READ-ing Our Way to Student Training Success
Lisa Vassady & Alyssa Archer
ALA Annual 2014 Poster
McConnell Library, Radford University
CHECKLIST FOR REFERENCE DESK TRAINING
Reference Assistant’s Name ________________________________________
Library
Employee
on Desk’s
Initials
Task Summary
PART A
Getting started
Read Reference & Classroom Students Manual - online
Read Emergency Procedures Manual
Miscellaneous Upkeep
Keep scratch paper trays full: know where extra paper is, where
trays are that need to be checked
Keep paper loaded in printers: know where extra paper is, go
through how to load paper
For public printers: get paper from Reference Work Room,
replenish cabinet below reference printer
For Reference Desk Printer and Department Printer: get from
Lydia’s storeroom, replenish printer in reference department
General Equipment Troubleshooting
Be able to change printer settings: Pay for Print (color), Black and
White, Double vs. One Sided print
Pay for Print (color)
● Able to demonstrate how to select Pay for Print
● Able to state cost of printing for black & white, and color for
both single sided and one sided
● Able to state student must collect job at Front desk for color
printing (Pay for Print)
Black and White
● Able to demonstrate how printers are numbered and default
printer for any bank of computers
● Able to demonstrate how to send a job to another printer
● Able to demonstrate how to change a public patron’s job to B
&W
Double vs. One Sided print
● Able to state that the default is double-sided
● Able to demonstrate BOTH steps necessary to assure
double-sided printing
● Able to state that students who tried printing having completed
intuitive step one can get money refunded at Front Desk
Adding funds to an RU printing account, via MYRU – RU Express and
Black Box by Vending Machines
● If student isn’t able to print, able to pull up account to see
how much printing money they have left (on the computer
the student is logged in to, or via My RU > Finances icon >
RU Express and Printing
● Able to demonstrate how to add funds to printing via MyRU
> Finances icon.
● Able to demonstrate how to add funds via the Black Box by
Vending Machines.
● Able to state that the Black Box only takes cash and MyRU
takes credit or ATM cards
● Able to state that patrons can get change at the Front Desk
How do I login to the Internet as a public patron?
● Able to demonstrate knowledge of where and what the public login
card is in ● Able to state knowledge of rules for public patron printing ○ Where Pay­for­Print is located ○ How/where they pay for printing ○ Default is color
Printing something off from D2L
● Able to demonstrate how to print from D2l. ( LJV - Should we
post something in a shell? When we were running into
printing problems early Fall and I asked Ashley to try
printing from her D2L she was having difficulty finding
documents, etc. her profs had posted)
Saving Work: How to access the H Drive, and how to use USB port
● USB ports are on the sides of most of our monitors now; some
students may have difficulty
● The H Drive is campus cloud based storage; when a student is
logged in to a public computer on campus, their H drive
should show up on the desktop, or via My Computer (listed
as their RU username). They can access it my MyRU, the My
Stuff
Use the scanners to create a multipage PDF
● Be able to demonstrate how to use scanner to create a
multipage PDF
● Be able to demonstrate how to locate scanned copy
Use photocopy machine? refer to Front Desk
● Able to state patrons should be referred to Front Desk for ?s
regarding the photocopy machine
● Able to state the costs of using the machine (cash vs. RU
Express) and that printing money does not cover it.
● Able to state the alternative of the scanner, which can use
printing funds.
Be able to find a program on the public computers
● Be able demonstrate how to locate the program “Snipping
Tool” by using the Start menu search box
● Be able to demonstrate how to view full Microsoft Office suite
How do I log into library databases from off campus?
● Able to state that off­campus patrons need to be authenticated ○ Login using RU username and password * aware that it is not the full email address ○ VPN ● Able to state patrons must access resources by going through McConnell Website, bookmarking or Googling databases does not
work ● Successfully cleared a paper jam (no deadline)
This should only be checked off once student has been able to
witness an actual jam, then cleared one him/herself.
Monitoring Reference
Basic customer service skills, Reference Interview questions.
Referral/Collaboration model.
How to answer a Reference IM, if librarian is busy, and transfer to
another librarian
Do we want to show them shortkeys?
http://libguides.radford.edu/aecontent.php?pid=118503&sid=1431
908
Monitor incoming reference emails for new questions
How to use LibAnswers to record questions and review
answers/Basic READ scale. Use at least 3 characters of initials in
internal note field.
Overview of the Website/Locating LibGuides
Reference Desk computers: Point out LibAnswers, LibH3lp chat box,
Reference blog link (new information, reminders)
Library Website: how students get to chat, our hours, catalog,
Supersearch. Just point out basic structure, let them poke around
for a bit and ask questions.
Find the Course LibGuides section for CORE classes
Find the LibGuide on RefWorks (Hint: Research Guides)
Find the LibGuide for APA Style for both Undergrads and RU
Graduate Students. Explain generally how we assist students with
citation help.
PART B
Online Catalog / Materials
How to do a search for a book in the catalog
● Able to determine when to use the catalog vs. EDS
○ Catalog- physical items like books, DVDs, CDs
○ EDS- virtual items like articles, eBooks
○ EDS and “Classic catalog” serve as backups for Encore
● Able to use keywords to search for library materials.
● Able to search by author or title
● Able to identify subject headings in catalog records and
understand how they might make a search more focused.
● Able to identify the call number, floor, and collection for
library materials using the catalog.
● Able to state what each limiter on the left side of the Encore
screen does and how that would be useful for a search.
● Able to refer complex questions to a librarian.
● Understands that if no results come up in catalog, please
collaborate with the librarian (to double check, and explore
other options like RPL, Google Books, ILL, etc.)
How to determine if a book is available (on the shelf)
● Able to locate the status of an item in the catalog
○ Able to state what each status message means and how
it impacts your search for an item:
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
On Hold
On Reserve
Due
Available
Being reshelved
Lost
Billed
Paid
How to limit to DVDs, eBooks, Books in catalog
● Able to use limiters for source type in Encore
● Able to conduct an advanced search by source type in the
classic catalog
Finding Textbooks
● Able to state that the library doesn’t purchase textbooks
regularly, but may have a copy on Reserve or in the
collection.
● Able to search for textbooks by title or author to determine
if the library owns a copy.
● Able to check course reserves by the course number or
professor’s name to determine if a textbook is on reserve.
Course Reserves
Searchable by professor’s last name or class name/number; books
should be listed in catalog as well.
Knowledge of different collections (Popular Reading, Compact,
DVDs, Juv/YA, Radford Authors, Main Collection, Oversized)
● Able to state the floor and location of each collection.
● Able to take us to each collection in the building.
How to use LC Call Numbers to find physical materials: 2 parts. Both
links are added to the Reference Blog
A. Online tutorial:
http://www.library.kent.edu/page/13760 and Game:
https://libwebspace.library.cmu.edu/libraries-and-collection
s/Libraries/etc/game1/game1.swf
B. Emphasize to always offer to walk user to the shelf,
accompany librarian showing student how to find book
once, so see how we teach user to find books
Understand how to show user map of library, walk user to where
material is located, and teach them how to use LC call numbers to
find material
How to look up a call number in the catalog
What the Request It feature in the catalog does
● Able to state that patrons may request that items be placed
on Hold or returned early for their use
● Able to provide alternatives and understand a patron’s
options if the book they want is checked out or unavailable
What the Add to Cart feature in the catalog does
Understand how to fill in an Interlibrary Loan request, when
appropriate.
Searching SuperSearch: articles & eBooks, and more.
Contains catalog information, plus many databases
Good to collaborate with librarian on questions concerning
Basic search, point out limits, full text, etc.
SuperSearch Tools: Full Text, Find Full Text, Limits on left column,
click on title to find email/print/save/cite(never correct!) options,
and permalink.
Never use web address to save or send, not stable.
Directional Questions
Where to direct people looking for work study jobs?
● Able to state that Karen Montgomery is in charge of this. ● Able to provide contact information ● Able to direct to Karen’s office and state awareness that Karen is typically available 8 am to 5 pm. ● Able to state that the library does not have work study jobs posted
anywhere.
What is Interlibrary Loan, and how to find it online
● Able to state Interlibrary Loan is a service that allows RU
students, faculty, and staff to get books, articles, etc. from
other libraries for free.
● Able to direct to ILL page on library website
● Able to state that books and other physical items can be
picked up at the Front Desk
● LJV - able to state awareness that there is a way of requesting
items through ILL from a database or just refer all ILL
questions to reference librarian?
● LJV - Unsure who students are referring them to. We would
want them to refer to reference librarians instead of Bud,
correct?
Archives – contact information closed stacks, that some is online,
including yearbooks
● Able to direct to Archives page
● Able to locate Archives hours and contact information
● Able to locate Archives on the map
● Able to state that physical archives items are in closed stacks
and require appointment with Archivist to obtain
● Able to locate the online Appalachian collection (or any other
collection indicating knowledge of online archive
collections)
Fax services on campus
● Able to state that the there is a fax machine in Dalton
Bookstore and that it costs $1.00 per page to send
● Able to state that if an email address is available patron can
scan the document and email it, or use FaxZero?
Printing services on campus: where to go to get thing laminated,
etc.
● Able to locate printing services on the RU website
● Able to locate list of all printing services’ services
● Able to point out location and contact information of PS.
Understanding of what Front Desk does – where to find circulation
information online
● Able to locate Lending Services material on the website
●
Able to state awareness and understanding of the 8 services
and policies listed at the top of that website
○ Contact Us
○ Checking Out Items
○ Renewing Items
○ Searches and Holds
○ Book Recall
○ Audiovisual Equipment
○ Loan Periods and Overdue Fines
○ Theft or Mutilation of Library Materials
Privacy Issues (taken from Faix et al., 2010)
Confidentiality of reference questions
Answering questions without personal bias
No legal or medical advice to users
Privacy of RU student/Faculty information