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.  

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/