Procedure for reference and periodical materials

Now that the periodicals and reference sections have been moved back to their home on the first floor, students cannot easily browse the collection.  Please read the instructions below carefully so that you understand the procedures for students needing to access materials in these collections.  

At the bottom, you will also see pictures of the new request slips that you will need in the evening.  The purple slips are for materials being pulled from the periodical/reference collection and the green slips are for materials to be pulled from offsite. These slips will be store at the circulation desk.

If someone knows what they want (i.e. a particular reference book by call number or periodical title by volume/date):

-          During the regular Monday-Friday 8-5 hours please call Periodicals at x9867 (Sandy) or x9868 (me) to let us know if someone wants something from the closed stacks and we’ll retrieve it for them and bring the item to the circulation desk. There’s a shelf that we use for offsite item pick-ups. We’ll use that same area for items from the current periodicals/reference stacks for pick-up as well.

-          During the 5pm-8pm hours on Monday-Thursday and Sundays from 4pm-8pm we will have a student working. Please call x9867 to let them know what item they need to retrieve. They’ll pull it and put it on the Circulation shelf that I mentioned above for pick-up by the requester.

-          After 8pm on Monday-Thursday, after 5pm Fridays and the weekend times not covered by our student, please fill out the purple form that says “Patron Request for Current Periodical/Reference” and we’ll retrieve the item the next day and notify the requester through email and/or phone call. [I’ve attached the form should you want to see what information we need.]

If someone would like to browse the stacks (either periodicals or reference):

-          During Monday – Friday 8am-5pm please call Sandy, Jodie, or myself to go to the desk and we’ll walk the patron to the closed stacks. [Sending them to Circ from reference and then having Circ notify us or have to leave their area really isn’t efficient for anyone and will probably frustrate the patron.]

-          During  5pm-8pm Monday-Thursday and Sunday 4pm-8pm, call Periodicals and our student will come to the desk (either reference or circ) and walk them to the closed stacks.

-          All other times, it’s really to the discretion of the person at the desk. They can either take the patron to the closed stacks themselves or ask them to come back at a time where we have additional staff that can help them with their searching. I plan to update the brochures of available print periodicals soon.

-          In all cases, whoever takes the patron to the closed stacks must stay with them to help them with any questions and lead them out of the area.