Showing posts with label circulation desk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label circulation desk. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

New Circulation Desk!

     At the middle school library, we finally have a real circulation desk! We have been trying to get one for  9 years!  My Dept chair had asked for one for 6 years and  I asked for one for two years.. She had it all priced out , and it would have only been $2,500.00 the first year. But it never happened.
    BUT since the elementary school libraries were getting all redone and NEW furniture we got the "old" circulation desk,( which is probably maybe 10 years old).
    So here it is!  I am so excited!! Keep in mind , these are  just put in - need to fix up and put posters up , so I will show a really after picture soon!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The Super Powers of Librarians

   The role of the librarian( school, public, academic & otherwise)  continues to change . Every day there are new resources, websites, and technologies for patrons to learn and use. In order to keep up with the 21st century , as a profession we need also to keep learning and growing.  So we need to keep developing our super powers to get the job done.

  Being Flexible:  Yes , we need to adapt and grow and learn all we can in order to help our patrons and students  . So begin by evaluating, revising,  and implementing your programs.   Assess what is working and what isn't . Decide what you will keep doing, ( something that is working , and producing good results, )what needs to changed and how you can change it to provide the best for your  needs and the needs of the patrons.

 Some items to think about changing or adapting: Circulation,shelving, scheduling, Programs. Now don't expect to change /adapt these all at the same time. Take time to think through about the procedures , what you do now and what could be done to be more efficient. Tackle one at the time, make changes , and then re-evaluate to see if the changes are working.  Always ask yourself : Is it working? Why? Or Why not? What could be done differently?  How can we improve?
  By being flexible and going with the change we can  adapt our tasks to become more accommodating and efficient.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Weekly Memo's For Staff

  About every other week, I will send out a weekly memo. The reason I do this is so I can keep the staff informed of various events, activities, policies, and  other items that I  need to tell them.

  The weekly memo helps me because  I can write it once and then know that I have told everyone what I needed to tell them and I don't have to ask- "Did I tell you.....?"  

   My next step will be to post the weekly memos on our library Libguide  ( More on that in another post), so that  the staff can refer back to the weekly memos easily and not have to search through their emails  to find the email I sent.

  Some items I might include:  updates to policies and procedures,  new programs coming up, food drive/pet drive month,  opening & closing procedures,  items to be done when at the circ desk,  birthdays and graduations,  monthly tasks, and other housekeeping items.

 

Friday, May 2, 2014

Your Circulation Desk

   Start at your circulation desk is a good way to organize and begin to be more efficient.    This is the one place where everyone spends a lot of time, the circulation desk!
   Take 15 minutes the first day you can , and see where you can be better organized and more efficient.

    Do you have pencils/ pens handy both for your use ,  your assistant and even your patrons / students.   Get some sharpened and ready. Make a can that people can grab if they need too.

    Look at your calendar. Do you have one? Is it up to date? Clean it off so you can see and write or pencil important dates/ tasks for you to remember. The calendar is one of the most important things for you to use in your quest in being organized and efficient!

  Other  tools that you need at the circulation desk:    Information on programs ( if at a public library) cards to sign up for a public library card,  phone books,   paper clips, paper, staples,  tape, and glue.

  Most importantly keep your items needed for circulation: date due stamps, stamper, re-inker, slips or  slip printer,    and  slip printer paper.  Also keep a supply of pockets if you use them and  other items related to the check out of books and materials.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Circulation Desk - Organization & Supplies

     How is your circulation desk? Does it look like its been hit by a tornado?  Do you have trouble finding things? 

     If so take a few moments each day  to becoming more organized at the circulation desk.  As librarians we probably spend a lot of time at the circ desk so  it makes sense to have it orderly and organized, It will be helpful to know where everything is . Also  it is nice is having all the circ supplies at that location instead of having to run to a storage room to get something you need to use immediately. If you have a drawer that you can use, place your normal supplies in there so you do not have to go some place when you run out,
 
     The first step of action is to  determine what you actually need at the circulation desk.   You will need the most obvious desk items: paper, pencils, and pencils. Do you need data due slips?  What kinds of records do you need to keep?  What reports are necessary each day?

    Keeping items organized is a great way to keep your desk in order. So grab some file organizers if you have to keep papers at the circ desk.  Have a can for pens, and pencils. If you use lots of paper clips or rubber bands get a container for each type.

     At your desk supply list: pens, pencils, paper, scrap paper, report forms, manila folders, paper clips, rubber bands, post it notes.  Include anything else you need on a daily basis!

   Check out the top tab- The Organized Librarian-  for more organizing at your library!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

InventoryTime!

Well it time again to think about inventory! An exhausting time but a necessary task! Start out getting all books ( or as many as you can) back into the library , checked in , and on the shelves.
I try to spend a little time reading shelves putting books in the right order. However, during the year , as I am putting books away , I take some time to check the shelves that I am replacing books on. I figure that if books were taken, there is a likely-hood that some items might be misplaced. In our library( elementary level) we only go beyond one decimal point. This helps me while shelving and also helps the student learn about the DD system without too much aggravation.
Anyway so as I am shelving, I am correcting misfiled books- so it is one time time deal . This seems to work in the library I am presently in. Past libraries, I have begun at the beginning and read the entire collection.
Does anyone have any comments on inventory? tips on reading and shelving and getting books Back? I send out over-dues to students. My staff can keep books that they are using and hopefully bring back what they do not need at the time.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

How do your patrons check out their books? If you are public then obviously the patrons bring in their cards. If you are in a school ,you might have a variety of options. High School might have cards- or you might just type in their last name. Or you might have them listed by class and on a Rolodex where you can just flip to the class and zap their last name. Some elementary's use the notebook method where by each class is listed with students bar code and you can just wand over that. My system is a card system. As each class come to the library, I take out their class library cards. When it is check out time, the cards come out and the student gets there card before approaching the circulation desk.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Too cold out today! Get ready for a new week. I hope you are satisfied with the circulation desk area. Have you been clearing and organizing? If you have all of your items ready then you will be ready for anything.
When I go in to work this morning, I have everything ready for my mornings work. I do this at the end of each day- I stamp cards, and check my plan book. Then I pile up the materials I need for each class. I have my objectives written on my flip chart. This afternoon I will write out the three more objectives that I need for tomorrow. Then they are done for the week.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Let's get right back into the swing of things at your library. How is your circulation desk? Is everything organized?? Straightened ? Clean? do you know where everything is? If you don't and you have to search for things then that takes time away from productive work.
So look hard today and see if there is something to straighten out / move. Make your desk work for you as if it were a human assistant( even if you have one) Make sure that you are ready every morning with the supplies you need at your circulation desk. Maybe at the end of the day you can stamp date dues( if you use them) , put everything in order. ( a good task to do at the end of the day- especially if you are a morning person. then you should do the more challenging tasks in the morning! Ah- another topic to think about! See you Friday!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

It's to cold out to be spring! How are you doing on your circulation desk? Do you have all your supplies right at hand where you need them? What about supplies to request holds? Paper, Pencils, pens, notebook? Every system is different-I write down each requested book ( check it out when you are going to order new books) . I also write down each one that I loan. Buy the end of this month, your goal is to have all your supplies that you use regularly within close range and organized at you Circ. desk.
I am going to training today about new updates to our system. So keeping up with all the newest helps on your circ. program is also a must. Whatever system you use, use all the options to make your life easier and your work more efficient.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Well , its cold out today! if you are still working on your circulation, check out your supplies. Do you have pencils/pens for your students / patrons to use? Sharpen them up and put them in an attractive holder . What else do you need at your circulation desk? Spend a litttle time thinking about what else you need to have at your circulation desk , and if it is there right now, or do you have to go searching for it when you need it. Happy Monday!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

On my circulation desk , I keep a small wicker basket. In it is has my daily circulation supplies. Date due slips which are stamped get taken out and set right next to the basket. Inside the basket is the stamp and some extra cards. When book check out occurs , you can quickly take out the card in the back of the book and throw it into the basket. You have supplies ready if you need to type more date due cards.