Discharge!

Remember to discharge all returns as soon as they come in. This is especially important for reserve items and room keys, since large fines accumulate so quickly on these items. We want happy and satisfied patrons, right? They won't be happy if we send them bills for items they returned on time, but that we failed to mark returned on time.

Can't find a barcode on a returned item? Check with your supervisor.

Your Money

Not sure how to access your pay information? Like most everything else at I.U., you'll find that on OneStart. Click on "Employee Self Service," then click on "View Pay."

Having problems with this? See Terry.

Hmmm...Did you know...

...that sometimes the best way you can help patrons is by not helping them at all? Unless the person requesting your assistance is asking a directional question or a question regarding a circulation function, all you need do is refer them to the Reference Desk. (See sample directional and circulation questions below.) But what if you really do know how to look up the information the patron needs? That's great...but still refer them to the Reference Desk. Why? Well, when we refer them on, rather than take the time to look up detailed information ourselves, we are free to provide circulation service to those coming to our desk for that function. That means patrons who need a service only our desk can provide will not have to wait while we do reference work. Besides, reference assistants get paid a bit more than circulation assistants. Let's make them earn their money!

Sample directional questions: Where's 150J? Where's the restroom?
Sample circulation function questions: Can you tell me if this book is checked out? How do I place a recall?

Shelving and Shelf Reading

Sheets for recording your shelving and shelf reading have been posted on the bulletin board inside the Reserve Room. To end the semester as an employee in good standing, you must shelve 10 half carts of books and spend 10 half hours shelf reading. When you do this work is up to you, but do check with your supervisor before you leave the circulation desk. Also let your supervisor know each time you finish shelving or shelf reading, so he/she can record your work on the appropriate sheet. You can choose when you shelve and shelf read, but we recommend you do it on a weekly basis. Do be aware that if supervisors see shelving piling up around us all, or an area in the stacks greatly out of order, we will instruct you to go out to remedy the situation right away.

Got questions about shelving or shelf reading? See Terry or your supervisor. Feel like you need more training in order to shelve or shelf read properly? Again, see Terry or your supervisor. Head phones are permitted in the stacks. Have fun with it!

What do you and Harry Potter have in common?

You both work with portals. Harry's took him from here to there. So where does the Reference Portal take you? To job security, that's where. Administrators look at the number of entries we've made to determine how many people we're serving. How many people we're serving determines how much money they give us for staffing. How much money they give us for staffing determines...Well, you get the picture. The important thing is that you USE THE REFERENCE PORTAL to record each interaction you have with a patron that does not result in a check-out. I realize this extra step might be considered a pain in the-you-know-what. But really you're pretty lucky. Harry's portal took him to some pretty weird and scary places. The Reference Portal will never do that to you. You don't even need a special port key to use it. If you have any questions about using the Reference Portal, just ask your supervisor.