Don't be shy!

When checking out a study room key, look that patron square in the eye, smile sweetly (Can you smile any other way?), and tell him/her that the key is due in two hours. This is valuable information for patrons to have, since they will be billed $10.00 when the key is just one minute overdue, and an additional $10.00 for each hour overdue after that. If you smile and tell them when the key is due, they just may smile right back at you. If you don't tell them when the key is due and they unknowingly return it late, they won't be smiling when they get their Bursar bill. What do you want in this world, more smiles, or more scowls? It's all up to you, you know. You're just that powerful.

An Exception to Every Rule

Well, not every rule, but some rules. For instance, we have a policy that groups using our study rooms must consist of at least five people. But if a professor comes to the desk and wants to use a room for office hours, check out a room to him/her if one is available, even if the group only consists of the professor and one student.

Sometimes breaking rules just makes good sense. Breaking this one makes sense because the Business Communication professors are housed in a galaxy far far away this year. They are fairly desperate for a place in the building to meet with students. If we have an empty room, then we can offer them that space. Note that we will NOT take reservations for these rooms. Professors using the rooms for office hours are on the same first-come, first-served basis as everyone else.

By the way, anytime you have a patron who asks you to go against policy for them, get your supervisor. Only supervisors can make the decision to go against the rules. Our salaries are bigger than yours, and that's one of the ways we earn them.

A bit of advice...

You know that your job duties include shelving and shelf reading, right? If you're unsure what one or both of these things are, or if you're not sure how to do shelving or shelf reading, see your supervisor. When you're ready to head to the stacks to do your work, be sure to let your supervisor know, so he/she can keep an eye on the circulation desk while you're away. Tally sheets are now posted on the staff bulletin board just inside the reserve room. After completing a shelving or shelf reading unit, have your supervisor initial the sheets so you get credit for what you've done.

Now here's the bit of advice: Don't wait until the end of the semester to complete the bulk of your shelving and shelf reading assignments. Be nice to yourself by doing some each week. It'll make your life much easier when finals time comes around. It'll also make it easier for our patrons to find what they want. After all, our #1 priority at BUSP is to serve our patrons, right? These people need us!

Uh oh, you've done it now...

...you forgot to clock in or out. Or both! No harm done. Just send Terry an e-mail (treynold@indiana.edu) or drop a note in her mailbox in the Reserve Room. Make sure you list your name, the date you worked, the time you came in, and the time you left. She'll see to it that your hours are added to your TIME record.

Shhhh!

The BUSP I.C. is divided up into areas for quiet study, quiet talk, and group study. Do you know where these areas are? If not, check with your supervisor or check the drawings on the I.C. courtyard entrance doors.

Have a patron who is complaining that people are too loud near him/her? Tell him/her you're sorry to hear that, then get your supervisor to help them.

Remember this!

So how many times have YOU been asked the location of room 150J? Remember to log each time on the Reference Portal. Log ALL questions not pertaining to checkouts there. The Head Honchos check our Reference Portal statistics, and use them as a tool to determine our hourly budget. (That's the budget line that pays YOU!) Low Reference Portal statistics tell the H.H.'s that we don't really need many student employees at BUSP. And that's just not true! BUSP NEEDS YOU! So, please remember to log each question on the Reference Portal.

Do you have any questions about this procedure? If so, don't log them on the Reference Portal -- check with your supervisor instead.