Begin a shift by turning on your computer and signing in.
Open your email to look for any updates from other librarians and look for email reference messages that have come in. Keep your email open throughout your shift.
Open your campus shared calendar to see what is scheduled for the day.
Check the phone for voice messages and respond to them.
When the phone rings, answer using a greeting similar to, "(Campus) Library, this is __________. How may I help you?"
Log in to Chat. Keep the sound on your computer on to hear when new chat questions are posted.
Instruction Librarians unobtrusively seek out students who may need help rather than wait for students to come to them at the Research Help Desk. Be aware of students who may be hesitant in asking for help. Taking a walk around the library often creates opportunities for more student interactions. (Not to mention that fact that taking a walk several times during a longer shift can be refreshing.)
If you find yourself with down time at the desk, use that time for
As needed, conduct a complete research interview to get a full picture of the student's information need, the type of project involved, and the types of sources the student is required to use or wishes to use. Ask the student to provide an overview of the assignment requirements.
If you find that you are spending a great deal of time with a student, keep an eye on the desk as well to see if someone is waiting
When you step away from the desk to help students locate books or other spaces in the library, remember to set your chat status to unavailable.
When working with students out of view of the desk, try to assess their needs and get them independently beginning their research in approximately 15 minutes. Invite them to come back to the desk when they need more assistance. Let them know you need to be visible / approachable for other students.
If you are not able to help someone find needed information, try to provide a referral.
If the Research Help Desk telephone rings while you are assisting students, let it ring. When you have finished assisting a student, listen to phone messages, and respond as soon as possible.
Acknowledge the presence of those waiting for assistance as soon as possible.
Practice 'triage' when several people are waiting for service. Ask people who are waiting to describe their needs. If one person can be assisted quickly, but has not been waiting as long as others, ask the others if it's okay to assist that patron first. Then thank them for waiting.
When the library is busy, carefully consider how much time to spend with any one student. For example, get a student started on research and then excuse yourself to get a second student started. Go back and forth between the two - this fosters independent learning.
If you find that you have several people needing in depth help simultaneously, call another librarian for back-up.
Email your completed timesheets to Monica Lawton (mlawton11@stlcc.edu) and copy Becky Helbling (rhelbling@stlcc.edu)
If you have a planned absence, please try to get your desk hours covered by switching with another librarian from your campus. Send a message to all the librarians who work at your campus to see if you can work out a switch or have someone take your hours. Once you have agreed, please update the shared calendar to indicate the change.
If you are unable to find someone to cover your hours, contact the department chair.
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