Circulation Student Guide

Welcome to the Golden Library Circulation Team! We are excited to have you join us. This guide has been created to help you through your training and answer any questions you may have. In addition, you are encouraged to ask you supervisor to clarify any topic you may be unsure about.

Circulation is often the first point of contact for patrons using the library. Their interaction with Circulation employees will determine how they view the library. While checking material in and out an essential function, circulation is much more. Circulation workers maintain the library's collection through shelving returned material, shelf reading to ensure items are in their proper location and easy for patrons to locate. 

Additionally, Circulation workers assist students locating Course Reserves and Textbook Reserves. Both of these are located one the shelves between Circulation and Reference. Circulation workers process new reserve request and makes sure students know the check out limits of each item.

When assigned to work the desk, you are expected to be willing to help all patrons. You should be alert and actively looking around so that patrons know you are approachable. It is REQUIRED that you stop what you are doing to assist patrons at the counter before continuing with your previous duties or homework. If someone needs help finding an item, location, or staff member at the GSSC, make sure that you take the patron there or get someone to take them. Do not point them in the general direction, this may make the patron feel you are not interested in helping them. If they need help locating a building on campus, take them to The Cube and show them how to use the campus map feature to locate the desired building

• Perform a patron headcount every hour of patrons using the library’s services (i.e. study areas, circulation, stacks, etc.). After 8:00 PM perform patron headcount of everyone in the GSSC. 
• All student workers are assigned shelf reading. Shelf reading is a required part of you job, and must be done. Work through each assigned call number before moving on to the next call number. Students are expected to have all their shelf reading areas done by the end of the semester.
  • Example: Peter has been assigned to shelf read sections "A" and "G," so Peter needs to shelf read all of "A", then "G." When he is done with "G" then Peter starts back shelf reading "A."
• Log all of your shelf reading in the green binder. 
• Students may work on homework only if all their other assigned duties have been completed. If you need to complete a test, please contact your supervisor. We would rather help you cover the desk than for you to not do the best you can on the test.
• Opening student workers will perform the following tasks along with any request from Reference staff.
  • Turn on all the Circulation desk computers if they are not already on.
  • Process all items for shelving (book drop at the desk, and any in-house books collected the previous evening).
  • Walk through the collection stacks and study areas for any trash or debris.
• Closing student employees will perform the following tasks along with any requested by the Reference Librarian.
  • Building check: do a final count of all the people as you do the building check to make sure everyone leaves.
  • Collect all the In-house books for shelving that remain in the white crates. These will be processed the next morning by opening employees.

All student workers are a vital part of the Golden Library. In an effort to recognize the exceptional work of our student workers we will be posting Shout-outs to student who have been witnessed going above and beyond to complete their work, their service to patrons, or being a positive representation  of the Golden Library, GSSC, or ENMU.

To recommend a fellow employee contact Steve Yeager of Charles Reader.