July 2010 Archives

After looking at the survey results, many expressed some great ideas for new things to be added to the blog. While we explore more ideas, we wanted to introduce the newest feature to the blog...Extra! Extra!

Extra! Extra! is where you can find updates of temporary information related to working for CRSS. For example: it may list that plastic has been put up on the fourth floor in the 813's due to a leak, or  that the movable shelving in the R-Z portion of the periodicals in the annex are not working properly and that the override is needed to move the sections. We will be putting the date along with the information and will provide updates.
 

Last year we had a blog post asking for favorite state fair foods and we created a mini fair food finder. Well, the State Fair is a month away and we are once again asking for favorite fair foods to add to our growing food finder. Feel free to comment now through Labor Day on fair food. On the Monday before the fair starts we will publish to the blog the updated list including the locations of the new fair food for this year like Corn Dog Pizza.

Pre-fair admission tickets, ride/game tickets and Blue Ribbon Bargain Books are currently available at Cub Foods locations now until Aug. 25.

Just a reminder about what to do when Aleph freezes up when processing a hold request.
1.Restart the program
2.Record the Frozen hold date and time on the sheet in the Book Return by the computer.
3.Click on the items it's the one that looks like a closed book. Do not Return the item, if the material had a Route to my Twin Cities Campus Office hold, checking it in would return the item.
4.Scan the material that the hold got frozen for.
5.If the material says that it is on hold, print the slip, click on holds under items to find out who the material is on hold for and proceed like normal for processing a hold.
6.If the material says that it is checked out, print the slip, click on loans under items to find out who the material is checked out to. Make note of where to send the material and proceed like normal for processing Route to my Twin Cities Campus Office holds.

If you have any questions, bring the material to a supervisor.

We have now changed the forms for doing pickup. The monthly sheets for each floor have been replaced with a light blue pickup slip. These slips also have the checklist for the periodical pickup on them. If you have any questions please talk to a supervisor.

In recent days there has been some odd spam comments posted to the blog. As a way to combat the spam the blog now has a captcha added. When commenting enter the captcha code and then submit. *Tip: remember to refresh the page after you've posted any comments*

Last month we had a Where Am I feature on the blog using the blogs' banner. All students had a chance to win up to five entries added to a drawing, if they knew each weeks location. The locations used were the Annex, James Ford Bell's Holmes study, a location that stumped everyone that we will revisit in the near future, the Periodicals room and the staff stairwell between the 1st and 2nd floors. In the end we got to draw four names out of the box and the winners are: Jenny, Allison, Brent and Amy. Please stop by Becky's desk to claim your prize.  

Thank you everyone for completing the survey. We really appreciate your feedback! We received some great ideas for the blog and we will address those who asked for refreshers on certain tasks.

However, there seemed to be some confusion on what we meant by "blocked schedules". We are referring to the availability sheet we send out each semester, not hourly tasks. Instead of blocking off individual hours you cannot work, it would be blocks of time. If you could not work an hour in that block, then you would cross off the whole block of time. If you misunderstood the question the first time and would like to chime in your thoughts please leave a comment. You may post anonymously if you wish.

In the meantime here are some of your co-workers ideas on the next popular book series.

• Caveman
• Apocalyptic Events
• More fantasy or vampire stories- not classic vampires though, some new varied vampires like the ones in the Twilight series
  
• Alien were-wolfs from Jupiter who pray on human virgins the 23rd night of every third month every other year
• Sleek and sexy series of Frankenstein-related tween novels(other famous monsters of film-land to follow) or something Lovecraftian
• Dragons and were-wolfs
• The Exciting Life of Zachary Anderson (I wonder who's idea was that)
• Another fantasy series
• A story about Godzilla being a hero destroying everyone else's heroes (and Tokyo)
• Ninja battles
• A story about a man struggling to come to terms with his own insignificance and the seeming absurdity of his esistance while evil corporate space aliens invade Earth and replace various world officials and famous people with robots
• Something by Scott Westerfield, particularly his new Leviathan series
• A story like "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" except  that  "Carmen Sandiego" is a kick-awesome detective of either gender who solves crimes all over the planet. And through time. Basically a rip-off of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. Or maybe Sherlock Holmes traveling through time.

My idea was also something about ninjas or maybe something like ninjas vs. samurai.

From Wilson FOM:

The emergency alarm sounded at 3:28pm, on Wednesday, July 7, due
to water pressure changes in the sprinkler system.  University Facilities Management
is working on a solution to this problem.
  Thanks again for evacuating the building so quickly.


We would like to add that when the building is evacuated, please check in with a supervisor once outside. That way we know that everyone has made it out of the building safely.