Above & Beyond Award Winner - Havana

 

We're very happy to announce Havana as a winner of the Business/SPEA Library Above & Beyond Award for Spring 2026 semester. As a winner, Havana is the recipient of a Target gift card. 

Havana was nominated by Ilana

Here's what Ilana have to say about Havana: "We've thrown a lot of different projects at Havana over the last couple of semesters. She's created a business of fashion display, or A-Z database cleanup project, or a project making a decision tree on reference questions.  She has been game for it all and very adaptive. This fall semester, Havana realized that her classes were wrapping up two weeks earlier than she anticipated. She approached Ilana and Gary for more projects to complete, which included some additional hours. We appreciate Havana thinking to offer this opportunity, which has been great help!

Congratulations Havana!

Thank you for going Above & Beyond

Above & Beyond Award Winner - Chayse

 

We're very happy to announce Chayse as a winner of the Business/SPEA Library Above & Beyond Award for Spring 2026 semester. As a winner, Chayse is the recipient of a Target gift card. 

Chayse was nominated by Matt

Here's what Matt had to say about Chayse: "During one of the Sunday evenings last semester when we closed at 9pm instead of midnight, a student asked for our help getting into a classroom she had been locked out of when taking a study break. Her phone, keys, and computer were in the room and she had an I-CORE exam the next morning that she was trying to prepare for. Several calls were made to the campus dispatcher, but by the time the library closed no one had come to unlock the classroom. Though her shift had come to an end, Chayse volunteered to wait with the student, who was still hoping that someone might come along to open the door and allow her to retrieve her things. After nearly an hour, the student used Chayse's phone to make arrangements to go to a friend's place for the evening. Chayse then offered to drop off the student on her way home.

We're proud to announce that Chayse was also the IU Libraries Student Employee of the Month for February. 

Congratulations Chayse! 
Thank you for going Above & Beyond 

Above & Beyond Award Winner - Anna

 

We're very happy to announce Anna as a winner of the Business/SPEA Library Above & Beyond Award for Spring 2026 semester. As a winner, Anna is the recipient of a Target gift card. 

Anna was nominated by Lily 

Here's what Lily had to say about Anna: "Anna is the youngest of us Senior PSAs in Senior PSA years, but she stepped up a lot last semester and helped with a lot of things, whether it was taking Senior PSA shifts so we could close the library or figuring out with Jeri how we could fill in for Matt for two weeks and taking a large part of those shifts.  She is a great person to work with, and I always look forward to shifts with her, where we crack jokes about whatever horrible thing is going on in the world, she helps people with their assignments, or we just sit and have a good yap about general life happenings.  Anna's proactive nature and general positive demeanor have made her go above and beyond at her time at the library, fingers crossed she gets her Masters here too!

Congratulations Anna!

Thank you for going Above & Beyond!

Cafe Hours before Spring Break

 

All of the IU Dining Cafe's in our buildings will have regular hours through Thursday, March 12. 

On Friday, March 13, only the O'Neill (SPEA) cafe will be open. The hours will be from 7:30am to 2:00pm. 

If you are working that day, please be aware and plan ahead for any snack or beverage needs. 

Enjoy your break! 

Spring Break Coming Soon - Important Information You Need to Know

 

The weather has started getting warmer, so we’ve started thinking about spring & of course, Spring Break. Spring Break 2026 is 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 13th                                              8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday March 14th - Saturday March 21st        Closed
Sunday March 22nd                                            5:00pm - Midnight

Regular library hours resume on Monday, March 23rd
 
============================================
 
What does this mean for you as a Business/SPEA Library employee?
 
Monday March 9 to Friday March 13:  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 14-21):  The library is CLOSED, so you are NOT required to work.

Sunday March 22nd:  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 23:  We’re back to regular hours and business as usual.
 
For any questions, please see a supervisor.
 
Have a safe & fun break!!

 

Daylight Savings Time starts this Sunday March 8th

 

Just a quick reminder Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend on Sunday, March 8th. Be sure to move any clocks that won't automatically change ahead by one hour. 

March Birthday Wednesday on March 4th

 

We'll be celebrating the "all-important" March staff birthdays here at the Business/SPEA Library on Wednesday, March 4th. 

March is a special birthday month as both Matt & Jeri are celebrating this month. We also have Stephen & Havana celebrating in March as well. When you see any of these folks around, please wish them a very Happy Birthday!! 🎂

There will be something sweet in the morning & something else that's sweet in the afternoon. Stop by, grab a snack & visit with your colleagues.

Therapy Dogs to visit Library on February 25th

 

As part of Kelley's Balance Boost, we have therapy dogs from "Love on a Leash" visiting the library on Wednesday, February 25th from 11:30am to 1:00pm. 

Please, feel free to stop by and pet some of the dogs. 

Important Library Things to Know for the Semester

 

Read The Blog – This is our library blog. You'll find it bookmarked on all circulation computers. It is important that you check this blog each time you work. We use it to communicate a lot of important information to the library staff.
 
Class or Work Schedule Changes -- If your class schedule changes (add or drop class) and you need to adjust your work schedule for the remainder of the semester, please see Matt or send him an email.
 
Running Late to Work -- If you are running late to work, please call the library at 812-855-1957 to let the supervisors know. Please do not text or call any individual supervisor directly. It might be a good idea to add this number to the contacts on your phone.
 
Unable to Work a Shift & Need Someone to Cover a Shift for You -- At this time, we use an email listserv for posting sub notices, so all staff, including the supervisors, will see it and know about potential holes in the schedule. You will be added to that list by a supervisor and receive a confirmation email. The list address is busp-subs-l@list.iu.edu. Please don't use any list address with the word "request" in it.
 
**When requesting a sub, please include in the email the date & time of the shift you need covered.
 
**If you are able & willing to pick up a shift for a co-worker, simply reply to their email indicating you can work for them. If you discover later that you are unable to work, you will need to put up sub request.
 
**Remember, you can't work when you are scheduled to be in class. And, you can’t work more than 29 hours each week. 
 
**When placing a sub request, you should also get a copy of your email (since you are on the list), IF you don’t receive a copy of your email in your inbox, then you haven’t done the request correctly, please try again or reach out to a supervisor.
 
Timesheet Issues -- If you forgot to clock in/out or need to have your timesheet corrected in some way, please see Jeri or send her an email.

Questions about Payroll -- Please reach out to either Jeri or Matt. They can help you figure it out.

Staff Directory -- Each semester, we put together a list containing the phone number & email address for all of our library staff. This is an internal document for our staff use only. We do suggest you put the phone number for the library along with the numbers of all full-time staff members into your phone contacts. In the event, you need to call the library at any time you’ll already have the number and if the staff needs to call or text you for any reason, you’ll know it’s us and not a spam call.

Birthdays -- It’s always fun to celebrate birthdays, right? Here at Business/SPEA we celebrate staff birthdays on the first Wednesday of each month complete with treats and a sign listing who has/had a birthday that month. Be on the lookout for someone asking about your birthday for the official list.

Personal Items left at service desk or in the back of the library -- Please do not leave personal items, such as chargers, water bottles, coffee cups, coats, hats, gloves, umbrellas at the service desk or in the back area of the library. Not only does it look cluttered & unprofessional, but it’s hard to tell the difference between what really belongs to staff & what should be in lost & found.
Please clean your stuff out of the refrigerator on a regular basis.

Be considerate of other employees, clean up after yourself -- Please clean up & dispose of any half-consumed food or drink each time you work. There’s nothing worse than discovering spoiled creamer in coffee. Food left out will attract critters we’d rather not have visit the library as well.

Questions about the Library, Your Job or Most Anything -- Please feel free to reach out to any of the supervisors. Remember, there are no dumb questions. Think of it this way, you won’t know an answer unless you ask us. We’ll do our best to answer them or find someone who can help.

Library Reminders: MLK Day; Championship Football & this Blog

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day -- The library will be CLOSED on Monday, January 19th in observance of this holiday. 

IU Football in National Championship -- The IU football team is playing in the NCAA championship game on Monday, January 19th at 7:30pm on ESPN. Expect all areas around campus, the bars, Kirkwood and downtown to be crazy & busy. Stay safe & let’s cheer the Hoosiers on to victory!!!

Tuesday, January 20th -- The library will be OPEN regular hours regardless of the outcome of the game and/or if classes are cancelled. As I recall from previous basketball championships, classes were not cancelled the day after, but we are in uncharted territory with the football team.

Remember to check & read this Library Blog each time you work. There will be important library information in it that you will want to know.

Hoo...Hoo...Hoo...Hoosiers!!! 

Spring Semester Mandatory All-Staff Meeting

 

The Spring Semester All-Staff Meeting will be on Friday, January 23rd at 5:00pm. This is a MANDATORY meeting for all library staff.

The meeting will start right after we close the library. It's a great time for the whole staff to get together. We usually have introductions, present the "Above & Beyond" awards, go over a few important things about the library, do a fun activity (with prizes) and eat pizza. Plus, you will be paid for your time. All in all a pretty sweet deal!

If you have a conflict come up and won't be able to attend, you must speak with Matt or Jeri in person. 

Library Hours this Weekend & for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

 

The library will be CLOSED on Monday, January 19th for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr holiday.  

Please remember, the library will be open regular hours on Friday, the 16th, Saturday, the 17th & Sunday, the 18th. If you are scheduled to work any of these days, you will need to work your shift or post a sub notice.

Regular spring semester hours will resume on Tuesday, January 20th. 

Important Information about Library Operations during Winter Weather

 

"Will it rain, will it snow -- We live in Indiana, we don't know" 

We are in the heart of the winter season and that means we can expect winter weather. Since this is Indiana, we can expect all kinds of weather, especially during the winter. This is a great time to talk about library operations & expectations during winter weather.

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 or moved online but the university will not go to a “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 Bloomington campus goes to a "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 the weather 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/travel-advisory-map/

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, speak with a supervisor.  

You may also find this information in a blog post and in the red notebook at the service desk.

--Business/SPEA Library Staff  

 

January Birthday Wednesday - January 14th

 

We'll celebrate the first Birthday Wednesday for 2026 will be on Wednesday, January 14th.  We'll have sweet treats in the morning & afternoon for the staff to share. Make sure to wish your colleagues with January birthdays a Happy Birthday!!