Also --

make sure you fit in the CDs next to the transits...

We're all caught up again! Now is a great time to work on shifting CDs!

Justin, Laura, John, Kim and Heidi - find your assignments on the counter under the transits. The rest of you, work on shifting cassettes.

Please report your progress (leave a note on my desk)

Merry December!

1. Approve your timecards!
2. Look over the AV Page Workflow (posted) to refresh your memory for each shift.
3. Remember to work on oldest carts first (by Jim's desk).
4. Remember to leave a note on cart indicating status of items.
5. Check the posted December calendar - adjust accordingly.
6. Take 15 minutes per shift to shelf-read (make sure everything is in order) and shift items, if necessary, in the audiocassette or CDs area.

Thanks!

Coupla things:
1. Please work on some CDs (find your sheet) each shift.
2. The library is closed Tues. Nov 11 for Veteran's Day.
3. Please add yourself to the Nov. page calendar, if you're not already on there.
4. When you open Internet Explorer, go under "favorites" to find "Customer Service Standards". Please fill it out once online. We are doing some training and updating and would appreciate your opinions.
Thank you!

Approve your timecard!

The CDs are becoming more of a mess. I'm going to assign each of you areas to "clean up" (put in order, and shift to make room for them all). Look for your name on a packet on the counter under the transits. The packet will give you your assigned area and a little quiz on putting CDs in order. When you are done with your packet, leave it on my desk. It'll be fun! You'll love it! Kathie B will thank you for making easier her job of locating reserve CDs!

Thanks for all you do!
Pam

November Schedule

Please write out your November schedule (days & hours you are working/days you can't work) and leave it on my desk. Thanks!

Sorting CDs

Hi Pages,
We're working our way through the massive CD collection, one genre at a time. There is a list of music genres on one of the AV Pages desks. Please pick a genre, go through the CDs carefully - please ask if you have questions about how they're sorted - and then cross it off the list. Once we're through with the whole collection, we have new labels to attach to the carousels, so the CDs will actually correspond to the labels!

Remember to approve your timecard by your last shift Wednesday, Oct 22.

Welcome to Haley Nelson, who is just starting in AV!

Remember to "approve" your Kronos by your last shift on Wednesday!

Cart Flow

We're coordinating with the bookdrop pages in making a concerted effort to keep the carts moving out in a timely manner. The oldest carts should always be closer to Katherine's office (on the way to the DVD closet) and the newest carts should be closer to Pam's office. Always work on the oldest carts first. Keep moving the carts toward Katherine's so there is room for newer carts to come out. You can sit anywhere to work on a cart, as long as you take the oldest cart.

Thanks!

Posted Schedule

Look at the October schedule posted outside my office and mark any adjustments on it.

Remember to APPROVE your time card after your last shift of the pay period. Next Wednesday (Oct 8) is the last day of the pay period. Approve your time after your last shift that is before that date. So, if you only work Sat and Mon, approve it the Monday before the 8th. If this is unclear, please ask me!

Make sure you are locking the rock CDs!

and one more...

Welcome to Hollie Shumaker, starting Thursday!

Would you please do some shifting in the CD area so those rock CDs that are on the shelf in the AV area can get back in the CD area? Thanks!

NEW AV PAGES!

Welcome to our new pages, Laura Behrenbeck and Sarah Harris. Laura worked bookdrop last year for a bit, so she knows her way around. Sarah's mom, Gail, works with volunteers upstairs. Please welcome them and help them out when they're here.

Remember to approve your timecards by Wednesday!

NEW music

The library has run out of budgeted money for now for purchasing new music. Our "new music shelf" is looking sparce, so let's just leave all music NEW for 3 more months.

Also, remember, when shelving, to put anything with a NEW sticker on the NEW shelves. (Except NEW DVDs, which should be put in the top rows of LAS "C".

Staff Lounge

The kitchen committee is wanting to refresh everyone on staff lounge use. There have been numerous incidents where the staff lounge has been left with dirty dishes and dirty tables. As a general rule, feel free to use the staff lounge to have a break, eat, and drink. Just make sure you clean up after yourself. If you want to leave food in the lounge for yourself, make sure you put a little label on it with your initials. Here is what is in our page manual:

"A staff room is provided on second floor for all employees. Follow instructions exactly as given for use of the microwave oven and other equipment, and wash and put away your own utensils. Articles in the refrigerator and freezer belong to individual staff members. Food put out on the staff room tables is for everyone. Deposit cans in the recycling barrel near the snack machine.

Please do not bring friends to the staff room. Remember to wear your name badge when you are in the staff room."
Thanks!

Fall Schedule

Hi Pages,
Can you each leave me a note on my desk stating your preferred hours for fall?
I'll come up with a rough plan, so that the AV dept will be fairly well-covered throughout the week.

Thanks much!
Pam

Monday Musings

1. Andrew, Heidi and Kim - I moved a couple hours from last weeks pay period to this weeks, to keep you withing the 13.5 range - see me if you have a question.

2. Kathie, the AV reuniter, was hoping I'd pass on these tips:
a) If a case doesn't close properly or feels sticky or tacky, leave a note on the item explaining that to her.
b) If an item is returned in a wrong case, leave the item in that case, put a note on it and return the whole thing to Kathie.

3. If you weren't aware of it, last week we did a DVD inventory. At first it appeared that over 100 DVDs were missing, but after a quick search we found all but 35 of them.
I might have you do a spot check of those 35 some time this week to see if we can find more of them. The list is on my desk.

4. If you have an idea of what your fall looks like, in terms of changing hours, please let me know so I can get a rough schedule laid out.

Thanks!

Hello Pages!

It must be exactly 2 week since I last blogged: I was about to write the same thing as last time (approve your timecards!)

We are shifting the books on CD so we can fit Dr. Who in the regular collection. So, feel free to help with shifting. We will shelve Dr. Who right in with the books on CD, using its call number of DOC. Have fun!

Remember to take the Non Fiction green dot DVDs off the non fiction cart and carry them to the cart in that room around the corner upstairs. Please ask me or another page if you don't know where that is!

Thanks,
Enjoy the rain!
Pam

Approve your timecards!

Run out of AV materials?

Grab a Fiction cart and shelve books! When things slow down in our area, please grab the "oldest" book cart and shelve it. That is where Jim's pages need the most help. Thanks!

Picnic! 1/2 hour paid time!

We want to celebrate YOU, the RPL Employee for all your hard work! Join us for a picnic in your honor!

When:	Monday, July 28, 2008
Where:	Mayo Memorial Park (Backup Location: Library Auditorium)
Time:	11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Hosted by:	Administrative Team (AT)
Menu:	Barbeque Pork, Turkey & Beef Sandwiches Potato Salad, Pasta Salad & Chips Fresh Fruit, Cake and Beverage

Just some reminders:

* LAS
The LAS needs to be filled at least twice a day. Nate usually does the initial fill in the morning before we open. If you come to work in the afternoon, you could probably do some filling in then. Whoever comes in to work after 5:00 should fill it as soon as possible - lots of patrons come in after work to look for movies. If the LAS hasn't been filled, they have fewer choices.

* Total Hours Worked:
When looking over your timesheet before approving it, check your total hours - each week should be pretty close to, but not over than 13.5 hours (and 27 for 2 weeks). Let me know if your hours will be different than that.

* Workflows upgrade:
Workflows will look different soon. I will try to have the test server up 0n each computer for you to look at. It functions the same way, but looks different, and the buttons are in different places. Feel free to try it out - any work you do on it will not affect the actual system.

* What to do:
If you're caught up and the LAS is full and you have done route-ins and New items, please help shelve Fiction books and help empty bookdrop bins. Thanks!

Nonfiction cart reminders

Hi Pages,
Just a few reminders when bringing a NonFiction cart upstairs:
- make sure the cart has a date and time slip clipped to it
- make sure you place the cart at the very end of the line-up of carts upstairs. It might go back through the stacks of magazines a ways.
- put a locking strip on foreign language DVDs (except Hindi, which has a green dot).
- do not lock any DVDs with a green dot.
- put the green dot DVDs on the cart in the telephone reference room (ask if you don't know).

Patrick Jager will be joining our team this week, too. We will be fully staffed for the first time since I've been here!

Approve your time cards today

Hi Pages!

Welcome to our new pages: Andrew Smith and Michelle Hurley! Please make them feel welcome, and help them out learning all our quirky AV shelving methods.

Welcome back to Rebecca!



Remember to approve your time cards today after you punch out for the day. Let me know if I need to fill in any extra times.



Just a heads-up: Workflows is going to have a new look in a couple of weeks. I will have a test page of it up on your computers in the back, and I will train you on it within the next week or two. Feel free to poke around on the test version of it. It's called "Symphony".

Missing or Damaged Media

Just to clarify what to do when you find a DVD or CD missing from a case or a damaged case:
1. On Workflows, open Checkout.
2. Type in "AVFIX" for UserID.
3. Click OK
4. Scan barcode of item that is damaged or has something missing.
5. Click on Check out to New User 2.
6. Take the printed slip and tuck it into the case.
7. Put the case in Kathie's blue box.

If it is not obvious what is wrong with the item, you can still put a sticky note on it with more detailed information.

Thanks!
Pam

Happy June

Summer Schedules:
I would like you each to leave me note or reply to this post telling me the hours you intend to work this summer. I'll be hiring a couple of new people and I need to know when I'll need them to work. Thanks!

DVDs in Closet:
We have (another) plan with the DVDs - they are back in the closet. We are keeping them separated by genre AND we are shelving them alphabetically within genres. Let me know how this is working for you. You all know where to find the key to the closet?

Kronos:
Remember to approve your time in Kronos after your last shift by Wednesday.

How to Stay Busy!

Dear Pages,
You're doing a great job of staying caught up with the new return system in place. However, nobody likes to be bored at their job. So, please don't linger over a cart, reading DVD blurbs. Here are the things you should be doing:

1) If Fiction is behind, please help them shelve.
2) Shelf-read. Take a section of books on tape or CDs and put it back in order. Shelf-reading will never be done. There is ALWAYS more to do.
3) Stand outside by the AMH and politely show people how to return library materials. It's beautiful outside - spend some of your shift out there!
4) Do the LAS. But prepare before you do it. Turn on the computer (it takes a while to boot up), put a variety of DVDs on a cart, finish the cart all at once. Make sure you are watching the scanning carefully; we have seen errors lately of DVDs not matching location codes.

Thank you!
Pam

Remember to Approve Your Time in Kronos!

Make sure you approve your Kronos time sheet when you are done with your shift today!

DATE/TIME slips on carts

Hi Pages!

We are able to use the last discharge time to be able to find items that were recently returned again for the AMH. What this means for you?

**Please write the date and time (in LARGE letters/numbers) on a slip and clip it to the cart. Try to NOT cover the letters/numbers with the clip on the cart. :)

I hope you're enjoying the gorgeous weather before you come in for your shift.

Numbers on Carts

Take note that NonFiction will be numbering carts that come to their area.
Please DO NOT remove the numbers from the carts!

Also note that we have beautiful new CD spinners. We have shifted CDs from the back wall to the new spinners and are shifting videos to the back wall. Then we'll shift the books on cassette and CD, so there should be room to shelve EVERYTHING!!!

Interesting fact: Did you know that 7/8 of our CDs are usually checked out?

Have a nice day
Pam

Please help shelve Fiction!

Hi Pages,
Our AV area seems to have a good advantage with the new AMH system! However, the Fiction (books) could use some help. Thanks for helping alphabetize carts for them. Could you also please help shelve carts? Thanks so much.

I was made aware of one disadvantage to our DVD sorting system. When the morning person pulls holds for the day, it is difficult to find DVDs on the back shelf because they are not in order, and the holds list does not sort by genre. So, lets try this:

I'll have Kathie leave the Pull list on my desk in the morning. Whoever comes in first for the day, please take that list first (before you do anything else) and see which DVDs you can find.

Please let me know if I can clarify anything.

Thanks!
Pam

TGIF!

Welcome to Amy Wulff, our newest Page! We've got a full staff again, and you guys are working wonders here in AV.

Again, Nonfiction carts need to go at the very end of the line-up upstairs. If it is unclear where the end might be (and it often is unclear), feel free to ask someone up there. I think they'd rather be asked than to have you leave it in a random spot.

Please help shelve Fiction or do discharge at the self-induction area, if need be.
When there is nothing else to shelve, please shelf-read the books on cd or cassette, videos, finish the music, or do a regular fiction (book) shelf.

Thanks much!

New Pages, et cetera

Welcome to Heidi and Cassandra who are starting this week!
Please help them out if they have questions, feel free to introduce yourself, show them around, and make them feel welcome.

Adam Werven has returned for a few weeks. Thanks for helping us out, Adam!

NEW things:
1) Look at the date on NEW items. If it is 6 months or older, put the item on my desk so I can remove the NEW status.
2) Nonfiction: If the NEW item is 3 months or older, put on bookshelf in magazine room upstairs. Ask me or someone, if you don't know which bookshelf.
3) Nonfiction green dot DVDs: please put on cart in "telephone reference office"
(Let me show you where that it)
4) Make sure you put the most current nonfiction cart at the very end of the line up of carts.
5) One more thing - they are a bit behind upstairs. If you could put the nonfiction carts in order after you check them, I'm sure they would appreciate it.

TO DO LIST!!

1) Things to Shift:
*Books on CD
*VHS
*Rock CDs

2) Shelf Read NEW materials

3) Cycle through NEW Materials

Thursday

One more reminder: make sure you lock the foreign language DVDs with a security strip!
Thanks,
Pam

Wednesday

Hi Pages!
You're doing a great job of keeping caught up!
Make sure you bring nonfiction upstairs.
Do the LAS! (It's not that bad)

If there happens to be not enough work around in the evenings (after you've done the nonfiction cart and the LAS), try to help the fiction pages, if they need/want the help.

If you're wondering about me leading people around our area, I'm trying to hire some new pages (we're down by 2 1/2), hoping to get a couple of day-time people and another evening page.

How do you like the DVD genre sorting? I don't have the big signs yet, but maybe soon.

Have a good week.

Thanks, Pages!

Thanks to the weekend pages who stepped out to help outside patrons using the bookdrop! You all might be called on to help out there during the next few weeks, so be prepared with hat and gloves.

Thanks for your comments. I am having some signs with genres printed to post above the LAS machines. I hope they will be done this week.

Work flow:
* I laminated some more signs to use on the carts.
* You're doing a good job getting the non-fiction carts upstairs (at least one cart per shift) - keep it up!
* As before, when you start a cart, finish it. But, if you get interrupted, please label the cart so it is clear what needs to be done with the cart.

Pointer of the week:
Do your least favorite kind of cart when you first come, then you won't be dreading it during your whole shift!

Let me know how it's going...
Pam

Overview of new system

Hi Pages,
The main plan with this new automated handling system is to get items back on the shelves as quickly as possible. We're trying to organize the flow of materials. Here's how I want you to handle the AV materials.

1. Only fill the top of any cart.

2. Put NonFiction on a cart (again, only the top, one layer), check the cases, lock the foreign language cases and BRING IT UPSTAIRS IMMEDIATELY! We are no longer using the shelf for nonfiction. I will laminate signs that say "Nonfiction Cart" for you to clip on.

3. AV carts will first come to the AV area closest to the bookdrop. These carts will have 2 signs on them: date/time and "Discharged. Check cases."

When you have checked the cases, move the cart up to the next station, and change the sign to "Alphabetize and lock".

4. Alphabetize and lock the cases. Line up the carts along the wall, oldest closest to FM&M door.

Let me know how it is going!
Thanks, Pam

Monday, March 10

The AMH will be turned on today!

Here are some things to note:
1. There are carts that still need to be discharged by you, and there will be carts that are already discharged. Please carefully read the signs on each cart. You will need to check the materials on ALL carts.

2. Make sure you get NonFiction upstairs! Over the last weekend, Nonfiction didn't get many DVDs.

3. Be sure NOT to lock AV reserves.

4. The FM&M desk is checking out mp3 players. They come in a white box, there are two different kinds. You'll need to check to make sure all the parts are in the box (the back of the box tells you what's inside), and then bring the box to the person working at the FM&M desk.

Hi Pages!
Thanks for your help getting items discharged and on shelves!
We are on target and hoping to start up the AMH on Monday, at which point your job will change somewhat. You will still need to check AV materials, but you will no longer be discharging. Use only the top part of a cart, check materials and get them on the shelf right away.

I have some info from Lynette:
1. Lynette updated the endcap signs for the AV shelves. They now reflect the current shelving situation.

2. The LAS admin unlock code/barcode has been laminated and VELCROed to the CPU at the FM&M Desk next. You will need it to unlock items from sides M-Q.

3. Lynette will be working on relabeling of the Music CD spinners, today thru Friday. Ginny is working on the tri-sided signs for the tops of the spinners.

The LAS machines:
They are filled, and we're are trying out sorting by a few general genres. Shelf P will be for Comedy, Shelf O for International, Shelf C for NEW materials. Smaller genres (i.e. Western) will go in Q. We're not expecting perfection, but as you fill, try to put those genres in those cases. It is a work in progress.

Thanks for all you do!
Pam

Hello Pages!
Exciting things are happening in the library this week!

We have a new way of communicating: send me a post when you sign in or out of Kronos.

By Wednesday night, I'd like you to concentrate on having everything discharged. Everyone in the library will be shelving everything on Thursday and Friday, in preparation for starting up our new automated materials handling system.