April: No staff birthdays
May: Kathryn, Kat, Vasudha
June: Caroline, Annalise, Bria
July: Joyce
August: Ilana, Gary
Stop by the library on Wednesday in the morning for some donuts & later in the afternoon for some cookies. If you see anyone who has an upcoming birthday, be sure to wish them Happy Birthday for their special day.
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From now until the end of the semester, we will be running a survey about sounds and smells inside the library. When people come to the desk and say they are here to do a survey, give them one of the business cards with a QR code and "Library Sensory Experience Survey" at the top. The cards are available next to the circulation computers. If they ask about the $25 compensation, tell them they will receive it via email in the next couple of weeks, after their survey responses are verified. If they have other questions, direct them to Gary: garave@iu.edu
Thanks!
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As the weather starts getting warmer, we start thinking about Spring Break. With Spring Break a couple weeks away, here’s some important you need to know about spring break & library operations.
Business/SPEA Library Hours during Spring Break:
Friday March 14th 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday March 15th - Saturday March 22nd Closed
Sunday March 23rd 5:00pm - Midnight
Regular library hours resume on Monday, March 24th
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What does this mean for Business/SPEA Library employees?
Monday March 10 to Friday March 14: The library is open regular hours. You are responsible for working your shifts or finding a sub. Posting sub notices as early as possible is always best. Anyone available to pick up extra shifts during that week, will be greatly appreciated.
Spring Break Week (March 15-22): The library is CLOSED, so you are NOT required to work.
Sunday March 23rd: Library hours that day are 5:00pm to Midnight. If you work during that time, it would be great if you can make your shift. Otherwise, post a sub notice. If anyone would like to help Matt out that evening, so he’s not working alone, it would be greatly appreciated.
Starting Monday March 24: We’re back to regular hours and business as usual.
For any questions, please see a supervisor.
Have a safe & fun break!!
When putting a HOLD slip or a TRANSIT slip inside a book, it seems very easy to simply place it inside between the front cover and the first page. Well, that really isn't the best thing to do. When doing that, it increases the likelihood the slip will fall out . While, we may not notice it since we don't process a lot of books, the library mailroom staff certainly notice it. They asked us to make an effort to put the slip between pages farther inside the book.
Remember to place all HOLD slips or TRANSIT slips inside the book between middle pages. If you need to, take a look at the picture above to see the placement of that slip for an example.
If you have any questions, please speak with a supervisor.
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I’m so busy!
I feel like I’m not doing enough!
The first statement is objectively true. I have lost count
of the number of jobs Joyce has and all the committees and organizations she
belongs to, along with a full load of classes. Which makes the second statement
objectively silly – but also a reflection of Joyce’s work ethic. Which we have
benefitted from greatly here at Business/SPEA. She has been a clutch player on
many occasions, volunteering to work times that no one else could over breaks
and extended hours. She has been a godsend as a Senior PSA, happily filling in
the gaps in the schedule that no one else was able to. When working during
extended hours last semester and dealing with the weird problems that Workflows
always has when our hours change, Joyce put together a very neat and very
detailed summary of all the check-outs that evening, all in an effort to make
it easier for us to sort out the chaos later.
Which was very true to form for her. She has always
approached everything she does for us with the attitude of, “What can I do? How
can I help?” For always going above and beyond, thank you, Joyce!"
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The Spring Semester Business/SPEA Library Mandatory All-Staff Meeting is coming up on Friday, January 24th at 5:00pm. Please mark your calendars & plan on attending.
The meeting will start right after we close the library. We will try our best to not keep you very long. It’s a great time for the whole staff to get together. There will be staff introductions, someone from Library Administration will speak for a few minutes (I'm sure to tell us what an awesome library we have), we’ll give the “Above & Beyond” awards, go over a few important reminders, do a fun activity (with monetary prizes) and enjoy Mother Bear’s pizza. You will be paid for your time. Getting fed, paid & the chance to hang out with your awesome co-workers is a pretty sweet deal!!
Since this is a mandatory meeting for all library staff. If you have a conflict come up & won’t be able to attend, you must speak with Matt or Jeri in person.
Because we are having pizza, if you have any dietary restrictions, please let Matt, Jeri or Ilana know.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
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The library will be CLOSED on Monday, January 20th in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Please remember, the library will be open normal hours on Friday (the 17th), Saturday (the 18th) & Sunday (the 19th). So, if you work on any of those days, you are responsible for working your shift or finding a sub.
Normal library hours resume on Tuesday, January 21st.
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Since we are in the winter season and that means winter weather, since Bloomington just had 9-10 inches of snow already in 2025, this is a perfect time to talk about adverse weather as it relates to the library. Since this is Indiana, we can expect all kinds of weather, especially during the winter.
What is expected of you during winter weather? - The library is open for normal operations during the winter. This means you are expected to work your shifts or find a sub during times of normal operations.
What happens if classes are cancelled? - There are times when classes may be cancelled but the university will not go to “limited operations” status, which means library operations will continue as normal. If the library is open, you are expected to work your shifts or find a sub.
What happens if the campus goes to limited operations? - If the campus goes to "limited operations" status, this means only essential personnel are expected to come to work. In this instance, the library will likely close. WE WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL LIBRARY STAFF ABOUT A CLOSURE AND THE EXPECTED RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. WATCH YOUR EMAIL!!!
There may be times when we, as supervisors, will make the decision to close the library early and/or open late due to severe weather conditions - This will happen any time the “Monroe County Travel Status” goes to RED meaning they don’t want people traveling on the roads. WE WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL LIBRARY STAFF ABOUT A CLOSURE AND THE EXPECTED RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. WATCH YOUR EMAIL!!!
Winter Weather in Bloomington - Please always check the weather and dress appropriately for being outside. Make sure to wear layers, coats, hats, gloves & boots. When walking, walk carefully, watch for ice, slick sidewalks and plan on it taking longer for you to arrive at your destination. If driving, drive slower than normal, plan on longer stopping distances when braking, watch out for other drivers, watch out for slick spots on the roads, and plan on your commute taking longer than usual.
Indiana County Travel Status Map - For information about county travel status during severe weather, you can visit this website: https://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/
Indiana Trafficwise
Website - For information about roads & to see snowplow cameras in real time, visit here https://511in.org/
Please, if you have any questions, please speak with a supervisor.
Thanks!
