Electronic Resources

TELEPHONE USAGE AND ETIQUETTE

The Sam Houston State University telephone system offers several convenient features for the staff and faculty.  Two of the valuable features offered are the call forward and the voice mail.  When you need to relocate temporarily, you  can forward incoming calls to another telephone.  More importantly, the voice mail feature allows each individual to leave a message with proper identification and information.  Place an identifying message on your telephone.

Be sure that the message includes your name, Newton Gresham Library or your department as well as a brief message.  It is imperative that callers know if they are calling the intended extension or person.   Generic messages can waste valuable time or miss important information.  By keeping the message brief, the caller will be more inclined to wait for the signal to leave a message.

When a telephone rings in a public access area, answer the call as promptly as possible.  If the library employee has a patron, ask to be excused and answer the telephone.  It is important that the call is handled with professionalism.  When you answer the phone either ask the caller to hold or leave a number as you are currently assisting a patron.   Never, under any circumstances, answer a personal cell phone while helping a patron.

Telephone Etiquette: A Professional Approach to Phone Usage

1. When answering the phone, identify with Newton Gresham Library and department.
2. Answer the telephone as promptly as possible. The caller’s time is as valuable as yours.  
3. When away from your work area for an extended period, you may want to have your calls forwarded to that area or forwarded to the voicemail.
4. Answer with a smile and pleasant voice.  The caller can hear a smile. And sound eager to help the caller.
6. Answer the caller’s questions as promptly as possible.  If you cannot answer the questions, inform the caller what you can do to find out the answer.
7. Repeat names, telephone numbers and dates back to the caller to be sure the information is correct.
8. Give the caller your complete attention.  Avoid trying to talk to more than one person at a time.  You can hear better if you are not talking.
9. If a caller does not identify himself, ask for a name.
10. End the call positively and politely.  Repeat the information if necessary.  Thank the person for the call or for the time spent.

Cell Phone Guidelines

Cell phones are a convenient means of communication especially in emergency situations or personal long distance calls.  However, the conversations should be kept as brief as possible.

Guidelines for cell phone in the Newton Gresham Library include:

            .  Turn the cell phones off while working unless cleared through the supervisor. 

.   Leave cell phones with personal items in a safe area of the department.

            .   Use the library extension number for emergencies or other personal calls.

            .   Be brief.

            .   The supervisor should be made aware of any expected calls.

            .   Student workers should not take cell phones to the “stacks” or public areas.

FACULTY AND STAFF DRESS CODE GUIDELINES

It is important that the public’s image of the library staff reflect a business-like environment at all times when working in the Newton Gresham Library or the Peabody Building.

The following is to be used as a guideline for determining appropriate informal business attire.  If there are any questions concerning any type of items not addressed or for clarification purposes, please refer your questions to your supervisor.

For all employees:

• Sweaters and vests
• Slacks, including “Dockers” and khakis
• Blazers
• Leather shoes
• Blouses, shirts with collars (including banded collars and pullover “polo” shirts, and knit tops
• Skirts and dresses
• City shorts with jackets
• “Skort” outfits (dress style or with jacket)
• Hosiery and trouser socks
• Leggings with tunic length top or jackets

Too casual/ not appropriate:

• Jeans of any color (except on Fridays and during interim)
• T-shirts with inappropriate slogans/writing
• Sweatshirts and sweatpants
• Shorts
• Halter tops or tank tops
• “Teva”-type sandals, beach thongs.

GUIDELINES & EXPECTATIONS FOR ACQUISITIONS STUDENT WORKERS:

Work Schedule and time sheet requirements:

• Please arrive on time for your scheduled shift every day.
  • In addition to signing in on the computer, you must also sign OUT for every shift with an acquisitions staff member on paper.
    • This includes shifts that are split.
  • If you are aware that you are going to be more than 5 minutes late, you must notify me by text message, phone call, or email.
    • In that case, we will then arrange to make up that time.
  • You may not claim a full hour if you arrive late or leave early
  • If you run out of work to do inform me, or another acquisitions faculty/staff member if I am not here.  If no one has a project for you, you may work on the link checking project from Scott.

• Computer Usage:
  • The computers in tech services are to be used for work only.
    • If you are you are caught using them for other purposes, you will be reprimanded.
    • If this continues to be a problem, progressive disciplinary action will be taken. (See below for a list of progressive disciplinary steps)
       
• Cell Phones:  
  • They are a privilege and are to be used for listening to music only. If they become a distraction or are being used for texting, and begin to interfere with your work, they will be taken away entirely.
  • If you are caught with your phone after losing the privilege, progressive disciplinary action will be taken.
     
• Breaks:
  • You are allowed one 15 minute break for every 4 consecutive hours worked.  Notify me prior to taking your break so that I know where you are.
     
• Personal Expectations:
  • Communication is key:
  • If you notice anything that does not look right. I expect to be notified in person,  not when I receive the invoice (there are times when duplicate books are ordered and can be cancelled before they are shipped---if I do not know about them until they are here, it creates more work for everyone)
  • If you do not understand something please feel free to ask me or any other acquisitions staff member if I am not available. I would much rather you ask than to do something incorrectly, or not at all.
     
• As your supervisor, I am responsible for the work that you do. If you do not take your work seriously and mistakes are made, it reflects negatively upon me and our department.
• We understand the difficulties of working and being a student, but please try to do your best work while you are here.
   
• Progressive Discipline: (this comes directly from the library policy)
  • If your work performance, behavior or dress is not satisfactory or, if you otherwise do not follow established library procedures or supervisors requirements, you will be given opportunity to improve your performance according to the following guidelines:
    1. You will be informed verbally or in writing that your performance or behavior is unsatisfactory and will be monitored on a daily or as scheduled basis. You will be given a list of suggestions for improving your performance. The supervisor will keep notes or a log accordingly.
    2. At the end of the stated review period, if your performance or behavior has improved sufficiently enough to please your supervisor, you will be removed from progressive discipline. If your performance has not improved sufficiently to satisfy your supervisor, you will be given a notice of intent to terminate employment with a list of suggestions for improving your performance. A second review of your performance will be scheduled as determined by your supervisor.
    3. At the end of the second evaluation period, unless your performance has improved sufficiently to satisfy your supervisor, you will be terminated as a library student assistant effective at the close of business on the last day of the second review period. Alternatively, the review period may be extended or dropped, depending upon your progress.

Acquisitions Student Accounts/Passwords

Please contact your supervisor for the password.

Duplicate Checking in Sirsi

• Always default to “exact search” if you do not find a title, click Keyword do double check
• Be careful of typos. If you spell things wrong SIRSI may not recognize it.
• Always check the year of the book before marking it as a duplicate. We order new editions of things.
  • Do be aware that a book with two publication years directly next to each other is likely the same thing. Different publishers can pick up books towards the end of one year and choose which year they want to publish it under (same as buying a 2014 car even though it is still 2013).  So if we own a 2012 edition of a specific title and a librarian requests the same title published in 2013 make sure it is not the same book before you order it.
  • If you see a duplicate title, don't just mark it. Always OPEN the record to make sure it is not an Ebook.
• Careful of the word/symbol AND. If the title has an & symbol on the card and you do not find it in SIRSI try switching it for the word “and” before assuming we don’t own a copy.
  • Same goes for numbers
    • Try both the actual number and the word
• If you find a duplicate title, mark the “DUP” on the card and put it in the box by the student computer.
  • If it we own the title in e-book format—write “own e-book” on the card and either give it to me or put it in the selector’s box.
  • If it has been "added" to the PDA then write "in PDA" on the order card and give it to Kat.
  • If it has been "purchased" in the PDA the write "own ebook" on the card.
• If you get an order card and the selector requests an e-book, CD, or DVD,give it directly to Dawn (we only order print materials)

Instructions:

• Books to be ordered:
  • Anything that is in OR out of stock (unless otherwise notified)
  • Print only (no cds/dvds/ebooks/voice recordings, etc…)
• Books NEVER to be ordered:
  • Books that are not yet published (leave a note of the publication month and year on the card and return to me)
    • You can order them only if they are to be published within 30 days of the date you are placing the order.
  • Books that are no longer in print
  • Books that are from the UK or any other foreign country (you will see their flag next to the title)
  • Large print books
  • Study guides/lab manuals
  • reprints of books we already own
  • POD demand books that are NOT received on either a white choice card or yellow YBP card.

• Alternate Formats
  • If the title you pull up is a paperback and there are alternate formats available, we always try to order the hardbacks first (unless it is not cost effective-- see notes above.) You can click the link for alternate formats when it is available—it will not always be there if there.
• When ordering Alternate formats: always make sure publication dates are the same. Sometimes it will pull up older editions of the same book.
•  
• If there is ever a major price discrepancy (more than 25 dollars) please let me know.
  • For example: The other day I had a card for a play that should have cost $8.95 but baker and Taylor had mistakenly added the price as 895.00! (Definitely didn’t want to pay that much for it)!
  • This doesn’t happen often, but be aware that it can.
• Order totals:
  • Always make sure the title number matches the total quantity number in your cart
    • Unless of course, you are ordering 2 copies of the same book.
  • If these numbers do not match, you have added a book to your cart without entering a quantity (so that book won’t actually be ordered). Please check carefully.
• Fund/Holding Codes
  • Watch for special funds (see attached list)
  • Careful not to mix up the selector and the fund (it should read as follows)
    •  F-CHM|hBOOKMAIN|sLMM   
       NOT
    •  F-LMM|hBOOKMAIN|sCHM
      Slow down and take your time!
• Books that appear to be unavailable:
  • If you type an ISBN and it shows no results, please retype that ISBN to make sure that there was not a typo in your original search
• ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE TITLE THAT COMES UP IS THE TITLE YOU MEANT TO ORDER.
  • Sometimes if you type in the wrong ISBN it will bring up a different book. Be careful to double check so that we are not ordering the wrong title.

DUPLICATES

• If you see a message like this, it is likely a duplicate. DO NOT order it. I will show you how to check the FO number in workflows to make sure if we own a copy (sometimes things will get cancelled in SIRSI but not deleted from the cart in Baker and Taylor).

Reminders for Sorting and Pricing Order Cards

When new invoices are left for you on Mondays:

• Go through each invoice and pull the cards from the black filing boxes
• Look at the invoices, and using a ruler (to make sure you are lining them up with the correct price) write the discounted price of the book on the matching order card in RED ink.
• Sometimes we get order cards with very similar titles please double check to make sure the title on the card is the exact same as the title on the book.

Past Example:

• The two titles were as follows:
  • Early Childhood Education: A Practical Guide to evidence-based multi-tiered instruction
  •  Early Childhood Education for a New Era: Leading for our profession
• Why it matters?
  • The wrong card was pulled for one of the books. That card had a note on it that it was a second copy print.
  • Since the wrong card was pulled and did not specify second copy, the intended duplicate book was returned to the vendor as a duplicate when it should not have been. (returning books creates a lot of work due to credit memos)
     
• If you cannot find an order card, circle that title and move on.
  • I will look for it again later with fresh eyes, and if it is still not there then I will print a new order card.
• After the prices are written on the cards, attach them to the invoice and hold it until the books come in
• If you have any questions,  please let me know!
• Once the books arrive (typically Thursdays) unpack boxes and match with the invoices (already matched with order cards) kept on the student worker's desk.  Using the packing slip, unpack each box and place on a cart.  Repeat till all boxes are emptied.

HARDBACK BOOKS:

1. Barcode
2. Stamp inside with 3 line SHSU library property stamp
   • If the cover and first fly leaf page is black or dark enough that the stamp will not show up, use a sticker instead of the stamp.
3. Stamp top and bottom edges of book with 2 line SHSU property stamp
4. Insert the security strip inside of book spine, attaching it to the cover of the book.
   • If it cannot fit in the spine, use a double-sided security strip and place it between 2 pages of the book in the crease, preferably toward the center-to-back of the book. 
     Press firmly so the strip adheres to the pages of the book.

PAPERBACK BOOKS:

1. Barcode
2. Stamp inside with 3 line SHSU library property stamp
3. Stamp top and bottom edges of book with 2 line SHSU property stamp
4. Do not put a security strip inside the book (only exception is Browsing Collection books)

SPECIAL PROCESSING:                                
[Fund listed on order card]

CJ SPEC or CJ SPECIAL                                NO stamp, strip, or barcode.
                                                                     Paper clip barcode to book.

PEABODY                                                     NO stamp; DO strip and barcode

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS                                NO stamp, strip, or barcode
                                                                     Paper clip barcode to book

TEXANA                                                        NO stamp, strip, or barcode.
                                                                     Paper clip barcode to book.

THR or THOMASON ROOM                            NO stamp, strip or barcode
                                                                     Paper clip barcode to book

BROWSING COLLECTION                              Stamp inside with 3 line SHSU library property stamp
                                                                     Stamp on top and bottom edges with 2 line SHSU property stamp
                                                                     [Cataloging will stamp BROWSING in red ink]
                                                                     DO STRIP and BARCODE!

GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR STAMPING WITH PROPERTY STAMP:

Top and bottom edge of book, stamp with 2 line stamp, black ink.

Inside of book—1^st page one inch down from top in the middle of the page, stamp with 3 line stamp.  If this would cover written/printed information on the page, stamp on next blank page that can be found.

GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR SECURITY STRIPPING:

see “Student Stripping Instructions” PDF for more detailed instructions, including illustrations
T:\NGL\Tech Services\Acquisitions Unit\Firm Orders\Procedures

1. Use spine wand and attach the sticky side of the security strip about ¼” down on the wand. 
2. Open the book and insert wand down into the spine with sticky part facing the cover (not pages) of the book, per 3M’s recommended procedures.
3. Pull wand down through spine until strip no longer shows at the top. 
4. Press hand against spine so that strip adheres to book spine and pull wand through leaving the strip in the book. 

5. If the wand cannot fit through the spine, use a double-sided security strip and place it between 2 pages of the book in the crease, choosing a location that the book does not naturally open to 
   (1^st preferred location is between center-to-back of the book. 2^nd preferred location is between the front-to-center of the book.) 
6. Press firmly so the strip adheres to the pages of the book.

GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR BARCODING:  

see “Barcoding Books – Acquisitions” PDF for more detailed instructions, including illustrations

T:\NGL\Tech Services\Acquisitions Unit\Firm Orders\Procedures

1. Locate first flyleaf (blank page) nearest the back cover.   Do not use the inside of the back cover because the barcode will be covered up if the book is bound, rebound or Digi-Covered.    
2. Center the barcode about ½” below top edge of the page (1/4” minimum).  Make sure it is LEVEL.
3. If there is no blank page near the back cover, use the last printed page of the book so long as there is no critical information (ex: end of story, original image (unduplicated), map, index, etc.)

If the last pages does contain critical information, place the barcode on the inside of the back cover IF the book is not going to be sent to the bindery (i.e. Browsing Collection books). 
For items sent to the bindery – place the barcode on the back of the cover, being careful not to obscure pertinent information. (Bindery makes a copy of the outside cover so barcode is retained.  Circulation will have to manually type the barcode but the book must have a barcode so its location (out to bindery, etc) can be tracked)