Working in the Library: A Tutorial for Work-Study Students

1. Working in the Library: A Tutorial for Work-Study Students This guide will help to answer many questions about the work rules, duties, and procedures of the Miller Library.

2. Welcome First of all, thank you for your interest in working at the Miller Memorial Library. Most students enjoy working here and return to us as long as they are enrolled at UW-Richland. You will learn a number of things about working in a library and have fun as well.

3. Student Handbook There is a handbook under the time clock. You are expected to read it closely and refer to it as needed. It contains detailed information on responsibilities, procedures, emergency information, and other training materials. Many points mentioned in this tutorial are not in the handbook, so become familiar with both sources.

4. Rules and Expectations Arrive on time. Being late three times in a semester will get you fired that semester or at least not asked back.

5. Covering your shift: If you cannot work during your scheduled time, it is your responsibility to contact other students and find someone to cover for you. If you can�t find someone or it�s an emergency, call Lisa at 647-6186 x 293 immediately to let her know that a student employee may not be there during that time. It is recommended that you keep other students� numbers in your cell phone.

6. Eating, Drinking, Cell Phones The rules of the library apply to student employees as well: no eating, drinking, or cell phone use in the library. If your shift is two consecutive hours or longer, you may take a 15 minute break and eat in the work room (or somewhere else outside the library) if you wish. Please go out to the vestibule to talk on the cell phone if you have been granted permission.

7. The Circ Printer: The printer at the circ desk is to be used for library purposes only. Do not treat it as your personal printer. If you are on the wireless network, your options are the OPAC printer and the black and white or color printer in the computer lab.

8. Privacy Do not tell ANY PATRONS (students, staff, faculty, or community patrons) UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES who has an item checked out. This is a very important privacy law. You may tell the patron when an item is due back.

9. A few more things� Please put jackets and bags in the closet across from the circ desk. You are expected to be at the circ desk or shelf reading most or all of the time you are on duty. Do not talk socially with other students for more than a few minutes. Your library work should be done first and if you have remaining time, you may work on homework or read. Do not read library materials when you should be putting them away.

10. Responsibilities: All of the following duties and responsibilities will be explained to you in detail by the associate academic librarian: checking books in and out shelving materials according to Library of Congress Classification shelf reading regularly retrieving materials on reserve

11. Responsibilities, cont. putting out newspapers and periodicals (if you are on duty when the mail arrives) letting students into the Music Listening and Conference Rooms putting student�s names on returned textbooks and leaving them for Nancy helping students find items in our library, request items from other schools, use databases and other duties, such as putting more paper in printers, helping with displays if asked, etc.

12. Main Duties What follows are brief outlines of the four main responsibilities of the student library employee:

13. Check in, Check out: Ask for I.D. when checking out (charging) items to students. Check in (discharge) items as soon as they are returned. Be sure to check the return bin under the circ desk. Re-shelve the items THAT BELONG TO UW-RICHLAND, and hand items from other schools to the associate academic librarian.

14. Fine Money Take money and make accurate change for library and textbook sales and fines Put the money in its correct location Write a receipt for library fines and textbooks sales Notify the associate academic librarian so that she can remove any fines from the student�s account.

15. Shelf Reading Shelf reading means going to the stacks and checking every single book (in a given area) to make sure it�s in the correct place based on the rules of Library of Congress Classification. You will be expected to shelf read 15-20 minutes each time you work, unless other important duties prevent you from doing so.

16. Helping Students You are expected to know how to help students find items in our library, any of the colleges, or any of the universities. Some of the most important elements you will have to be familiar with are �More Libraries,� �Your Account,� �Request This Item,� and searching EbscoHost. Please view the tutorials on searching the catalogue and EbscoHost.

17. Other Procedures: The following procedures are presented in greater detail in the handbook: Library of Congress Classification�Learning this system is central to completing most library work. It will be explained to you in detail and you will likely be quizzed or tested on it. There are instructional links at the end of this tutorial. Removing New Book Status�This is a fairly simple process that ensures books will be catalogued and shelved correctly. Weekly Deposits�This is done on Thursday afternoons. It will be explained in detail if you work at this time. Closing Duties�Depending on student schedules, it is likely that most of you will close on at least one day during the week.

18. Fun! Please say something to the associate academic or director if you have an idea (or several ideas!) for fun ways to get together as a group (students and library staff). Possibilities are game night, scavenger hunt in the library (this could be for the whole school), or t-shirts for student employees with a funny library-related saying or image.

19. Thanks again! Again, thank you for your interest in the library. Work-study students are crucial to maintaining the library�s appearance, circulation, and hours, especially in the evening. There is a lot to learn, but you will be able to take that knowledge and experience with you. We hope you have a positive experience in the library and at UW-Richland!

20. Links to LC instruction: http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit03/libraries03_04.phtml http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/others/findbklc.html http://www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/GUIDES/callnumbers.html http://www.loc.gov/about/facts.html