Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Collection development - Holds

Copied from Marybeth's 8/12/11 email, "More than 4 holds"

Basically we follow a 4:1 holds ratio for our print materials. Four holds for each copy of a title. When the number of holds exceed this ratio we buy more copies. I monitor a report every day that provides this information so we can get the additional copies ordered so we can get the holds moving. We have found that this system allows us to be more conservative in our purchasing (especially as our collection budget has been reduced) without sacrificing popular materials and what our customers are requesting. It is important to note that when the system is calculating the hold ratio it uses the unique ISBN. Therefore, for those titles that have circulating copies AND PopPicks, both are included to determine the ratio.

Holds for CD music and DVDs are monitored a little differently. Our holds ratio is higher (usually 6:1 or higher) primarily because of the 7 day checkout. We also use the "rotten tomato" rating guide to determine additional purchases.

I would ask those staff members who work with the Friends (Used Books) to review the procedure for adding items to the collection. Donations of some of the latest bestsellers have really helped with some of these long hold lists.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Teen volunteers

Update from Elisia, Summer 2016:

If you receive teen volunteer applications, please put them in my box, not on my desk. I have applications on my desk that I have already processed, so it will help to keep them separate. Any teen interested in volunteering this summer MUST attend a volunteer overview. They will need to register for this event. Because it is a training, the teen will have to be there, not the parent. They do not have to submit an application before the training. This is for working the SRP table and youth programs. Dates can be found at http://evanced.info/chandleraz/evanced/eventcalendar.asp?ag=&et=&kw=summer+teen&dt=mo&mo=5/1/2016&df=calendar&cn=0&private=0&ln=2.

We will NOT be having our regular Library Lovers weekly volunteering in June and July. This means that pink tapes (excluding adult), holds, recycle and other things that the teens take care of will need to be picked up by staff. Regular volunteering will pick back up in August.


Update from Elisia, July 2015:


Our current volunteer types are:
Library Lovers - pull holds, shelf read, fill children's displays, pull pink tape, other duties as assigned
Arts & Crafters - create felt storyboards and prep for crafts
AR Book Stamping - Stamps AR levels in JF and Reader
Minecraft - Helps with setup, troubleshooting, and breakdown
Book Reviewer

In the past we've had STEAM Club volunteers and other help, so please let me know if you have a certain program or series July-October that you would like volunteers for.


Absences:

If a teen comes to you and says he or she has missed their shift (either earlier that day or sometime in the past) and would like to make up the time, please inform them that they need to contact Elisia to make arrangements. All volunteers have specific scheduled assignments, and it is unfair to staff as well as other volunteers for a teen with a missed shift to make their own time to come in. It adds additional stress for staff who are trying to find something for teens to do, and it possibly takes away from duties assigned to another volunteer.

Volunteers may call in from time to time to let us know they won't be able to make it, so please pass on those messages when you can, even to leave me a note when I am not here, so that we can make arrangements or log the absence.