Library Student Worker Guide: Tech Services guide

Serials

• After the cataloger enters and processes the serials in WorkFlows, serials need to be shelved. Place the newest edition of the journal or newspaper on top and move the older edition under the flap of the serials shelf.
• Old Newspapers need to be placed on their collection shelf.
• When there are a lot of periodicals under the flap of the serials shelf, they need to be put into a file holder and shelved upstairs with the rest of the periodicals.

Stickering and Processing New and Donated Materials

• Once an item has been put into the collection, it will need stickers, stamping, and tattle tape. These items will be found on the processing cart.
• Call number stickers should be placed about an inch from the bottom of the book (there is a measuring tool in the processing box); the call number sticker needs to be covered by a label cover. The corresponding bibliographic sticker must be placed inside the rear cover under the barcode.
• Stamp each book with the Centenary property stamp on the inside of each side of the cover.
•  Finish the processing by adding tattle tap in the spine of the book towards the end of the book.
• Sensitize the book at the front desk and shelve the books in the New Book section or the stacks.

Marking Items for Discard

• These items will be found on the Discard cart in the Tech Services area.
• Mark through all property stamps and barcodes.
• If the item is beyond saving condition-wise, put it in a box for recycling. If it is in good enough condition to go to a new home, put it in a box for the Muses to sell at the annual book sale. The goal is to sell most of the books, but sometimes a book is too far gone.

Mail Pick Up/ Drop Off/Stamping Serials

• Each day the mail will be taken to the post office and picked up by an assigned student worker. This is to ensure that Interlibrary Loans are delivered in a reasonable amount of time.
• Upon pickup, mail will be brought back to the Technical Services Area and split into 4 categories: Periodicals and Magale/archives mail, Learning Commons Mail, IT mail, and mail that doesn’t belong here. Place the mail into the appropriate mail bin in the postal area.

Magale mail must be placed in the red tray for the cataloger to process, and periodicals must be stamped and placed onto the black processing table for the cataloger to check into the system.

Identifying books for Discard

• Multiples. Our library is not large enough to house multiple copies of a book. Pull from the collection the tatty copy or oldest copy if they are in both in good condition.
• Bad condition. If you identify a book where the cover is coming off, the binding is completely ruined or the pages are falling out, please check the book out to Magale Technical Services and place the book in the Cataloging room in the basement. It will then be evaluated by a librarian for repairs or discard.
• Accuracy/ Currency- Is this book severely out of date with inaccurate information?

• Keep in mind the acronym MUSTIE (Misleading, Ugly, Superseded, Trivial, Irrelevant, or Elsewhere (can be obtained). When in doubt, ask a librarian.  

Large Scale Projects

• Often the technical services department will take the lead on large-scale projects that need multiple weeks to accomplish. These often require an all-hands-on-deck approach and learning on the go. The secret to making these projects successful is to ask plenty of questions and be tenacious. Many hands make light work.