Collection Management - floating, weeding, suggestions

Polaris updates 7/24/14 and 7/31/14:

We will no longer check items out to the user accounts LOST, MISSING or DISCARD.

For Lost items, highlight the item in the Patron Status-Items Out screen. Then click on the "Declare Lost" icon (or CTRL+L). You will get a pop-up that itemizes the replacement and processing fees. Click OK and it will bill the patron for this amount.

Move TO another location:
Staff may send extra copies to another location using the following procedure:
· Check out item to user ID REFLOAT. DO NOT CHANGE HOME LOCATION TO REFLOAT.
· Put items in the appropriate courier bin.
· Check-in/discharge items at receiving library.
**Sending more than 2 bins Downtown? Call Peter or circ to let them know.

REMOVE an item from the collection due to condition or during weeding:
Any staff member may withdraw a damaged item, even if not originally from your library:

• Check in all the items. This brings up the items in the check in window.
• Highlight all the items to be withdrawn.
• Click the Manage Item icon, Circ Status, and Withdraw. Save.
• Mark through the barcode with a Sharpie and direct them to FOL.
• Do not worry if it is the last copy of the item. Marybeth gets a report of last-copy discards and will decide whether to reorder. 

**Sending more than 2 bins Downtown? Call Peter or circ to let them know.

REMOVE a Pop Pick copy from the collection:
(We only retain Pop Picks for 3 months.)

• Check in all the items. This brings up the items in the check in window.
• Highlight all the items to be withdrawn.
• Click the Manage Item icon, Circ Status, and Withdraw. Save.
• Mark through the barcode with a Sharpie and direct them to Margaret in Processing (DT).

MARK ITEM MISSING when it can't be found on the shelf:

• Copy the barcode number and check it in. If the item is on the holds list, say NO to "route to fill request" and say YES to "reinstate hold for user."
• Click to highlight the item in the list of check-ins. Use the Manage Item icon to change the circ status to "Search in Progress." 
• Save.

MARK ITEM LOST when a patron reports it lost or DAMAGED when it's returned damaged beyond repair:

• In the Patron Status display, use the Items Out view.
• Click the item to be marked lost or damaged, then click the Declared Lost button.
• In the billing window, under both the Replacement and Processing columns, drop down the arrow for Actions and select Charge. Leave the Overdue column at “Leave as is” if the amount is zero. (If the amount is greater than zero, use the Actions drop-down to select Waive.) Click OK.

SUGGEST an item be purchased for the collection:Customers and staff can request a purchase, but no longer than 3 months prior to the publication date (including bestsellers and media items).***
From Marybeth's email 7/29/14: Hopefully you have discovered the new, handy-dandy suggest a purchase form that is in the catalog for customers to use. Once submitted, this form comes directly to me.  Unfortunately, staff is unable to view this request queue like we were able to in Workflows but we are working with the tools that Polaris provides in the patron record that are easily accessible to customers to learn about the status of their requests (and staff can see it too!  Bonus!)

If I am able to order the suggested item, a hold will be placed on the customers account and they will be notified when it is available for pick up. (you can see the list of requests/holds in the patron status).  We will NOT send a message if we are able to order it - simply look to see if they have it on hold.

If I am unable to order it because it is out of print, not available through our contracted vendors, outside of our collection criteria, beyond our purchasing cycle etc., I will leave a a patron message.  When the customer logs into his/her account they will be alerted that they have a message and have the option to delete it once they have read it.  Staff can see this message on the patron status screen and see if the patron has read the message or not.  The message will go away after 14 days.

Requesting Ebooks: One of the great things about the 3m Cloud Library is how to request a title. Directly from the app, click on Search (the magnifying glass).  Under "advanced search" make sure "Include books not in library" is checked.  If you search for a title that is not in our collection you will have the option to "add to wish list" (ask library to purchase the book).  This title will show up on a report that I look at daily.  If  I choose to purchase it, a hold will automatically be placed for you! We use the same collection criteria to evaluate ebook requests. We will not be purchasing ebook bundles - single titles only - so patrons should suggest the individual titles. (While I welcome suggestions through the suggest a purchase form via the Polaris catalog or a direct email from staff, I am unable to place customer holds for ebooks.)

***If the publication is more than 3 months out, advise the patron to place a request closer to the pub date.

What doesn't float
Popular Picks
magazines
board books
Downtown "storage" books (Hamilton also still has a "storage" collection)
reference materials

Test Proctoring

CPL has discontinued test proctoring at all branches. Refer students to:

Mesa Community College
Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Please read details at the college's test proctoring page. There is usually a fee for this service.

Meeting rooms

NEW: Effective 7/1/12, there is a $40/hr charge for meeting rooms, or $20/hr for non-profits with a valid 501(c)(3) form. All meeting room applications are done online and are mediated by a staff member at each branch. The staff member will contact the user; reservations are not finalized until payment is received.


Chandler Library locations
See our Rent a meeting room page for details, room capacties, and to place a request for a room.

Police building, 250 E Chicago St
* Meeting room holds 98. Call Rhoda x4520 or front desk x4000

Vision Gallery
* Meeting room seats 49. There is a fee. Call 480-917-6859

Community Center
* Meeting rooms available at various locations. There is a fee. See more at:
www.chandleraz.gov/community-center

Culture Pass info

Copied from various emails:

Updates: There will be five passes for each of the museums at each library location, with the exception of the Desert Botanical Gardens, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Cave Creek Museum** --these locations will now have 10 passes per location (as of 7/1/11). Arizona Science Center and Children's Museum will now have 3 passes (as of 11/15/13).
All passes will be valid for 2 general admissions only.

No longer participating: Heard, the Bead Museum, the Arizona Museum for Youth, the Natural History Museum***.
**Cave Creek Museum opens on October 1 (closed for the summer).
***Natural History Museum is now participating in Mesa's 3 for Free promotion and was concerned about being overextended if they participated in two free-to-the-public programs.

We can NO LONGER look up Culture Pass due dates.
This is to create consistency across the branches as required by the call center.
But we CAN look in the catalog to see what is currently available. 

New: performing arts venues. The Downtown Chandler Library (only) will have 10 passes total. The participating venue, performances, and dates of availability will vary. Passes will allow 2 people free tickets to 1 performance. Patrons will check out the pass on their card and will be given an instruction sheet with the information to secure their tickets. Patrons will need to call the Box Office, stating they are using a Culture Pass, at which time they will give the 14-digit barcode number on their receipt. Seats are limited so patrons will need to call within 7 days of checking out the pass. Patrons will need their check-out receipt to pick up their tickets at Will Call on the day of the performance.

Participating Libraries
Passes will be available for checkout on a library card at ALL BRANCHES of the Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Peoria and Cave Creek public libraries, as well as ASU West, Tempe, Polytechnic, and Downtown Phoenix libraries.

Procedure

• The patron will select an institution from the display.


• The patron will bring the pass to the service desk along with his or her library card. The cardholder needs to be present (no checking out on kids' cards if the child isn't here).


• Staff will check out the pass (sorry, no self check) and stamp the receipt with the library stamp.


• The pass stays in the library in our Cultural Pass storage bin. It will be returned to the display after 7 days.


• The patron will present the receipt (not the pass) to the institution. It will admit up to 2 people, general admission.

How many passes can the patron check out?
They can check out one pass at a time, with a limit of one per family. The brochure states that there is also a limit of 2 per month. The museums do not expect us to police this, but if we see repeat customers we can remind them of this limit.

How long will the receipt be valid?
The receipt is valid for 7 days from the time of checkout. It expires at the end of the day on the date on the slip.

Can patrons use the receipt more than once? No, the institution will collect their receipt when they visit, so it may be used only once during the 7 days.

Are the passes renewable? No, passes are not renewable.

Will patrons be able to place holds on the passes?
No, passes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Also, we cannot set passes aside for patrons who call, since this is equivalent to placing a hold.

Do the passes need to be returned to the library? No, since the receipts are surrendered at the institution there is nothing to return!

Restrictions? The pass will cover admission to the institution, but not to special events/exhibits such as Zoo Lights or Body Worlds at the Arizona Science Center.

How do you see which passes are available?
Passes are cataloged under the keyword Culture Pass, and we or patrons can look in the catalog to see what is currently available. However, since we cannot place holds or set passes aside for patrons, there is no guarantee that a pass will still be available when the patron arrives.

What if a patron can't get the pass they want?

• Suggest they try another day, since new passes are returned each day. (Sorry, we cannot look up due dates.)


• Explain that these rules are set by the museums, to keep the progam within their budgets and to minimize the amount of work involved.


• Explain that the program is scheduled to run through April 2012 or later, so there will be plenty of opportunity for patrons to check back.


• Refer them to one of the free days that many museums offer:
  See the sidebar on the Culture Pass page on our website.

Missing Culture Pass
Contact Charles in DT cataloging.

New card tips

From Thuan's, Peter's, Dan's, and Sue's emails, updated 12/29/10:

***All patrons must have ID with proof of CURRENT ADDRESS to get a library card***
We can no longer issue computer cards to those without proof of current address. This includes YAs: they must either have a photo ID and something with their address on it, or a parent, to get a card (there may be exceptions for teens with schoolwork, the homeless or others without a verifiable address). Residents of shelters and halfway houses should provide paperwork showing their residence at that location.

Per Peter 7/10/12: "Customers are using online resources (SRP, APS, banks, etc) for proof of address more and more. If a customer shows you proof of address through their phone, laptop/tablet, in-house PC, accept it just as you would a paper proof of address." Basha also uses the Maricopa County Assessor's Office to verify residence of those who own property in the county; if there's a match on their name and address in the Assessor's database, it counts as a government document.

***All Maricopa County Residents must have a library card to use computers***
We can no longer issue computer cards to out-of-county residents; they must pay $40 for a full card.

Computer cards: users can request computer-only cards if they really don't want to check out items, if they don't want anyone else to check out items on their card in the event they lose it, if they don't want their child to check out items, etc. We will not normally have any reason to offer computer cards as an option.

Here are a few pointers when making new library cards:

1. Check to see if patron already has card.
   
2. On the General tab, choose Adult/Child/YA. The default user profile of PROBATION will update to Adult/Child/YA when staff changes Patron Code from Probation to Public.


3. If the user is out of county, change the user profile to PROB-NONCOUNTY.


4. Use the first 5 digits of the zip code.


5. Expiration dates: Chandler ADULTS - Expiration date and address check date set to FIVE YEARS
       Chandler YA - Expiration date set to year of 18th birthday and address check set to year of 18th birthday
       Chandler CHILD - Expiration set to year of 13th birthday and address check set to year of 13th birthday
       NON-Chandler residents: Expiration and address check set to ONE YEAR


6. Use CAPS except for their email address.


7. Use - (dash) for their phone numbers, not . (dot) or , (commas).
   
8. Birthdate: Please remember to ask for ID when renewing cards in order to get the birth date for updating patron records. I noticed a new card created 8/14/14 with a DOB of 1/1/1900 - this should not have to happen as any new card should be created with the person's ID in hand. Thanks.

For P.O. boxes or alternate mailing addresses:
We now require proof of physical address (electric bill showing service address, voter card, lease agreement, etc.) A photo ID with only the P.O. box is not sufficient. (Explain to patrons that budget issues require us to determine residency and where their taxes are paid - we don't get reciprocal money from PO boxes.)

1. Enter the P.O. or mailing address as Primary. USPS or private P.O. boxes (UPS Store, etc.) are both acceptable. Enter the physical address as Home.


2. Chandler residents only can request that we do not record their physical address in the database, and only in extreme circumstances (witness protection, they are a police officer, etc).
   
3. Gila River Indian Community residents can get a card with only a P.O. box, as they do not have street mailing addresses. (Those living in Pinal County can also get a card for free.This includes Bapchule and Sacaton.)

Duplicate accounts:

If staff notice a duplicate patron account, please write down the name, library card numbers, and any other pertinent information and hand that off to Ezra for further inquiry. I believe that most staff do not have access to delete patron records, so please collect the info and let me know. Thanks.

Readers Advisory - online resources from "Back to the Book" training

Visit these useful RA websites for reading suggestions:

What's Next? Books in Series
Lists books in popular series, in order, for many genres.

Stop, You're Killing Me!
The place to find mystery series. Search by author or character.

Fresh Press
Find out what books have been featured on recent shows in the national media.

"Coming Soon" from Barnes & Noble
See what books are being published in the coming weeks.

Christmas Tree Applications

If you're looking for the Christmas Tree cutting application forms that are usually sent out around this time of year, the forest service has changed the way they're issuing permits. They have eliminated the applications by mail.

Permits will be on sale beginning October 10 at select Big 5 Sporting Goods locations. See this article from the Tonto National Forest webpage for more information. The closest participating Big 5 location is:

1244 South Gilbert Road, Suite 101 , Mesa AZ 85204
(480) 507-0137