Introduction to the Manual
One rule Circulation staff members have learned to respect is this: our thousands of patrons can invent circumstances and problems we never could anticipate. There is always something new, and so, while this Manual tries to be comprehensive and up-to-date, it can never be a substitute for your good judgement, or for your willingness to ask questions.
This Manual is, nonetheless, a substantial, useful tool for our Department. All of our major policies and procedures are detailed here. Every staff member should learn what it has to offer, and return to it when uncertainty looms. Where it is less than useful, or when the circumstance is not clearly covered within these pages, refer the problem to your supervisor right away.
Be friendly, helpful, and businesslike, all of the time. You may be having a bad day; you may have had a previous bad experience with the person you are dealing with; or the problem they are bringing to you may be impossible. It makes no difference: Access Services is a front-line, public service unit of the University and the Library. Our reputation rests on the service that you give.
‘Public Service’ is who we are, what we do, and how we do it. It may seem as we have over-emphasized this point. The fact is we cannot emphasize it enough. Using the policies and procedures that you have learned and will learn, our Department strives to give the best possible service. We are always looking to improve our service to our patrons, and we always deal with our patrons in a friendly and businesslike fashion.
Two distinct threads run through this Manual. The first of these is respect: we hope that these pages reflect a respect for those we serve, each other, and the services we provide. Everyone deserves our best, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to learn our jobs and do them to the best of our ever-expanding abilities. The second is consistency: students deserve to be treated in a consistent way, in keeping with the established policies of the University and Library.
Not everything that you need to know can be taught in the short time that we have available for training. We do try to cover all of the essentials, of course, but even the best trainer occasionally misses important points, and even the best new staff member forgets some of what you have learned.
In any case, when faced with the new, the unusual, or something that you or we missed, if you do not know...ask.
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