Instructions for Contact less Pickup of Library Materials

Instructions for Contact less Pickup of Library Materials

Beginning August 24, 2020, you can obtain books and other physical materials from the Libraries and Four Colleges through our contact less pickup service. This is a walk-up service available at the Du Bois Library and the Science & Engineering Library.  

1. Find the item you want in the Discovery search and use the “Request item” button to ask us to retrieve it for you.  Please note that some library items do not circulate, and some items may not be available.  We will notify you if your request cannot be filled. 
2. If you are requesting equipment from the Digital Media Lab, please visit the DML Equipment page for details regarding the reservation of equipment and scheduling a pickup time. DML equipment will be available for pickup from the shared contact less pickup service location(s) for books and other physical library materials. 

3. When your request is ready, you will receive an email from the Library which includes a link to schedule a pickup date and time.  Contact less pickup is available Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Please do not come to pick up your request until you have received a confirmation email.   

4. Once you have been notified, please bring your UMass ID (UCard) as identification to pick up your request.  Please wear a mask, maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, and follow the directional arrows to the service desk. We will be placing all requests in bags. Once you have picked-up your request, please follow the directional arrows to exit the facility. 

Returns 

• Please do not return books through the pickup service. Instead, return them at one of four book drops: at the Du Bois Library entrance, outside the Science & Engineering Library, the Robsham Visitors Center, and Lederle Low-rise.
• Equipment may be returned to the Du Bois Library, Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please do not return any equipment in any book drop or you will be liable for any damage. 

Safety 

• The University Libraries have set up numerous safety precautions for both patrons and staff, including all guidance provided by UMass Amherst, the CDC, and library-specific organizations such as the American Libraries Association. 
• Safety precautions include quarantining materials for 72 hours upon return, staff wearing masks and gloves, and adhering to physical distancing guidelines. 
• Please note that, despite the Libraries’ best efforts to help ensure user safety, the Libraries cannot guarantee that all collection materials are 100% free of any infectious material at the point of delivery to users via contact less pickup. Users who choose to participate in the contact less pickup service do so at their own risk. 

 

 

 

April 10, 2020

Dear Campus Community,
Daily monitoring of one’s health and well-being prior to coming to work can aid in early detection of infectious disease and is an effective measure to prevent community spread of COVID-19. In our ongoing effort to protect on-site employees, we have established a new practice: All employees should review a COVID-19 Daily Self Checklist before reporting to campus.
The checklist has eight questions, and if you answer YES to any of the questions, you MUST STAY HOME, notify your supervisor and call or email the COVID-19 HR Response Team. In addition, if you start feeling sick during your shift you should notify your supervisor and the COVID-19 HR Response Team, and GO HOME. In either circumstance, YOU WILL BE PAID.
Checklists can be downloaded here, and copies will also available at your workplace. Checklists are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepalese.
It is important to note that this is not a change in procedure. The university continues to emphasize that all employees who are feeling ill, whether it is related to coronavirus or not, should stay home for their well-being and the well-being of their colleagues.
We are deeply grateful to our staff, faculty and students for all that you’re doing to keep UMass and our community strong during this unprecedented time. We express special thanks to our on-site personnel who are sustaining a variety of key operations.

• Listen and follow directions of state and local authorities
• If you feel sick, stay home; do not go to work and contact your medical provider
• If your children are sick, keep them at home and contact your medical provider
• If someone in your household has tested positive, keep the entire household at home
• If you are an older person with a serious underlying health condition, stay home and away from other people
• Even if you are young or otherwise healthy, it is critical that you work from home; avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people; avoid eating or drinking in public eateries and use drive-thru or delivery options instead; avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits; do not visit nursing homes or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance; practice good hygiene by washing hands and avoid touching your face.

Corona virus Update: UMass Amherst has shifted to remote delivery of all instruction, having suspended in-person classes, including laboratory, studio, capstone and graduate courses, until the end of the semester. In accordance with the Governor’s emergency order, only onsite personnel should report to campus, unless contacted by a supervisor Additional updates and resources can be found at umass.edu/coronavirus.

NEW DESK STATS FORM

There is a new desk stats form that needs to be filled out every time a patron asks a questions at the desk. This form is on the bookmarks tool bar- if you open fire fox look for "desk stats form" on the tool bar located directly under the web address.

In case you have trouble opening it, please cut and paste the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclL7zfrATxZBfNOsC9qbt8EL-EmWKu4wSX3iEHLpTk5e-Rpw/viewform

Phone charging table moved to the 9th floor

The phone charging table that was in the entrance lobby has moved to the 9th floor.

Student services in the Learning Commons

Hours for these student services in the LC:

• International Programs Office Study Abroad – Monday – Thursdays 4pm-8pm (with Calipari sessions on Wed., 6pm-8pm)
• Financial Aid – Tues and Wednesdays 5pm-8pm
• SAM Smart About Money – Tu and Thursdays, 5pm—8pm

These student resources are located in Room O and P, adjacent to the Calipari Room.

Please note that these are “satellite” locations; and there are links to their permanent offices from the LC page: https://www.library.umass.edu/learningcommons/

Students should be referred to the permanent offices outside of their evening hours in the LC. 

Student Union Construction

As of tomorrow, Thursday, January 17, a construction site fence will completely enclose the Student Union construction area (see map, right).  Temporary walkways will also be in place on the south and west sides of the site.

The construction vehicle route is via Hicks Way, west of the site, with a Main Gate located at the northwest corner.  Pedestrians will need to exercise extra caution in this area.  Flaggers will control foot and vehicle traffic in the Main Gate area, as necessary, during regular construction hours, M-F, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The construction site fence and temporary walkways will remain in place for the duration of the project which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2020.

Bicycles

Bicycles that have not yet been retrieved from the front of the Student Union will now be stored on-site by the contractor until Friday, January 25.  Bicycle owners can retrieve their bicycles until Friday, January 25, by going to the Main Gate at the northwest corner of the site, M-F, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.  After Friday, January 25, all remaining bicycles will be removed and stored at Tillson Farm.  To retrieve a bicycle at Tillson Farm, the owner will need to contact Gary Glazier, Manager of Landscape and Construction Services, at gglazier@facil.umass.edu or (413) 835-1253.

More information about the Student Union Renovation Project is available at the Design & Construction Management project page.  Questions and comments should be directed to DCM project executive Jeff Quackenbush at 413-326-1644, or jquacken@facil.umass.edu.

student union.jpg

Grad students request access to Grad Commons

If a student comes to the desk asking for access to the Grad Commons on the 5th floor please send them to the library website and show them to click on the "Locations" tab, then under that tab they can click on the "Grad Commons" where they then can click on the "submit an access request" form on the Grad Commons page. Please stop directing them to Terry's email as that is not correct course of action. The link is here:

https://www.library.umass.edu/locations/graduate-commons/

eCampus chosen to operate virtual bookstore

eCampus will provide textbooks and other course materials for academic terms beginning with the 2018-19 four week winter session through June 2024. Amazon will maintain its pickup point in the UMass Amherst Campus Center.

There was a student wide email that Cherise showed me that lists iclicker rental information and we thought it was something that our info desk student workers should be aware of. on occasion we get the question about renting iclickers so here is the most updated info...

iClicker Lending Library
Thank you for making the iClicker Lending library a success! We have rented out all 100+ iClickers this semester, but you can join the waitlist for when one opens up! Please visit the SGA office to do so.

If you have any questions, please contact the SGA Chair of Academic Oversight at: sgaacademic@umass.edu. 

Access to the Graduate Commons on the 5th floor.

If a Grad student comes to the desk and tells you they don't have access to the Graduate Commons please refer them to the Library Website.

Library.umass.edu > Locations > Graduate Commons > Red box on right hand side that says REQUEST ACCESS.

They must go here and fill out the form to receive access to the Grad Commons with their card.

PLEASE don't send them to the Circulation Desk!

Thank you!

NO Table & Chairs near East entrance of lobby

EH & S came to the library this morning and let us know there can NOT be any tables and chairs near the East stairwell/ monument stairwell due to it being an emergency station with fire extinguisher. The charging station must be kept out of the way if it is to be left there. The table and chairs must stay across in the open lobby area where the other tables and chairs are. If someone moves a table and chairs over to that area we are to move them right back. Any further questions feel free to ask a supervisor.

New My Library Account

In response to user feedback, the UMass Amherst Libraries are pleased to announce the deployment of My Library Account, a new website feature designed for the campus community to streamline and integrate borrowing, access to course materials, and interactive online content. The feature is currently available in beta throughout the remainder of the Spring 2018 semester and the summer, deploying in full for Fall 2018.

Designed by Ian Walls, UMass Amherst’s Web Services and Emerging Technologies Librarian, My Library Account offers an improved, “one-stop shop” interface where users can access a unified list of their borrowed items, including all requests and interlibrary loans. The lists are sorted by date; overdue items appear at the top and can be renewed directly from the page, if eligible. Additionally, My Library Account will connect with UMass Amherst courses, giving students and instructors easy access to the complete list of their library-provided course materials.

As part of the release of this feature, the Libraries debut the first generation of a series of “Easter Eggs”: hidden content throughout the Libraries website that reveal virtual badges trackable through each user’s My Library Account page. An Early Adopter Badge is exclusively available to users who create an account during the program’s beta phase, which provides clues to the locations of the other first-generation Eggs.

Until further notice we are NOT validating any parking.

At this time the software used in the online parking validation has not been working correctly and people haven't been receiving their validated hour and have been getting charged for it. If anyone comes to the desk asking to get parking validated please let them know "we will be validating parking once the online validation program is usable, but at this time we are not validating parking unfortunately, sorry for any inconvenience."

Grad Commons Card Access

If a grad student is having trouble accessing the Grad commons with their U card refer them to  Terry Warner, do not send them to circulation.

Map Room Closing

On December 20th the Maps room on the 2nd floor will close and no longer be a service point.

  BOOK RETURN BOX RETURNING TO THE LOBBY

I’m sure you will all be pleased to know a new book return box has been ordered for the lobby.  It will be a smaller footprint than the old one and should blend in nicely with the new color scheme.  It will be put in between the new self checks – which are also on order.

THE NEW BOOK SHELF IS BACK!

The new book shelf has moved back to it's original home, in the North West corner of the library on the Entry level.

Financial Aid services in the LC

Financial Aid Services in the LC (located next to the Calipari Room) will be open this semester on Mondays and Thursdays, from 5pm-8pm. Students will not be able to reserve Room P during these times as Financial Aid Services will be using the room for consultations. 

New Search Interface

Discovery Search will be replacing UMA WorldCat as our main search interface July 1, 2017. Currently it is the second option in the search dropdown. Give it a try today!

The Provosts Emeriti Academy is still slated to co-exist with the Faculty Commons space. Room 2604

Construction on westside of Library

Contractors will be removing concrete sidewalk slabs on the west side of the Du Bois Library deck tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Demolition work will continue through next week (Monday, June 19, through Friday, June 23).  This is in preparation for installation of new concrete in late June and July.

 The demolition work can be loud.  Concrete cutters and heavy equipment will be used to remove damaged slabs.  Given the location of the work, occupants in library offices directly below the deck will be most affected. 

Five College Library Repository Collection (formerly Five College Library Depository)

The Five College Library Repository Collection (FCLRC) is a set of lesser-used materials drawn from the libraries of Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst for which the libraries have adopted a long-term shared retention agreement. The FCLRC also serves needs of Affiliate Members and may accept contributions to enhance the collection from them (the FCLRC is not presently accepting offers of unbound materials from Affliate Members). All materials in the FCLRC are listed in the Joint Online Library Catalog.

• Faculty members, staff members, students and community users with a valid Five College library card may request journal articles via an online article request form.
• Faculty members, staff members and students affiliated with a Five College library may request books directly through the "Request Item" function of the Joint Online Library Catalog.
• Anyone else may request items via the Interlibrary Loan services of the person's primary library.  Journals and serials from the FCLRC may circulate only to Five College libraries or the libraries of Affiliate members.

On-site access to materials FCLRC is also possible at the FCLRC facilities by appointment. Please use the contact information below to make arrangements.

For more detailed access information, please consult our access instructions.

For more information about the policies of FCLRC refer to links on the left side of this page.
For more information about the FCLRC Affiliates program, including how to join as an Affiliate or details of policies governing Affliates, contact Neal Abraham, Executive Director, Five Colleges, Incorporated nabraham@fivecolleges.edu.
Hours
Operating hours of the current FCLRC facility: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, observing Five Colleges, Incorporated holidays (e.g., New Year's Day, MLK Birthday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas -- for details see the Five College Holiday Calendar elswhere on the FCI website).
Location
Current location of the FCLRC facility:  west end of Military Road, off Route 116 at The Notch, South Amherst, MA. Click here for map and directions.  Materials are stored in compact shelving in a climate controlled area of a former Strategic Air Command Bunker currently owned by Amherst College.
Contact Information 
bunker@fivecolleges.edu, (413) 542-2865; or view the directory.

NSO Library Sessions

The Library will be providing library sessions for New Student Orientation. There will be three sessions a day on Tuesdays and Fridays in room 25 on the Lower Level.

The Digital Scholarship Center is on the 6th floor!

The Image Collection from Bartlett has completed it's move to the 6th floor.  They are now known as the Digital Scholarship Center.

5th floor update

• The Law books that were on the 5th floor have moved to the 6th floor or have been put in storage.
• Newspapers and Magazines will be moving to the Lower Level by the Reference Offices.

Fall rehire paperwork

If you are going to be working for us next fall you need to fill out your Fall paperwork before you leave for summer break. Don't forget to turn in you Fall hours sheet also.

New Items at Circ/ Reserves Desk

There are some new items available at the Circ/ Reserves desk.

They now have power adapters for Apple laptops ...They have both Magsafe Power Adapters for Macbooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook pros. They also have Magsafe 2 Power Adapters for newer MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.

The adapters are for UMass student, staff, and faculty only and they loan for up to a 4 hour period.

They also now have Portable DVD Drive Kits in blue cases that lend for a maximum of 4 hours and are for in-library use only.

Any further questions please feel free to speak with your supervisor or the circ/ reserves desk.

Gate access

A 2nd video monitoring system has been installed at the tunnel gate.
This allows the Information desk to see who is trying to get in or out through the gate.
 If it is someone who should be coming in or going out, you can now "buzz" them
through without having to physical go down to the gate. Just make sure they also close it behind them.
It works just like the one at the loading dock.

Presidents Day holiday Monday

There are no classes on Monday for the holiday but it is a regular work day at the info desk and we will follow a Monday work schedule.

University Delayed Opening

In the event the University has a delayed opening, the Library might still be open.  If you are scheduled to work a shift, you may still need to report to work.  To find out, you can call our Snow Line 5-0414, that is a listen only line that will tell you our status.  If you are still unsure as to what to do, please call the Information desk at 7-0840.  The Library generally remains open during a delayed opening because it doesn't make sense to close for just a few hours.

If the University closes for the day then the Library will do the same unless it is during Fall Finals hours.

Reference desk has moved

The reference librarians will now be located at the Circulation/Reserves desk. They still have their big "Ask a Librarian" sign, so it should be easy to see.

New Library Bookdrop at Visitors Center

Users asked, and the Libraries listened: The new library bookdrop outside the campus Visitors Center provides a convenient, accessible location for Umass and Five College book and media returns.

Note: All other materials (Electronics, Reserve items) should be returned directly to the library circulation desk.

Elevators

The elevator buttons have been programmed so there is no access to floors 12 and 13 due to the construction. The Writing Program will be moving into the Library from Bartlett when the construction is complete.
You may get reports from patrons thinking something is wrong with the elevators because of this.
There is signage in the elevators saying there isn't access to the floors.
Contractors working on the 12th and 13th floors can only use elevator #3 to go to those floors and have to use a code number to access.

Room Name Change!

The Teaching Commons on 26 has changed its name to FACULTY COMMONS and new signage has been put in place. It was felt the new name better reflected the room use.

Please make sure you refer to the room by its correct name.

The Provosts Emeritus Academy is still slated to co-exist with the Faculty Commons space in the near future.

Department Name Change

The I.L.S. Department ( Integrated Library Systems)
has changed its name to Discovery & Resource Management (D.R.M.S)

They are located on the lower level Rm 16A west side in the back. The staff mainly calls with temperature issues, smells etc...

Please make note of this change.

Thank you

Calling the desk!

Students when you call the desk to post hours, call out sick etc....You Must Speak With a Supervisor.
We have a supervisor here all the hours we are open.

It is Never OK to leave a Message with another student worker.

Everyone should know this already but we have had a few recent incidents where they have not so this is a reminder.

Thank you very much!

We have had students ask if there is anywhere in the library to get software help for Excell, Word etc.

You can show them on the Library Home Page click on Databases & Collections then choose Atomic Learning.   They have over 250 tutorials on most software applications.
They will have to log in with their net ID to access so I can do a Hyperlink to the Atomic Learning main page.

Shift Posting Procedure!!!

Hi Everyone!

We have had a few mishaps with posting for hours and shifts. We would like to go over the steps you go through when you do post, so you make sure your shift is covered.

1. Fill out a slip near the posting board at the Desk with your name, day, date and hours of your shift.

2. Make sure you fill out one slip per shift!

3. Send out an email (right away!) including all your co-workers and your supervisors with the day, date, and hours of your shift in it. If you are willing to exchange shifts with someone, include that information in the email.

4. Do NOT work out a shift deal or exchange without speaking with a supervisor first!

5. If someone takes your slip,  and you don't see it on the board, look for it in the book and make sure it is initialed by a supervisor. Make sure it is in the right date!!!

6. If someone answers your email, make sure a supervisor answers it as well and puts your slip in the book and the person who has taken your shift has been contacted. It is YOUR responsibility!

7. Talk to your supervisor and find out if your are excused from your shift. Unless you are sick or have an imminent emergency, you need to post, even if you are excused.

8. If you are sick or have an emergency, please do the best you can to call us immediately (413-577-0840) at any time of day!!!

Thank you! We really rely on your responsibility,
Robby

Laptop Borrowing

Mac and Dell Laptops can be checked out at the Circulation/Reserve Desk on the Lower Level

Loan period increased to 24 hours, with one online renewal for an additional 24 hours
Unrestricted Use-take one overnight or bring to class
Available exclusively to UMass/Amherst student patrons

Financial Aid Student Services start in the LC Today!

Financial Aid Services will hold their first LC shift today, from 5pm-8pm.
They will be available on  Mondays, 5pm-8pm, in the same location as the International Programs Office-Study Abroad Program. This is located adjacent to the Calipari Room. Look for the overhead sign or Rooms O and P.

Financial Aid will aid students in :


FAFSA help
Verification Document help
Loan counseling
Help finding work study jobs/scholarships
Financial aid advice in general

You will be getting students asking about this I am sure.

The Writing Center on the Lower Level on the north side opens for regular hours at the start of the semester.

The schedule can be found on their website.

http://www.umass.edu/writingcenter/

RESERVING STUDY SPACE AT THE LIBRARIES


The glass study rooms in the Learning Commons are now booked by reservation. There are also study rooms available at the Science and Engineering Library (SEL). You can send patrons to the LC desk for further information but you should also know about it.

Please read the information on the link on how to reserve so you can better help patrons.

http://libcal.library.umass.edu/

Instructional Media Lab

The Instruction Media Lab is located on the 7th floor of the library and is run by IT Staff. We have had many faculty come to the desk this week asking where it is, and some do not know the name and are asking where can they get Moodle help, help with grades, or other online resources. Send them to 7 to their office. If you aren't sure if you should be sending them there ask! A supervisor can clarify if they help they need is from IT or a Librarian.