The new Pink Sheet (Library Directory) can be viewed here.

Wearing Headphones is not allowed at the desk or when on a rove.

The only student workers allowed to wear headphones are the stack students while they shelf books.
You should be listening for leaks etc....and patrons shouldn't feel they are interupting you to ask a question. You are here to help patrons whenever possible.

Room booking information!!!

If someone needs information on how to book a room for EVENTS or publicity, check the link on the left titled Event and Publicity Applications. When you click on it, the application will come up and you can print it or you can give the patron the website so they can fill it out on the Library page.

Viewing and Checking your Pay Statement!

If you have not been shown how to view your Pay Statement on HR Direct please ask your supervisor to show you.  You should be checking it every pay period. The statements show the afternoon before pay day also.  If you think something isn't correct please email us with what you think is wrong.  Hours etc.....

Thank you

New IPO Link!

We now have a new link to the IPO. You can find the Learning Commons hours through the link, but it takes some doing. Here they are: Monday - Thursday, 4:00 - 8:00 PM.

LOST & FOUND CONFUSION!!!

Everyone please put Lost & Found items with identical items! (Example: keys with keys, jewelry with jewelry, adapters with adapters, etc.) If you are not sure where something goes, ASK! This will help you find things faster! Thank you!

How Can Faculty and TA's Print Using Departmental Funds?

A faculty member may ask their Departmental Admin to purchase or authorize the purchase of a Copy Card or Pro Card from the U Card Office for that purpose. It can be used among faculty members of that Dept. or each faculty member may have his or her own (depending on the Dept., the funds available, and the rules each Dept. has determined.)

If they want more information, try referring them to the Learning Commons and Technical Support Desk.

Staff Contact List 2015!!!

We have an updated Staff Contact List as of 2015! It has telephone numbers and room or office numbers. When patrons ask for staff, please call before sending them to their office. It is probably a good idea to let them know, in any case, that someone is on their way, even if they say they have an appointment. You will find the Staff Contact List 2015 on the left side of the Blog.

Students may enter and return NON-VALUABLE Lost and Found Items in Drawers...

... BUT don't forget to let your supervisor know!!! The non-valuable Lost & Found drawers in the left hand cabinet are unlocked. If you receive a an item that has no ID, please attach a slip, fill out all the information, and tape it to the item. Then put it in the appropriate drawer. If someone claims an item, you may retrieve it for them, but please, in either case, let us know! Thank you!

New links

Links have been added to the left column for two IT handouts, "Set Up Eduroam on Your Wifi-Ready Computer, Tablet, or Smartphone" and "Remote Printing Available."

Campus Tour information

Campus Tour information can be found here

Digital Media Lab 3D Printing Information

Information about the Digital Media Lab's 3D Printing Service can be located here.

Library Tours

Tours of the Library will be offered on Tuesday, September 8 and Wednesday, September 9. Times on both days are 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.  Tour groups will leave from the New Book Shelf in the Entrance lobby.

Lost and Found Instructions for our students!

When something is turned in to you:
If it does not contain identity (ex: clothing item, cup, sunglasses;) fill out a label, and attach it to the  item. Then call a supervisor! We will come and put it in the left hand cabinet.

If it is a U Card, put it in the green U Card box in the right hand cabinet. Let your supervisor know.

If it is a USB or flash drive, fill out the envelope and put it inside and put the envelope in the right hand cabinet. Let your supervisor know.

If it is something containing identity (ex: wallet, passport, phone, license;) CALL your supervisor! Find a receipt. We will notify the patron and put the item in the left hand cabinet.

When someone comes to retrieve their item:
If it is a U Card and we have it, you can match it to them. It is preferable to have another form of ID. If we don't have it, direct them to the U Card Office.

If it is a USB or flash drive, please ask the patron to describe it and where they left it. If we have it you may give it to them.

***For any other item, please call your supervisor to unlock the left hand cabinet to retrieve the item. If your supervisor is unavailable, please call the covering supervisor.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  At all times, anything we can do to help our patrons is what we would like to do!  

Thank you very much!    

Lost and Found at Library Information Desk

All Lost and Found items in the Library are now turned in to the Library Information Desk. All of the items that used to be brought to Circ/Reserves are now being stored in the left hand cabinet. A slip should be filled out for all items turned in. Exact policies for all items have yet to be determined. If you are not sure about what to do, please ask! Thank you!

Open Access Textbooks

If students want their Professor to use an open access textbook they should tear off the slips provided and bring them to their professor.
If they want to access on openstax text book they should go to the following web site.
openstaxcollege.org/books

Cameras (Point and Shoot)...

Canon DSLR's are now available for loan on Floor 3, in the Digital Media Lab. Vixia Camcorders are available for loan in the DML as well as at Circulation/Reserves.

ILL items can be picked up at the Science and Engineering Library

Items requested using ILL can be picked up at the Science and Engineering Library.  They do need to do something to their accounts to allow this to happen.  If patrons are interested in this, please send them to Circulation or Reference for more information.

Does the Library sell Falcon Greeting Cards?

Yes, and so much more.  Patrons can go HERE to order UMass Libraries merchandise. 

Where is the DVD Cleaning equipment?

The Circulation/Reserves Desk has a machine that can clean a DVD.  They can clean the DVDs that we own.  They may or may not do other school's DVDs or someone's personal DVD.

Where is the Consultation Room?

The Consultation Room (aka Reference Consultation Room) is located in the Learning Commons, near the Reference Collection.  It should be on the map.  This is mostly for students when they meet one on one with a Librarian. You can also just send them to the Reference Desk and they can direct them.

All (non Reserve) Media...

can be returned in any of the book drops on E.  This includes CDs, DVDs, and VHS.

Mark H. McCormack Collection

We have the Mark H. McCormack Sports Management Collection in Special Collections and University Archives on the 25th Floor.

Renewals can now be done at the Self Check-Out Machine

Patrons can now also renew their books at the Self Check Out Machine.  To Renew, they just need to click the renew option, slide their card, then choose and renew.  It is pretty intuitive, however if you want to demonstrate it please let me know.

Reserve Materials

As a refresher as we are getting a lot of freshman.  We do not carry every book that is required by courses.  We do not have them either in our general collection or on Reserve.  I see many confused students who assume that we do.  Things on Reserve are only there if the professor requests that they be there, the library just processes the request.  These can be items where the library already owns a copy, or they can be the professor's or department's copy.  Items that are technically not the Libraries will not show up in the our general collection (non Reserve search) as they are not ours. 

Digital Media Lab's Hours

Digital Media Lab's Semester Hours: 
Sunday-Thursday noon-midnight
Friday-Saturday noon-6pm

Digital Media Lab's Summer Hours:
Monday-Friday noon-6pm

The PCs and Macs with the software on the 3rd Floor are available all of the hours the library is open.

Do we inter-office mailing?

If you mean do we have an on campus mailing system, yes we do.  If a patron wants to mail something to an office on campus, I would send them to the Reference Desk to ask.  A staff member there will put in in the on campus out going mail in the staff area.

Where is the W.E.B. Du Bois Library made out of Legos

The Lego Library is currently on the third floor in the Digital Medial Lab
Information about the Lego Library: "This scale model of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library was constructed as part of a team building exercise during the summer of 1994 by students enrolled in the University's Professional Master of Business Administration Program.  The materials and model building expertise were generously donated by LEGO Systems, Inc., located in Enfield, Connecticut.  Students enrolled in this course titled "Teambuilding and Interpersonal Communications" all constructed scale models of the Mullins Center, the Fine Arts Center and the Silvio Conte National Polymer Research Center.  If you have any questions about this effort please call the School of Management, 545-5608."

If I have an overdue book, can I take out another book?

It depends...if they checked out a regular book with a regular due date and are overdue, they WILL be able to check out other items.  However if they got a notice and the book is recalled and overdue, they will NOT be able to check out any other items.  They HAVE to return that book first.

Depending on how overdue it is, they may still be able to renew online but they can ALWAYS renew in person.

If you are ever unsure the best thing is to send them to the LC Desk.

Does the Library or anywhere on campus lend out pianos or instruments?

The short answer is no, not really.

However in the Digital Media Lab, one of the sound booths does have a keyboard in it.  This can't be taken out of the room.

There are pianos on campus that students may use.  There used to be one in the Student Union ballroom.  I know there is also one near the Roots Cafe in the Honors Dorm complex.  They are also pianos students may be able to use in the rehearsal rooms in the Music Department.

Off campus students could check out Gerry's Music Shop that rents instruments, this however will cost money and is located in South Hadley. There are other music stores in Northampton that might rent instruments as well.

New Libraries Home Page Testing

I am on a committee that is asking all student employees to access the new Libraries home page and complete a survey about it.  Click the link below to get to the survey.  Please fill out the survey!  And be honest, we NEED your feedback.

https://docs.google.com/a/umass.edu/forms/d/1UY9BZ2pVlpZFTdOnd-1uHo-BZOrxGdzG-W7M-as6DrU/viewform

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Interesting Library Videos from Special Collections and University Archives

Here are the links:

UMass tower library closes and moves to temporary location, 1979
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_4-i00013

UMass research library: heart of a great university, 1992
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_100-i00096

Ceremony for filing the last card and closing the catalog: University Library, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, February 25, 1994
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_100-i00131

ScholarWorks

The ScholarWorks team is located mostly in Room1967.  They do not have "regular hours".  So there phone is 413-545-2174 and email is scholarworks@library.umass.edu.  There would be no staff there on the weekends or holidays.

What is ScholarWorks?  ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst is a digital showcase of the research and scholarly output of members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst community. The ScholarWorks repository is administered by the UMass Amherst Libraries and serves as a permanent digital archive for these scholarly materials.

If a professor put a recording of his lectures in the library, where would it be?

That would be on physical Reserves located at the Circ/Reserves Desk.  The Reserves located at the Circ/Reserves Desk has books, videos, recordings, photocopies, course packets, etc.

Why is there a fence around the library?

Good Question!

The short story: When the Library was built, it was originally going to look like Lederle or the Fine Arts Center.  It was supposed to be just concrete.  They decided to add a brick facade to the outside of the building.  (If you look up at the building you can see the white lines where the sheets of brick meet.)  It turns out there was a problem with how the brick facade was attached.  Where the sheets meet they pushed together and pieces of brick fell off called, "spalling".
Due to this the library was moved back to the previous library in Goodell.  Some books stayed here and they would come and get them when students requested them.  The problem was eventually fixed and everything was moved back to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.  As a precaution they put up a chain link fence for protection.  It was hideous!  And was up for over 30 years.  (It was here when I was here.)  Click HERE for an article talking about the removal of the fence.  
So they finally put up a nicer fence and that is what we have now.  It may not have to be there but still is just in case.

*There is a handout somewhere in the drawer titled, "When the Chips are Down... Everything you've always wanted to know about the library but they were afraid to tell you..."  This will give more detailed information.

Where are the computer labs?

I think some students use the phrase "computer lab" because that is what they were called in high school.  I think they just mean where are there computers.  I would just send them either downstairs to the Learning Commons. If they are looking for a specific IT Classroom, have them check the schedule or direct them to the correct floor.

The Law Collection is moving... UPDATE!

The Law Collection move is now complete!

Everything should be on the 6th floor.

Where are more (fill in the blank) handouts?

The bulk of the handouts/brochures/cards/free stuff that the library has are kept back in the offices on the Lower Level or on the 4th Floor.  If we ever run out of anything at the desk, just let a supervisor know and they can get them for you.

Where does a patron get Tax Forms on campus?

The Library used to get tax forms but we no longer get them.  The Jones (Amherst Public) Library has them.

They can also file online as well as print forms online.  Click HERE for details!

Very Weird Question!

Yesterday I was asked this question by a young lady, "I was assigned the Northern Flicker, I noticed there is a wing of feathers inside the gated area (bird parts from falcon meal), can I go in and get them?"  I told her that she could and she was so excited.

This is the strangest question I have had in a long time.  Please add any interesting and strange question in the tough question field and I may add it to the blog.

No desks on Floor 11 or 12

They removed the desks on Floor 11 and 12 and have not replaced them yet.

Minor Changes

Welcome back.  There is little to report from this break.  The Writing Center has been remodeled and made bigger, it should be open by next week.  We also have a Power Tower, that you can see sticking up behind the Self Check-Out machine.  This can be used for students to charge their phones, it has several different ends.

New Student Orientation Advising...

will be taking place on the 7th Floor in Room 720 (per Carol Will)

Q&A: How did Calipari room get its name?

The Calipari room is named after the gentleman who gave the money for the room, John Calipari.  Mr Calipari was the basketball coach at UMass from 1988-1996.  He was the coach when our basketball team was good.  Here is more information about him if interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calipari 

Q&A: Can people actually go through the tunnel from this library and the Student Union?

There is actually no tunnel that goes from the library to the Student Union.