Stacks Assignments
Here is an example of the ‘Daily Stacks Assignment’ sheet kept at the Circulation Desk:
Pick-Ups
Often patrons will leave books at the ends of shelves, on tables and study carrels, at the photocopiers, in the Reference area, or on consultation tables. These are picked up and re-shelved in the correct place.
There are two rounds of pick-ups completed each day. During the morning round, a student assistant is assigned to each floor. In the evening, one student is assigned to the 1st and 3rd floor, while another student is assigned to the 2nd floor. The number of pick-ups is recorded on the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet, as well as the approximate time the pick-up was done. This is to ensure that pick-ups are not being done too soon after each other.
On each floor, please:
Carts are assigned on a regular basis. The number of the cart is written down next to the student’s name to be crossed off when shelving has been completed. For more on shelving see the 'Shelving Books' and 'Shelving Periodicals' sections.
Tidying and Straightening (T&S)
To keep the collection looking neat, tidying and straightening is necessary.
Shelf Reading
Shelf reading is the process of checking the collections for improperly shelved books.
Typically, there are five things to look for when shelf reading:
Often patrons will leave books at the ends of shelves, on tables and study carrels, at the photocopiers, in the Reference area, or on consultation tables. These are picked up and re-shelved in the correct place.
There are two rounds of pick-ups completed each day. During the morning round, a student assistant is assigned to each floor. In the evening, one student is assigned to the 1st and 3rd floor, while another student is assigned to the 2nd floor. The number of pick-ups is recorded on the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet, as well as the approximate time the pick-up was done. This is to ensure that pick-ups are not being done too soon after each other.
On each floor, please:
- Walk around each range and re-shelve books left at the ends of shelves and on top of other books.
- Pick up all books left on counter and table tops.
- Check all group study areas and individual study carrols.
- Items left in the Reference area are gathered by reference staff and brought to a designated shelf at the circulation desk.
- Record the number of pick-ups on the shelf on the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet.
Carts are assigned on a regular basis. The number of the cart is written down next to the student’s name to be crossed off when shelving has been completed. For more on shelving see the 'Shelving Books' and 'Shelving Periodicals' sections.
Tidying and Straightening (T&S)
To keep the collection looking neat, tidying and straightening is necessary.
- Garbage is removed from the assigned section of the collection.
- Items are straightened with the spines brought to the front of the shelves.
- Items are arranged tight next to each other (no gaps in between books), which often requires tightening of the book ends.
Shelf Reading
Shelf reading is the process of checking the collections for improperly shelved books.
Typically, there are five things to look for when shelf reading:
- Items out of order by call number
- Items shelved in the wrong location
- For example, a Reference book shelved in the general collection
- Items placed on top of other books, outside of bookends, or items that have fallen behind other items on the shelf
- Items with damaged or missing call number labels
- These items are brought down for relabeling. See 'Relabeling Books'.
- Books shelved in the collection but owned by another library
- These items are brought down to be checked-in and sent to the owning library. See 'Books from Other Libraries'.
In each section of shelf reading there is a test book that has been purposefully misplaced. The book will have a pink slip of paper attached to the front cover. Please remove this pink slip and place it on the Stacks Manager's desk. If a pink slip is not found, please make note of this on the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet. The Stacks Manager will check the section for the pink slip, and if it is still there, will reassign the section in question to the student assistant until it is found.
There is a Shelf Reading log with the first and last call number of a section written down. Student assistants will sign up for two sections every day and write their name beside the next two sections on the list. When each section has been completed, the student will write the date next to their name:
"Something Extra" and "Notes for Shannon"
Occasionally, after all regular stacks duties have been completed, there is still time left for additional tasks. The "Something Extra" section of the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet is where any extra tasks completed are recorded. This may include additional shelf reading, carts shelved, T&S, or anything else assigned by a supervisor.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are times when the library is very busy. Therefore, it may not be possible to complete all stacks duties that are assigned. The "Notes for Shannon" section is where you can leave a note for the Stacks Manager explaining why a task was not completed, or aska question about a problem encountered while performing stacks duies. This may include, but is not limited to: tight or messy areas in the stacks, or if you are unable to find a pink slip in your section of shelf reading.
Occasionally, after all regular stacks duties have been completed, there is still time left for additional tasks. The "Something Extra" section of the Daily Stacks Assignments sheet is where any extra tasks completed are recorded. This may include additional shelf reading, carts shelved, T&S, or anything else assigned by a supervisor.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are times when the library is very busy. Therefore, it may not be possible to complete all stacks duties that are assigned. The "Notes for Shannon" section is where you can leave a note for the Stacks Manager explaining why a task was not completed, or aska question about a problem encountered while performing stacks duies. This may include, but is not limited to: tight or messy areas in the stacks, or if you are unable to find a pink slip in your section of shelf reading.