Revised WE 2013-05-29 13:45 EST Created SA 2004-07-10 Lesson 07. Shelf Straightening / Bringing...

Revised WE 2013-05-29 13:45 EST Created SA 2004-07-10

Lesson 07. Shelf Straightening / Bringing Learners and Library Skills Together Copyright © 2003-2013 by A. David Roth | Evansdale Library, West Virginia University 1\40

Lesson 07

Shelf Straightening



Please go to Full Screen mode now(Click your right mouse button, select “Full Screen” from the menu)



Quick Contents

What is shelf reading…………...…….…16

Shelf straightening procedure………….24

Total slides: 40



So many research items in our library collections …



How can these resources be organized, so they are accessible to people?



One way is to keep them in straight, visual order on the

shelves



An ordered appearance helps to bring people in touch with

the information they need



Lesson 07Shelf Straightening

A Self-Paced Module in the Instructional Project Bringing Learners and Library Skills Together: Using Computer-Based Instruction for Training Employees at a University Research Library



Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Will DeMoss, who made many of the images and contributed much of the content for this lesson



Contents of this lesson

Review of past learning

Learning Objectives

Fundamentals of Shelf Straightening

Recap and a look ahead

Your response to the lesson



Review of past learning

In Lesson 06, you learned the fundamentals about how to do a comprehensive retrieval of all un-shelved stacks items from all floors



Where you are in the instructional sequenceGeneral Context of Student Assistant Library WorkL1 Your Learning Experience as a Student Library Assistant in Circulation Services at Evansdale Library / Assess / DiscussL2 Performance Expectations for Student Assistants / Assess / Discuss L3 Library Resources / Assess / Discuss

Maintaining the Integrity of the Physical CollectionsL4 A Virtual Tour of the Library / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 1 / Assess / DiscussL5 Call Number Classification / Assess / Discuss / LC Easy / Task Perf. 2 / Assess / DiscussL6 Retrieving Stacks Items / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 3 / Assess / DiscussL7 Straightening Shelves of Items / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 4 / Assess / DiscussL8 Shelving Items / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 5 / Assess / DiscussL9 Visually Scanning Items for Call Number Consistency / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 6 / Assess / DiscussL10 Physical Item Searches / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 7 / Assess / DiscussL11 Reconfiguring the Collections / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 8 / Assess / Discuss

Public Service and System FunctionsL12 What’s What behind the Circulation Desk / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 9 / Assess / DiscussL13 Standard Operations at the Circulation Desk / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 10 / Assess / DiscussL14 Introduction to the Endeavor Voyager System / Assess / DiscussL15 Voyager Circulation Module: Interface and Patron Records / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 11 / Assess / DiscussL16 Voyager Circulation Module: Discharging Items / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 12 / Assess / DiscussL17 Voyager Circulation Module: Charging Items / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 13 / Assess / DiscussL18 Voyager Circulation Module: Item Records / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 14 / Assess / DiscussL19 Course Reserves / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 15 / Assess / DiscussL20 Using the Wireless Laptop Computers, CD Players, and Associated Equipment / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 16 / Assess / DiscussL21 Using the Pharos System Print Controller, Printers, Copiers, Digital Sender, and Value-Add Service Machine / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf.

17 / Assess / DiscussL22 Using the MountainLynx Electronic Catalog / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 18 / Assess / DiscussL23 Supervising the Use of the Electronic Classroom Computers / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 19 / Assess / DiscussL24 How to Help Library Users / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 20 / Assess / DiscussL25 Working with Microform and Government Documents / Assess / Discuss / Task Perf. 21 / Assess / Discuss



Learning Objectives for this lesson

To provide an introduction to the shelf straightening procedure



After experiencing this lesson, you will…

Have a basic understanding of the procedure of straightening shelves of itemsKnow why this is an important function



Sections of Lesson 07

This lesson has two (2) sections:

§7.1 What is shelf straightening and why is it important?

§7.2 The shelf straightening procedure

Ok, let’s begin …



§7.1

What is shelf straightening and why is it important?



What is shelf straightening?

A library, like any other institution or repository, needs a way to rationally organize its holdings

How to deal with thousands, if not millions of physical materials in an ever expanding collection in such a way that any one item can be easily found on a shelf?



What is shelf straightening? (2/5)

When library users peruse our physical collections, they may leave many shelves of items askewBooks may be left piled at the end of a shelf or on the floorBookends may slide out and books may fall over or drop behind the shelfShelves in such disarray make it more difficult for a library user to locate a needed item




When you are shelf straightening, you are placing the items back in physical order and giving the whole area an organized appearanceIf there are books laying at the end of the shelf or on the ground, collect those books and place them visibly on a table so that they will be picked up during one of our regular stacks retrievals; don’t reshelveIf a book has fallen behind the shelf, re-shelf it in its correct call number location




When you shelf straighten, you literally straighten up each shelf or row of physical items

You ensure that the bookend is snug against the end book and positioned to hold the row of books upright

If the bookend is too short for the task, get a larger replacement

Please note that shelf straightening is not the same as shelf reading (a more stringent and rigorous process of checking every single call-numbered item)

Instead, you are simply straightening up a contiguous block (a shelf) of physical items




When you have placed the books on a shelf in a straight row, “front” the books so that their spines are all in alignment with the front lip of the shelf

A section of our collections that has been straightened should have a pleasing appearance, affording visible access to our materials



Why straighten shelves?

We engage in the labor-intensive work of straightening the shelves of our items in all of our physical collections because this activity supports the first of our two primary objectives of Access Services: To maintain the integrity of and access to the various library

collections



Why straighten shelves? (2/2)

Done as a regular and organized activity, shelf straightening promotes effective access to our physical collections by library users

Picture yourself as a library user, trying to find a much needed item in the stacks to help you complete an academic project

Wouldn’t you want the stacks to be in presentable order, so that you can easily find a particular call number?



§7.2

The Shelf Straightening Procedure



Shelf Straightening Procedure

The first step in shelf straightening is the same first step as any other task performed here at the library

You sign out on the Daily Tasks Completed sheet, which is on a clipboard on the Music CD cabinets behind the Service Desk

Shelf Straightening Procedure (2/14)

You write your name, the time you leave, and the task (Shelf Straightening), indicating with an arrow which floor you will be on






Next, go to the “Stacks Assignment Log,” located near the Daily Tasks Completed clipboard on the Music CD cabinets

This blue binder is a log book of various student tasks undertaken in the stacks at the library




Open the binder to the very last sections in the back to find the shelf straightening assignment sheets

There is one section for the ground floor (pink sheets) and one section for the second floor (green sheets)

There are columns for the assignment date, name of straightener, and the call number where each person left off




On the next available line, write the date and your nameGo to the last entry and copy down (on a piece of paper) the call number where that person left offIn this case it would be LC 1752 .S65 1985Make sure to always have a piece of paper and writing utensil to write down where you left off




Go to the physical location in the stacksThe call number was LC 1752 .S65 1985This means you will be downstairs, on the ground floorFind the area to begin straightening by looking at the range cards at the end of each range sideAlso note the direction of the call number flow in the stacks, so you will know which direction to be moving as you straighten




In this example, the last shelf straightener has left off with the end of a range side, since the call number also defines the end of that range sideYou should start your straightening on the very next side, remembering that the call numbers wrap around the shelvesOnce you find out where the last person left off, you can start the straightening process




When shelves of books are in disarray, it can be difficult to find the book that you needImagine looking on this shelf!

Therefore, to keep our physical collections easy to read, we straighten all the books on the shelves in order to make finding a certain book a quick and orderly procedure This task is not shelf reading, which you will learn about in Lesson 09; we are not actually checking each call number in this task




Straightening the shelves may seem like a very labor-intensive task, but when put into a few simple steps, arranging the most disorganized shelf becomes possibleWhen you come upon your first shelf to be straightened … Put all of the books in a loose standing order by pushing the book end toward the beginning of the shelf, sliding the book end from right to left




The books on that shelf are pushed into a vertical position

Once the books are in an upright position, pull all of the books out past the edge of the shelf, so that they are hanging off of the edge




Then, using your fingertips, push each book to the front edge or ”lip” of the shelf

This is called “fronting”




Now all of the books will be pushed together and flush with the edge of the shelf




With all the books pushed together and flush against the edge of the shelf, patrons can now see every book title and call number on the spine of each item on every shelf

Shelf straightened stacks have a more organized appearance as well as making it easier to find individual items among our collections




After your assigned time for shelf straightening is up, complete the last steps of the shelf straightening process: Make sure to write down the call number that you ended

with Then bring that information back to the Service Desk area

and write it beside your name in the Stacks Assignment Log so the next student will know where to start

Finally, last but not least, sign back in on the Daily Tasks Completed log sheet



Recap and a look ahead

You have now been introduced to the basics of shelf straightening

In Lesson 08, you will learn the correct procedure for shelving items



Response to Lesson 07

Thank you for your participation in experiencing lesson 07

Please access the online response form to report on your learning experience

Then report to a staff member to do Task Performance 4

http://libguides.wvu.edu/survey.php?survey_id=7777

Revised WE 2013-05-29 13:45 EST Created SA 2004-07-10 Lesson 07. Shelf Straightening / Bringing...

Documents

Transcript of Revised WE 2013-05-29 13:45 EST Created SA 2004-07-10 Lesson 07. Shelf Straightening / Bringing...