Guides: Chemistry Library Student Assistant Manual: Home

Welcome to the Chemistry Library staff!

Overview

Welcome to the Chemistry Library. We hope that you will find your work experience here to be both valuable and enjoyable. As an employee, you will contribute meaningfully to the quality of our patron services and to the functioning of the library beyond regular business hours, so we ask that you familiarize yourself with your duties and observe the following guidelines.

General duties and expectations

As a Student Assistant, you will:

Use our online library management system (Alma) to loan out, renew, and return library materials
Answer directional questions about the library space and our resources, both in person and on the phone. You need to be aware of library services and resources to effectively help our patrons, so please read the last two sections of this guide, “Patron Reference FAQ” and “General Library Resource Guide”
Record stats (laser and patron counts), reshelve material, and shelf read on a daily basis
Assist in library management tasks, such as collection shifts and book retrieval, as assigned
Depending on shift assigned, open and/or close the library, or keep the library staffed and running in the absence of full-time staff

Please be courteous and helpful.

More in-depth patron questions about our services (i.e. questions that cannot be answered with the information in this guide or via a quick Google search) should be redirected to your supervisors.

If you receive questions that you cannot answer and full-time staff are not present, please:

Collect the following:
- the patron’s name, Penn ID, and contact information
- the details of their queries or complaints
Leave this information in a note on your supervisor’s desk
Let the patron know that a staff member will be following up with them during regular business hours (weekdays, 9am-5pm); if they prefer, they can also email the MPA Library at chemlib@pobox.upenn.edu
If the patron requires more immediate assistance, you can call the Van Pelt Library circulation desk at 215-898-7566 (there are usually full-time staff members present on evenings and weekends)

Remember, no answer is better than an incorrect answer.

Desk Rules

During open hours, there should be a staff member sitting at the circulation desk at all times
- If the rare situation arises in which you are the only staff member present and you need to temporarily step away from the desk (to use the restroom, etc.):
  - Shut the circulation desk door
  - Put up the “Back Soon” sign
  - Lock the computer until your return
    - [Windows Key]+[L] to lock
    - [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del] to unlock
- If you need to leave the Library for class, etc. and there is no one to take your place, please follow the emergency staffing procedures as outlined below in the “Emergency Staffing” section
Use the Library phone for Library business only
For security and service reasons, headphone use by the staff is prohibited at the circulation desk
Only employees are allowed behind the circulation desk. Extended conversations with friends at the Circulation Desk are prohibited.
Please do not eat while working at the circulation desk. If you need a break to eat a meal or snack, please ask your supervisor
The circulation computer is to be used primarily for circulation and look up services. You may use the computer to work on schoolwork when it does not interfere with work duties. Please DO NOT save any important work to the computer’s hard drive, as all files on shared library computers are regularly wiped
For safety reasons, no student workers may remain in the Library beyond the time it takes to complete opening or closing procedures