Week 15: An AV End

In this last week I finally got to work in the AV Department. I had hoped to put in more hours here but the overall schedule did not accommodate this. At my former library, I was often stationed in the Media Department, so I am familiar with the kinds of questions people ask about finding DVDs and CDs. 

The first day at the AV desk was spent with a quick overview of the layout, as well as instruction on how to organize carts. The AV Department is the only part of Adult Services that organizes its own materials. Pages still do the shelving though. Another small task AV does throughout the day is keep the display shelves stocked with a constant stream of staff picks. These displays seem to be very popular, as they had to be refilled almost every hour. The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with only a few people asking for help finding materials.

The second day was a Sunday, which is generally a busy day as the library is only open for four hours. This shift did no disappoint. I had one patron call back three times to put various different DVDs and CDs on hold. As a homebound/bookmobile only patron, she said she had to plan in advance to make sure she would have something to be delivered to her each week. One patron asked to see the rap music collection, which Mark, the staff librarian in AV, explained was kept in a back room to prevent theft. It is brought out if a patrons requests it, and then is returned to its secure location. This is a practice that walks the fine line of making materials accessible to the public, while also preserving the collection for the future. Perhaps if music ever goes completely digital, this will no longer be a problem.

I've really enjoyed my time in the Adult and Teen Services at the MCPL. The staff were all friendly and very welcoming. When I had questions, I was always given helpful and thoughtful answers. I feel like my experiences at the reference desks and in programming were truly beneficial to my growth as a a future librarian. When I graduate, I would count myself lucky to find a professional position in this or any similar library.

Tip of the Week: Face out displays are an easy way to increase circulation. The display implies the materials are special in some way, having been chosen by the staff. Showing the covers is also more appealing than seeing a long line of uninterrupted spines.

Article Annotation and Abstract Area

Donohue, Nanette. "Nurturing Your Media." Library Journal 133.19 (2008): 32-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Aug. 2012.

This article discusses the opportunities and challenges of managing the audio-visual collection in a library. Donohue emphasizes the rapidly changing formats of the media environment and how this effects collection development. She also touches on the necessity for increased security on these highly circulated materials.

Week 14: Challenging Interviews

I took some time off for a quick trip, so this post includes the day before I left and the day after. Not a true "week" but the amount of hours is about right for a combined entry.

These shifts both involved a couple of reference interviews that were individually challenging.

A young patron asked if I could help her find a movie she had borrowed before but couldn't remember the title of. At first, she couldn't remember anything about it except that it was animated and had people racing in space. I asked about the main character, and she remembered her name was Molly, and then added that the race was an "intergalactic race." Using these keywords, I was able to do a Google search and find a series called "Ōban Star-Racers," which the patron immediately recognized as the movie she wanted.  

The day I returned I had an interesting reference interview that was made more difficult by being over the phone. A patron called in to ask how to use coupons. I was at first astonished that someone had never used coupons before, but quickly asked for clarification. She wanted to know how to get coupons and how to find coupons and stores that would give her money back. She also wanted to get involved in a local group of couponers. I found some of the stores that accept coupons that give money back to the customer, but I was unable to find an exhaustive list. I told the customer how to access various forums online that were coupon centric, and explained that some coupons could be found online and printed off, while others would be found in newspapers and magazines. This was one reference interview where I felt like I ended it before the patron truly wanted to, she would have liked me to find all of her coupons for her, but I felt this was a misuse of my time as I had answered the basic questions and given a lesson in information literacy so that she could find these coupons herself.

Tip of the Week: If you're not sure how to help a patron or don't understand their request, keep asking questions until you do.

Article Annotation and Abstract Area

Harmeyer, Dave. "Reviving The Reference Interview: From Desk To Chat To Phone." Reference Librarian 51.2 (2010): 163-166. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Aug. 2012.

This article is a narrative account of one librarian's experience with the changing medium of the reference interview. Harmeyer discusses the how reference desks are being staffed by part-time employees instead of "real librarians" with only the most involved queries being referred to librarians. His story revolves around the transfer of a confused reference chat patron to a satisfied phone transaction.

Week 13: Olympic Explanations and Safety Suggestions

With the Olympics in full swing this week, we had a number of patrons calling about problems in accessing the live feeds online, or just frustrated about the coverage in general. Those having problems with the live feed often didn't realize they had to have a cable or satellite subscription to watch the live stream. I helped them find the replays that anyone can watch. If they were still unsatisfied, I referred them to the NBC Olympics Feedback email address. I also referred those with general complaints about the broadcast to that outlet.

I have been taking care to explain how the Dewey Decimal Classification system works whenever I walk a patron over to the shelves, but this week I had a patron who was especially interested in the organization theory behind DDC and the library's website. I explained it to him as best I could and showed him how to search the site for different information. He did a few searches of his own and came back to tell me that he felt better about using the library's website.

We had an incident this week that I think the library could have handled better. A teen came up to the desk and said he couldn't find his mother. He said she didn't have a cell phone but described her for us. I called security over and they looked around for her, taking the teen with them. Twenty minutes later she was found. While the boy was not a small child, he was clearly anxious. The MCPL has a policy against the use of the PA system, except for closing announcements and in the event of an emergency. This is ostensibly to avoid bothering patrons. Searching a large building with a small group of security staff seems to me to be inefficient. I don't see how a short announcement asking "Jane Doe" to meet her party at the reference desk would unduly bother patrons, and it would be more efficient. At both my former library and at Barnes and Noble the PA system is used sparingly for these sorts of announcements with no apparent effect on patron comfort.

Tip of the Week: The safety of one patron is more important than the comfort of all patrons. Following current policy is important but reviewing policy and asking questions about policy are also important. Don't be afraid to speak up if you have an issue with current policy.

Article Annotation and Abstract Area

Casey, Michael, and Michael Stephens. "Six Signposts on the Way." Library Journal 15 Nov. 2008: 21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Aug. 2012.

 This article explains how libraries can encourage discourse on improving library transparency and policy. The authors emphasize the importance of hearing the opinions of all types of library stakeholders. All ideas should be given consideration, even those submitted anonymously. Acting on constructive criticism from the community and staff creates a sense of unity and trust that will hopefully carry over into support for the library.