Nov 8 Blog

I am now pretty much on my own. I clock in and start working on the materials to shelve. If I see Ms. Herrington or Ms. Davis I tell them hi and ask them is there anything extra they need me to do. I assisted the reference desk one day and while I was read/straightened the CD/MP3/magazine section. I looked items up in the catalog and I then showed the patrons where the materials are at on the shelf. In my library since it is so small I just point in right direction since my library only have 10 shelves and two of them are reference shelves.

Librarian Tip of the Week: After pulling items on the holds list always go into the computer and flag the item. That way the hold will not show up on the hold report again. I look/see items on the hold list that I know I pulled already.

15 hours down 65 hours to go.

New week new skills learned

I checked books in and separated the books for each library section. Of course I put the books in the correct order on the carts to assist the person shelving.  The main thing about checking books in is to watch the location. The Hattiesburg Library has books going to the Petal Library, new books, holds, and 2 different mail runs.  After checking in books that were requested for holds, I checked the books into holds, called the patron, and told them their material is available at the Hattiesburg Library. I only told the patron that they had material available and never told them the item title. This is for privacy reasons. I then shelved the books into the holds section. I read the reference section one day. There were over 18 books in the reference section that were not reference. Now there are 18 books in the correct spot in the non-fiction section. After I read the shelves I dusted. Dusting shelves is crucial especially after rearranging shelves.

Librarian tip of the week:  When shelving books do not cram the books in the shelves. If a patron pulls a book out a lot of time many books gets pulled out. Then the patron puts the books back on the shelf in any order. If the shelf is full then rearrange the books to make the rows above and below equal in length. That way if another book comes for that row all he/she have to do is shelve the book. Yes it is nice to have the 599 end on one row and the 600s to start on the next row, but sometimes you have to seperate the sections.

15 hours down 80 hours to go.

Back to LIS 489 Practicum

I have been given passwords to the labs. I am now a dangerous person. I was taught how to checkout a computer in the two computer labs. I am unofficially in charge of pulling the holds list and shelving the non-fiction. I just clock in and check in with Ms. Herrington and she usually tells me to work on the shelving, holds list, or DVDs. I am then on my own the rest of the night. Shelving at the Hattiesburg Public Library in a never ending battle as fast as one cart gets shelved another takes its place. This week I learned where the Mississippi collection is located at and who have the keys to the room if I ever need to shelve in there. I also learned how and where to put DVDs at. I am becoming more comfortable around the men and women who works there and more importantly they are becoming more comfortable with me.

Library tip of the week: When shelving books make sure the books are pulled forward to edge of shelf. This is done for two reasons: 1) It makes the shelves looks neater. 2) It also assists the person dusting shelves. This way, the person who is doing the housekeeping all he/she have to do is dust the area next to the books and not the entire shelf. This will save housekeeping some time.

15 hours down 95 hours to go. Yeah double digits!

Dr. K LIS 458 Class Project 4

I will be graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor’s of Library and Information Science degree (LISBA).

The course I am taking is LIS 458 Internet Resources and Applications for Librarians and Informationalists (Fall 2010) - LIS 458 Sec. H001. I cut and paste this this from Blackboard so I know this is exact. This blog is part of Project 4.

Week 4

I worked three days and had three different jobs. Yes. Day one - read the LP (Large Print) section on the first floor and pulled the holds list. Looking at letters in the LP section is a lot easier than looking at numbers in the non-fiction section. Day two - I wrapped books and put on barcodes and pulled the holds list. Day three – I shelved DVDs and shelved all of the other books that came in overnight. Here is the link to the library I am lucky enough to work at.  http://hatt.ent.sirsi.net/client/default2e

I forgot to add I am the new Batman. When I was getting ready to leave I was told of an injured bat in the courtyard. Everyone was looking for something to get it out of the courtyard. I immediately sprang into action. I went into the courtyard and picked up the injured bat and took it outside the library ground and set it free.

Library advice of the week: After checking in books, put books on the cart in the correct order. This will assist the person shelving the books. Everyone knows that the person shelving the books is also dealing with the public. Any help that the person checking in books can assist him/her with will be greatly beneficial.

Fifteen hours down only 110 to go.

2nd full week

My second full week is officially down. All I did was read the non-fiction. The good news is I will be done sometime today with the non-fiction. Then I can move on to more important jobs. Even though I know that every job is important. Just some is more glamorous than others. Any job where you get to interact with others is more exciting than reading shelves and sitting on the floor. Fifteen hours down only 125 to go. I guess time is running short.

First week

First week of Practicum is finally over. Yes. I believe the 150 hours will be easier than getting a background check. I read shelves the first week. This is a very unglamorous but very necessary job in the world of Libraries. The books have to be in the correct spot or they might as well be lost. I did the biographies and started in the non-fiction. The Hattiesburg library is huge compared to the Sumrall Public Library and PRCC Library in Hattiesburg. I will probably do this for 2 more afternoons then I get promoted to the circulation desk and drop box. 10 hours down with only 140 to go.