Strength in Reserve (and Periodicals too)

I had a patron complain to me this morning about how he was "read the riot act" (which means to reprimand severely) about looking up call numbers the last time he was at the desk. In another case, I instructed a patron to look up the call # on the course reserve catalog computers, but the reserve catalog was not all ready up, so he got lost looking through the All Campuses MNCat catalog and ultimately gave me the wrong call number.

I think there are obvious benefits to our policy of requiring patrons to look up call numbers, as Margaret outlined in the Jan-24 post "Teach someone to fish." http://blog.lib.umn.edu/wilsper/informationcentral/2007/01/teach_someone_to_fish.html#comments

We should not forget, however, our commitment to providing fast, friendly, and accurate service to our patrons. There is no warrant for having an 'attitude' about patrons who come up to the desk and ask for a book without a call number. Many of them do not know our policy. If this is the patron's first time using the reserve catalog, they might be better off with personal, step-by-step instruction. We can do this when it's not busy. Whatever the solution may be, my main point is that our policy should not be construed as license to do the bare minimum in providing access to reserve materials or to treat patrons callously.

Posted by Charles Heinz at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Libraries guidelines for use of cell phones in our facilities have been codified in "Guidelines for Cell Phone Use.”

The policy has links from the Facilities & Operations Managenet (FOM) staff page:
http://staff.lib.umn.edu/fom/ (under Policies on the left)

The Libraries public page listing policies and guidelines for library users also has a link:
http://www.lib.umn.edu/site/librarypolicies.phtml

All students please comment that you have visited one of the links above & read the policy. Thanks!

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Weekly Incident Report Digest

There was one incident report last week, from Magrath, concerning the sighting of an individual who was trespassed from the East and West Bank campuses. Unfortunately, this person has not been trespassed from the St. Paul campus. UMPD are aware that this person was on the St. Paul campus and are monitoring the situation. Thanks to staff for reporting the incident.

Training for security monitors is under way. Training sessions were held in Wilson Library and at Mondale Hall. Walter security monitors have a training session scheduled for this Friday.

Matt Bowers, Library Safety and Security Coordinator

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lock up your laptop - Read today's MN Daily article

Remember that laptops in the library are suceptible to theft. Use the small theft prevention tags kept by the front desk should you encounter an unattended laptop or other personal property while shelving.

Leaving this note for a patron could really deter future theft.

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the old proverb goes, "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." At the reserve desk, having patrons use the self-service reserve computers to look up their own call numbers is the equivalent of teaching someone to fish.

This not only helps cut down on lines so we can get them on their way quickly and efficiently; but more importantly. it helps the library users know how to use the reserve catalog, an important academic tool.

Goal = A system where self-service lookup of reserve call numbers is the norm.

Please consistently follow these guidelines:

1) Direct all patrons to look up what they need and write down a call number, regardless of whether there is a line.
(Note: remember that when lines form, another good strategy is to call for backup - another student or staff)

2) As always, use excellent customer service. Avoid communicating in a way that sounds like you are ordering the patron to do something. Point out the reserve terminals as a resource, and offer to show people how to search if needed.

3) There are always exceptions - someone is frazzled, in a real hurry, or has their arms full - when it makes good customer service sense to look up the item for the patron. Even in these cases, still point out the resource of the reserve terminals for their future use.

All students please comment that you have read this post.

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

One day you will tell your grandchildren about card catalogs. They may not believe you, but I have a feeling there will be plenty of archeological evidence hanging around, even then to prove their existance.

Visit: cArtalog for another one of those fun card catalog recycling projects!

The Universirty of Iowa has pulled together this project in which students, teachers, community artists and storytellers have worked together to create a lasting memorial to this bygone library technology.

Check out the gallery, adopt a card of your own, or read the history of the catalog (especially for those of you who may be thinking: yeah, I heard about those things but never used one).

Posted by Elena Carrillo at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There was only one incident reported last week. A student had a jacket stolen from a study carrel in the Law Library. The University Police were notified.

This week begins a round of training for security monitors. Trainings will be held in locations across the library system. I will be at each session.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions and concerns about safety and security issues.

--Matt Bowers, Library Safety and Security Coordinator

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Q: A patron's jump drive was not recognized by the computer. Any suggestions?

A: When full-time staff are present, refer question to them.

If staff are not available, use these guidelines:

1) Short-term solution: alternative of emailing, printing or burning images to CD (CD's available at Copy Services for $1).

2) Long-term solution:Jump drives that come bundled with software like "free music" etc. may not work with the scanning software. Delete any software programs from the jump drive and try again. Occassionally, the drive may have software embedded in its hardware that cannot be deleted; in this situation, the patron will need to purchase a different jump drive.

Thanks to Maggie for posing this question!

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Each Spring, Wilson Library is host to many students from junior high through high school who come to do research for their History Day projects. The Periodicals area is especially busy, because many students are interested in journal articles and primary sources found in our F.C. Film collection and newspapers.

It is everyone's job to offer special attention and services for these students, especially because many are new to academic research and most are new to Wilson Library.

One-on-one help for their research questions can turn frustrations into revelations.

Please "go the extra mile" for these students:
1) free yourself from the desk to help them find their sources,
2) spend extra time explaining the microfilm machines,
3) ask broad questions to gather the information that will help you help them,
4) get staff to help with the tougher questions,
5) remember that we can log them into computers as guests, since they are doing scholarly research.

Below is a note from Susan Gangl, Wilson Reference Librarian and coordinator of University Libraries History Day activities. Please check out these links!

The University Libraries has a great History Day research page. You can now find the link on the Wilson page and the Visitors menu off the main libraries home page.

History Day Research at the University of Minnesota Libraries
http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/orientation/Pages/historyday/index.html

Wilson Library
http://wilson.lib.umn.edu/ (look under Do Your Research -- More Help)

Visitors
http://www.lib.umn.edu/site/visitors.phtml (look under Resources for Visitors)

All students please comment that you have read this post. Thanks!

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

It is that time again that many of you have been waiting for. Yes, Girl Scout cookies are available for ordering.

This year you can order the cookies right here in the library. They are $3.50 a box and the choices are: Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Reduced Fat Cartwheels (oatmeal & cinnamon), Thanks-A-Lot (shortbread dipped in fudge), and Lemonades.

If interested, contact Lanaya Stangret in 499 Wilson Library at either 612-624-9339, or stangret@umn.edu

Don’t wait - orders must be placed by February 1.

Jerrie

Posted by Jerrie Bayer at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There was one incident reported last week, in Wilson Library. A staff member in the circulation area was working after closing and heard someone asking for help. The staff member went out to the front desk and found an individual who had fallen asleep and who was trying to find a way out of the library without setting off an alarm. The staff member made sure that the individual did not have library materials and let him out. I notified the security monitor supervisor--we need to take particular care to check buildings at closing especially with the advent of cold weather.
--Matt Bowers, Library Safety and Security Coordinator

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wilson Building Hours. Beginning with the start of the second semester (Tuesday, January 16) and continuing until the end of the semester, Wilson Library will open at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday on both the first floor and basement levels.

Copy Services Hours. In addition, a second pilot will keep the basement exit and photocopy/circulation desk open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This is a response to increased demand for the photocopy service and user convenience. This change is being handled through reassignment of staffing -- and traffic will also be assessed during the semester to see if the extended hours should continue.

Half the cost of this additional building hour is funded by UDS, in order to provide access to the new coffee shop that will open in February. This is similar to the arrangement we have with UDS to open Walter at 7 a.m. This first semester is a pilot in which UDS (and the Libraries) will assess traffic between 7 and 8.

Reserve & Periodicals hours for Spring 2007 will NOT change.

Posted by Margaret Ostrander at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm suppose to do the blog tomorrow, but today i'm on desk, so i'm going to do it now. This blog is dedicated to the Talking Heads:

What's in a name? Is it Just a game? Or are we just the same, a little tame. Point your finger, who do you blame? I've got the ringer, a jar of shame. The sun shines when it rains, and then grow the grains. Who is here? Known for Cheer, drinking beer, alone an ion in fear. That hit the deer, in the clearing. What's that i'm hearing? A shout? A whisper? The air seems crisper? The house is burning, as the world is turning. Growing fern on the trunk, that tree is drunk off injections of lead, as i lay my head in the bed of the dead. Nuff Said "G." Is it a he or she, going pee and saying wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I agree with the bubble bee. Are you aware of the bear? Or do i dare to scare the people at the fair singing like John Mayer, as your heart i tear, but do you care? Don't you know, i move slow, cause i cut my toe, just too watch it grow. And so, here i go running like your foe, screaming at the top of my lungs: MY NAME IS JOE! MY NAME IS JOE! MY NAME IS jOE!

Urber duber try lichsygone urn miche do lakah un miago

Daryn

Posted by Daryn Christenson at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, so this is my attempt at a guest blog spot as requested by Margaret. Seeing how effective the "How are you" type posts have been, I'm not going to go down that road and instead I'm just going to make you all read a bit of what is going on in my life today. First things first, I saw the preview for that new movie "Primeval" about the "worst serial killer" in history, you know, the one with 300 victims. Well after this blood soaked preview I was pretty much set on watching this thing, that is until now. I did a bit of research to see the back story since this movie is apparently based on a true story. After a little google magic, I was able to find that this uber-killer is in fact a CROCODILE!!! Are you kidding me? Is it just me or does this seem like a pretty weak movie. At least Congo had psychotic gorillas, and that barely made it watchable, I can't imagine how much of a letdown it would have been if I had actually gone to see this expecting another slasher movie and finding the story of people who could easily not die by simply NOT GOING TO THE RIVER!! Be warned, this does not look too tempting. So continuing on, I'm we've all seen those bumper stickers that make us wonder if the driver actually thinks that they are so clever because of the fact that they put these little sticky pieces of paper on their bumper, like my personal favorite "My other car is a Porsche", saw that one on a 68' Ford Falcon, congratulations, you actually were able to make your already smoke blowing, rust dropping finely tuned machine to look even better, with this catchy quote on the back. I bet the ladies flock to that guy, who by the way looked like David Crosby on a bad day, once they see that sticker. Well, I told you that story to go into this one, I was walking to work today when I saw a woman driving a dodge neon with a sticker that read "the last thing the world needs is hate". Incidently, this woman was blowing her horn flipping the bird and yelling out the window at a group of pedistrians all while smoking a cigarette. I wasn't even looking at the irony of the sticker at first, I was mostly impressed that she was still able to make the turn with all this going on, and it was later as she drove off that I thought.....good sticker. Ok, well I could go on and on, but I don't want to make this TOO negative, because I'm not sure that this was what the blog was intended for, but it is a break from the "business as usual" posts. Also, I apologize for typos or if you like bumper stickers or killer crocs, but this morning this are just not my cup of tea. Enjoy the rest of your day

Posted by Brandon Hegg at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)