Newsletter for Reference Student Assistants

Library Home Page Face-Lift

2009-05-11T23:47:41Z

Hi everyone,

Sometime soon, probably over the summer, a new design for the USF Website will be released. Included is the library homepage. To tide us over until then, Randy has made some changes that went into affect today.

Check it out! What do you think? What's the most useful improvement you noticed? Do you have any criticisms?

Party!

2009-05-05T16:27:04Z

Student Assistant Appreciation Party

Friday, May 15, 2009
Rare Book Room (3rd floor)
12 noon - 1:30 pm

Join us for pizza and a chance to hang out with some of your coworkers you probably never see!

Unfortunately Kelci probably won't be there, but you guys should make sure to have a good time!

Imagine this at Gleeson ...!

2009-05-01T18:31:10Z

Courtesy of Locke -- Make sure you have some headphones in to get the full effect

"On April 30th, 2009 in order to break up the stresses of spring semester exam week, UNC students flash raved the Walter Royal Davis Library. Without warning to those that were unaware, an estimated 3,000 students packed the library lobby and brought it hardcore for over 8 minutes."

So while here in Gleeson we were having a poetry reading, UNC Chapel Hill was raving hardcore. HAH!

Question: Journal Finder Re-name?

2009-04-27T21:29:56Z

Hello!

Since you guys are so good at coming up with link names, I have another question to pose.

What's another good name for Journal Finder?

As you know Journal Finder is the tool we use to find where the fulltext of a journal is located by typing in the name of the journal.

As you also probably know, people confuse this and think they can type keywords into Journal Finder to get articles on their topic, like they would use a database. Another misuse is typing in the name of an article, author, or discipline and expecting to get articles.

So, what would you call Journal Finder to make every one's life a little easier?

Fall 2009 Schedule

2009-04-20T21:57:04Z

Howdy! It's registration time! Which means I want your availability for Fall 2009.

Please fill out THIS FORM and return it to me by Monday, May 4 (e-copy or hardcopy are good).

Of course schedules always change, so I'll check in with ya'll come August, but I need a gist of what's going on with your schedule before you depart for summer.

Thanks!

Special Gov Docs Databases

2009-04-08T20:01:23Z

We have a couple of databases that are special -- that is, there are special instructions on how to access them. In general someone will ask you for a password. Then just remember this: GO TO MANUAL.

1. USA Trade Online

This is a gov docs database with only 2 "seats" for users. The two designated computers for this are in the gov docs room, facing South. There is a shortcut to the database on the desk top. You need a password, which is in the big black Reference manual (next to your student manual), as well as the Gov Docs manual, which is on the same shelf. DO NOT GIVE THE PASSWORD TO THE PATRON. Log the patron in yourself using the password.

Note: If these two computers are in use, politely tell one of the patrons they must move. Gov docs users are always given priority at the computers in the gov docs room.

2. NTIS / DARTS

Maybe you remember an old blog post about this database. It also requires a password that you are not to give to the patron. Log them in yourself. For this database, the patron can use any computer in the Reference or Gov Docs rooms.

This password, along with many more, is also in the big black Reference Manual.

Any Questions? Please ask!

Dusting Project: Full Speed Ahead

2009-03-31T23:16:53Z

Hi everyone! Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope you had a good one.

You guys are so good at shelf reading you've completed the whole reference collection this semester!

On the other hand, the dusting project has been slow going.

For the rest of the semester do not shelf read, but devote 30-60 minutes/shift to dusting. If you're going to dust more than 30 minutes, break it up so you don't leave the librarian alone for too long, or at least check in with s/he to see how things are going.

As usual, don't bother to dust if you're working alone.

Thanks!

Fun Quiz! 2009

2009-03-05T00:52:18Z

Hi everyone!

You have an assignment: a fun quiz! Please download the quiz by clicking here and answer the questions. Work on it when you're here at work and have a spare moment.

Treat the questions as if you were actually helping a patron -- don't tell me what you would do, tell me what you did do to find the answer. E.g. Actually go into the database and do and search and tell me about the process, tell me what kind of articles you found, or give me the citation of the best article you found.

If you don’t know an answer DO NOT ask the librarian for help. You can fill it out electronically or manually. Return it to me when you are done. It is due on Sun. March 15, 2009.

The aim of this is to help me identify areas you need training and give me some talking points.

~~~~Thanks!

Great News!

2009-02-27T22:51:14Z

We have secured pizza for focus group participants!

View the Gleeson Gleanings blog post for more info!

http://gleesongleanings.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/noise-in-the-library-discussion-groups/

A Word about these Focus Groups

2009-02-24T18:48:10Z

As you've heard, we're conducting focus groups about noise in the library.

What is a focus group?

It is as discussion group targeted at a specific population of people about a topic in which they are interested. Ours last about 45 minutes and we ask about 4 questions, hoping the interaction between the participants will generate useful information.

What's the discussion topic all about?

We're asking the participants a couple questions about their experiences with noise in the library, then we're having them look at our plan to deal with noise in the library, to see what they think of it.

Turn out for the focus groups has been pretty poor, unfortunately. Personally I view it as a sign that students ultimately do not care very much about noise in the library.

What do you think?

If by any chance your classmates or friends do care about this topic, please encourage them to sign up for a focus group!

All the information can be found here, and this is our remaining meeting dates and times:

• Wed. 2/25 9-10 a.m.
• Thur. 3/5 3:30-4:30 p.m.

• Fri. 3/6 1-2 p.m.

• Tues. 3/10 9-10 p.m.

• Thur. 3/12 12-1 p.m.

The incentive, besides having your voice heard, is a chance to win one of two iPod shuffles.

Wondering when you're gonna get paid?

2009-02-06T21:04:54Z

If you're wondering when you're gonna get paid, or what the time periods are, or anything similar, check out the HUMAN RESOURCES BANNER PAGE, which will tell you, for example, that you'll get paid on February 13th for the timesheets you just submitted. You are "SH," the light blue colored rows.

Dusting Project: Mission Launched

2009-02-03T18:26:37Z

Hi everyone! This week we're starting the dusting project. The instructions and log are on a clip board by the shelf-reading log. I'll try to talk to you about it when you're at work.

Dusting Project
2/1/2009

Supplies:

• Book truck
• Yellow dust cloths
• Dust mask (re-use your dust mask; store it in your folder)
• Princeton files

Dusting does not replace shelf reading. Do both every shift (except times you work alone)

Instructions:

1. Dust the same amount of time you would shelf read: 20-30 minutes/shift
2. Use the “Dusting Log” to pick up where the person before you left off
3. Completely remove all books from the shelf and place them on the book truck
4. Dust the shelf with a yellow dust cloth
5. Dust the top and bottom of the books if needed
6. Place the books back on the shelf
7. Take care to maintain the correct call number order of the books
8. Put unruly or floppy books in princeton files to stabilize them
9. Make sure all books’ spines are flush with the edge of the shelf and are otherwise aesthetically pleasing
10. Inform Kelci of any books that are damaged and need mending. To do this, write down the call number and title and leave a note in her mailbox or email it to her. Leave the book on the shelf.

Thanks!

Dust Masks -- located by shelf-reading log

Dust Cloths -- located with cleaning supplies

Princeton Files -- located in storage closet

Pay Library Fines Online! WooHoo!

2009-01-29T18:47:46Z

Taken from the library blog, Gleeson Gleanings:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You asked…we answered! Library patrons can now pay library fines and fees online using Visa or MasterCard. It’s easy:

1. Go to: https://ignacio.usfca.edu/patroninfo~S0. ["View Your Library Record"--same online portal you use to renew books and sign up for email notices]

2. Enter your name and USF ID number to access your library record.

3. Review your fines and/or fees and click “Pay Online.”

4. Enter your credit card information and click “Submit.”

5. Verify that the information you submitted is correct and click “Submit” again.

6. Print the confirmation page for your records.

If all of your library fines and fees are paid, any library holds on your university record related to these fines/fees will be lifted within 24 business hours.

If you have questions about your Gleeson Library fines and/or fees, please contact the Access Services Department at 415-422-2662 or email access_services@usfca.edu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Student Assistants:
I'd like you to comment on the original post over at Gleeson Gleanings instead of this post. When you comment, state what is, in your opinion, the most useful aspect of this new service.

Welcome back: agenda 2009

2009-01-24T00:31:35Z

Hi everyone. I hope you had a nice break and good holidays.

Two things:

1. Next week we will embark on a cleaning project (week of Feb. 1). Every time you come to work you will be required to dust the reference book shelves. Some are disgusting. So, make sure you wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty, closed toed shoes (to protect your feet), and I highly suggest wearing a dust mask, so consider that when you're styling your hair before work.

There will be a log similar to the shelf reading log where we can keep track of what shelves have been dusted.

2. The loose leafs are a mess and you are all on loose leaf probation until further notice. I still want you to work on them, but with my help. Do not do the loose leafs without consulting with me first. If you don't know what loose leafs are, you really, really, REALLY need to talk to me.

Thanks!

Three Things

2008-12-09T00:58:55Z

1. If you haven't heard, we stopped using our department copy card to pay for botched print jobs. Instead, we are logging into the GoPrint Website and releasing print jobs that way. Check your email, talk to Kelci, or talk to a librarian for more details.

2. I also sent an IMPORTANT email about prohibiting inappropriate behavior in the library. The gist is that sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior is not tolerated in the library. The library is a welcoming environment where all people should feel comfortable to study. If you witness harassment or inappropriate behavior, you need to put an end to it. Tell the offender they need to stop or they will be removed from the library. If you are not comfortable, get a full time staff member. But do not let the person get away with it!

3. PARTY! We're having a end of the year party for student workers and staff on Thursday December 11, 2008. It's from 2 pm - 3 pm in the Rare Book Room. As far as I know, there will be food, music, a raffle, and most importantly, fun and fellowship! I hope to see you there!

And... as the semester draws to close, I want to wish you all good luck on your final exams and presentations. Knock 'em dead!

Missing Books Update and Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T23:32:44Z

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for all your hard work searching for the missing books! You have completed the 4th search so we are letting it cool off until winter break -- so for many of you, this may be the last time you ever heard about the missing books!

So in the absence of the missing book search, you need to resume doing shelf reading during your shifts.

Also, I want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful to have such an awesome group of student workers. Keep up the great work!

p.s. Keep reading below if you haven't checked the blog for a while. The Encore entry is important.

Encore

2008-11-21T18:42:07Z

Perhaps you guys have noticed something called "Encore" on the library homepage. We call it our "new style catalog."

I don't want to explain anything or say too much -- try it out and let's talk about it in this blog post. Leave your comments about your experience with Encore, and come back later to read your coworkers' comments... we may agree/disagree/learn something new from each other.

Spring Schedule + Other work Info

2008-11-13T20:24:33Z

Hi everyone,

The Fall semester is beginning to wrap up and we're all looking ahead to what classes we are going to take in Spring. This means I want your schedule and your availability. Please fill out this form and either save it and email it back to me, or print it out and put it in my mailbox. I will release a draft schedule in early January and will tweak it as your schedule evolves.

FYI -- the less hours you say you are available to work, the less hours I will schedule you. If you want to work 10 hours a week and only tell me you are available those 10 hours, you will not get them all-- you will probably get around 6-8 hours a week. Other people deserve preference, too.

Also, I understand that many of you don't want to work early mornings, or Friday afternoon, or on the weekend. Well, someone has to do it. So if everyone tells me they can only work M-Th, no one will get very many hours.

Also, we may need some people to work a little over winter break, so if you are going to be around and want to work, let me know.

Just in case you know people who want to work here or patrons have been asking you, I don't foresee hiring any new people in the Spring, but if the person wants to fill out an application with their availability for Spring, I will keep it on file.

>>>

I need your schedule by Friday, December 12, 2008 at the very, very latest.

>>>

4th Floor Now Open!

2008-11-04T19:22:39Z

After a very long time, the 4th floor is now open and available for library use!
One half of the floor is used by adjunct faculty as office space; the other half (pictured below) is for library use as a "lounge."

There is also a pretty nice view from the 4th floor.

When I was in undergrad at USF, I loved napping on the 4th floor. Check it out and tell me what you think your favorite use of it will be.

Research Pro!

2008-10-28T20:02:52Z

Have you ever wished you could search all the databases at once?
Well, you can!

If you've visited Ignacio's webpage lately, you might have noticed something called Research Pro. This is where you can search multiple databases at once.

[click to enlarge]

I did a search in all the databases for: film AND gender

[click to enlarge]

What do the results mean?

The first database to report back was America History and Life, so that's the results I view immediately.

As you can see, I got results from all the databases -- some more than others: 1627 hits in ATLA Religion, and 436 in OneFile.

Research Pro is most valuable in giving you an overview of the best places to search -- i.e. the places you will get the most results in the discipline you desire. If you find a particular database is providing rich information, you may want to exit Research Pro and enter that database to search it directly.

[click to enlarge]

WARNING: Sometimes your results will be skewed because of an overlap of terms. For example, the word "film" will bring up hits in various databases about movies; in scientific databases it will bring up hits about the film scientists use to view tiny organisms with microscopes.

Research Pro also has an advanced option search, which you can use to further define your search.

[click to enlarge]

Besides doing a keyword search, you can also search by title, author and subject. This is handy if a patron wants to find all the articles written by a certain person or if s/he can't remember where they found an article but has the title.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Research Pro does not work in Safari (I know, totally lame)
2. If you select no group of databases to search from the advanced search screen, Research Pro defaults to a yucky group we're trying to eliminate -- this yucky group displays Google Image results first because Google is the fastest responding database. We don't want that there, so hopefully it will be removed soon.

Check it out and tell me how you can use this tool in your own research or helping patrons. Do you think it's cool? Or another pain in the butt?

Missing Books 3: The Search Continues

2008-10-21T19:47:47Z

Hey everyone!

You guys are so fabulous. In less than 2 months you have shelf read the entire reference collection!

SO, we're going to do something in place of shelf reading for a while.

Perhaps you remember how I mentioned the inventory we did over the summer. We discovered some books are missing and searched for them 2 times. We have to keep searching for them before we can declare them lost or missing.

The search for the missing books continues!

Search for missing books instead of shelf reading.
The missing books log will be in the same location as the shelf reading log.

Read the instructions and ask me any questions.

And for your reading pleasure, here are the instructions:

Searching for Missing Books
Inventory Project, Fall 2008

Do one page of the list at a time. Do all the steps in Reference at once, then head up to the stacks to do all those steps with all the books. Don’t go back and forth for every title. It is not time efficient.

Search for missing books instead of doing shelf reading.

Search for them 30 minutes for every 2 hours you work.

Write your name, where you searched, if you found the book, and the date in the right column.

Procedures:

• Check Ignacio:
• Do a title search – if you can’t find it that way do a call number search
• Check the book’s location, status, and if we have multiple copies in the library.
• Check the exact shelf location in Reference.
• Check behind the books at and around the exact shelf location—then check the center of the shelving unit down by the floor (to find books that have been pushed so far back that they have fallen between the shelves).
• Check the regular stacks.

Once in the regular stacks…

• Check the exact shelf location. If it’s not there, then…

Basically, try to think the way someone would when they misshelve something.
We are trying to find a book that was inproperly shelved.

• Check around the exact shelf location.
For example, if you are looking for BR 129 .G3 H43 1990,
then check all the 129 .G3’s, then check 129.?? .H,
then do the same in the 127’s, 128’s and 130’s.
• Check the same call number in other letter fields. For example, if you are looking for BR 41, check B 41, BS 41, BT 41, BV 41, etc…
• Check for similar or rearranged numbers. For example, if you are looking for BX 410, check BX 140, BX 41, BX14, BX 4100, etc…
• Check look alike call numbers, for example E and F, C and O, B and D

If you think you found the book…

Get the book and show it to Kelci. If she’s not here, leave it somewhere she can find it and leave her a note about it.

Meet with a Librarian and Instruction forms

2008-10-13T19:50:27Z

Do you know what the difference is between meeting with a librarian and a library instruction session? Do you know how to help someone schedule one of these things?

Meet with a Librarian

Students, staff, and faculty can make an appointment to meet with a librarian for an hour and receive 1-on-1 help with research. The library needs 48 hours to process this request. When the patron fills out the form, tell s/he to put as much information as possible -- this helps the librarian prepare for the meeting.

A patron can schedule this meeting two ways:

1. By filling out a form online through the library homepage
(usfca.edu/library --> Ask a Librarian --> Schedule an Appointment)

2. By filling out a paper form. The paper forms are kept in a tray above the key cabinet (next to the Blue Bible -- aka your Student Manual). **Make sure to give the patron the correct form** Once the patron returns the completed form to you, put it in the tray by the schedules at the very back of the reference desk

(Click to enlarge)

Library Instruction Session

Faculty set up a time to bring their class to the library to receive bibliographic instruction ("B.I."), also known as an orientation to our databases, catalog, search strategies and other services.

A faculty member can schedule this meeting two ways:

1. By filling out a form online through the library homepage
(usfca.edu/library --> Faculty Services --> Library Instruction --> Request a session for your class)

2. By filling out a paper form. The paper forms are kept in a tray above the key cabinet (next to the Blue Bible -- aka your Student Manual). Once the faculty member returns the completed form to you, put it in Joe Garity's mail box.

Any questions?

New Service: Gleeson Delivers & Gleeson Pages

2008-10-06T23:28:05Z

Last Wednesday the Access Services Department began a great new on-campus delivery and paging service. It's currently being tested and isn't yet widespreadly publicized.

Basically, students, staff and faculty can request books to be paged from the stacks. Students and staff can then pick up the books at the circulation desk. Faculty can request the books be delivered to their on-campus department.

(click to enlarge)

Click the "Request" button in a book's record.

See the websites for more info! Faculty Delivery and student and staff paging.

Feel free to encourage a patron to use the services if s/he comes across it on their own. Also, if any questions arise feel free to send a patron over to the Access Services department (aka the Circulation Desk) for further help.

What do you think is the best part about this? The worst?
I am afraid it will make patrons lazy but in general it reinforces what we already know: Gleeson Rocks!

Student Assistant Manual (aka your bible!)

2008-10-01T17:57:04Z

Hi everyone!

Yesterday I updated the student assistant manual. Have you checked it out lately? I highly recommend reading through it while you are at work. It's not really that long and I promise you will learn something you didn't know, no matter how seasoned you may consider yourself.

Some changes:

• Clarification of shift coverage: asking for shift coverage involves a risk; as the initiator you are ultimately responsible for your shift, even if someone agreed to cover it
• Additional task for closers: Once a week clean public workstations, including the keyboard, screen, and mice
• Updated Staff Directory info
• Updated instructions for creating guest accounts
• Updated sick leave info

Is there anything you can think should be added to the manual? Comment with it!
What did you learn by reading through the manual?

Check it out!

Wikipedia: Just say no

2008-09-19T23:15:10Z

WIKIPEDIA CRAZY!

I have to admit, I used Wikipedia to answer a reference question the other day. I am sure we are all guilty of this, or soon will be. But what are our alternatives? What would we tell a patron that can't use Wikipedia?

ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIAS, FACTBOOKS, AND DICTIONARIES!
Guess what... Gleeson Library subscribes to all these things:

Hundreds of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources, all online!

How did you get there you may ask.

Library homepage --> Start your research --> General Reference Sources (right side)

Jeeze, that sure is buried, huh?

Well we have plans to move this gold mine front and center of the library homepage, but we're trying to decide what to call it.

What do you think would be a good name for the link that would clearly demonstrate the content?

"Use this instead of wikipedia"?
"Online encyclopedias"?
"Doofus, click here"? (j/k)

Shout it out! Let us know!
And while you're at it, what does this mean to you?
Why are encyclopedias and dictionaries valuable? How are they used in research?