Patent and Trademark Viewing

The US Patent and Trademark Office website apparently uses a special format for their searchable database of images, and it requires a plugin that we don't have to view the images. Paul is going to install the plugin on computers 1-6, so anyone who wants to do patent searching should use one of those computers (and make sure to use Internet Explorer, not Chrome or Firefox). The plugin will be added to the next image of the computers, which won't be re-imaged for a few months.

New library in Pinal County

Jo at Basha informed me that there's a new library in San Tan Valley in Pinal County: the Johnson Community Library. For those Pinal County residents who don't want to pay $40 to use CPL or $50 for MCLD, and who are too far away to use the Pinal County libraries in Coolidge and Florence, they can get a card for free there. (Actually, residents of any county can get a card, although they do require a social security number to apply, and must show proof of physical address, no PO Boxes.)

Johnson Community Library
968-1 E Hunt Hwy
Queen Creek, AZ 85143
480-353-2770
Mon - Thurs 9am - 8pm
Fri - Sat 9am - 5pm

Service Animals

From Brenda's email, 3/31/11:

There seems to be some confusion about animals in our libraries. Pets are not allowed. Service animals are.

See ARS 11-1024 regarding service animals in public buildings.

People with disabilities who use service animals may often be easily identified without any need for questioning. If you can tell by looking, you should not make the person feel uncomfortable by asking questions. If you are unsure whether an animal meets the definition of a service animal, management may ask the person with the disability the following two questions in a discreet and non-threatening way:

• Is the animal required because of a disability?


• What tasks or services has the animal been trained to perform?

You may not ask questions about the person's disability. You may not ask to be shown certification or a special ID card as proof of the animal’s training. You may not ask a guest with a service animal to use a specific entrance, exit or area of the business.

You may expect the animal to behave appropriately and be under the control of the owner/partner/trainer. You may expect the person to clean up after the animal if there should be an accident, but that is highly unlikely as most service animals are trained to "go" on demand and only in specific locations.

Noncounty users

Some tips from George on how to verify which county a patron lives in:

Addresses in cities like Queen Creek, which can either be in Maricopa or Pinal counties, should be verified through either usps.com or mapquest. Once verified, please put a note in the customer's account to note that it has been verified.

To verify county through usps.com, go to "Find a ZIP code," enter the address, then on the result page click Mailing Industry Information to look up the county. Mapquest will show a map with the county borders.

Exceptions: If the patron works, goes to school, or otherwise does official business in Chandler, staff should assign them a NONCOUNTY (or PROB-NCNTY) profile. (They need to show a paystub, paperwork from their school, etc. as proof.) We should give them the correct profile (NONCOUNTY or PROB-NCNTY), allow the bill to accrue, then FORGIVE the privilege fee, with a comment on the account as to why the fee is waived. Next year, when the patron has to renew, they should prove again that they qualify for the waiver, or pay the automatically assessed fee.

Call center info

The main library number, 480-782-2800, is directed to the call center. The call center is staffed during Downtown's normal hours.

Our busiest day of the week is Monday and the number of calls declines each day to our slowest day, which is Sunday. Our busiest time of day is between 9AM and 5PM.

Here are the top 4 types of calls:
Renewals (17.60% of all calls)
Holds (17.35%)
Reference (15.28%)
Account info (10.21%)

We've worked hard to clarify when to transfer a call and to whom. Here are some calls we've received that have been and will be transferred:
- A parent is trying to locate a child
- A customer thinks they left their library card/phone/flash drive/keys at the library
- A customer has questions/wants to reserve a meeting room
- A customer has a very involved reference question that's time sensitive
- A customer wants to speak to a manager

See the phone list for direct extentions to branches/departments. They're listed in the gray boxes or at the top of department listings. Requests to speak to a manager are transfered to the manager's direct line.

Where old computers go

From Deidre's email 10/22/10, and CityScope Jan 2012:

You might be getting questions from customers about where our old computers go (I have been!). According to Dan and Janet at Central Supply, the old computers are offered to the schools, then to local nonprofits and then whatever's left goes to auction. Office equipment, furniture, and vehicles are also auctioned.

Normally, auctions are held the first Saturday of the month. You can see the auction schedule on http://sierraauction.com/ Items can be viewed at Sierra Auctions, 3570 NW Grand Ave, Phoenix, one day prior to the sale. For more info, call Central Supply at 480-782-2417.



And speaking of recycling old computers:

If a patron wants to know where they can donate/recycle their own computer, refer them to
http://www.azstrut.org/

Computer use and library cards

From Sue's email 5/20/10 and updates 11/3/10, 12/30/10; 2/23/11 per Peter, 3/2/11 per George:

Guest passes

Guest passes are $2. Ring it up as Membership. A guest pass can be issued to anyone for $2 who requests one, including:
1) those who don't want to get a library card, or don't have proper ID to get a card,
2) those with blocked/barred cards who don't want to bring their account into good standing,
3) non-county residents who don't want to pay the $40 annual fee (although this may be more cost-effective),
4) those who forgot their cards and have no ID for us to look them up,
5) those who forgot their cards, have ID, but are past their 2 lookups (although buying a replacement card may be more cost-effective).

Guest passes are good for one day at one branch. (Downtown may send guests to other branches if they're unable to extend their time, and staff will initial and date the pass; the next branch will issue a new guest pass at no charge.) We must charge for an all-day guest pass even if the user only wants to use a computer for 10 minutes.

Special circumstances may call for waiving the guest pass fee, but these cases should be rare and should be shared with supervisors so that all staff handle these cases consistently. (The Remuda and Hazel House girls are another exception at Sunset.)

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Computer cards: We can no longer issue computer cards to people who don't have current address; everyone must have ID and proof of current address to get a card. (Exceptions may be made for the homeless or others without verifiable address.)

Out-of-county residents must pay $40 to get a full library card. They may also get a computer card by request if they do not wish to check out, but this still costs $40 and requires ID.

$40 out-of-county cards can be issued to anyone living outside Maricopa County, whether in Pinal county or Dublin, Ireland.
Computer cards can be requested by patrons who do not want checkout privileges or want to prevent their child from checking out.

We will be strictly adhering to the 2 lookups when people don't have their library card. Their record needs to be noted when we do look them up and we need to remind patrons that they only have 2 chances, otherwise they can buy a new card or pay $2 for a guest pass. You can suggest that they put their card number in their phone if necessary, write it on a piece of paper and keep it on them but if they have 2 lookups and they don't have their card, they can't get on the computer.

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Computer use and fines: Cards with $25 or more in fines, whether for lost materials (which get sent to collections) or overdues, will not be able to use the computers. The fines must be paid below $25. These cards may or may not be in BARRED status, so check the fines if someone can't get on the computer.