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LADC Student Employees Guide

This website is intended to provide information regarding the various tasks, duties, and functions performed by student workers at the LADC.

SHELF-READING

  • The process by which we maintain the order and tidiness of our collections by ensuring that each item is in its proper place.
  • Every Student Employee must shelf-read for 30 minutes per shift per day.

TAGGING IN
  • Begin where the person before you left off
  • Take the clipboard with you so that you can start where the last person left off.

ANNOTATE 
  • Clearly annotate the date, your name, and the full call number when recording where you ended your shelf-reading.

STRAYS
  • If you find a book that is out of order, make a tally mark for an error. This way we can see what percentage of shelving errors we have.
  • If the item is close to its correct location, reshelve in its proper home.

THE LOST
  • If you find an item that is far from where it belong, please bring them down to the circulation desk and discharge them.
  • The book found may be marked "Lost" or "Needs Review", if so, bring the book to your supervisor.

 

RE-SHELVING

  • Student employees are expected to re-shelve books at the beginning of every shift. Follow the procedure below after clocking in.

CHECK THE DROPS

DISCHARGE ITEMS

BOOK CART

RE-SHELVING

photo of the book drop outside of the LADC entry.

Picture of the book cart to the left of the furthest left circulation computer.

An image of a longer haired person in a light orange, long-sleeved shirt, striped red pants, brown and brown shoes holding an opened red book while facing a wall of colorful shelved books.

Make sure you check the inside and outside drop boxes throughout the day.                                                                                                                          

 Whether from the drop boxes, carrier, or if a patron hands in their items, make sure you check the items in.  An accurate inventory lets us find what we need.

Re-magnetize any returned items and place them on the book cart.  Remember, the book cart is only temporary parking and books must be put up as soon as possible.

 REMEMBER:  we want all books back on the shelves for patrons to use.  Make sure that all books are reshelved before the end of each day.

 

STRAIGHTENING

  • Book spines should be aligned with the front lip of the shelf to allow for maximum visibility of each item on the shelf.
    • Books that fit on a shelf, but are hanging out past the lip of the shelf, are a safety hazard and must be corrected if possible.
    • Books that are pushed too far back from the lip of the shelf are difficult to see and easy to miss when being looked for.
    • Some books that are too long will hang over the edge naturally, but there is nothing we can do about that.
      • When shelf-reading, tab gently on books with the side of your hand to see if they can be pushed in further.
    • Books that are too large to fit vertically, but are not technically "Oversized" nor "Portfolio, should be shelved spine down in their proper place. 

SHIFTING

  • Shifting items in the collection only happens occasionally.  If you notice that a shelf is too full to shelve a book but that there is more room on the shelf above or below the shelf you are working on, please do the following:

  1. Straighten the books on the shelf to see if this results in extra space. 

  2. If possible, shift a few books from the crowded shelf to the shelf immediately before or after the row you are working on.  

  3. Notify a staff member if an area is too crowded to shelve in.

NOTE: 
  • Starting on the top shelf, call numbers are sequenced left to right, top to bottom, and repeated on subsequent shelves.
    • Make sure that you are shifting in the correct direction! 

You are in the stacks most often, your input is valued and necessary for making sure our shelves are not overly packed.

When to Bring Items to Staff 

  • IF you notice damage to pages, bindings, or other aspects of library items, bring them to staff.
  • IF you notice incorrect call numbers bring item to staff
  • IF you notice incorrect stickers on an item, bring them to staff
    • I.e., A "Reference" sticker on a book that is not in the Reference collection.
  • IF anything falls out of a book that was once glued in, bring all pieces with the item to staff.