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September 30, 2008

Weekly Update

Here is this week's "Weekly Update".

Click here


Have a great week!!!


September 25, 2008

Staff Training Opportunity

All staff are encouraged to attend the Webinar Conflict in a Peaceful Library on Wednesday, October 15. As this is NOT an All-Staff meeting as earlier announced attendance is not mandatory.

October 15, 2008
1:00pm - 3:00pm
L410

Here is a description of the program:

Conflict happens! Many of us try to avoid it, some fight with it, some seem to enjoy it and still others seem to handle it with tact and skill. What's the secret to effectively handling situations of conflict? How can we de-emotionalize ourselves to the situations so that we don't get caught up in them?

Join Andrew Sanderbeck as he explores our dealings with others in the library by defining the conflict situation and using one of three approaches to successfully handle or resolve it. If you don't like to be yelled at by other people, you'll really enjoy this fun and interactive webinar.

This Webinar is provided free to members of WebJunction MN.

Inaugural Weekly Update

We have created a addition to The LIBRARY MEMO to help communicate to staff what is happening around the Library.

We encourage all staff to contribute to the Weekly Update. It could be a project you are working on, earning a degree, etc. All you need is to have your article to Sue by Friday at 10am.

The Weekly Update will go out every week.

Click here to see our first edition.

September 24, 2008

All Staff Meeting

October 15, 2008
1:00pm - 3:00pm
L410

Part of our All Staff meeting will be a webinar called "Conflict in a Peaceful Library." Here is a decription of the program:

Conflict happens! Many of us try to avoid it, some fight with it, some seem to enjoy it and still others seem to handle it with tact and skill. What's the secret to effectively handling situations of conflict? How can we de-emotionalize ourselves to the situations so that we don't get caught up in them?

Join Andrew Sanderbeck as he explores our dealings with others in the library by defining the conflict situation and using one of three approaches to successfully handle or resolve it. If you don't like to be yelled at by other people, you'll really enjoy this fun and interactive webinar.

September 18, 2008

Voter Registration


The UMD Library will be providing voter registration forms and a drop off box through October 14. Forms can be picked up at the Library Circulation Desk. A secure drop off box can be found to the left of the Circ Desk and all forms will be mailed by MPIRG representatives once a week.


September 15, 2008

Library to Conduct LibQual+ Survey

The UMD Library plans to conduct a LibQUAL+ survey in accordance with Goal #1 of “Library as an Organization� in our Strategic Directions. The survey is part of a North American effort led by the Association of Research Libraries to measure library service quality and identify best practices.

Survey Period: October 1-31, 2008
Survey Population: All UMD students, faculty and staff, except library staff
Survey Drawing: One iPod Touch and five $20 UMD Bulldog Gift Cards

Library staff will be excluded from the survey because we want to gain a better understanding of our services from users’ perspectives, not our own, and to learn their expectations and desires. The data collected from the survey will enable us to identify the strengths of our services and those areas that require improvements. The findings will facilitate our strategic planning to ensure that our library services are aligned with user expectations.
Even though the library staff won’t be participating in the survey, we encourage you to take a peek at the preview site http://www.libqual.org/Preview/index.cfm?ID=607522 so you know what type of survey it is and what questions will be asked. The preview site will be open till September 19.
If you have any questions, please let me know.

Shixing Wen
UMD LibQUAL+ Liaison

September 10, 2008

Duluth Public Library Hours

Below is a link to the Duluth Public Library website showing the hours for all three libraries for fall semester 2008.

http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/Hours.html


Submitted by Liz

September 9, 2008

Cataloging of AILRC collections completed

The American Indian Learning Resources Center (AILRC) approached the Library in May 2007, inquiring if there is a cataloging system that is easy to manage and will allow students to search their collections on the web.

Bill and I met with AILRC staff and provided them with a couple of options. One option is to use some open source ILS system, like Koha or Evergreen. However, even if an open source ILS software itself is free, its installation and maintenance require staff expertise. Another option is to utilize the current ILS system the Library uses, that is, Aleph. If so, the Library would catalog their collections and install a circulation workstation in AILRC.

AILRC accepted our offer. And we see this endeavor as a way to further extend the Library's expertise to the campus community. The ultimate beneficiaries are our students and faculty.

The actual cataloging of AILRC collections didn't start until April this year, due to the fact that our staff were still cataloging the Tweed Museum collection.

I'm happy to report that coordinated by Deb, Technical Services staff has finished cataloging AILRC collections. The total number of AIRLC books added to the catalog is 2,539.

Now, AILRC collections can be searched at:
http://umnlib.oit.umn.edu/F/?func=find-c&ccl_term=WCL=umdai&local_base=DULUTH

Bill and I will meet with AILRC staff in two weeks to assess the cataloging project and see what other needs AILRC might have.

Shixing Wen
Head of Technical Services

September 8, 2008

Library Strategic Direction

To All Library Staff,

The UMD Library Strategic Directions document may be found at the following link:

H:\Lib\Common\Strategic Direction\final_strategic_doc_Fall_2008.pdf

You will also be receiving a hard copy in your mailbox. On behalf of the LMT, I would like to share some thoughts about this document. First of all, this is a work in progress. While we expect our mission,vision and core values to be constant, we fully expect that our strategic directions will change as we complete projects and our environment changes. Please be aware that the strategic directions are to guide us through 2013. The list of projects in the document is not complete. We expect to add more projects, delete some projects and decide a timetable for project completion. One project that is moving forward is our local implementation of LibQ
UAL+. LMT wanted to do the survey this fall semester so we could get a better sense of which projects to do first. Shixing Wen will be forwarding more definitive information on LibQUALS+. I want to thank current and past members of LMT for their work on this document and to all staff who forwarded comments on this document.


Submitted by Bill

What's New in Circ Services Fall 2008

Group Study Rooms
Students may book study rooms for themselves using the MyAccount feature in the Library Catalog. Circulation staff will also continue to book study rooms for students at the circulation desk. See this page for instructions http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/services/study-rooms.htm

Faculty use of group study rooms is being limited to L239. Faculty may book this room in advance either online or in person. Faculty requesting a study room on a walk-in basis will be able to check out L239 if it is available. This study room will also be available to students as a non-bookable room.

Media Booking
Faculty have access to online self-booking of media for classroom use. This service uses the same process as the group study room self-booking.

Circulation staff will continue to accept booking requests via the media booking request form, or in person. More information on media booking is available here http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/services/faculty-media-booking.htm


ILLiad
Interlibrary Loan is using ILLiad to manage patron requests. Patrons can login to ILLiad to make requests, see the status of previous requests, and request renewals. Loans of ILL materials will no longer be checked out to patrons in Aleph, all information on ILL loans, including due dates, will show in the patron’s ILLiad account.

See the updated ILL page for more information http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/ill/index.htm


ITSS Lab Consultants
Lab Consultants have moved from the Computer Lab in L118 to the far end of the Circulation Desk, right across from the print station. Lab Consultants will be staffing the third floor desk on their own this year. No library students will be working on the third floor.

To reach the consultants, call these phone numbers:
1st floor - x8858
3rd floor – x6365

All lab consultants that work in the library will receive training that is equivalent to the training formerly provided to students who worked at the PHD. Training will take place in person and via a Moodle course site. ITSS is hiring a number of new consultants; “Library Basics� training will be underway by the second week of classes.


Circulation Desk Student Lead Workers
Circulation Supervisors are working to hire approximately five student employees who will function as lead workers at the Circulation Desk. Lead workers will be on duty for “critical shifts� at opening, closing, evenings, and weekends. Interviewing for these positions will begin the first week of classes. Qualified applicants will have one year of library work experience, customer service experience, and strong communication skills.

Position responsibilities for Lead Workers include: supervising and participating in library circulation desk operations, training and reviewing procedures with circulation desk employees, making work assignments for circulation desk attendants and safety & security monitors, enforcing library policies, cashiering, opening and closing the library as needed, serving as a building emergency evacuation coordinator, providing direct customer service, and registering new library patrons.


L142 (Group Media Viewing Room)
The Writing Studies 1120 Writing Workshop will be using room 142 during business hours. When this room is not in use by writing studies tutors it will be available for group media viewing.

When room 142 is in use equipment will be available that allows multiple users with headphones to jointly view a media item at one of our media viewing stations.


Circulation Desk
Circulation services are now being offered exclusively from the concourse side of the Circulation Desk (the left hand side as you face the desk.) One of the computers that was previously used for reserve and media circulation has been turned to face patrons. This computer is available to patrons for self-booking and use of the library catalog.

To make our service more efficient some of the collections behind the desk have been moved to new locations behind the desk. Moves included Reserve, Save Shelf, Theses, and Voyageur/Special Collections. Circulation staff members will be happy to help you find the new locations.

Thanks to Mags David for compiling this update.