Shelver/Page Managers Meeting
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Roselle Public Library
The meeting was called to order at 9:37 am by Christy Snyders of Roselle who agreed to chair the meeting.
Appointment of Secretary
No secretary was appointed for the group. Lisel Ulaszek of Geneva Public Library District agreed to take minutes for today’s meeting.
Introduction of Attendees
Aurora Public library—Phyllis Lia
Bartlett Public Library—Dina Castelvecchi and Mary Prohaska
Carol Stream Public Library—Donna Donchenko
Geneva Public Library—Lisel Ulaszek
Glen Ellyn Public Library—Lee Birnnbaum and Terri Carmody
Glenside Public Library—Lucia Economos
Itasca Public Library—Nick Ayala
Roselle Public Library—Christy Snyders
St. Charles Public Library—Christine Lees
Villa Park Public Library—Jean Jansen and Jan Wernette
Wheaton Public Library—Phyllis Borus and Ann Barnfield
Training Shelvers
There is a shelving page located at XGVCircManagers.webs.com. This page includes minutes from the group’s meetings, a contact list and agendas. Shelver/Page training manuals will also be shared here as well as any other documents the group might find helpful (shelf reading sheets, training checklists for new Shelvers, etc.) If you have documents you’d like to share with the group, please send them to .
Roselle Public Library—Has a training manual that includes where to find collections, how to shelve by Dewey, special labels on materials and what they mean, expectations of pages (especially since it’s often the first job for many of them.) The staff stresses the importance of Shelvers to the Library. There’s a head page that shows new hires the ropes. The manager feels it’s important for new hires to train with more seasoned shelvers/pages.
Wheaton Public Library—The Library has a new director, so everything is changing. They are looking for ideas on how to improve their training of Shelvers. Currently, one person (the Circulation Supervisor,) trains new Shelvers. It takes a week to 10 days to train a new hire.
Aurora Public Library—They are looking to create a new manual or update their current one as the one they currently use is too detailed and too long. Phyllis feels that Shelvers are often overwhelmed by the information contained within it. She’s still unclear on some of the shelving rules herself—for example, how to shelve authors with hyphenated names. She’s interested in creating some follow-up training for Shelvers and finding more consistency in shelving items as materials are shelved differently depending on the department.
Itasca Public Library—Nick is a new supervisor. They don’t currently have a training manual. They have two pages who shelve materials for the entire library.
Glen Ellyn Public Library—Has a constantly changing training manual as changes are often occurring to collections or how items are shelved. They train new Shelvers over the course of several weeks, training them section by section and across departments. Glen Ellyn also has differences in how materials are shelved in Adult Services vs. Youth Services. They follow-up after three months with new hires, having them order materials on a cart, shelve them, and then have these materials checked to confirm accuracy in shelving.
Villa Park Public Library—A small library with three pages in Adult Services, one of whom has thirty years of experience! They have two adults and one college student shelving for them. The staff is constantly updating the training manual. They have an initial meeting with new hires at which the new page signs a document afterward that acknowledges that they understand the expectations (examples: no mini-skirts, etc.) The supervisors try to give new pages concrete (and sometimes funny,) examples of what not to do so that they are memorable. They try to have new pages shadow more experienced pages, but this is often hard to do. The Library utilizes separate pages in Adult Services and Youth Services. Each department also has its own shelving manual.
Geneva Public Library—There are two different supervisors for Shelvers at the library—one in Adult Services and one in Youth Services. Shelvers work solely in one department or the other. Youth Services Shelvers have a manual and the supervisors administers a written and cart (materials) test to all potential Shelver candidates which helps her select the best candidates. On a YS Shelver’s first day, the supervisor gives the new Shelver a tour of the Youth Services Department, pointing out the varying collections, service desks and introducing them to staff. She also provides a behind the scenes tour of the other departments of the Library (Circulation, Adult Services, Administration and Technical Services,) explaining the role of each and helping Shelvers to understand how materials are ordered, received, processed and arrive on shelf. Expectations are discussed and each new Shelver reads the Youth Services Shelver manual. New hires are usually paired with a more seasoned YS Shelver when possible and the supervisor has them follow a training schedule where collections are learned one by one and shelving is done (leaving colored slips sticking out of items that the new Shelver has shelved,) and then checked by the seasoned shelver or supervisor to ensure accuracy and also understanding. New Shelvers are also expected to read the Library’s Personnel Manual, Service Manual and Emergency Manual over the course of their first 30 days.
Carol Stream—Donna Dechenko shared the extensive training checklists that are used at her library to train new Shelvers. This allows her to note what each new Shelver has been trained on including dress code, breaks, etc. She has a separate checklist for shelving that reviews the varying labels Shelvers need to be familiar with, collections, etc. All new Shelvers receive a tour of the Library on their first day. Shelvers shelve four different carts of materials including: A/V, Adult, Younger Kids (EY) and Older Kids (JV). This works well for the Library. Donna has moved away from hiring high school kids as they take a long time to train and often don’t’ stay very long. Most of her Shelvers are college kids or seniors. All Shelvers also have assigned areas to shelf read and she checks their shelf reading sheets to ensure they’re regularly doing this. Shelvers receive a performance review once a year. Any supervisor can check training items off on a new Shelver’s checklist.
Glenside Public Library—Does not currently have a training manual for pages. They have six regular pages, four of whom have been there between six and ten years. When changes have occurred in the Library, the supervisor has “field trips” where she takes them to show them the changes or new things (new collections, etc.) All pages have assigned shelf reading and sign off on what they’ve done and where.
Bartlett Public Library—There is no training manual for Shelvers, just an employee manual. Shelvers shelve throughout the Library and usually train with another Shelver. All the Shelvers are seniors in high school or are in college. Each shelving candidate takes a written test and has two interviews before they’re hired.
St. Charles Public Library—Christine has invested significant time in training shelvers. New Shelvers work a three hour shift for seven shifts while training. The Library has 25 Shelvers, many of whom are adults, and one high school senior. Christine has found it hard to hire high school students because they don’t have the flexibility to work all the varying hours that they need to cover. All new hires read the employee manual and sign-off that they have read and understand it. Shelvers shelve all over the Library (i.e.: in Adult Services and Youth Services.) They are expected to accomplish 15 minutes of shelf reading per shift. Shelvers have assigned shelf reading in Adult Services and also do rolling shelf reading in Youth Services. Shelvers shelf read an entire area in YS every two months. New Shelvers get a feedback survey asking them if there are any shelving concepts they’re confused on, etc. Shelvers also perform cart tests where they test each other by checking books out and back in, working with another Shelver to learn from each other. These shelving cart tests are performed three times a year and are very helpful to the supervisor when writing evaluations for Shelvers. A written test is given during the hiring process of new Shelvers. Shelvers also shelf read 5 books to either side of an item as they’re shelving it. Every Shelver is allowed four extra hours per month to come in and do additional shelf reading. The four hours isn’t always lumped together. The supervisor has found this very helpful to keeping collections ordered. They also budget two extra hours per week for summer shelving.
Aurora Public Library—Has rolling shelf reading as well as targeted shelf reading. Targeted shelf reading tends to focus on problematic areas for them such as popular materials, Spanish collection, etc. which are frequently used by patrons.
Training Aids
Aurora Public Library—Found a Powerpoint online that explains Dewey to Shelvers. They will share the link to this as they’ve found it very helpful. This link will also be shared on our Shelving page.
Probationary Period
Roselle—90 days for new Shelvers. They are interested in adding a test at the end of the probationary period.
St. Charles Public Library—90 Days
Glen Ellyn—90 days
Aurora—Sometimes has current Shelvers revisit the cart test after hiring new ones. This helps the supervisor to ensure that Shelvers are catching all labels plus any changes that may be going on in the branches, etc.
Other Business
Concerns About Employees
Aurora Public Library—Raised the concern of how to deal with Shelvers who have an “attitude”. They have a newly hired Shelver who continually states “I know that, I’ve been shown that,” or “I shelved that correctly. Someone must have come along and moved it.” This Shelver’s attitude is raising the hackles of the other three Shelvers who work well together. They’ve also discovered that this Shelver is chatting too much and not putting a lot away, particularly when the supervisor isn’t around. Other supervisors present at the meeting suggested the following solutions: 1. The Shelver needs to know who’s in charge when his/her supervisor isn’t there. 2. A direct discussion with the Shelver needs to take place stating that the supervisor has noticed specific tasks that haven’t gotten done and then asking the Shelver why these tasks weren’t accomplished. The Shelver also needs to be reminded that he/she needs to tell the in charge person when they’re going on break so that this time can be tracked. 3. Some type of “markers” need to be used in the items that the Shelver is shelving so that his/her shelving can easily be checked. Also need to look at carts before they’re shelved and then again at the end of the shift to get an idea of the quantity that’s being shelved.
Testing New Shelvers/Seasoned Shelvers
St. Charles Public Library—New Shelvers shelve spine-up so that supervisor or a more seasoned Shelver can check what has been shelved. The supervisor has two Shelvers test each other. They take an existing cart of materials, check everything on it out to an in-house card created for this purpose, print out a list of the items after they’re checked out and then shelve. One Shelver shelves the items all spine up, then lets the second Shelver know when they’re done so they can check the items. The list of items shelved goes into the supervisor’s mailbox after checking all items on shelf and then going into Sirsi and checking each item back in. This is meaningful work (the materials already needed to be shelved and they’re not creating additional work for Shelvers.) Shelvers are expected to have a full cart of materials put away in 1.25 hours with 98% shelving accuracy. Evaluation of all Shelvers takes place three times per year. Used to have three meetings/year for Shelvers. Circulation meets once a month and now Shelvers attend the Circ monthly meetings instead of three separate meetings. These meetings are
Testing New Shelvers/Seasoned Shelvers (cont’d):
held on different days and times. Attending the Circ meetings has helped Shelvers with communication and made them feel part of the team.
Aurora Public Library—Tests Shelvers about shelving rules/concepts—example: Why do we open books before shelving them? This makes it a learning experience for everyone and a good review for all. Shelvers are met with on an individual basis as well as in groups when they’re scheduled to work. They do not have money for separate Shelver meetings.
Geneva Public Library—Has two meetings per year for all Shelvers including year-round and seasonal staff. These meetings are held in winter and summer. They also have a staff Intranet and changes in shelving, procedure, etc. are often communicated through this avenue.
Roselle Public Library—Tests new Shelvers without being obvious. Has new Shelvers shelve spine up and writes down everything on the cart which is time consuming. Once a month a senior page puts out a shelving update that includes info on which collections are tight, where shelf order has been problematic, etc. This monthly report also helps spur selectors into weeding their collections.
Future Meetings
The group decided it only needs to meet twice a year.
Election of Chairperson
It was suggested that Nick from Itasca Public Library act as the group’s chairperson, putting together agendas for the meetings and running the meetings. Nick was elected unanimously by the group.
Around the Table (What’s Going on at Libraries)