1. General Service Etiquette

• You may be the first representative of the library to greet our patrons. Make it a positive experience!
• Make eye contact and greet patrons.
• Be helpful and courteous, ALWAYS!
• If you are unable to answer a question, find someone who can. If there is no one around to answer the question, take the patron’s name, contact information, and question and leave a note for a staff member in your department.
• If you have problems with an unruly patron, please seek help from a staff member.
• The service desk phones are not for personal use, they are for business use ONLY.
• Cell phones are prohibited at service desks. If you must make a phone call, please talk to your supervisor and get permission to do so. Otherwise, turn your cell phone off when you come into the Library.

2. Telephone Greetings

• If you answer a service desk telephone, please begin by introducing your service desk, give your name, and then ask if you can help. Example: "ZSR Library, Special Collections and Archives, this is Caroline, how may I help you?"
• Get as much information from the person on the phone and let them know that a librarian will get back to them.

3. Headphones, Texting, Multi-tasking

• Headphones are permitted while working away from patrons
• Headphones are NOT permitted at service desks.
• Texting and similar multi-tasking are usually not permitted so that you can focus on the task at hand.
• Talk to your supervisor regarding this policy.

4. Homework

• When you are at work in the ZSR Library, your main priorities are any job duties or tasks that you have been assigned for your specific position.
• You are not guaranteed time to do homework while you are at work in the ZSR Library. While there might be time for homework, there may be too much work to be done in other areas that prevent homework from being completed.
• Talk to your supervisor and be sure to plan ahead.

5. Department Specifics

• Please do not use your personal computer for work. Saving materials to public computers is vital to our department.
• Patrons are not allowed in the closed stacks area unless accompanied by staff.
• At the end of your shift, always leave your work area clean and neat. Put away boxes you might have been working on and make sure that your laptop is locked.

• No food or drink

• Orient towards the front door, be sure and make eye contact and say hello/welcome, the minute the door is opened and patrons step in the room

• Keep stats for everyone coming into the room (directional, study, exhibit, etc.)

•  Please review the Research Room rules for use (there will be a copy at the desk) and ensure patrons are following the rules, i.e. leaving coats and/or bags with you to set off to the side, using pencil, not bringing in food or drink, only using one box/folder/book at a time, etc.

• Each patron needs to register (and review the Research Room rules), filling out a registration card (when card is complete, it is entered into LibStats- make a check mark at the bottom corner when entered into LibStats)

• Out slips should be filled out for each item or collection requested

• Please monitor collections on hold (use hold slip)—if patrons leave and are done with their materials, please let someone know so it can be reshelved/refiled and put it on the “To Reshelve” shelf

• When researchers are visiting, you may continue your work, but part of your job is also to monitor the use of our materials, so keep an eye on patrons in the room. Be sure they are not blocking your view of the documents and their hands with boxes.

• Be prepared to assist patrons, if they have questions.

• When patron is using microfilm, lead them down the hallways and leave door open for viewing from the desk.

• Please try and keep the desk as neat as possible, so patrons don’t feel they are interrupting you to ask a question

• Please keep the Research Room as neat as is possible—finished collections should be placed on the “To Reshelve” shelf

• You will be responsible for answering the phone, but the patron in the room should come first if they are waiting. The phone can go to voicemail and we can check it later.

• When answering the phone, make sure you fill out a phone request form and pass it along to a librarian when complete.

• When you leave, make sure someone is there to work the desk. Do not leave the desk unattended!
• Never leave patrons unattended. If stepping out for a break or leaving for the day, make sure there is another person to take over your responsibilities!