The LIBRARY MEMO

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.

Continue reading "What's New in Circ Services Fall 2008" »

Posted by Liz Benson Johnson at 6:40 AM | Permalink

Cassandra and I met with Assistant Coach Nick Goeser, Academic Coordinator, who is responsible for the Football Study Table. Football Study Table has been held in the Library for the past seven years. We met to review the program (who, why, how many, how long, etc.) and share some of our concerns.

We learned that all freshman football players are required to attend Football Study Table fall semester. There are 30 freshman on the team this year. The freshman do not travel with the team and are expected to attend study table even if the team is traveling to an away game. Players with a GPA less than 2.3 also are required to attend football study table. This adds another 7 - 10 players to the number attending study table.

Study table is scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. for the entire semester. Spring Football Study Table is required for players who have a GPA less than 2.3. There is usually about 20-25 players attending spring study table. This year Football Study Table will be held in L410 and L409.

There is an assistant coach assigned to supervise each study table session. Nick provided a schedule with the coaches study table assignments for the Circ Supers.

Circ Supers are encouraged to speak with the supervising coach about problems caused by the players. We agreed that the supervising coach is responsible for interacting with the student athletes. We also agreed to inform Nick immediately about problems--noise, leaving the room a mess, etc. I I prefer that communications to Nick go through either Cassandra or I, however if you e-mail Nick please copy Cassandra and Liz so we are in the know.

Just in case the semester is uneventful and we don't have much contact with the coaches Cassandra and I will meet with Nick in January 2009 to do a debriefing.

Posted by Liz Benson Johnson at 4:59 PM | Permalink

As of Monday, July 28 the L118 ITSS Lab Consultants are stationed at the Circulation Desk. The consultants are located at the end of the service counter closest to the hall that leads to the computer labs. They will be scheduled at this location all the hours the Library is open. Consultants will no longer be located in L118. Mags David is working with ITSS Student Computer Lab Manager Rick Brill on this project.

All lab consultants, including the consultants working at the help desk on the third floor, have received the "Library Basics" training from Mags. This training includes:
*Searching the catalog by call number to see if something is checked out
*Finding books and journals on the shelves
*Basic information about these library services--Circulation, Reference, Reserve, and Interlibrary Loan

Posted by Liz Benson Johnson at 2:26 PM | Permalink

In January Mags proposed a new model for staffing the Periodicals Help Desk. Her basic proposal is to train the ITSS Lab Consultants to provide the same library services provided by the PHD students. PHD students answer basic questions about library services; assist users with finding information on the Library web site and in the Library catalog; help users locate library materials; and show people how to use the microform readers. The Library’s practice has been to staff the PHD only during the academic year. ITSS is staffing the desk on the third floor year round. The proposal was approved by LMT and ITSS.

This summer Mags will concentrate on training the lab consultants and developing/refining online training materials for use in the fall. Mags will continue to serve as a Circ Desk Super. She also plans to devote some time to maintenance of the microform collection. Effective Monday, June 2, Mags’s position no longer includes interlibrary loan responsibilities.

Posted by Liz Benson Johnson at 1:25 PM | Permalink

In the fall of 2005, the UMD Student Association Vice-President of Academic Affairs Lissa Bell requested the Library be open 24 hours a day during finals. Bill and Liz did not agree to keep the library open for 24 hour study during finals based on our experience with the 1995 trial implementation of all-night study in the Health Science Library (now the Library Annex). Although we remembered the HSL being empty between 2:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. we were unable to find any statistics to support our claims.

Bill and Liz agreed to do an online survey of students to determine if they wanted the library to be open additional hours during fall finals week, if so, when additional hours should be added, and if there were specific services that students would need.

The survey asked two questions:
1. During finals, I would benefit the most if the library...

*Opened earlier in the morning.
*Stayed open later in the evening.
*Opened earlier in the morning and stayed open later in the evening.
*The currently scheduled finals hours are fine.

2. During finals, I anticipate that I will need access to... (Students could choose more than one).

*A quiet place to study.
*A Group Study Room.
*Computers with work processing, e-mail and internet access.
*Computers with specialized software.
*Reserve materials.
*A computer consultant.
*Library materials on the 2nd, 3rd and/or 4th floors.

1933 students received an e-mail with the link to the survey and 262 students completed it. Here are the results:
1. During finals, I would benefit the most if the library...

44% Stayed open later in the evening.
34% Opened earlier in the morning and stayed open later in the evening.
20% The currently scheduled finals hours are fine.
2% Opened earlier in the morning.

2. During finals, I anticipate that I will need access to... (Students could choose more than one).

95% A quiet place to study.
47% A Group Study Room.
40% Computers with work processing, e-mail and internet access.
21% Library materials on the 2nd, 3rd and/or 4th floors.
17% Computers with specialized software.
13% Reserve materials.
6% A computer consultant.

The Library agreed to pilot a program to keep the first floor of the Library open for extended hours (midnight to 2:00 a.m.) during finals week. The program, dubbed Late Night in the Library, has been repeated for three semesters.

View these excel charts for data about each semester as well as comparisons between semesters.

Posted by Liz Benson Johnson at 4:20 PM | Permalink

Starting at the beginning of May term, May 14, Circ Services will be instituting several changes in job responsibilities within the department:

1. In our interlibrary loan unit, Mags David will be moving to permanent 100% time and will be taking on additional responsibilities in borrowing. Kay Westergren will concentrate her time on interlibrary loan borrowing. Paul Hanson and Cassandra Majchrzak have already begun participating in interlibrary loan and in May will assume responsibility for the lending side of interlibrary loan. Cassandra will be moving to permanent 100%, 12-month appointment.

2. We will also make changes in Circulation. There will be separate work crews for the Circulation Desk, under Charlene Brown, and for stacks (shelving, shelf reading, etc.) and interlibrary loan lending, under Paul Hanson and Cassandra Majchrzak.

3. Other responsibilities will shift as we tweak things.

We will not be filling the vacancy created when Carly Snyder moved to LSC.

I hope that you will have patience with us as we make these changes and work with us to improve our workflow and efficiencies. You will receive more information on changes in staff responsibilities and on office changes as we begin our process in mid-May.

Submitted by Adele

Posted by Sue Trettel at 8:57 AM | Permalink