While it is understood that the expectations for student employees differs significantly from staff, please do be aware that the circulation desk represents your place of employment. When you are here, you are at work, and it is expected that you will fulfill the basic requirements of your job. Students who fail to meet up to the simple standards outlined below may be asked to seek other employment.
Time Sheets
- Must be filled out weekly.
- Work weeks end on Fridays, so timesheets must be turned in before 11 AM on Fridays to ensure you are paid in a timely manner.
- This may occasionally change due to holiday and library closures. You will be informed of any irregularity in the schedule by your supervisor.
- Please remember to sign your timesheet.
- Pay day for students falls on Friday. This may change due to holidays or library closures. Your supervisor will inform you if there will be any irregularity in the schedule.
Attendance and Punctuality
All Students are expected to be on time for their assigned shifts. If you are going to miss a shift because of illness or emergency, please contact your supervisor directly. Do not ask a friend or coworker to pass the information along.
Breaks
- If you work more than 4 hours in a single shift, you are entitled to a 20 minute break. If you work a full day you are entitled to two 20 minute breaks and a half-hour lunch.
- Breaks must be arranged to ensure that the desk is properly covered. If you are working a long shift and would like to take a break, please coordinate the time with a coworker. If a coworker is not working with you, please speak to the full time staff person on duty.
Scheduling
- At the beginning of each semester, new and returning students are given an opportunity to sign up for shifts. These hours are then used to make up the master schedule, effective for the entire semester. Please make sure to only sign up for hours and shifts you will be able to work for the entirety of the semester.
- The Master Schedule is posted in the Circulation Workroom and does not vary week to week.
- A schedule is also maintained at Libstaffer, an online resource which will allow you to check your schedule from outside the library, as well as drop and pick up shifts. Libstaffer accounts are created at the beginning of the semester. If you do not have a Libstaffer account, or are unsure how to access it, please see Ken.
Substitution Policy
- If you know that you will miss a scheduled shift, please email Ken at kraining@upenn.edu as soon as possible. At least 24 hours notice must be given except in the event of illness or extreme emergency. If an emergency arises on a weekend or evening shift, please call the Circulation Desk at (215) 898-7070 or (215) 898 7566 and speak to the staff on duty.
- You may ask for a substitute by opting out of a scheduled shift on Libstaffer. You are responsible for the shift until it is picked up by another student assistant. Remember, though, you still must follow the procedures outlined above.
- If you are going to find a substitute on your own you must inform your supervisor who will be covering your shift. Please use the contact information listed above.
- According to University rules you may work up 20 hours per week as a student employee (40 hours per week during semester breaks and summer sessions). Please do not accept substitution offers that will put you in excess of those hours.
Customer Service
This is a public service position; therefore strong customer service skills are required. You must be courteous and attentive to the needs of the patrons. Please be well mannered. A polite demeanor goes a long way.
Attire
There is no required dress code, but please wear appropriate clothing to suit the part of working in a customer service position.
Use of Personal Electronic Devices
- You may NOT use personal electronic devices, including cell phones and laptops while at the desk.
- You may NOT use headphones, ear buds or Bluetooth devices while at the desk.
- If you receive a cell phone call while at the desk, please excuse yourself from the desk to take the phone call. Please limit these phone calls to 5 minutes.
- You may use the desktop machine at your workstation to perform personal tasks while working so long as you can remain attentive to the patrons at the same time.
- If you need to charge a personal electronic device while you are working, please do not unplug anything from the outlets directly under the desk. Please use the power strip provided to charge your electronic devices instead.
Visiting
Please keep conversations with friends at the desk to a minimum, and be aware of patrons who may be waiting. Also, non-library staff are not permitted to be behind the Circulation Desk.
Expectation of Privacy
Our patrons have an expectation of privacy that is codified in both State and Federal law.
Sometimes patrons looking for an item that is not available will ask you to tell them who has it checked out. While this request seems perfectly reasonable, you may NOT give out this information. If a patron questions this rule, feel free to refer them to full time staff and/or to the Pennsylvania statue on confidentiality of library records or to the related federal law called “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act” (FERPA).
Pennsylvania Statute on Library circulation records
Records related to the circulation of library materials which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the State Library or any local library which is established or maintained under any law of the Commonwealth or the library of any university, college or educational institution chartered by the Commonwealth or the library of any public school or branch reading room, deposit station or agency operated in connection therewith, shall be confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except by a court order in a criminal proceeding. (24 P.S. § 4428, 2002)
It is also inappropriate to:
- Discuss a patron’s history of borrowing, fines, fees or account blocks with anyone other than a full time staff member or the patron themselves.
- Give personal information found in Voyager (e.g. address, email address, phone number) out to anyone or to make use of this information for personal reasons.
