Bio-Med Access Services Blog

If the gate alarm goes off...

	In response to the Beginning of Semester meeting notes on making sure you check patron's bags if they set off the Gate Alarm, Chris asked "And what if they were to refuse to allow us to search their bag? Can we really do anything about that?" That's an excellent question.

After further discussion, we decided it isn't always necessary to physically check their bag:

If a patron sets off the alarm, ask them if they have any books from other libraries, books from the bookstore, movies (rentals in particular), etc. If they say "yes" then ask them to remove those items and walk through again. If the alarm does not go off, simply hand the items around and they're done. If the alarm goes off again, ask them to remove any other possible items that might set it off. Repeat the procedure by having them go through again until it does not go off and it has been confirmed they do not have any library items.

If the gate alarm goes off and they do not want to remove items, ask if it would be ok if you inspected their bag. If they say "yes" then check for books from other libraries, books from the bookstore, movies (rentals in particular), etc. If you find any, ask if they will remove them and then go through again. Follow above procedure.

If the gate alarm goes off and they refuse to remove items and will not let you inspect their bag, contact the police. Inform the patron that a police officer is on the way to resolve the situation. Phone number for Police Dispatcher is 4-7828.

If there are two people at the desk, the second person should pay attention as the first person goes through these procedures with the patron. If the patron refuses to remove items and will not let you inspect their bag, the second person can call the police from the desk.

If the patron tries to run, etc. do not chase them, do not physically stop them--never endanger your personal safety at any time. Remember as much about them as possible and fill out an Incident Report Form. Also inform a supervisor, as video of the encounter may be preserved.

If you have any questions, let us know--or comment on this post.

Check It Out

I think it's worthwhile to take a look at what the other libraries are doing in the areas of Access Services, even when we don't always do things in exactly the same way. Sometimes there's a little news from us, too. In this issue, for example, there's apparently something from our own Emily. Check it out! --David

Latest Issue of Check it Out! Now Available
The latest issue of Check it Out!, the monthly newsletter highlighting IADS services and initiatives, is available at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/iadsweb/newsletter . In this month's issue: Take a tour of the Mathematics Library, courtesy of Lynn Tran. They are small but mighty, as evidenced by their circulation and gate count statistics. Chris Rose provides a primer on the Aleph Book module, currently being tested for use on the TC campus. And Margaret Ostrander brings her usual dash to the September Tidbits, including a shout out to Staff Awards winners and the Libraries to U delivery service. And don't miss what Emily Nolan is reading this month. Comments are always welcome at iadsnewsletter@umn.edu.
-- IADS Newsletter group (Sue Delzer, Julia Kiple, and Margaret Ostrander)

Beginning of Semester Meeting -- Blog Style

This semseter, since none of the desk staff are new to Bio-Med (and most are not new to the desk), we have decided to skip the formal, sit-down "Beginning of Semester Meeting" and just provide some policy and procedure reminders via the Blog.

Click the link below to read the document:

Beginning of Semester Notes -- Fall 2006

Please click "Comments" at the bottom of this post and add your initials as a comment to indicate you have read the post. If you have any questions or comments, please also leave them as comments on the post.

Thanks,
Ryan & Emily

Due Dates for Learning Resources Center Materials

A gentle, but important, reminder: Materials that you check out from the Learning Resouces Center must have their dates changed manually to reflect the date that appears on the item's paper banner. Please don't neglect to do this or the circulation period for the patron will be inaccurate and lead to headaches for all.

Items from LRC are primarily non-book materials to support instruction and research programs at the University. For more information about the LRC, go to: http://lrc.lib.umn.edu/. For help on how to change due dates, go to: http://staff.lib.umn.edu/iads/procedures.phtml#loans and click on Changing Due Dates.

As usual, post your comments or ask questions if you have them.

Thanks,
Emily