More on Confidentiality

More on confidentiality from the Winchester Public Library

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Confidentiality

Hi there,

Sometimes we are concerned about the "what" when it comes to materials being checked out at our circulation desks.  However, we are required by law to protect our library user's privacy.  Please review the documents below.  This is useful for all of us to review from time to time. Our role as librarians is to be impartial and provide open access to information.  Parents and teachers have the role of monitoring what the youth are reading.

 http://www.newtonfreelibrary.net/?sec=about&doc=privacy

I like the Newton Public Library document about privacy.  Very nicely stated.


Mass General Laws
Section 7. A town may establish and maintain public libraries for its inhabitants under regulations prescribed by the city council or by the town, and may receive, hold and manage any gift, bequest or devise therefor. The city council of a city or the selectmen of a town may place in such library the books, reports and laws which may be received from the commonwealth. That part of the records of a public library which reveals the identity and intellectual pursuits of a person using such library shall not be a public record as defined by clause Twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four. Library authorities may disclose or exchange information relating to library users for the purposes of inter-library cooperation and coordination, including but not limited to, the purposes of facilitating the sharing of resources among library jurisdictions as authorized by clause (1) of section nineteen E or enforcing the provisions of sections ninety-nine and one hundred of chapter two hundred and sixty-six.



 ALA Freedom to Read Statement

1. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression. To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.
   
   For the full ALA Freedom to Read Statement, click here.
   
   Thank you for taking the time to review these statements.  Let me know what you think!  More to come.  

Louise

Point to light/holds and returns are separated

It looks like the point to light system has moved to a new level.  For the most part, we are getting deliveries with the slip on the outside of the grey bins indicating "returns" vs. "holds".

The slips will read like this:  "Waltham Returns"  OR  "Waltham Holds".

This is truly marvelous because it means that the bins saying "holds" are really filled with "holds, holds, and nothing but the holds".

Slips labeled "returns" denote bins filled with returns.

Now, should you see a "slip up", i.e. a bin that should have been sent to Watertown or some such, let me know.  I will let the Mass Library System know.

Sort to light info for the Minuteman Network

Wow!  The word is that the Minuteman Network has reached 90% barcode on the front left of our materials.  This has been determined based on the materials that are being sorted by Optima.

• On Tuesday, October 11th, the "sort to light" system will go live with two libraries.  These will be smaller volume libraries.
• On Monday, October 17th, the system will go live with five additional libraries.
• On Monday, October 24th, "sort to light" will go live with five more libraries.
• Finally, On Monday, October 31st, the "sort to light" will go live with all of the remaining libraries.  This means the Waltham Public Library!

What is sort to light, you ask?      

Click here to find out!

What will be different for us?

• When deliveries arrive, returns and holds will already be separated!  All we have to do is route them in! 
• We will no longer be printing in transit slips!  This will save paper!  When you get the prompt asking if you should print a slip, "Just say no!".  Of course, if it is a hold, print that slip! 
• We will be setting up "carts" of some type at the circulation desk with grey bins right there.  This will enable us to put the "in transit" items directly into a grey bin.  Since there is no longer an identifying slip, this will prevent error.

• Beginning now, be sure to get in the habit of placing materials in the bins with the barcode "up".  This will enable the sort to light system to work more effectively.
• We will still be printing hold slips
• We will still have one Newton dedicated bin at Rear Circ.
• Virtual catalog materials, magazines in packaging, or damaged materials in packaging will require a slip as they can not be read by sort to light

Questions?  Comments?  Thoughts?  Let me know!





 

leaving food at circ desk/behind circ desk

Hi there Circulators!

When I came in this morning, it was very clear what people had to drink last night.

Please, keep your drinks behind the desk and out of sight. The same with snacks, of course!
Also, please discard your empties at the end of the night.

Somebody left a large water bottle with an unnamed beverage in the copy machine area behind the circ desk.  It stayed there for about a month before I discarded this.

We are not setting a good example and I don't want to have to clean up after you.

You know it's bad when it's bothering me!

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Let me know!

Louise

Computer Use Only Cards/Laptops NOT Included

Hi there alert Circ Staff,

An interesting question has come up here at the WPL.  Suppose one of our users is here for a limited time and is only wanting a library card for computer use.  Give them a computer use only card, right?  Right.

AND

COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS DO NOT INCLUDE LAPTOP USE.

This is because laptops are considered a "check out" on the card.  Remember, laptops are $500 items.  Even though they are not leaving the building, the library user "borrows" them. 

COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS ENTITLE PATRONS TO USING THE DESKTOP COMPUTERS IN REFERENCE.  NOTHING ELSE.

If the library user has picture identification and proof of address, they can use a laptop....the card needs to expire three weeks before they leave.....

This, of course, begs a new question:  Suppose someone is only using laptops and computers, can we change the expiration date to closer than three weeks before they leave?

FOR NOW, THE ANSWER IS NO.  COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS MEAN NO BORROWING INCLUDING LAPTOPS.

And, I will bring this question to Department Heads.....

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know!

library card protocol/Minuteman not accepting leases for now

Hi there everyone!

Anne, our registration checker extraordinaire, has pointed out a few "glitches" that she has noticed of late.

While she and I both understand that everyone is very busy, still.......

I am writing this to remind you about some of the protocols when registering our patrons for library cards.

1. For first time borrowers, the limit is three items.  After that, the sky is the limit!  (Anne noticed that a first time borrower was given 29 CDs......)
2. Once your borrower has checked out materials, change his or her status so that the user is no longer "on the fly".  (Pat O and I have noticed that this has not been happening).
3. Remember the six month expiration date for library users who live in temporary housing.  
4. If the expiration date is not the usual five years, please put that information on the bottom of the registration form.  
5. Be sure that the address on the registration form matches the address that you are typing in.  Did the user give you an identification card with one address and then write in another?  This is the time to notice that and be sure that we are really getting proof of address.
6. Bottom line?  Take a minute to double check that you are following our new library card protocol.
7. Feel free to review the library card registration guidelines that live in the file folders at the circulation desks, the notebooks at the circulation desks, and on the wikki.
8. And, as of now, we are not accepting leases as proof of address.

   circulation] Board decision regarding lease agreement as identification

   	Inbox		X
   Reply

   

   Cole, Leone lcole@watertown-ma.gov via minlib.net to alldirs, circulation, mlnstaff

   show details Aug 10 (2 days ago)

   Good morning,

   In response to a recent incident in which a phony lease agreement was used as identification to get a library card and subsequent theft of library materials using that card, the Board decided yesterday to ask the Standards Committee to revisit the identification requirements and to suspend the acceptance of a lease agreement as sufficient identification until the Standards Committee reports back with a recommendation.  We want to also remind everyone that sending a postcard to library card applicants is a good way of verifying address (though it does mean the person may not be able to borrow materials the same day).

   Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Thank you.

   Leone

   
   

   Leone E. Cole

   Library Director

   Watertown Free Public Library

   123 Main Street

   Watertown, MA  02472

   617-972-6434
   
   

Even if Barry Manilow comes to the Circulation Desk, he needs to show proof of address....well, unless he gives Pat O or I his autograph....but that is another story for another day.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know!

I have a line at the Circulation Desk/who comes first?

Recently, we had a situation at the WPL where a patron had several items that he wanted checked in at the Circulation Desk.  There were others at the desk who had materials to be checked out. 

What does one do when faced with a situation where a patron (perhaps not a cheerful, friendly one) is wanting his or her materials checked in and there are others waiting?

Here at the WPL, the tradition has been to encourage our users to return materials to the bookdrops.  This is an efficient method that allows us to do bulk check ins from the "cart" without slowing up those waiting for in person service.

We are aware that there are some library users who have had instances of missed returns, times when the items they put in the book drop did not get checked in correctly.
  
So, here is the question.  Do check outs get prioritized over check ins?  Here is the answer:  We serve our users in the order that they arrive at the desk.

This is our rule of thumb. 


And there are exceptions.  Suppose there is a patron with a difficult fine situation.  He or she is explaining that they were in Wisconsin at the Annual Dairy Festival and Aunt Gladys was ill and. they were wearing the red dress with the polka dots (that would be a she)....and.....

In the meantime, three other people are lining up at your desk.

Here are some options:

• Tell the patron with the overdues that you want to resolve her situation to everyone's satisfaction and, if she doesn't mind, you will just check out the other three patrons who are perhaps only checking out one item each.
• Call for reinforcements....get another staff member to help.
• Suggest to the waiting patrons that they may want to go the Rear Circ Desk or the AV desk or even the children's desk if they are simply checking out.

Keep smiling if at all possible and remember that this will all be resolved one way or another!

More thoughts?  Comments?  Questions?

Let me know!

More on emails not getting to our users and why

Subject: Re: undelivered Email/How this might affect courtesy notices and overdue notices

Louise,

You may want to be aware of the following :

Email goes undelivered

http://www.businessbrief.com/if-20-of-your-email-goes-undelivered-how-much-revenue-are-you-losing/

http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/itbloggingsection/2007/06/20_of_email_goe.html
20% of email goes undelivered

There are MANY reasons why Email can go undelivered.

------------------------------------
Susan F. Saul
Head, User Services
Minuteman Library Network
(508) 655-8008 x226
ssaul@minlib.net

----- Original Message -----

Courtesy Notices Not Received/Overdue notices

Recently, I had a library user come to me to complain that she had not received her courtesy notices.  Do you know what to do if someone is saying that they are not receiving their email messages? 

 Have a look at: http://staff.minlib.net/content/emails-not-received-patrons

and at: http://staff.minlib.net/content/undelivered-emails

Here is what we have posted for the patrons right now:

http://www.mln.lib.ma.us/catalog/faq_email_notices.htm#email_notices6

There are files at both Circulation desks under the heading:  emails, not received.

 

Reminder:  We send out overdue notices by email but no longer by US mail.  Bills and Final notices do go out by US mail.  This way, we are being more environmentally friendly (and saving postage). 

 

Offline Circulation reminders

Yesterday, July 5th, our system went down at about 5PM.  After we found out that there was a Comcast problem, we went to offline circulation.  Service was restored to the Waltham Public Library at about 7PM.

Bela called Minuteman and got the information uploaded beginning with the AV desk, moving to Rear circ, the children's room desk and finishing with the Main Circ desk.

Why is that important?  If information is not uploaded before we begin full service circulation, there is a good chance that our records will not be accurate.  For example, a check in could be processed in the wrong order and it might appear that someone has something checked out that was already returned or vice versa.  

Do you know that the instructions for what to do are at the circulation desks?  There is a copy at the Children's room desk too.....

See below for more important reminders.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact me (Louise)

http://staff.minlib.net/content/use-offline-circulation 

Click on the link above for clear, step by step instructions on using offline circulation.

Remember to log in  to the staff home page!

The following are important things for all public service desk staff to know to make our next Offline Circulation session even better than the last:

1. Do you know where the laminated instructions are for Millennium Offline Circulation?  There should be copies at each public service desk.  If you can’t locate them, find out where they are.

2. Please read the one-page instructions through again each time you use Offline Circulation.  We don’t need to use it very often, and it’s easy to forget a detail that may be very important, even if you’ve used it before.  For example, you’ll be reminded to:

1. Checkout only: NO checkins, renewals, or new cards
2. Use only one PC at each desk when reasonable (if there are two staff members and lots of business, use both).
3. Click on the Checkout button instead of Clear Patron after each patron.

3. When to use the Offline program:  There’s no absolute rule about how long a down-time is enough to require booting up the Offline program.  Check with Kate, your Department Head, or the Senior Staff Person In Charge, who will help coordinate.  If it seems likely we’ll be down for more than 15 minutes, it’s a good idea to use Offline.  If it’s unclear, and it’s relatively quiet, one option is to do checkouts at only two or three designated PCs (both Circ Desks + children’s) using Offline, so there are fewer uploads to contend with if it comes back up soon.

4. Uploading: This has to be done for each Offline PC as soon as possible after we’re online again.  It’s best not to start checking in until the upload from Offline has been completed.  Instructions on how to do this are on the reverse of the laminated sheet referred to above.  We will follow a preset order when calling Central Site with uploads:  Rear Circ will call first.  When they have reached Central Site and successfully uploaded their data, they will transfer the call to Main Circ.  Main Circ will transfer to AV after uploading, and AV will transfer to Children’s.

Grades 6,7,8 okay for delivery/9-12 stay here

Louise is sending you an update

 

From the Reference Desk Of:

 

Hi there,

 

Anne asked me if I wanted the summer reading books to go in the delivery and this is what I decided after much deliberation (about 30 seconds):

• Books labeled Grades 6, 7, and 8 can go in the delivery. There are lot of books on that list and not one required book for the whole grade.
   
  Books labeled Grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 should probably stay here.  There are fewer books and each grade has one required book.
   
  If you make a mistake and put one in the delivery, it's not the end of the world, but you need to buy me those new Hershey chocolate discs.  (Have you had these things?  They're really good)

 

Thanks so much!  In all seriousness, if one does go in the delivery, it's okay.

 

 

Laura
 

Laura Bernheim
Head Reference Librarian
Waltham Public Library
Waltham, MA
781-314-3435
lbernheim@minlib.net
Library Site: http://www.waltham.lib.ma.us/
Teen Site: http://www.waltham.lib.ma.us/blog/wplbytes

Old school libraries vs, libraries of the future

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/12/business/la-fi-libraries-20101112

Learn about RFId

http://www.brooklinelibrary.org/about/rfid

Click the link above to see Michael Wolfsey's slide show!

Holds in III Millenium

http://staff.minlib.net/content/iii-holds-system-reference-documents



Click on the above and log in.  You will learn so much about the way holds work in Millenium that it will knock your socks off!  Literally!


Marialice and I both loved the training with Susan Saul!

Did you know:

email holds are generated at 11PM at night?

If you place an item specific hold as a staff member on something that is in this library, nothing will happen?  The hold will just sit there?

The logic on item specific hold filling is entirely different from the logic for bib level holds?  Item specific hold logic is as follows:  Goes to the item requested for three days.  If that doesn't work, it goes alphabetically through the system starting with A.  That's right!  So Acton, Arlington, etc.

Whereas, if you place hold copy returned soonest requests, the machine says....hmmm...request is for pickup at Waltham,  Let's see if Waltham has one....and, in fact, even if someone at Stow, let's say returns a Waltham copy, that copy will go to fill the Waltham hold.  Then, it goes out to the library's branches (if the library has branches), then it goes randomly through the network to available copies.

Therefore, unless you really need that specific copy.....i.e.  there are several volumes attached to the record or several years of the Fodor's Guide and you need year 2011, etc, it is always better to use that 'hold copy returned soonest' request.

Did you know that 80% of the requests in our system are placed using the WEbOPAC from a Non MLN Pc, and with very few exceptions, these are title level requests?

Sadly, with item level holds, when we are processing the Clear Holdshelf.....even if we don't find the request, the system moves it along....so the item might trigger a hold or go in transit, even if in reality this is not the case.  This is why bib level holds are best whenever possible!

Decertified MA libraries

Non-Certified Municipalities & Libraries

The municipalities below are not certified for State Aid to Public Libraries. There are 3 reasons why a municipality & its library may not be certified for State Aid to Public Libraries: its library may not have applied, its library may have been inegligible to apply, or its library did not receive a waiver of the Municipal Appropriation Requirement. Any municipality that does not have library service is automatically ineligible to apply for certification.
Municipalities that did not apply, or were ineligible, were not certified as of January 1, 2011. Municipalities that are denied a MAR Waiver will be not certified as of February 3, 2011.

1. Alford - did not apply - last applied FY1988
2. Bridgewater - did not apply - last applied FY2008
3. Fitchburg - did not apply - last applied FY2008
4. Hancock - did not apply - last applied FY1975
5. Hawley - ineligible - no library service
6. Monroe - did not apply - has never applied
7. New Ashford - ineligible - no library service
8. Norton - did not apply - last applied FY2010
9. Savoy - did not apply - has never applied
10. Tyringham - did not apply - last applied 1961

Thursday, May 5th No Laptops After 1PM

In preparation for our staff day presentations, Laura needs to format our laptops.  Therefore, tomorrow, Thursday, May 5th, there will be no laptop check outs after 1PM. You can tell the patrons that the laptops are being used for a presentation and that they can use our reference computers.  We regret any inconvenience.

Questions?  See Kate, Laura, or Deb.

To sing on staff day?

                                               The Check Ins and the Check outs

Circulation’ Dreamin  (to the tune of California Dreamin’)

All the bins are down

And the bins are gray

I’ve been for a walk

Down to Classroom A

I’d be shelving book holds

If I wasn’t in A

Circulation’ dreamin

On a Waltham day

Stopped into a book drop

I passed at Rear Circ way

Oh’ I got down on my knees

And I’ll get up I pray

You know the patrons like the cards

They know thyey’re gonna stay

Circulation dreamin’

On a Waltham day

All the bins are down

And the bins are gray

I’ve been for a walk

Down to Classroom A

If I didn’t stamp cards

I could be in A

Circulation dreamin’

On a Waltham day

Circulation dreamin’

On such a Waltham day

Circulation dreamin’

On such a Waltham day

Classroom A/Wow! It just keeps getting better!

Here's what we have done:

---Along the wall with the windows we are now placing an empty bin at the bottom.
---The driver comes and places bins on top no more than two high.
---Gary has provided us with a movable cart for unloading materials.

Result? Easier, more ergonomic classroom A!

Thank you Gary, Kate, Deb, Mary Rufo and Sam, our driver! Without you, this would not have happened!

Delivery Services meeting

Important Reminder



Wednesday, May 4th

10:00am - 12:00pm



MLS Delivery Services [Whately]

MLS meeting with interested members of all Massachusetts library networks to discuss changes to MLS Delivery Services that are planned for July 1, 2011. As you may know, we plan to change vendors and begin implementation of new technology that will eventually allow most libraries to eliminate the need to place a routing label on outgoing items. While this technology is not imminent for all Networks we would like to discuss our plans with you.

Remote access to this meeting will be made available to those who cannot attend in person.



You can register for this workshop at

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MLS

Speed view comes to town

Date: 04/25/2011 04:04 PM
Subject: [walstaff] Speed VIEW!

Hi Everyone,

Starting this week, the AV Department is hosting a Speed VIEW collection of DVDs. Like our Speed Read book collection, these will be non-requestable, non-renewable copies of hot titles. They will be extra copies in addition to the copies we’ll need for filling requests. We will never have ONLY a speed view.



They’ll circulate for 3 days and still be $1.00.



You’ll know them by their bright pink SPEED VIEW labels which are just like the speed read labels. They’ll be shelved like the speed reads, right alongside the requestable copy in the new section. Once the movie isn’t new anymore, it won’t be speed view anymore either.



Hopefully patrons won’t complain about the same price for a shorter time, but consider it a premium price for finding a hot title available. Hopefully the shorter loan period will turn titles over quickly and offer something on the shelves that doesn’t get gobbled up by a request list. Yes, patrons can get 2 for $1 on Thursdays.



These copies are not to be pulled and set aside for patrons to pick up later. The best way to explain them is that they are “first come, first served copies for the patron browsing in person”. We can still set aside non-speed view titles or place requests for other copies. Speed Views will not come up on hold.



I’m sure there will be questions. Please do send them my way!



Thanks to Nancy and Nancy who kept at me about this great idea!



Happy Viewing!

Deb

Reminder about lost card policy in Minuteman

Hey there everyone,

LOST LIBRARY CARD PROCEDURE

1) If the patron is in the library reporting the card lost, and is able to produce valid ID, replace the card immediately, giving the patron a new card and replacing the old barcode with the new barcode in his existing record.

2) If the patron is simply reporting the card lost, but not replacing it at that time (patron may be on the telephone making the report, or unable to produce valid ID):

* expire the card IMMEDIATELY and
* insert a message: CARD REPORTED LOST/STOLEN - ASK FOR ID. INITIALS/AGENCY DATE

When the patron does replace the card, the desk staff should:

* check ID
* give the patron a new card by replacing the old barcode with the new barcode in his existing record
* update the expiration date
* remove message
* Do NOT edit the barcode field to include "Previous ID"

In either case, any patron should have only 1 barcode.

Concord materials on hold that are library use only

The Concord Public Library sometimes sends us materials for our library patrons that are library use only.

The directions for how to handle these materials are at the Main Circulation desk in the file folder called "Concord Library Use only".

4/19/2011

How To Handle

BOOKS FROM CONCORD

With Yellow Bands:

FOR USE IN BORROWING LIBRARY ONLY


1. When book arrives, patron must be notified that they will not be able to take it out of our library.

a. Phone notification:

“The book has come from the Concord Public Library under the condition that it not leave our library building.

You will have three weeks to come read the book at our library.

You will be asked to leave an ID when you take the book fro m the circulation desk.”



2. Book goes on hold shelf for the usual 7 days.

3. The first time the patron comes to use the book, check it out to the Waltham Hold Shelf.

Patron will have three weeks from that day to use the book in our library. Hold slip will have expiration date three weeks from first use.

4. Take an ID (preferably a drivers license or other significant photo ID) in exchange for the book. Clip the ID to the hold slip and put it in the money drawer under the bills.

5. When the patron returns the book, be sure to return the ID.

6. When the patron is finished with the book completely, give to Pat O. She will cancel the patron’s hold and return the book to Concord.


We have special slips for these books that are in the Circulation file folders under...you guessed it! Concord library use only

most beautiful libraries

Interesting Update on Deliveries

Click here to find out what's coming

Our neighbor! The Cambridge Public Library

Check out their web site!

I'm planning to take some of our Circ staff over there in June.....stay tuned for updates!

Louise

Bring me your questions!

On Friday, May 6th, we will have an opportunity to ask the experts from the Edinburgh Center about "best practices" when dealing with patrons who suffer from mental illness.
In preparation for this meeting, can you send me some of the questions that you may have? 
Example:  A patron approaches me at the Circulation desk and claims that the CIA has infiltrated his laptop.  What do I do?
You get the idea.  If you need any help formulating your questions, please let myself, Deb or Kate know.
I need your questions by:  Friday, April 22nd at noon so that I will have time to send them to our "experts".
Thank you for your help. 

Packages coming to the Main Circ Desk

Dear Everyone,

If someone from FedEx or UPS or any other delivery company comes to the

Front Circulation Desk with a package and

 

 ---If it is Monday through Friday between 9 and 5

          Instruct him or her to go to the staff entrance and ring the bell.

or

---It is after 5 on a weekday or a weekend

          accept the package.

 

Why?

 

---There can be confusion if the packages are being dropped off at

    different locations.  We want the packages to be dropped off at Technical

    Services OR with Gary.

 

Gary has asked me to send this reminder out.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Let's make Gary's life a little easier.  He does so much for us!

 

And, let's help get the packages to the right place!

 

Louise

 

 

Louise M. Goldstein

Head of Circulation

Waltham Public Library

lgoldstein@city.waltham.ma.us                                                               

781-314-3429 

Come, and take choice of all my library,
And so beguile thy sorrow.
- William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus

 

MLN Technology Fair

[Everyone] MLN Technology Fair Registrations

	The Innovation and New Technologies Working Group invites everyone to MLN's first Technology Fair.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

MLN Central Site

09:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m.

The morning session, 09:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., will cover e-readers and assistive technology.  

The afternoon session, 12:00 p.m.-03:30 p.m., will be devoted to RFID installations and best practices.  

In between these sessions, there will be plenty of time to network and visit our very own technology petting zoo.  

For more information click  HERE.   

To register for the Technology Fair - morning, afternoon, or BOTH sessions - click HERE.   This takes you to the EventKeeper calendar.  Click the REGISTER button, for the session/sessions you are interested in attending.    

On the registration form, there is a space for a password.  PLEASE BE SURE TO CHOOSE A PASSWORD WHEN YOU REGISTER,  IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE ONE.  The password allows you to check and/or cancel any registration at your convenience.

Once registered, the system automatically sends a reminder email seven days before the event. 

Enjoy!!

----------------------------------------
Patricia A. Whitcomb
Executive Secretary
Minuteman Library Network
 

Look at these libraries

look at these libraries

D'OH! Holds in Delivery/large print non fiction

So, here's the thing......how do we remember not to put those holds in delivery?  I just found one today!  An AV hold checked in at '701' that means us folks......and, I also found for the third time this week a large print non fiction title on the non fiction truck.

Large print does not go upstairs!

Holds need to stay out of the bins.

Keep your eyes on the prize people! 

Memo From Susan Saul about the Clear Holdshelf problem

From:	"Susan Saul" <ssaul@minlib.net>
To:	"Circulation" <circulation@minlib.net>
Date:	04/06/2011 05:37 PM
Subject:	[circulation] Progress Report on Clear Holdshelf problem

Progress Report on Clear Holdshelf problem

 

We have just had an update from the III Helpdesk on our Clear Holdshelf problem.

 

There were 2 scenarios that presented problems:

 

The first, the duplicate Clear Holdshelf entries that were appearing since last week, has diminished quite a bit. This was the easier part of the cleanup for the Helpdesk. You should no longer be seeing many items duplicated on a second run of Clear Holdshelf.

 

The second part was the appearance of a large number of entries on your Clear Holdshelf report where you were unable to locate the items. These entries resulted from holds that had been picked up by the patron, but the system did not properly reflect that the item was no longer on the Holdshelf. The Helpdesk is working to clean up these extraneous entries but it will probably take a few more days before this is back to normal. In the meantime, if you are unable to find a lot of the entries on your Clear Holdshelf, do not spend extra time trying to investigate.

 

We thank you for our patience as we continue to work with the Helpdesk to be sure this issue is fully resolved.

 

------------------------------------
Susan F. Saul
Head, User Services
Minuteman Library Network
(508) 655-8008 x226
ssaul@minlib.net

Preview of NELA October Conference!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
12:00 – 1:00 Welcome to Conference
This introduction to NELA and this conference is especially
useful for first-timers..
1:00 – 2:00 Keynote Address: Killing Librarianship
A passionate advocate for librarians and their essential role in
today’s society, R. David Lankes is the Director of the
Information Institute and the library science program at Syracuse
University. He believes that what might kill our profession is not
ebooks, Amazon, or Google, but a lack of imagination. We must
envision a bright future for librarians and the communities they
serve, then fight to make that vision a reality. We need a new
activist librarianship focused on solving the grand challenges of
our communities. Without action we will kill librarianship.
2:15 – 3:30 Managing Aggressive Behavior
R.N. Van Wickler, Superintendent of Adult Corrections in
Cheshire County, NH, provides practical advice for dealing with
aggression, including discussion of violence continuums and
personal safety rules. Anyone who deals with other people can
benefit from the insights available in this presentation.
2:15 – 3:30 Social Media @ New York Public Library
The Information Technology Section (ITS) presents Lauren
Lampasone from the New York Public Library to describe her
highly successful social media campaigns. She works with all
staff to develop content for blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, and
with reference staff who provide customer services on social
media. A brief ITS business meeting is included.
2:15 – 3:30 Top Teen Programs
Looking for some fresh and exciting ideas for teen
programming? Need tips to make young adult events a success?
The New England Round Table of Teen and Children’s Librarians
(NERTCL) hosts Kate Bell Carpine from Flint Memorial Library
in North Reading, MA, and Melissa Orth from Curtis Memorial
Library in Brunswick, ME, to describe fabulous programs and
offer practical suggestions for working with this sometimes
elusive group of patrons.
2:15 – 3:30 Discussion Group: Book Delivery Systems
Learn about successful New England delivery systems.
3:45 – 5:00 Books I Never Returned
Take a look at the lighter side of libraries. Comedian Brian
Longwell has presented his perceptively amusing overview of
numerous corporations and institutions, and is now ready to apply
his evaluation to the world of libraries. Come for some laughs,
and find out how to “humor your stress.”
3:45 - 5:00 From Folktales to Fiction
Folk tales, fairy tales, and fantasy fiction are integral to children’s
and YA collections. Melanie Kimball, Assistant Professor at
Simmons College, offers insights and perspectives on these
genres in children’s and YA collections and provides a booklist of
“must have” titles or editions. .
3:45 – 5:00 Who’s Monitoring Your Research?
The Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) presents Trina Magi,
UVM librarian, to take a fresh look at privacy, offering new
information and practical tips, and exploring the question, “Does
privacy matter, and does anyone care?” Dr. Zachary Schrag,
author of Ethical Imperialism, discusses his book which explores
the growing tendency of university ethics panels to impede the
work of scholars in social sciences and other non-medial fields.
3:45 – 5:00 ITS Carnival
Step right up! See and touch the newest tech gadgets, talk tech
with colleagues, join discussions and poster sessions on current
tech topics. In this “Touch My Junk” session, Demetri Kyriakis
from the Morse Institute Library in Natick, MA, and Brian
Herzog from the Chelmsford (MA) Public
Library lead a panel of reference librarians considering how to
deal with patrons who bring their own technology seeking
assistance. More than an ethical dilemma, it poses interesting
questions. Is this the “new” reference question? Is this the new
normal? The Carnival is repeated each day..
3:45 – 5:00 Discussion Group: State of the States
Leaders from the New England state library agencies discuss the
current challenges and opportunities in a tough economy.
5:00 – 6:3 0 Reception in the Exhibit Hall
6:30 – 9:00 NELA Annual Banquet
Author Frank Delaney’s latest book, The Matchmakers of
Kenmare, presents another epic tale of Ireland, following his
earlier best-selling novels Ireland and Shannon. Like his earlier
books, the newest title is steeped in colorful history, in this case
the World War II era. In its starred review, Booklist says
he “...re-earns his reputation for total reader engagement with his
latest deeply thought-out novel.” Thanks to Random House for
sponsoring Frank Delaney’s presentation.
A selection of Frank Delaney’s books is available for purchase
and autographing following the banquet..
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
8:30 – 10:00 Website Makeovers for Mobile Users
Is your website mobile-friendly? Melora Norman from the
Unity College Library in Unity, ME, shares her expertise on
universal and common-sense techniques and best practices for
content and design. Steve Butzel from Portsmouth (NH) Public
Library showcases his successes with LibAnywhere and his
mobile Online Newstand.
8:30 – 10:00 Mysterious and Unfathomable: RDA
Cataloging at the Clark
Speculation abounds concerning RDA (Resource Description and
Access), but what are the realities of this new cataloging
standard? The Clark Art Institute library was a formal test site,
and has used RDA for the past year. The New England Technical
Services Librarians (NETSL) presents Clark librarians
NELA/VLA CONFERENCE PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Christopher Geissles and Penny Baker to share their
experiences, good and bad, working with RDA.
8:30 – 10:00 Rudyard Kipling in Vermont
Did you know that the literary giant Rudyard Kipling spent
four years in Brattleboro, Vermont, and built his dream house
there? During that brief time he produced four books, including
the Just So Stories. Learn more about his Vermont
experience and enjoy a selection of Just So Stories presented
by Jackson Gillman, a Kipling re-enactor for more than
eleven years.
8:30 – 10:00 Blog Buzz
Blogging is an important tool that brings youth librarians and
youth literature enthusiasts together. A NERTCL panel of
four prolific bloggers shares tips on creating blogs and evaluating
the benefits of blogging. Panelists include Ellizabeth
Bluemie, co-owner of the Flying Pig bookstore in Shelburne,
VT, Andrea Graham, creator of the 4YA blog, Leila Roy,
founder of the blog Bookshelves of Doom, and Jennifer
Rummel from the Otis Library in Norwich, CT. A take home
list of useful blogs is included.
8:30 – 10:00 ITS Carnival
See general description Sunday at 3:45. This session concentrates
on the Tech Petting Zoo, and is open on a drop-in basis..
8:30 – 10:00 Perceptions of Libraries 2010: Context and
Community
OCLC’s latest market research study, Perceptions of
Libraries 2010, explored how the economic environment has
effected perceptions and behaviors of our users and potential
users. Carole Myles from OCLC presents an impressive, and
often surprising, compilation of statistics you can use in
advocacy and grant applications, along with observations
about new formats and trends.
9:45 – 1:00 Exhibits Open
10:00 – 11:00 Refreshments in the Exhibit Hall
11:00 – 12:00 Net Neutrality and Intellectual
Freedom
Why is net neutrality one of the most pressing intellectual
freedom issues of our time? Lauren-Glenn Davitian, Executive
Director of the Chittenden County TV Center for
Media and Democracy (CCTV), joins a panel of IFC
members for a discussion of this important issue. Since 1984,
CCTV has managed public access TV across Vermont and
developed a Burlington community media center that helps
activists and non-profits expand their reach and impact.
11:00 – 12:30 What’s the BIG Idea?
Sally Anderson, Executive Director of the Vermont Center
for the Book and creator of the National Science Foundation–
funded What’s the BIG Idea math and science project,
presents the skills, concepts, and content integral to math and
science programming for children ages 4-7. Explore picture
books and investigate activities that can be transferred
directly into story hours and programs for families.
11:00 – 12:30 Counterparts
NELA encourages state association officers to meet and
exchange ideas to improve their organizations. Informal
table talk discussions cover leadership and the role of the
president, financial management, membership and advocacy.
11:00 – 3:00 ITS Carnival
The Petting Zoo continues and twelve tech Poster Sessions are
added. Exact time and topic information will appear in the
program you receive at conference.
11:30 – 12:30 Discussion Group: NELLS
Learn about the New England Library Leadership
Symposium (NELLS) and the training it offers. Is this
program right for you, or perhaps for someone on your staff?
11:30 – 1:00 Adventures in Cartooning
Comics and graphic novels can be an important part of
library collections. James Sturm, cartoonist and co-founder
of The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction,
VT, renowned for Market Day, God Gold and Golems, and
many more, discusses ways libraries can harness the power of
comics to promote visual literacy and storytelling and prepare
readers for the digital age. Caitlin McGurk, head librarian at
The Center, describes the role of librarians in promoting story
telling for all ages, and compares the societal roles of libraries
and comics.
11:30 – 1:00 Miscellany Collection
Learn how a small digital collection caught the imagination of
the scholarly community of Tufts University and beyond.
Alex May and Alicia Morris from Tuft’s Tisch Library
describe their Miscellany Collection developed to meet the
needs of increasingly technology-savvy faculty and students.
They discuss overarching strategy, metadata standards, the
decision to move to a digital environment, and the work
necessary to design and complete this project. The program
sponsor is NETSL, whose business meeting is included.
12:30 – 2:00 By the Numbers: Do Hennen, LJ
Ratings & Other Scores Tell Truth?
Why benchmark library services? Nancy Davis of The Ivy
Group explains the four common rating systems, the pros and
cons of benchmarking, how to use benchmarking studies,
integrating census data into the process, and the pitfalls of
benchmarking.
12:30 – 2:00 NERTCL Luncheon
T.A. Barron, acclaimed author of The Lost Years if Merlin
and The Tree of Avalon series, the standalone title The Hero’s
Trail and many more best-selling books, believes that every
individual, regardless of age, gender or race, can make a
positive difference. How can we convince young people of
their heroic potential? Through stories. Using examples from
his writing and real-life kids who have won the Barron Prize
for Young Heroes, he shows the power of stories to excite and
inspire. The NERCL business meeting is a brief part of the
program, and you will receive his “Young Heroes Package” as
a special gift.
A selection of T.A. Barron’s books is available for purchase
and autographing following the luncheon.
1:00 – 3:00 Discussion Groups: Best Services
for Diverse Groups
Consecutive half hour sessions discuss serving specific
groups that may require special consideration. Discuss broadband
service in rural Vermont with Martha Reid, Vermont State
Librarian. Michele Jenness of VT Immigrant & Asylum
Advocates leads talk of service to Haitian populations. Yet to Be
Confirmed facilitates the discussion of serving non-English
speaking groups, and Thomas Middleton, author of Saber’s
Edge, guides the discussion of service to veterans and military
families.
1:30 – 3:00 The Future Is On Demand: Just-In-Time and
Patron Driven
One of the most exciting developments in academic library
collections is the shift away from “just in case” purchasing
toward “just in time” access to resources. Laura Crain from
Vermont’s St. Michael’s College Library focuses on how her
library employs a variety of tools to ensure that they acquire
physical and electronic content that matches actual need and use.
The Academic Librarians Section (ALS) partners with NETSL to
sponsor this session.
1:30 – 3:00 Understanding and Responding to
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Bullying and cyberbullying are now widely recognized to be
physically, socially, and emotionally harmful. Current research
indicates that over 30% of students are bullied during their academic
careers, impacting their attendance, academic performance,
and emotional well-being. Kathy Johnson from the Anit-
Defamation League of New England offers interactive training to
help you understand the nature and impact of these behaviors and
take steps to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. The GLBT
section (HQ76.3) is the program sponsor.
1:30 - 3:00 Over There: Wisdom from Social Media
Mavens Across Disciplines
How is social media transforming non-library fields and what can
we learn from its deployment in other disciplines? Shay Totten
from Vermont’s independent newspaper Seven Days describes
how tools such as Twitter and Facebook allow him to report in
real time. Seth Mobley from Vermont Community Access Media
describes how new media is changing the work of public access
Television stations.
3:00 – 4:00 Refreshments in the Exhibit Hall
4:00 – 5:00 ITS Carnival
Bring your IT questions to “Stump the IT Chump” to solve all
your techie dilemmas.
4:00 – 5:00 Discussion Group: Emerging
Leaders
A panel of four graduates outlines the American Library
Association’s Emerging Leaders program that helps young
librarians become leaders. It focuses on the “#make it happen”
philosophy which goes beyond having a good idea to add acting
on it to produce results. Panelists include Ed Garcia from
Cranston (RI) Public Library, Jamie Hammond from Naugatuck
Valley Community College in CT, Justin Hoenke from Portland
(ME) Public Library, and JP Porcaro from Jersey City (NJ)
University Library.
4:00 – 5:30 Trends in Technology for Reference
Technology should be invisible and make things easier, not more
difficult. There are many ways technology can be used effectively
in reference service in any library. Andy Burkhardt from
Champlain College in Burlington, VT, Michele McCaffrey from
St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, and Heidi Steiner from
Norwich University in Northfield, VT, discuss innovative, costeffective
ways to use technology in outreach, management of
reference services and enhancing virtual reference interactions.
4:00 – 5:30 Howdy Partner!
Are you a good partner? Nancy Davis of The Ivy Group
discusses community partnerships and how to manage them from
beginning to end. She includes examples of partnerships that fail
as well as successful public library partnerships with public and
private sector organizations.
4:00 – 5:30 Stress Less with Mindfulness
Access to vast information and multiple communication devices
works for patrons, but can lead to fragmentation of attention and
pressure for staff. Services can become unsustainable and even
counterproductive. Cheryl Bryan of the MA Library System and
Jean Amaral from Antioch University in Keene, NH, offer
possible counter measures to increase attention to current tasks
and to help manage stress from busyness and information-rich
environments.
4:00 – 5:30 Supporting Emergent and Early
Readers
For those children who are just beginning to read, the possibiliteis
for exploring texts are endless. NERTCL presents Sandy Leifeld
from Newton (MA) Free Library to offer suggestions and
strategies to support beginning readers, including many book
selections suitable for this group.
5:30 – 7:00 Reception and NELA Games
Explore Burlington City Arts, housed in a former firehouse and
also known as the Firehouse Gallery. It’s located in the heart of
downtown in the Church Street Marketplace. Explore their
exhibits, enjoy a networking social hour, and join the musical fun
of “Name That Tune” for the 2011 edition of the NELA Games.
A shuttle bus serves this event and the Dine-Around.
7:00 - ?? NELA Dine-Around
Sign up to sample one of the fine local restaurants with a group of
your colleagues. A wide variety of cuisines is available within
walking distance of our reception location. Vermont Library Association
members lead each group.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
8:00 – 8:30 NELA Business Meeting
8:30 – 9:30 New England Rapid Reviews
Join the six directors of the New England Centers for the Book for
high speed reviews of five outstanding books from each state. In
two minutes each, they will tell us as much as they can about each
title. Reviewers include Sally Anderson from Vermont, Kat
Lyons from Connecticut, Louise Moulton from Rhode Island,
Mary Russell from New Hampshire, Sharon Shaloo from
Massachusetts, and Elizabeth Sinclair from Maine. Take home a
list of their recommendations.
8:30 – 9:30 Reader’s Advisory for Kids & Teens
Join Cindy Schilling of Wells (ME) Public Library for a
practical and informative session on providing readers’ advisory
service to young people. Get tips and learn about resources for
helping kids and teens find reading material that matches their
interests and tastes. NERTCL is the program sponsor.
8:30 – 9:30 Discussion Group: Budget
Presentations
The budget presentation is probably your most important speech
each year. Discover tips and tricks to make a good one, and
share success stories with other budget presenters.
8:30 – 10:00 Collaborative Assessment for
Massachusetts Public Colleges
In 2009 the MA Commonwealth Consortium of Libraries in
Public Higher Education Institutions worked to establish shared
priorities for library assessment. Once the project was
completed the libraries agreed on a set of comparative metrics,
and designed a dashboard to monitor results. ALS presents
Stephen Spohn from LYRASIS and Linda Oldach from Mount
Wachusett Community College, to discuss the project and its
implications.
8:30 – 10:00 ITS Carnival
See description on Sunday at 3:45.
8:30 – 10:00 Displays on a Budget
Make your library shine with the use of creative arrangements
and displays. Doreen Buchinski from Waltham (MA) Public
Library shows how to entice users to check out materials with
the creative use of displays.
9:45 – 11:30 Exhibits Open
10:00 – 11:15 Refreshments in the Exhibit Hall
11:15 – 12:45 Leading Change.
Consultant Kathryn Deiss believes that leaders at any level of
an organization have a responsibility to help people understand,
adapt to, and even instigate change. People need to overcome
the fear losing the familiar and recognize the difference between
what is changing and what is not. Learn how to be effective
leader of change at a time when change is the only constant.
11:15 – 12:45 Mission Morale: Cultivating a Caring
Work Culture
Discover how to avoid the morass of low morale and create a
culture of collegial caring in your library. Learn how to use
cost-effective strategies and implement new policies to improve
morale. Presenters are Jennifer Sabatini Fraone from the Boston
College Center for Work and the Family and Mara Neufeld
Rivera from Resource Systems Group in White River Junction,
Vermont.
11:15 – 12:45 Tools of the Trade
Want to spice up your storytime and babytime programs? In this
NERTCL session you will learn some tools of the trade. Clare
Dombrowski from Amesbury (MA) Public Library and Sandy
Leifeld from Newton (MA) Free Library demonstrate ways to
integrate songs, rhymes, flannel boards, and music and musical
instruments with stories. Joan Knight from Jafrfrey (NH)
Public Library showcases puppets and their ability to grab the
attention of even the most restless children.
11:15 – 12:45 Checklist for Digital Divide Readiness
Libraries everywhere have patrons with low tech literacy.
We offer classes and training to assist patrons with learning
technology, but we don’t have to stop there. Jessamyn West,
an expert on digital divide issues, suggests how we can offer
more help, from website tips to reading lists to local advocacy,
and improve access to technology for these patrons. ITS is the
program sponsor.
11:15 – 12:45 Digital Newspaper Project
Birdie MacLennan of the University of Vermont leads a panel
discussion about her institution’s collaboration with VT
Department of Libraries, Ilsley Public Library of Middlebury,
VT, and the VT Historical Society to select and digitize up to
100,000 pages of Vermont newspapers published from 1836 to
1922. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities, the project is part of the plan to create a freely
accessible national digital resource of historic newspapers from
all the US states and territories. The program sponsor is ALS
12:45 – 2:15 Author Luncheon
First-time author Tom Ryan has written the ultimate buddy saga.
The subtitle tells much of the story: Forty-Eight High Peaks,
One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship. The White
Mountains of New Hampshire feature forty-eight peaks of 4,000
feet or more, and hikers frequently set a “lofty” lifetime goal to
conquer them all. Tom Ryan and his dog Atticus achieved this
feat – twice - in just eleven months. His book, Following
Atticus, recounts their adventures and the impact they have had
on their lives. Thanks to HarperCollins for sponsoring Tom
Ryan’s appearance at NELA.
Tom Ryan’s book is available for purchase and autographing
following the luncheon.
2:15 – 5:00 POST CONFERENCE: Serving on the
Front Lines of Workforce Recovery
Libraries are first responders to the increased demand for jobrelated
assistance, but demand often outstrips our time to build
resources and services. The IMLS-funded Project Compass
provides real world success stories and a foundation of skills to
meet these workforce demands. Explore best practices for
building programs and services for job seekers and local
business development, forming partnerships with local workforce
agencies, and providing financial literacy and technology
training. Project partner WebJuncion staff present this important
and timely session.
Talk Tables
Sometimes the best ideas for making your library better come
from your peers. New this year, this networking format provides
informal discussions among colleagues. A sampling of topics to
be covered includes Working in a Union Shop, Running a Small
Library, Career Development, Resume Review, and The Benefits
of NELA Membership. The exact schedule will be published in
the program you receive at conference.