U.W.I. Library Circulation weblog

2009-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Colleagues,

Kindly note the following:

External Users
The charges will be S500.00 up from $100.00. Users are entitled to five consecutive days.
High school students will continue to pay $50.00 This will become effective December 1, 2009.

Postgraduate Swipe
As of December 1, 2009 overdue cards will attract a fine of $50.00 per day. This will be reflected in Aleph.

Bathrooms
The staff male bathroom on the ground floor is locked. You may collect the key (blue tag) at the reference desk. As soon as the key for the female bathroom is found, it will be treated similarly.

Evadne McLean

2009-02-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Just to inform everyone that Mrs. Neil will be on leave for 1 week from the 23rd to 27th February. Mr. McBean will be acting for her.

More changes

2009-01-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Reprographics
As of January 27, 2008 the Reprographics unit will be open until 10 pm. until further notice. This will put an end to all cash collection and accounting activities at the circulation desk between 7 - 10 pm. Hip! Hip! .........

Staff movements
Mrs. McLean will be moving to the Public Services Section and Ms. Kean will be going to the Periodicals Section for the start of the new semester.

Meet our new 'night administrator !'

2009-01-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Most staff members should know Vaunett Neil by now. Since November of last year, Vaunett Neil has been given the responsibility to oversee the operations of the 10pm to 6am shift during the week. Last year we introduced the then night librarian, Kareen Bourne, on the blog and so we are doing the same for our not so new night administrator (my title!). So for those individuals who don't know her that well, or even those who do, you may just learn something new about this multifacted individual.
Cheryl

____________________________

Vaunett C. Neil gained employment to the U.W.I. Library in 1973, where she worked in the Main Library, transferring to the Science Branch Library as a Clerical Assistant soon after.

She was later promoted to the capacity of Library Assistant, and gave approximately twelve and a half years of service there, until being appointed Administrative Assistant at the U.W.I Bursary.

In 1998 she moved on to work with the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, also as an Administrative Assistant, for approximately three years.

For the period 2001 through 2003, she was the General Manager at Neil’s Manufacturing Company in Kingston.

She holds a Bachelor of Religious Arts in Christian Education from the Jacksonville Theological Seminary, South Florida, a Master of Religious Arts in Christian Education from Trinity Theological Seminary of South Florida, as well as a Doctorate of Philosophy in Christian Pastoral Counseling, also from Trinity Theological Seminary of South Florida.

In September 2007 she rejoined the U.W.I Library. She was one of those who were instrumental in piloting the Extended Opening Hours Project, which has proven to be a success.

She is happily married and is the mother of two successful young adults. She is also an Ordained Minister and an active member of the Church Board at Agape Christian Fellowship.

Open Campus Students

2008-11-25T07:09:00.001-08:00

The records for all open campus students have been loaded in ALEPH. Open campus students have full borrowing privileges like any other UWI Mona student at the UG or PG level. Their IDs will look slightly different as they have an orange background colour.

Staff Movements

2008-11-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Colleagues all,

I have only recently returned from leave which is why I have not been able to update you on the recent happenings in the loan and reference section. Well now that I'm back, let us catch up on new and not so new developments since our last post.

Staff movements

There are now 3 new staff members attached to the section (1 clerical, 2 attendants). They are Miss Tracey Edwards, Mr. Kendrick Wray and Mr. Aldean Forrest. Mr. Forrest who is presently working in the Medical Library will be back in the Main Library in December. As of December 1, Mrs. Brown-Housen will be assigned to Loan and Reference. Mr. Albert Stephens is a new student assistant assigned to Loan and Reference since September. His working arrangements are different from the average student assistant and he is giving invaluable assistance at the circulation desk and at the RBC window.

Ms. Andrea Robins is back with us again. She will be in charge of the periodical section until December 2008. Mrs. Karene Bourne has resigned since November 3rd and Mrs. Vaunette Neil is now in charge of the extended hours night shift from Monday to Friday. We wish Mrs. Bourne every success in her career. Congratulations Vaunette.

Cheryl

What's happening for the new school year

2008-08-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Police patrols
Since July the police have been visiting library during the night. A multicoloured book has been placed at the circulation desk for them to sign each time they they complete their patrols. Please note that telephone numbers for the campus police may be found in the cover of this book.

Cashless system
The library has been selected to be the pilot for a cashless system that will be introduced for the start of the new school year. Students will use a swipe card instead of cash to pay for fines, printing etc. Some staff members have begun to receive training for this. When we have more details as to how it will work, we will let you know so keep checking the blog.

Staff meeting
The section will be having the usual beginning of term staff meetings for all staff working in Loan and Reference. You will be informed of the date and time and we are seeking the co-operation of Heads of Sections in allowing their staff to attend these important meetings.

That's it for now folks. As we look forward to the new school year, let us continue to work together to provide exceptional service to the users of the library.

Cheryl

'Richie'

2008-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

By now all staff should know that our dear colleague Richard Rowe alias 'Richie' has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. We are asking all library staff to remember him in your prayers as he faces this difficult period in his life. He is in need of 20 units of blood which has to be given at the UWI hospital.

Kudos to Loan and Reference Staff !

2008-06-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

I think that the Loan and Reference staff are to be commended for continuing to maintain a high quality of service to the University community despite some of the challenges which they have had to face on a daily basis.

I would like to make specific reference to the absence of a functioning air conditioning unit since the start of the year, making the working conditions very uncomfortable. There were times when the heat was unbearable and the fans provided were few, but the quality of the service to the public did not diminish in any way.

This is a team that the library is proud of. This is a team that understands the importance of delivering service in spite of the conditions of work.

Maximum respect to the Loan and Reference Staff !

Cheryl

Wishing Dennis a speedy recovery

2008-03-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Please remember to keep Dennis "Gary" Samuels in your thoughts and prayers. Dennis was involved in a serious accident over the Easter Holidays. Thankfully he received no major injuries and is recuperating at home. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope that he will be back in action soon.

Meet our Night Librarian

2008-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Meet our night librarian Mrs. Kareen Bourne. We see her perhaps only once per week just before we depart our 2-10 shift. Kareen along with her able team of staff and students has been holding the forte, ensuring that everthing is running smoothly from Monday to Friday, while we are all asleep in bed. Who is the couragous young librarian who boldly goes where few have gone before?

Kareen worked at the Northern Caribbean University as Technical Services and Audio Visual Librarian in August 2004 and graduated from the MLIS programme in November 2004. She left NCU and began working with the International University of the Caribbean, South Middlesex Region as Centre Administrator/Deputy Librarian in October 2005. She managed the business operations of the Region as well as oversight for the library at that location. In September 2006, she was promoted to Director, Library and Media Services and began working from IUC’s head office in Kingston. After a year at the Head office her post was further upgraded to Senior Director Library and Media Services. While at IUC she received two plaques from IUC for outstanding services rendered.

Kareen has been married for nearly fifteen years and has three children.

Just a few changes

2008-03-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Post Graduate reading room
Most of you probably know by now that the post graduate reading room is now located where the Academic Staff room used to be and the Academic staff room has been relocated to the old Post Graduate Reading Room.

Post graduate reading room keys
These are now being issued from the periodicals section. Two things we need to remember -
a) On the 2 - 10 shift, the periodicals staff member should take this box of keys down to the circulation desk when he/she goes to supper, and collect them when they return.

b) Before issuing the keys please ask the students and faculty if they know of the changes and advise them. Some students still do not know and are going to the wrong room!

Z collection
'Z' books are now located in Reading Room 2 on the second floor. These books relate to the discipline of library and information studies and used to be filed across from the old academic staff room.

Laptop Bags
Clear laptop bags are now available for loan at the circulation desk. They are located in the cupboard in Mrs. Pearce's office. Please also pass on this information to our users.

Cheryl

Student indebtedness and the Saturday late shift

2008-02-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

Please be informed that the library will no longer be overriding blocks against those students who come in to pay their fines on the Saturday Late shift (4pm – 12midnight). We know that some staff members have been giving the students a “bligh” out of sympathy, especially when they claim they did not know that they could not pay fines after 4pm and they come with money in their hand. It has been brought to our attention however, that some students are taking advantage of this and deliberately come in every Saturday to pay fines after 4pm, hoping that they may be given the override. The end result is that the fine never gets paid since many students have discovered that they are no longer blocked from sitting exams or getting their exam results because of overdue fines. Thanks to your keen observation, we have caught on to the ‘scam’.

We are therefore requesting all clerical staff who work this shift, not to override the fines block. Students have several other days in the week in which to settle their financial debts and must do so during these times. This policy has been approved by the Campus Librarian.

Student workers and RBC borrowing

2008-01-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

It was brought to our attention at a recent staff meeting that some staff members were issuing RBC items to student assistants inside the work room. We are asking all clerical staff to desist from this practice. Student assistants are only allowed to borrow RBC material at the end of their shift and they must collect it with all other students on the other side of the RBC window. Some staff members are trying to comply with this regulation, but when their own colleagues do not comply, it makes them seem unreasonable. Furthermore, it encourages the students to flout the rules by asking only those members of staff with whom they may be friendly and who will break the rules for them.

Please remember that the reason that student assistants are not allowed to borrow RBC items on the inside is to ensure the security of the collection. They are also not allowed to take books (personal or library) into the Section. I am appealing to all staff members who work both day and night shifts to ensure that student assistants follow the rules.

Issuing items manually

2007-12-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder to you all that we do not issue items manually at the circulation desk as a rule. Books that are not yet barcoded are still not issued manually since there is a procedure for bar-coding items in Aleph. Once the item is barcoded it is issued on the system. For those staff members who are not familiar with this process, kindly let me know so that we can arrange the necessary training for you. Since the start of the semester, I have counted approximately 23 items that have been issued manually. None of these seem to be warranted and some of the issue forms were not even stamped with the due date! If a faculty member or student is new and has not yet been issued an ID then he or she cannot get the book to take out of the library. They may be reading previlages but they will not be allowed to borrow items to take out of the library.
The only conditions under which an item may be issued manually are :-

1) If there is a power failure or if the Circulation system goes down. If you can see to read the issue form, then the item barcode and the patron ID no. must be written correctly on the form. This information will be transferred to the system at a later time.

2) When special permission is granted from the librarians in Loans and Reference (and this happens very rarely).

I am imploring all staff members to observe the zero tolerance approach to manual issues as it causes a lot of follow up problems for both students and staff.

Cheryl

Welcome

2007-12-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone !
Welcome to the circulation blog of the loan and reference section. We have decided to use this medium to keep you informed of the latest happenings in the section particularly as it relates to circulation of material. It is important that all our staff be kept up to date with changes in policy or procedures in circulations especially our colleagues who work on the night and week-end shifts. We intend to make the content relevant to all categories of staff so please 'check in' as often as you can!
Cheryl