University of Baltimore Law Library Circulation Desk Assistant Training

1. University of Baltimore Law LibraryCirculation Desk Assistant Training Bijal Shah Circulation/Interlibrary Loan Librarian May 30, 2006

2. Circulation Desk Assistant Training: Overview • Welcome and Introductions • Basic Policies • Job Duties • Scheduling • Staffing of the Circulation and Reference Desks • Administrative Information • Tour of Library

3. Desk Asst. Training: Basic Policies • Be punctual, responsible and attentive • Complete all duties • No laptop use permitted • Silence cell phones • Limit conversations with friends while on duty • Limit Internet surfing on circulation desk PC • Snack foods and beverages with closed containers are permitted, but store meals in staff lounge refrigerator • Students not employed by Law Library are not allowed behind circulation desk • Don’t spend an inordinate amount of time behind the desk when not on duty

4. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties • Retrieving reserve items • Materials cannot leave library (unless otherwise specified) • Faculty can check out • Anyone can request (unless otherwise specified) • Items have green or yellow card inside depending on type of reserve • Attach picture ID to card and keep on file until patron returns item • No time limit

5. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Types of Reserves • Faculty • Belong to faculty – we have books, copies and videos • Have green “Faculty Reserve” cards • Books have no identifying marks (usually); filed by professor, then course • Copies consist of exams & course readings; kept in file cabinets behind work table • Copies filed by course, then professor

6. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Types of Reserves (cont’d) • General • Belong to library • Filed according to Library of Congress call number system • Have yellow card in pocket on inside back cover • Have identifying marks: call number at bottom of spine; property stamp at top and bottom; location sticker at top of spine

7. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Other items on reserve: • Journals – recent issues kept on reserve until entire volume received; then they get bound • Technical Services staff takes care of receiving, processing and binding • Circulation desk assistants shelve issues once they are delivered by Technical Services staff • Issues shelved alphabetically by title, then chronologically by volume/issue of each title • Floppy disks, CD-ROMs, videos and DVDs (shelved by call number) • Cassette player, headphones (kept in supply cabinet)

8. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Looseleaf filing • Library owns many looseleaf titles • Releases (sets of pages) published with varying frequencies, depending on title • Each release has its own filing instruction sheet • Some titles have call numbers, some don’t • Assignments usually on work table when you come in for your shift • Complete all filing assignments during your shift! (All filing must be done at the desk) • Covered in more detail during individual training

9. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Checking out/returning items • UB is a member of USMAI – statewide consortium consisting of 16 campuses • USMAI Libraries share books with each other – patrons can place holds via online catalog • Hold shelf behind circulation desk houses books our patrons have requested from other USMAI libraries • Who is allowed to borrow our books? • Current faculty/student/staff from any USMAI institution • UB and UMBC alumni • All borrowers must have a 14-digit library bar code

10. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Checking out/returning items (cont’d) • Use automated library system, Aleph • Different loan periods for different patron types • Faculty and Students have fixed due date • Faculty/Staff – May 20 • Students – semester (currently it’s Sept. 30) • Alumni – 3 weeks (renewal limit of 3) • Watch Aleph screen for due dates when checking out books! • Date stamps already set at desk, but may need to handwrite due dates; different USMAI schools have different loan periods • Individual training will cover this in more detail

11. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Shelving • Books throughout library filed according to Library of Congress (LC) Classification System • Need to become familiar with this to locate and shelve books • Call numbers have hierarchical structure: general subject designation, then specific subject, then author representation

12. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Shelving (Cont’d) • Example of an LC call number: KF 8840.F72 2005 Breakdown: KF – Law of the United States 8840 – Civil procedure .F72 – Coded representation of author’s last name (Friedenthal) 2005 – pub. year (not on all books) • Interactive program on circulation desk PC provides good introduction

13. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Answering phone • Console phone at front desk • Circulation number: 410-837-4554 • Answer calls on x4554 at all times • Reference number: 410-837-4559 • Answer calls on x4559 when there is no reference librarian on duty (during summer: Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat. nights; Sun. all day) • Do not answer any lines other than those above • Can use circulation line for local outgoing calls, but keep them to a minimum

14. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Other • Photocopying for faculty or interlibrary loan • Shelving books on reserve and return carts • Helping reference librarians with special projects • Opening and closing shift have additional responsibilities

15. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Other • Opening shift (including weekends, unless otherwise specified): • Logging on to circulation PC (info. is at desk) • Picking up newspapers from train station (not on weekends) • Delivering newspapers to other law school departments (not on weekends) • Recording security gate count and checking its functionality • Checking paper supply in all photocopiers and paper cabinet and restocking paper if needed • Delivering law school mail and picking up library mail from Dean’s Suite (not on weekends)

16. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties Other • Closing shift: • Shelving books on return cart • Straightening carrels, tables and chairs on third and fourth floors • Reshelving any books sitting on tables and carrels on both floors • Turning off carrel lights • Making closing announcements 30 mins. prior to closing, 15 mins., and at midnight • Logging off circulation PC

17. Desk Asst. Training: Job Duties When you come to work you should: • Check for photocopying requests – need to complete first using staff copier • Complete all filing assignments • Reshelve any reserve items • Check bookdrop a couple of times during your shift for any returned books and return books on Aleph • Make sure circulation desk area is presentable • Once everything is completed, you may study or read (but don’t keep your head buried in a book!)

18. Desk Asst. Training: Scheduling • Substitution slips – use these to pick up extra hours or post your hours if you need off • Don’t procrastinate in posting slips! • Posting a slip is not enough! • Follow-up: check that hours have been covered; may need to call or email other students • If no substitute can be found, let me know a day or so in advance • 3 unexcused absences=termination (i.e. not showing up for work and not informing anyone that you can’t make it in)

19. Desk Asst. Training: Staffing of the Circ. and Ref. Desks • One student on duty until 5 or 6 pm on weekdays; two students on duty all day on weekends • Circulation supervisor (Gina Harris) works part-time-- Mon. & Tues. evenings and Thurs. • Reference librarian on duty the following hours: • Mon., Wed.: 8am-10pm • Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 8am-6pm • Sat.: 9am-5pm • More reference hours during fall and spring semesters

20. Desk Asst. Training: Staffing of the Circ. and Ref. Desks • If you’re running more than 5-10 mins. late, call circulation desk (410-837-4554) • Do NOT leave desk unattended!! • If you’re working alone and need to leave the desk, let me know; if I’m unavailable, let reference librarian know • If no one is available and you need to leave the desk, return as quickly as possible

21. Desk Asst. Training: Staffing of the Circ. and Ref. Desks • Opening and closing shifts have 1 hour premium attached • If you work alone after 6pm on weekdays with no supervisor (Gina or me), you get time and a half • If you work alone anytime on weekends with no supervisor, you get time and a half • Allowed a 15-minute paid break for 4-6 hour shifts • If shift > 6 hrs, you can take a 30-minute unpaid break or the 15 minute paid break

22. Desk Asst. Training: Administrative Information • Timesheets accessible via MyUB account • Enter hours as soon as you work them – don’t wait until the last minute! • Be accurate when reflecting time worked; notify me of any modifications • Pay period runs from Wednesday to two Tuesdays later • Once timesheets go in, you’re paid for those hours the following week (bi-weekly pay schedule) • Pick up paychecks at business office after 3pm on Tuesday of pay week • Can set up direct deposit at H/R office

23. Desk Asst. Training • Feel free to ask questions anytime! • Contact me via phone at 410-837-4578 or via email at bshah@ubalt.edu