor this as Payroll will delete any hours over 80.

You are allowed ONE 15-MINUTE BREAK FOR EVERY FOUR-HOUR SHIFT that you work. You must punch out for lunch and dinner. Please speak to your supervisor regarding what the policies are for scheduling breaks and lunches in your unit.

Paychecks are available from your supervisor after 10:00AM on the pay days as posted by the time clock. Timecards must be sign IN INK in order to pick up your check. If you work in more than one area (and have more than one timecard) you will receive one check for the total number of hours. Please be sure to SIGN ALL TIMECARDS.

Direct deposit of your check is available. Please see Arlys Totushek in the Administration Office (Room 450B) for the forms to complete or go to http://hrss.umn.edu and click Direct Deposit.

If you have any questions or if anything is unclear, please speak with your supervisor or to Arlys Totushek in the Administration Office.

Performance Standards

Quality of Work

· You answer questions from and provide assistance to library patrons at a consistently high level of service.

· You take initiative and are resourceful.

· You ask for assistance and information when needed.

· You offer assistance to co-workers and supervisors when needed.

· You communicate ideas about any problems with the collection or procedures to a supervisor.

· You apply yourself to assigned tasks.

· Your work is accurate and thorough.

You will be evaluated on the following categories:

1. Attendance

2. Attitude and General Performance

3. Blog Reading

Customer Service

5. Knowledge of:

Catalog

i. MNCAT

ii. Aleph

Copy/Print/Document Delivery Functions
FileMaker Pro Databases
Library Web Pages

i. Bio-Medical Library Web Page

ii. University Libraries Web Page

Register/Fines Receipts/Student Account Transfers
Stacks (Locating Materials)

Phone Etiquette

Evaluations

Students will be evaluated twice a year: midway through Fall Semester and midway through Spring Semester. Students are evaluated on their success at following policies and procedures and achieving the standards and expectations noted above.

Policies and Standards Acknowledgement Form

I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Policies and Performance Standards for the Access Services Unit of the Bio-Medical Library.

Name (Please Print): ________________________________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________________________________________

Date: _____________________________________________________________________________

Please return this sheet to a supervisor, and retain the beginning portion of the packet for your records. The Student Employee Handbook can also be found in its entirety on the Access Services Blog (http://blog.lib.umn.edu/staff/biomcirc/).