December 2009 Staff Meeting

Check-in Errors
We are still having a problem with items not being discharged, AV items in the wrong case or empty cases being sent on the van or re-shelved. Beginning today, after DVDs and children’s books belonging to Delavan are inspected and discharged, the employee who handled the item will stick a colored dot inside the front cover (placed on tape or mylar cover in books). The dot should be removed the next time the item is checked out. Colors assigned are as follows:

Orange – Mary
Red - Janice
Dark Green – Oscar
Yellow – Myrna
Dark Blue – Jan
Lime Green – Kate
Light Blue – Cheryl
Hot Pink – Ginny
White – Sandi
Stars – Sue

Items Returned Incomplete
When an item is returned with missing pieces, do not check it in. Contact the patron and inform him or her of the problem. Put a note on the patron’s card documenting this contact. If unable to contact the patron by phone or email, send a letter.

Book of the Month
As a reader’s advisory tool, we are going to hold monthly book talks. Each staff member was assigned a month during which she or he will give a book talk at the staff meeting. Assignments are:

January – Sandi
February – Katrina
March – Mary
April - Ginny
May - Sue
June - Oscar
July - Janice
August - Amber
September - Kate
October - Cheryl
November - Jan
December - Myrna

Read Off Your Fines Policy
Two questions about the Read Off Your Fines program were answered. Patrons may read or listen to a book from any source – it doesn’t have to be a book from our library. Read Off Your Fines can be applied to overdue fines from other libraries.

Flyer Organization
The circulation desks are becoming cluttered with brochures and flyers about non-library events and services. We have asked the Friends to purchase a literature rack to hang on the wall to the left of the elevator. Non-library information would be kept in that location. We have also ordered some brochure display stands to hold 1/4-page library program handouts at the desk.

Web Calendar
Katrina asked if we could have a tool installed on the web page and the blog to count hits. Amber agreed. We will keep the program and meeting room calendars on Google updated and use them.

Emailing Newsletters
We discussed options for emailing the newsletter to patrons.

Credit Cards/On-line payment
City Hall has installed a credit card swipe system. Amber says when they work out the kinks, we will also be getting a swipe system. The LLS is still trying to get set up to accept payments through PayPal. We discussed accepting large bills as payment for fines. Amber instructed us not to accept anything over a $20 bill unless the patron’s fine is very large.

November 2009 Staff Meeting

WLA
Amber and Katrina shared information on the WLA convention. Katrina got lots of good ideas for the summer library program. Amber attended sessions on strategic planning and fundraising.

Replacement Cost of Items
The replacement cost listed in Workflows in most cases is inaccurate due to a recent policy change. We now charge the patron the retail price (which can be looked up on Amazon, Borders or Barnes & Noble) rounded off to the nearest dollar plus a $5 processing fee. The SHARE system has decided that the processing fee should be included in the cost listed in Workflows and this will be done when items are cataloged. For older items, it would be a good idea to double check the replacement cost when removing items from the New shelf and make any changes necessary.

Patrons with More Than One Address
In the User Record, up to 3 addresses can be entered. Our procedure is to list the Wisconsin address first (to match the demographics). Other addresses, such as an out-of-state residence, should be listed in the additional spaces. Then, at the top of the address tab, designate the mailing address as Primary. This is the address the system uses for automated notices.

Meeting Room Reservations
Meeting room reservations should be recorded on both the desk and Google calendars. A new application must be completed each time an organization wants to use the meeting room. Approved applications are kept in the yellow folder on Amber’s desk.

ILL Renewals
Renewal of ILL items is not to be done by anyone other than ILL Staff. Patrons requesting renewal of ILL items should be told that we can request renewal, but it takes 2-3 days to get a response back and many times the response is negative.

Dispensing Medication
Library staff are allowed to dispense band-aids to patrons. No medications or other first-aid supplies, including antibiotic ointment or aspirin, may be given.

Circulation Procedure
The Circulation Procedure documentation is intended to be an overview and not a detailed step-by-step procedure. Cheryl is completing the revision of this document and the AM and PM checklists.

Coffee for Staff
Katrina suggested that staff use mugs or commuter cups for beverages from the Keurig machine and save the Styrofoam cups with lids for patrons.

Item Location
When removing items from the New shelf, be sure to change to the proper home location. Use the spine label as a guide: LP – Large Print, FIC – Fiction, W – Western, M – Mystery, SF – Sci-Fi, T – Young Adult. Home location for all nonfiction books is Non-Fic.

Items Not Checked/Discharged
Again . . . SLOW DOWN. Take your time and thoroughly examine all items, look at the screen when discharging to be sure the bar code registered and no messages popped up.

From Amber
Staff performance reviews will be completed this month. Amber will put out a sign-up sheet next week.
Oscar Nicia will be starting as a Library Assistant on 11/30.
The library budget was not challenged at the budget hearings.
Occasionally, children have been left at the library for long periods of time without a parent or caregiver. Excerpts from the Child Safety Policy will be posted in conspicuous areas and staff will follow this policy when dealing with unattended children. As a general rule, the appropriate length of a library visit by an unaccompanied 9-12 year old is 2 hours.

Something to Think About
Adopt a Shelf – public volunteers sign up to be responsible for shelf-reading and keeping in order a portion of the collection.

Disc Repair Machine
Katrina demonstrated how to operate the new disc repair machine. Instructions for regular maintenance are posted on the side of the machine. The User’s Manual is in the drawer below the machine.

October 2009 Staff Meeting

Helping Patrons on the Computer
Our computers are self-service. Staff may help a patron log on or find a program and may answer brief questions if it is not busy. Patrons who need extensive instruction should either bring someone with them to help them or sign up for a computer class. Our computer policy states:

Computer use is provided with the understanding that it is primarily self-service and that most learning will occur through self-instruction instead of library staff intervention.

Handouts will be created to answer frequently asked questions, such as how to cut and paste, print, or save to a flash drive.

Garbage and Recycling
This is a reminder that garbage should be put in the foyer on Tuesday nights and moved outside Wednesday morning. Recycling should be put in the foyer on Wednesday night and moved outside Thursday morning.

Summer Reading Program
Katrina discussed three options for offering summer reading prizes:

1. Letting children choose a prize each week when they turn in their reading hours.
2. Offering prize drawings throughout the summer.
3. Giving tokens for hours of reading which can then be spent on prizes in an SRP Store which would be open once or twice a week.

Staff favors trying the tokens/store option for 2010. Katrina also is planning a kick-off event the Saturday after school ends (June 12) and is gathering ideas for this event -- staff input is welcome.

Training for Staff
Katrina proposed that a system be created to offer regular training opportunities for staff, similar to the CE credits required for professional librarians. Amber agreed that each staff member should be required to attend one class or workshop each year beginning in 2010.

Web Page
Katrina spoke about maintenance of the web page since Beth's resignation. She stressed to Amber that in order to keep contenty up to date, all of us need to be able to add or change the page. Amber said she is experimenting with software that would make this possible.

Halloween
Candy will be handed out in the Children's Department Friday 10/30 and Saturday 10/31. We received a donation of candy to be used for trick-or-treat and Katrina will also purchase some. Halloween is on a Saturday and anyone who is working that day may wear a costume to work.

Next Week (10/19-23)
Amber and Katrina will both be gone to WLA next week. Kate will pick up the checks Friday. Katrina is expecting a volunteer (Kyle) on Saturday 10/24. He should be taught to clean disks and make photocopies and he should clean out the recycle room.

Other Comments
Katrina will begin making visits to the K4 classes at Wileman and Turtle Creek schools. Staff reviews will be done before the end of the year.

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September 2009 Staff Meeting

1. Vacation requests – Show the hours you are actually scheduled to work on your vacation request form.

2. Items in wrong place on holds shelf – Do not use rubber bands to group hold items together. Be sure to scan the patron’s card to see how many holds they have available before you go to the shelf to look for the items. Be careful and take your time.

3. Lost and found – Valuable items will be kept in the galley closet for 30 days before being put in the lost and found basket. If there is any way to identify to whom the item belongs, you should do so and call the owner.

4. Community Service workers – Anyone applying to perform community service at the library must be interviewed by the Library Director. A list of jobs for community service workers will be kept at the desk along with their timesheets.

5. Pro-rating replacement cost for damaged items – We do not prorate the cost of any item based on normal wear and tear. When an item is no longer suitable for circulation and cannot be repaired, it should be withdrawn. The replacement cost listed in the catalog does not include the processing fee.

When you prepare a new card, be sure patrons know they are responsible for returning items on time and in good condition. Explain the patron responsibilities that they agree to when they sign the borrower registration form.

6. Directional signage – Many patrons are confused by the bent arrows on the directional signage. New signs will be prepared with straight left and right arrows.

7. Staff communication – All communications from Amber will be sent by email and a copy printed out for the notebook. The staff notebook will be our primary means of communication.

8. Flu season preparation – Antibacterial wipes will be kept near the public computers for patrons to use on the keyboards and mice, and computers will be wiped down each evening as part of the closing procedure. CDC “cover your cough and sneeze” and “clean your hands” flyers will be posted throughout the library. Tissues, wipes, and hand sanitizer will be kept in places easily accessible to patrons.

August 2009 Staff Meeting

1. Patron Behavior – There have been recent incidents of patrons asking for favors from staff (extra computer time, printing refunds, phone use, money, etc.) The APL Patron Behavior Policy states:

Solicitation or sale of any item, article, service, food or product of any kind whatsoever is prohibited, unless approved by the Library.

Patrons shall not harass other patrons or Library staff members physically, verbally, or by staring with the intent to annoy that person or persons, or by any other threatening or intimidating act. Any other behavior disturbing to library patrons or staff, endangering other persons, preventing use, or damaging physical property is not allowed. Patrons will be asked to cease such activity and/or to leave the building.

Patrons needing to make phone calls are to be directed to the pay telephone. In extremely unusual situations, a patron may be allowed to use a business phone at the discretion of library staff.

Patrons with social service needs should be referred to the appropriate agency, to Community Action or to the Police Department. Under no circumstances may a library employee offer financial assistance to a patron. A list of community resources is located at each circulation desk.

When dealing with a confrontational patron, you may signal other staff to call the police: at the children’s desk, buzz the intercom 3 times; at the adult desk, show a sheet of yellow paper.

Computer extensions may be granted only if the patron is working on an exam or job application.

Printing – The maximum deposit we will accept is $5. Patrons should be advised to use the “print preview” feature before actual printing. Some web sites may require that the material be pasted into a word processing document in order to print properly. Use your discretion when reimbursing print accounts. A color printer will be available for patron use in the near future. The cost will be $.75 per page.

2. Vacation scheduling – We discussed the pros and cons of taking actual hours scheduled vs. 4 hours per day for vacation. Amber posted a calendar on Google listing vacation requests. She will also let each of us know how many hours per year we are budgeted to work and how many remain in 2009. All were reminded to try to use vacation throughout the year, not save it.

3. Desk coverage – Two people are assigned to the adult circulation desk. One person should be at the desk at all times; the other may put books away or help patrons in the stacks. At the children’s desk, brief absences are sometimes necessary. Remember to keep an eye on the desk when you are shelving or cleaning disks.

4. Rushing in Circ Workroom –Again, we are having a problem with items not being discharged, AV items in the wrong case or empty cases being sent on the van or reshelved. There is NO DEADLINE for completing check-in! TAKE YOUR TIME! Look at the screen when you are discharging. Be sure to label everything in the circ workroom with the “discharge” or “shelve” tags so the next person working will know what needs to be done.

5. Voice mail messages – Whoever is staffing the children’s desk should retrieve the voicemail messages, return the calls and/or take a message for Katrina. To access voicemail dial 50, then mailbox and password 18 1818#.

6. Legacy fines – Some patrons have old fines remaining on their cards. Fines older than 5 years and less than $50 may be deleted. Be sure to mention fines to patrons each time they check out so they are aware of what fines they have. Amber will check with Jim if we can have fines print on patron receipts.

7. Fax protocol – When sending a fax we often encounter busy signals, wrong numbers, etc. After two attempts, ask the patron to verify the number and tell them we will try to send it again later.

8. Computer guest accounts – Some patrons are taking advantage of guest accounts rather than applying for a library card. The rule for local residents is 3 guest passes, then they must get a card. On the guest account screen, enter in the comments box 1st, 2nd or 3rd use and date. If the patron has a library card but did not bring it, you may look up the card number for them if they can provide ID.

9. Damaged books – The procedure for handling damaged books discussed at the 3/8/08 staff meeting is being followed:

When damaged items are received in the book drop, do not check them in. If the item is owned by another library, contact the owning library and the patron to let them know of the damage. Fill out the gold form for lost or damaged materials, attached it to the item, and forward to the owning library. They will determine the amount of the fine and the disposition of the material.

If the item belongs to us, create a bill for the damage. Contact the patron and let them know how much it is. Also let them know that they can have the item when the fine is paid, and that we will hold it for 14 days. Check out the item to DELAVANWD and place it in the galley closet, place a label on the spine with the patron’s initials and the date it is to be discarded. We should send the patron a mailed copy of the bill in these situations to ensure they get the notice from the start.

July 2009 Staff Meeting

Photocopies: Library staff are not to make photocopies for patrons. In order to avoid the possibility of copyright infringement. We may teach patrons to use the copier, but not make copies for them. (See http://www.copyright.gov/ for copyright information.)

In-house holds: For patrons who have a library card, a hold should be placed, trapped and stored on the holds shelf. In other circumstances, such as when a patron forget to bring ID or does not have a library card, an item may be held at the circulation desk until close of business on the day of the request.

Refunds for “found” lost materials: Our Fees and Fines policy specifies that no refunds will be given once a lost item has been paid for.

Wireless Internet: Our WiFi network is not secure. There is no password required to log in. Patrons are responsible for managing their own equipment; staff may offer “hands off” assistance only.

Van Routing Slips: The transit slips we generate in large print can be used instead of the white routing slips on items going to Lakeshores libraries. Blue or pink routing slips should continue to be used for materials going to other library systems.

Book Donations: The Friends have advertised that we are accepting book donations for the summer book sale. We do not accept magazines, encyclopedias, textbooks, or anything moldy or dirty. Any donations received in bad condition can go right into the recycle bin.

Color Printer: There is money in our 2009 budget to purchase a color printer for public use.

Holiday Vacation Requests: Anyone planning to take vacation from Thanksgiving through New Year must have requests turned in by September 21.

Summer Library Program: There is a sheet listing winners of the children’s prizes at the children’s desk. Prizes and Welcome Baby Bags are on the white shelves. Katrina’s volunteer (Monica) has been trained to do shelving and can help in the adult areas as well as childrens.

Book Sale: The Friends summer book sale will be held Saturday, August 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. under the tent, with an indoor preview for members on Friday from 5-7 p.m. Memberships will be sold at the door.

Attitude makes a big difference in customer service. Complaints have been received about staff being “short” or “mean” with children. Be aware of how you appear to the public and remember that kids are not as understanding about the frustrations of the job as adults are.

Check-in at patron’s request is OK to do at the circulation desk if it is not busy and the patron does not have a humongous pile to be discharged. Use your judgment.

The Parental Release of Information Form has been viewed by some patrons as something we are doing to make it more difficult for them to get information about their children. Be sure to explain to them that this is our way of being sure the correct person is getting their child’s information. For new library cards, it’s easy to have the parent complete the release of information form at the same time they sign their child’s registration form. And be sure to record the information in the child’s patron record.

Program coverage is sometimes a problem since adult programs are often in the evening. Sue asked for staff assistance in covering adult evening programs. Beginning computer classes are being scheduled in the fall. If anyone feels comfortable teaching a basic computer or email class, please let Amber know.

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June 2009 Staff Meeting

Library Policy Changes Approved at the 6-11-09 Library Board Meeting:

• The age limit for checking out movies was removed. Anyone who has a library card can check out any type of material. (Profile type for all patrons should be "general" per ALM 6-17-09)
• The schedule for replacement charges was revised. The replacement charge for lost or damaged materials will be retail price rounded off to the nearest whole dollar, plus a $5 service charge. Patrons will not be allowed to replace items themselves.
• New policies approved: Staff Computer Use policy and Acceptance of Gifts policy.

Sue will update the library brochure to reflect policy changes.

The City is experimenting with credit/debit service and it is expected that by the end of the year we will be able to accept payment by credit or debit card.

There has been an increase in the number of errors made when checking items in over the last month. No discharging will be done at the circulation desk. Materials from all book drops will be taken to the Circ Workroom for discharge and inspection.

Our telephone bill has recorded a larger-than-normal number of long distance calls lately. Possible causes of this are interlibrary calls and more patrons listing cell phones as their primary phone numbers. Staff should not make personal long distance calls on the library phone unless it is an emergency.

Trash will be picked up on Wednesday instead of Friday. The Tuesday night crew should put the trash cans in between the doors.

Beth has created a WEB folder on the server which contains sample web page designs. She would like everyone to look at them, read the accompanying document, and vote for your favorite and/or make comments about the designs.

A new shredder has been ordered. Jan Olson is assigned the responsibility of maintaining the shredder.

The staff schedule for July was reviewed.

ILL procedures were reviewed by Ginny Andersen. ILL books returned in the book drop should be discharged and placed in the ILL bin. Two types of ILL books may be received on the van. If the book belongs to us, discharge it, put the attached paperwork in the ILL bin, and shelve the book. If the book belongs to an out-of-system library, put it and its paperwork in the ILL bin. Remember that the "receive transit" function will not discharge an ILL book.

We are registered for the July 4 parade, which takes place at 3 p.m. Amber was advised by Ace Hardware that we should use oil-based enamel paint on the book carts. Amber will purchase the paint; let her know what colors you need.

Balancing the cash register at the end of the day should preferably be done after closing. If it must be done while patrons are in the library, take the cash drawer into the office and work on it there.

The opening and closing checklists need to be updated.

Amber feels the TDD is not being used. She is investigating using chat for reference questions.

Sign-up for the summer library program begins today.

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May 2009 Staff Meeting

1. Summer Library Program

• Sign up begins June 12. The first day to turn in hours is Monday, June 15.
• You do not need a library card to participate. The program is open to people of all ages.
• To register a patron, have them complete a registration card, one per person. Give them a reading bag and explain the reading record. Twelve boxes must be checked to claim a prize.
• For children, the 1st prize is a t-shirt, 2nd prize is a book. After that, they may enter the drawing of their choice for each reading record turned in.
• Teens may chose a t-shirt and book, or enter the drawings.
• Adults may enter the drawing. T-shirts and books are included in the prizes they can win.

Each staff member was given a packet containing samples of the SLP forms, instructions on how the program works, and a schedule of events.

2. Volunteers
Volunteers working for Katrina this summer may work off overdue fines ($5 per hour worked), add money to their print account ($1 per hour worked), or possibly have their personal discs resurfaced. Summer volunteers will be required to wear name tags.

3. Twilight Program
Amber asked for a volunteer to help with the Friday night Twilight program. Myrna offered to help with this. Children will be allowed to attend with if accompanied by a caregiver or if the parent gives verbal permission to the librarian for the child to attend.

4. Patron Behavior Policy Changes
No food is allowed in the library except in designated areas (such as in the meeting room for programs). Beverages are allowed in covered containers, but not near the computers.

5. Deliveries
All deliveries should go to the TS room. Boxes should not be opened at the Circ Desks. Staff are not allowed to remove unprocessed items from the building.

6. Patron Registration
Be sure the form is filled out as completely as possible and always check to see if the patron already has a card. List the drivers license number as ALT ID for adults and also on the address tab in the DL space. Profile type should be GENERAL for adults, JUV-VIDEO for children 14-18, JUVENILE for children under 14. Sue will update the instructions for registering a new patron.

7. Schedule
Amber will save the master schedule on the Samba server. The most recent update will be available on Google Apps.

8. Amber demonstrated use of the microfilm reader/printer.

April 2009 Staff Meeting

1. Do not give out staff information over the phone, including hours they work. If a staff member gets a call when they are not in, take a message.

2. When performing library transactions over the phone, ask for the patron's library card number or alternate ID. The alternate ID is the driver's license number or state ID for adults and the date of birth and initials for children.

3. Do not put up with inappropriate patron behavior. Ask the patron to leave and/or call the police if a patron is being abusive, including verbal abuse. Be sure to write an incident report about the situation. We are looking at upgrading our security camera system in the future.

4. Google accounts have been set up for all staff members. They can be accessed at www.google.com/a/aramlibrary.org There are also calendars for Adult Events, Youth and Family Events, and the Meeting Room schedule.

5. Phone use by patrons is not allowed except in an emergency situation. If children need to call for a ride, you make the call for them. If children under 16 are not picked up by closing, two staff members should stay with them. If they are not picked up within 15 minutes, call the police.

6. Turn computer monitors off overnight.

7. Amber is working on the summer schedule. There are two options for evening coverage on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you would like to work an evening, you may volunteer. If there are not enough volunteers we will use a rotation system so everyone works the same number of evenings during the summer.

8. The new patron registration form was reviewed.

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March 2009 Staff Meeting

1. We will be getting a VISTA volunteer for the summer.

2. Our Tornado Shelter is the elevator pit. We will put together a "pit kit" containing flashlight, weather radio, snacks, games, etc. for use in an emergency situation.

3. Listing of staff job assignments was distributed. There are some jobs that have not yet been assigned to an individual. The primary/trainer in each area is expected to cross-train other staff so everyone is at least familiar with all areas of service. Job-related tasks are to be done on library time.

4. Library Card Procedures - the revised form and general procedures will be reviewed during the April meeting. Amber is trying to get approval for a "computer only" card for those children whose parents will not come in to sign/provide ID.

Wisconsin School for the Deaf students can get a library card without a parental signature if they have a school ID. The WSD Principal has given blanket permission to use her as the responsible individual. List the WSD address and phone in the space for mailing address. List the student's home address and phone in the "residence" space. Show the student's school ID number under "other ID."

Homeless applicants must have their library card applications approved by Fr. Myrick at Delavan Episcopal Church. Their library cards will be good from September through May, for 1 item at a time from the Delavan library only.

Milwaukee County residents may purchase a "nonresident" card for $50.

5. Survey of reference transactions will begin Monday. We will perform a reference count one week each quarter. Questions that count as reference are collection-related. We will be getting new people counters at both doors.

6. Policy changes were reviewed.

7. We discussed how the holds shelf should be set up. It was decided the hold slip should be longer so it can be stuck inside the book and that the patron's name should be listed at the top of the slip. Sue will make these changes.

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Pewaukee Public Library (last Pewaukee post-I swear)

OK, so in the interest of time and all the other things I have to get done I'm going to have to condense the rest of my Pewaukee comments into one post. So here are the highlights and you can find all the other pictures in the Pewaukee Public Library folder on the Z drive.

The number one thing you notice when you enter the library and really one of the only art pieces there is this ceramic tile wall.

The tiles were created by community members of all ages but compiled by a local artist. It spans both floors and is an aqua green-to-blue color, though that's hard to see in this pic. It is gorgeous and truly impressive.

The second coolest thing in the Pewaukee Library is their shelf lighting. It is by far the most harmonious lighting I've ever seen in a library, though this picture isn't the greatest.

There are metal frames that span the bookshelves and suspend the lights between the shelves which helps to make sure no shelf is left in shadow. It was very aesthetically appealing and incredibly expensive. Oh well.

So you already saw Pewaukee's check out desk--well this is their reference desk which is located downstairs. They don't do checkout or checkin, just reference and work on projects.

At the reference desk you can also buy coffee and tea for the coffee/tea bar (there is a picture of this in the folder but it doesn't really show you anything since the "bar" is actually just a hot water machine). If I remember correctly, it was $1 for each.

The last thing I want to mention is their magazine display. They have the same shelves as we do but they have two signage ideas that I think would be very useful here.

They use, what appears to be, Do Not Circulate tape/stickers that go on the clear binders they put their magazines in. Putting the newest magazine in a binder like that makes it more difficult to steel and the sticker cuts down on the number of people trying to check them out. They also have labels behind each new magazine that says to lift the shelf to find back issues.

So, that's all I have for Pewaukee. Like I said, feel free to check out the other pictures in the folder and comment on them as you like but these were the attributes that stood out the most. Let me know if you have any questions. On to the next library!

Suggestions For Banding Books for the Van

Motto: Haste Makes Waste

Overriding Objective:
Mike, (our Van-Man), picks up our bins and takes them to his van to resort into other bins. He should be able to grab each item/group of items from our bins in one hand - whether a single book, stacked and banded books, or a double column of books (two stacks of smaller books on a larger bottom book). Bundles of books should be stacked no higher than a man can reasonably grip in one hand.

Mike should be able to do this without the banded books shifting about, routing slips or rubber bands coming loose, and/or slips or books falling out of the bundles.

1. Check through books you have taken off the CircWork shelves for a particular location - and make sure they are actually all for that location.
2. Fasten Routing Slips securely to the single item or item on top of a bundle of appropriate height, placing tape on the top and bottom of the Routing Slip.
3. Fasten bundle with rubber bands of size corresponding to the heft of the book/bundle of books.
4. Don't hesitate to band a single book if it is large, awkward or unusually heavy.
5. If you have enough books for one location to stack smaller books in double columns on top of a sufficiently large/substantial book(s), make sure you fasten with enough suitably-sized rubber bands (4 minimum) to keep all items in the bundle stable and reasonable to lift with one hand.
6. Make sure you are putting white-slipped items in the white-slip bin, blue in blue-slip bin, Racine in Racine, etc.
7. Ensure that items fall flat in the bins. Carelessly tossed items will cause someone else to remove all books on top of the tilted item and straighten the whole bin out. Mike stacks the bins one on top of the other on his dolly, and uneven stacks can topple the whole lot.

This is my first blog. Thanks to Sue for the nudge.

Myrna

New Berlin Public Library Tour by Sandi

The New Berlin Public Library, with its Frank Lloyd Wright style, was awesome architecturally -- to me. Since Delavan lake has several Frank Lloyd Wright homes, this style would be a great compliment to Delavan, but maybe not right downtown in its present location.

On entry, the whole atmosphere screamed LIBRARY to me -- I loved it! The quotes in large lettering on the high walls throughout the building gave me a feeling of being someplace special -- reminded me of similar lettering in the Vatican -- but way too expensive for a Delavan project. The dark wood, including the library tables, did not distract because of all the windows, indirect and halogen lighting, and vastness of the areas. The "Artist of the Month" displays were nice, as well as the huge meeting room and screen, and the Veterans Room.

We all liked the idea of the small carryable shopping baskets and the push models! The express checkouts seemed very practical near the doors, but I'm not sure why the circ desk was located where it is. While we were there, people were using the small study rooms and were also sitting in the "quiet area."

Behind the scenes areas were equally amazing with the brightness of natural and artificial light. The movable and adjustable cubicles seemed very practical for these work areas. Staff lockers and mail slots were nice -- close to the bit staff lounge. The drive-up window was interesting and not manned at all times. The "e-lockers" were something new to me and seemed like a great service for after-hours pickup. The ILL area was right there also, and I liked the idea of putting the ILL items in special nylon/canvas bags! The MATERIALS MANAGEMENT sorting machine (RFD/BARCODE reader) was truly amazing to me and would eliminate lots of staff time. But at $193,000 this doesn't seem feasible. The WIRELESS CHARGING STATION was something I had never seen or heard of before. It seemed to be a very important part of their tech area.

The computer lab area was surprisingly far from close staff monitoring. They say they've not had a problem and have a change machine in the lab. There was no noise, no one running through the stacks, talking or laughing loudly or swearing, throwing things and just the general daily mayhem we usually experience.

The teen and children's areas seemed small and much to sterile. The teen series were grouped together and labeled appearing to be very helpful. The story room also was small, but I did think the under-window counter for doing crafts was good. The small room off the story hour area, which held the craft supplies and sink was a much needed place. The children's room did offer sliding patio doors to the outside in the event of nice weather for programs and stories. This was a very nice feature!

The shelving units with the sliding bookends were nicely wider for oversized books. Nothing was hanging out! The slats on the shelving unit ends were very useful and looked very nice. There were no books standing on top of the shelves either.

This was a place I would WANT to come to. It commanded reverence and respect. The New Berlin Public Library made me FEEL like I was in an old-fashioned LIBRARY, but with subtle modern technology.

Sandi Ballman

New Berlin Public Library by Kate

The library is an impressive spacious structure and appears to have been designed in a Frank Lloyd Wright mode. The designers were Plunkett Raysich Architects of Milwaukee.

The main entrance is off the very large parking area, with a long hallway to the left. In that hallway there are several lighted, glassed-in display cases, and a setup for hanging art works of local artists. On the right are public restrooms, and further down is a Local History/Veterans' Room, which is kept locked when there is no volunteer attendance (usually a veteran) there. It's great, but could probably use more glassed-in displays of the old uniforms and other objects, for their protection from dust and other damage.

Across the hall is the gift store, run by the Friends group, which, besides books, sells cards and other items. Next to that is the entrance to the large community room, with a capacity of 182. At one end, it has a kitchenette an area for coats, and an ample storage room for the tables, which are light weight but sturdy. In the front is a large projection screen. This room is at one end of the library, and is accessible for events while the rest of the library is closed. there is a charge for its use.

Back to the main area, there is a circulation and information desk, an express checkout, new arrivals space, with carts and bar-coded baskets for public use. The tech room is spacious, with plenty of countertop area, several cubicles and lots of storage. The office is large, but the administrator would like it to have stairs directly to the basement, instead of the necessity of going out to the public area for stairs or elevator. In another area, there are plenty of lockers with combination locks, and little mailboxes for staff. There is a staff lunchroom with kitchenette.

The ILL drop off area is adjacent to a door, so easily accessible for driver and staff. There are E-lockers for pickup of materials after hours. There is a drive-up book return and a drive-up service window. The sorting machine is fabulous, in that it puts all returns in the correct bin, so items can just be returned to their place. In the main desk area, each station is adjustable for the height of the person using it, but the administrator wanted no sit-down stations.

There is a table with seating on both sides, and a plug-in port for laptop computers at each place. Throughout the library, there is comfortable seating for patrons, and there is an abundance of storage for staff. There is a lack of signage for most areas.

The slat walls on the ends of the stacks are capable of holding all sorts of materials, such as pamphlets, books, posters and etc. There are "card catalog" computers for the convenience of patrons on the ends of many of the stacks.

The center of the ground floor holds all the media for adults, and at the end is the Youth Dept. with desk. That large area is divided up according to reading age, with an open area in the middle for children to sprawl out, and a parenting section. The Youth Dept. has a large office, and much storage space. There is a separate room for children's programs, part carpeted for sitting and part tile floor, by the built-in table area, for crafts, plus a storage closet and sink. There are wide shelves that allow for oversize books.

The 2nd floor has the reference desk, a conference room, the computer lab with money machine, a business room (which is apparently never used,) a large quiet reading room with fireplace, and several one and two person study rooms. The usual limit for these rooms is two hours, unless there is no one waiting for their use.

There is a separate young adult area on one side, between the 1st and 2nd floors. It needs more color, or something to liven it up, to attract teens. It's just a sedate as the adult quiet area. If a teen has some serious studying to do, there are the study rooms. Tables and seating are available everywhere.

Outside light from the huge number of windows in the entire building and the views they afford is very impressive. There is a great deal of indirect lighting indoors also.

The basement is immense, with a huge amount of metal shelving, used by the Friends for storing books for the two book sales they hold each year. They do all their sorting down there. The microfilm is stored in the basement too, though the microfilm reader is on the 2nd floor. Extra copies of items, for future use, are also kept down there.

Not large enough is the room that holds the main control computer. In a new library that would have to be a better size.

The conveyor belt that carries the returned items, dumps them (although softly) onto the floor in the little room upstairs. Even though the floor looked very clean, the items really should go into some sort of container, rather than having to be picked up by staff from down on the floor.

These are my impressions of the New Berlin Library, and the ideas which could or could not be used for a new library.

Kate

New Berlin PL has a facebook page that contains many pictures of the library for anyone who wants a look. -Sue

***

Right next to the circulation desk is the children's area. When building the building they decided that they didn't want kids running up and down the stairs (safety hazzard) from the lower level (where the children's area would have been) to the upper level (presumably where their parents would be) however the kids run up the stairs anyway so now they had the children's room more out of the way downstairs and didn't have the adult areas split in two. Anyway, this is the doorway to the children's room. The whole room has a nautical theme to it.

(book display area)

When you first walk in there is the children's desk to the right.

Kids' Opacs to the left. There were 4 other kids computers that had filtered internet on them.

This is the family bathroom in the kids room that is set up with lower fixtures for kids (almost every library I know has this), it is also nice and close to prevent accidents.

This is the area like we have that is more for reading and playing. Notice all the fun toys and beautiful mural.

Here we have the kitchen that is used solely for kids programs. It is set right into the kids program room for easy and convienient set up and clean up. The program room itself is off the children's area so families go through the kids library to get to storytime which I think is nice advertising if maybe a little loud at times.

Other than the theme (not my favorite) this was a beautiful example of a children's room and programing space. I'm very envious.

So, once you walk into the library the first thing you see is the circulation desk which is the only adult circ desk. This desk is also used by kids and families even though the children's desk is just around the corner.

This is also where the main book drop is. The best part about these book drops are that the bins underneath them are at waist level so that you don't need to bend over much to get the books out.

Another good idea I thought Pewaukee had was to offer "shopping" baskets for people to carry their books around in. Very helpful for elderly and parents with kids.

Last but not least was the signage when we first walked in. It was very easy to tell exactly where everything was. (Sorry that they are a little hard to read.)

And we're walking, we're walking...

Pewaukee Public Library Foyer

Hi all,

I've got lots of pictures of the Pewaukee Library here and I'm not sure what the best way to organize them are so bear with me.

When you first walk into the library there is a foyer with public bathrooms, the entrance to the meeting room, a flyer display and a donor apprecation area.

The public bathrooms are power washed 2x a year which helps them look and smell clean.

They put the meeting room entrance in this foyer so that it could be used by organizations after the library hours. You would give the group a key to the outside door and meeting room but the library itself would still stay locked. A librarian wouldn't have to be present and nothing would happen to the materials.

And now...into the library!

Staff Meeting 2/20/09

1. Missing DVDs - We will begin tracking the number of DVDs found missing from the shelf or discs missing from the cases. If you find an empty case on the shelf, mark the item missing and store the case in the galley closet. We should be able to run a report each month that shows the number of DVDs marked missing. With this information, Amber will do a cost analysis to determine if we should begin using security cases.

2. We may be getting a recording device for our security cameras.

3. Patron Behavior Policy is being reviewed by the Library Board. "No loitering" signs have been posted on the doors. Policy changes we can expect to see are:

No food allowed in the library except in designated areas (meeting room).

Drinks allowed in covered containers only.

No smoking within 20 feet of the building.

4. Patron Registration Policy - The registration form is being redone, combining the adult, child, and Spanish forms into one. Because the State of Wisconsin protects the library records of children 16 and older, our policy and procedure will be revised to lower the age for an adult card to 16 (with appropriate ID and proof of residence). The policy will also include a procedure and form for parents/guardians to request information about their child's library record.

5. Library Visits - Our goal is to have each staff member participate in one library visit. We have two visits scheduled (Pewaukee and New Berlin) and one in the works (Menomonee Falls). Look for things you would like in a new building; ask about what works and what doesn't -- what they would change if they could start over.

6. Reminder: After you respond to a voice mail message, be sure to delete it. We have started keeping a log book at the phone to record messages received, what action was taken, and who responded.

7. Guidelines for binding van items together - Myrna will write instructions. The van drivers need to be able to life and stack the bundles easily. Guidelines include binding like-sized items together, using enough rubber bands to hold them in place, and making the stacks small enough to lift with one hand.

8. Desk Reorganization Committee - Sandi and Janice will work to reorganize the supplies and equipment at the circulation desk. Amber would like them to make room for a second printer, find an alternative way to store items on hold, and make workflow as efficient as possible.

9. Multitasking - Patrons must be our first priority at the circulation desk. Both sides of the desk should be monitored, and only simple jobs that will not distract us from our public service responsibilities should be undertaken at the circ desk. Whenever possible, discharging should be done in the Circ Workroom. Amber is aware that we need more staff to have enough off-desk time to accomplish all our tasks. When it is quiet, one staff member can be "on call" away from the desk doing shelf reading, shelving or discharging. Rather than calling across the room, we will use a bell to signal when we need help at the desk.

10. Book Sale Shelf - Maintenance of the book sale shelf will be taken over by the Friends group.

11. Desk checklists will be created for routine jobs to insure they are done on a regular basis (i.e., pick list, discharging book drop, filing, shelf reading, etc.)

If I forgot anything, please let me know.
Sue