It is highly suggested that Information Assistants arrive five minutes early to their shifts so that they can store their jackets and personal belongings in the Reference Workroom, #317. This will leave the area in and around the Reference desk free of clutter and obstacles which may hinder you as you carry out your duties.

You do not have to notify anyone in particular that you have arrived. Just come in, walk behind the Reference desk and assume the role of an Information Assistant.

 

It is very important that Information Assistants sign the log book before they commence a shift; the log book serves as the log which documents which IAs worked on any given day.

The log book also confirms the hours recorded on your time sheet. If you forget to sign in one day, please correct the problem and make a note of your correction in the margin so Ms. Alloca knows.

Please make sure that you jot down your entry and exit in the log. If you come in two minutes late, then you should still round to the nearest hour when you record your entrance time; please ensure you do the same when you record your exit time.

If you are going to complete your full shift for that day, you can enter the time you are going to leave in the log when you sign in. Otherwise, please record the exact time you assume a shift.

If you are going to be late, please call Ms. Alloca at

 

You should log on to one of the two computers at the Reference desk as soon as your shift starts;

You should look in the scrap sheet container to verify whether or not you have enough scrap paper. If you need scrap paper, please call Ms. Alloca, or you can fashion some scrap paper yourself by collecting the scrap paper left by students at the network printers and photo copy machines.

Cut approximately 10 sheets of paper in half, then cut that in half, and cut those halves and you have the rough size of scrap paper that fits in the holder.

You may want to use the edge of the Reference desk to "cut" or "thresh" the paper into halves, etc.

 

Your primary directive is to help students access the Rosenthal Library catalog. If a student asks you to locate a book, then you should consider this the task at hand. The exact level of service provided will depend on the IA; however, IAs are advised to utilize this time to build rapport with patrons and to champion libraries in general.

While you are expected to help students find materials in the OPAC, you are not expected to write the call numbers for patrons, or to accompany them to locate the book. You are expected, however, of explaining the layout of the Rosenthal to facilitate the finding of any book.

In addition, you are expected to clear paper jams in the photo copy machine and help students find materials if the Reference desk is empty, or there is a lull in patron traffic. You can also rely on the work-study pages that reshelf books to direct students.

It is though incumbent on IAs to provide a conceptual understanding of how things are arranged in the Rosenthal Library. And to indicate for patrons what floor their book is on, and how to best access that floor.