Lane Libraries Staff Site

At some point during the week of January 3rd, we will be updating the staff site software.

If there are problems and the staff site is down for an extended period, please remember that you can access your mail directly via the URL http://mail.lanepl.org.

Join me in congratulating the following Lane employees who reached 10, 15 and 25 year employment milestones in 2009.

Bill Hudgins has created a form for Cathy Johnson (Acquisitions) to collect the miscellaneous "requests for purchase" from staff. The form requires you to sign in with your Google account. It is now available on the Collection Development section of the staff site.

This form is different than the form we provide to patrons to use, and is intended for staff use only. It is designed to help Cathy keep track of the various requests that staff make for new or special items to order. It does not replace TitleSource. The only change in procedure this represents is we ask that you complete this form rather than calling or emailing requests to Cathy, when possible.

Power was out at LAC on Saturday, November 14 from approximately 12:30pm until 3:15pm. When LAC, the central point on our network, loses power, neither Horizon nor the Internet are available. Staff used PC Reliance (Backup Circulation) while power was unavailable.

As we enter Winter, it would be a good idea for supervisors to review PC Reliance procedures soon. An important issue to be aware of when using PC Reliance is to make sure your station is starting from a clean slate, that we're not saving old, previously dumped data from the last power outage. Dumping old data by mistake creates a big ol' mess in Horizon.

Thanks to Justyn Rampa and Heidi Patterson for managing the PC Reliance process on Saturday.

Promueven literatura y recursos didácticos en español

Today, there have been a couple of support calls about logging into M.O.R.E. This is a result of changes related to us centralizing the service at LAC. Until tonight, all patrons will need to authenticate by selecting Lane Libraries - Hamilton. Authentication attempts that select Fairfield and Oxford will fail.

Beginning tomorrow, Friday, November 6, when logging into the MORE system, patrons will no longer select a Lane branch location. They will simply choose Lane Libraries as their Authentication Service. They will choose their pickup location later in the process of requesting M.O.R.E. items. The same pickup choices will remain available, this is just a change to the initial login. 

Patrons will no longer be able to view their previous requests in the MORE system due to this change. However, they are still active, and there is no need for them to re-request items no longer visible.
 

DVD checkouts are no longer limited to 5 per card, effective Monday, November 2. This is being changed on a trial basis, as determined by Council at the October meeting.

Early Monday, this was not working on the self-check machines because we had not restarted the eSIP server after making the changes in Horizon. We've since done this, and it should be working properly now.

We are noticing an increase in the number of patron email addresses entered incorrectly. All email addresses should include the @ symbol, e.g.

incorrect: willie.wilson.aol.com

correct: willie.wilson@aol.com

If a card application is illegible, and the patron is not around to verify, make your best guess and add a VERIFY EMAIL ADDRESS block. If it is so bad you can't even guess, just set them up for Telecirc and add the VERIFY EMAIL BLOCK.

The 2009 Annual Performance Appraisal process began on October 19.

Step - Due Date
Employee Writes Self-Appraisal   -   11/04/2009
Manager Writes Employee Appraisals   -   11/10/2009
Second Level Manager Approves Appraisals   -   11/15/2009
Manager & Employee Meeting   -   11/25/2009   
Employee Sign-Off   -   11/25/2009    
Second Level Manager Sign-Off   -   11/30/2009    
 

As many of you may know, Terry Beck is retiring from 21 years of service at the Oxford Lane Library at the end of this month.  She began part-time employment with the Lane Libraries on November 1, 1988.  On July 17, 1989 she began working as a full-time librarian.  During her 21 years of service she has served the Oxford community both as a Children’s Librarian and as a library assistant in the Smith Library of Regional History.

Here are but a few of the accolades received by Terry during her time with the Oxford Lane Library.  She has been described as: helpful, positive, enthusiastic, well organized, creative, efficient, dependable, committed to excellence, knowledgeable, punctual, capable, tenacious and dedicated.  As a Children’s Librarian, Terry was much loved by children of all ages for her marvelous and imaginative programs.  She had an immediate rapport with children, excellent reference skills and an admirable public service attitude.

In December of 2001, Terry transitioned to a part-time Library Assistant position in the Smith Library of Regional History.  She brought to that position, her love for “everything historical in Oxford” and her unwavering commitment to finding information for the Smith patrons.  A note of thanks from a Smith patron reads in part, “How fortunate Lane is to have a Terry Beck, where service and knowledge comes first.”  Terry created and presented a very successful program called “History Dectectives: Searching for your Ancestors”, targeted for patrons new to Internet searching.

It is clear that wherever Terry Beck worked her high standards for excellent customer service and her energy and enthusiasm dictated her every interaction.  So to you Terry Beck, thank you for all that you have given to Lane Libraries.  You leave behind many friends, colleagues and patrons who will always remember you.   You are wished the best for the exciting new chapter of your life that you are beginning.  We all wish you years of good health, happy times and contentment in all that you have accomplished.