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Blueprints: Falvey LibraryContents: September 1999
Circulation Department Serves Library Users in Many Ways
What if the book I need is charged out to someone else? How can I get a list of the books charged out to me? Can I use my WildCard to pay a library fine? These and other questions relating to the management of Falvey's circulating book collection are handled by the Circulation department. Last year the Circulation department processed nearly 200,000 transactions, and the shelvers maintained over eight miles of shelves in the main stacks. The Falvey Library main entrance door count for the 1998-1999 academic year was 430,834!
During the fall and spring semesters, the circulation desk is staffed 100 hours per week. A complete description of library hours, circulation policies and electronic request forms is available on the Library homepage (www.library.villanova.edu). You can view your own library record by visiting this site and selecting Patron Record. A University WildCard is needed for entrance to the Library on evenings and weekends, to charge out circulating and reserve room materials and to access some subscription databases and indexes. The Circulation department, located at the entrance to Falvey Library, is composed of three full-time staff members and 25 part-time staff members, including circulation supervisor Luisa Cywinski, evening circulation supervisors Kevin Maguire and Joseph McDonnell, circulation technician Domenick Liberato, and head of Access Services, Merrill Stein.
Luisa is responsible for detailed patron record maintenance, billing related procedures, and student supervision. Domenick is responsible for completing holds and recalls on material not immediately available from the circulating collection, and Kevin attends to evening supervision duties and courtesy card services. The Circulation department utilizes email to notify patrons of books being held for them, courtesy reminders for items with approaching due dates, and overdue notices. Recently, in response to faculty research needs, due dates for faculty were revised from rolling due dates to biannual due dates of April and December. To ease the transition to this process, many faculty already have materials renewed until April 5, 2000, when the policy officially begins. Faculty can also designate, in writing or email, a proxy borrower, such as a graduate assistant, to charge out books for them. Villanova faculty benefit from Falvey Library's membership in PALCI, the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.,which enables them to borrow books directly from some 28 local PALCI college and university libraries. (Forms are available at the circulation desk.) If you need to return books to the library after hours, you can use a book drop at the front door or pre-addressed campus mailers, which are available to any office upon request, to return books through campus mail. Another popular circulation service allows you to recall items already checked out to another patron. The recall form is available from the Library homepage (Request Forms) or you can obtain one in-person at the circulation desk. The Circulation department also works closely with Falvey's Systems department, the Bursar's Office and UNIT to plan and enact interrelated University policies and services, such as those pertaining to patron records, transfers of debits and credits, and network services. The Circulation department is often the first contact a library patron will have with Falvey Library, and one of our strengths is a dedicated and knowledgeable staff. Call (610) 519-4271 to contact the Circulation department. This article continues the series highlighting the functions, activities and staff of the departments of Falvey Library.
New St. Augustine Encyclopedia Presented at "Falvey Faculty Book Talk"
This collection of definitive articles makes this an indispensable reference work. It is the first effort ever to bring together the life, thought and impact of Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) into one source.
The Rev. Arthur Chappell, O.S.A., chair of Villanova's theology and religious studies department, commented on the significance of this work and its importance to the heritage and goals of Villanova University.
New Faces, New Places
Darren has found Villanova's academic community to be both stimulating and exciting, and appreciates the warm welcome extended to him by the library staff. He and his wife, Beth, have three children.
His contributions were recognized by the Falvey staff at a retirement reception held in his honor on July 28. Falvey Library wishes him a happy and fulfilling "second" retirement! In August, Anne Ford accepted a position as part-time library assistant in Interlibrary Loan, assuming the duties previously managed by Dan Donohue. These include processing interlibrary loan requests and related records maintenance. Anne joined Falvey Library in March as a shelver. Anne holds a bachelor 's degree in theology from St. Joseph's University.
Information Literacy: First Year Students Begin Their Enhanced Quest
Launched during the 1998-99 academic year, Quest is a two-tiered program of information literacy developed for our first year students by the librarians of Falvey Library in close collaboration with the faculty of the Core Humanities Seminar program. The two parts of the program consist of Quest, a self-paced, online tutorial that provides our first year students with a basic orientation to Falvey Library and introduces them to simple search skills; and Quest Strategies, a practical, hands-on workshop presenting more sophisticated searching and evaluation techniques. Last year, the Quest tutorial was administered during the fall semester, followed by Quest Strategies in the spring. In May, the Information Literacy committee composed of Falvey librarians and Core Humanities faculty met to evaluate Quest and plan its future implementation. The faculty expressed their desire that the program continue, but felt strongly that both components should be offered during the fall semester. They recognized how urgent it is that first-year students be given as early as possible the vital information gathering and evaluation skills that they will need. In addition, the central role that Falvey Library will play in their academic careers, as well as the wealth of information beyond its walls, will be impressed upon first year students by bringing them into the library in the fall semester for the hands-on Quest Strategies sessions. One of the enhancements to the Quest tutorial for this semester is an essay question for first year students to answer. Each professor can individualize this question in light of readings and discussions going on in his or her class. Professors will also have seven modules to choose from when signing up their classes for Quest Strategies. These include rhetoric in the classical world, the parables of Jesus, St. Augustine on free will and determinism, the theme of pilgrimage in Chaucer, performing Shakespeare, Descartes' philosophy of knowing, and women's education as seen through the eyes of writers. Faculty may select the module most suited to the readings being presented in their seminar at the time their students participate in Quest Strategies. Students will practice information seeking skills in the following databases: ATLA Religion Index, MLA Bibliography, and Humanities Index. In addition, they will examine a World Wide Web site on the sample topic and rate the quality of its content. The librarians at Falvey and the faculty of Core Humanities are pleased that their collaborative efforts have resulted in such an innovative and practical program to offer our first year students. Members of the information literacy committee are Earl Bader, David Burke, John Doody, Michael Foight, Peter Glomset, Louise Green, Marylu Hill, Kevin Hughes, Susan Markley, Judy Olsen, Gaile Pohlhaus, Barbara Quintiliano, Lauren Shohet and Merrill Stein. Barbara Quintiliano is Information Literacy coordinator and Reference librarian. She also serves as the chairperson of the Information Literacy committee.
New Staff Council Opens Lines of Communication
Falvey Library is open almost 100 hours each week, and many of the 60 support staff members work evenings and weekends and are part time. Communicating easily across department lines and with the administration became difficult. Last fall a task force was charged by Dr. James Mullins, University librarian, to improve communication. With the assistance of Terry Welford, director of Professional Development with the Office of Planning and Institutional Research, the task force determined the focus of this newly formed Falvey Staff Council to gather and transmit information to and from the library director and the staff and increasing ways to communicate among staff members themselves. It was felt that more interaction, participation and input by the Falvey staff would improve the overall environment of the library, in direct support of the Library's mission.
The major function of these council members will be to organize and facilitate small group meetings with the rest of the staff. Several times during each semester, eight employees will be invited to gather for about one hour. Meetings will be held mornings, afternoons and occasionally on weekends to include those workers with non-standard schedules. The task force believes that these meetings will give more depth and interest to library positions and afford opportunities for all employees to meet their co-workers. These small group meetings in a casual atmosphere, or "Falvey Forums," will heighten collegiality and camaraderie among the staff. The first Falvey Forum will be held Sept. 15. At these forums, two council members will facilitate a discussion on a specific topic, such as continuing education or staff recognition. Other topics will originate from these forum discussions and from the director's office. The involvement of the staff will broaden their knowledge of other library positions and departments, as well as improve their knowledge of the workings of the library. The Falvey Staff Council and its Falvey Forums will involve the entire support staff, giving them a permanent vehicle for communication with the director and each other. The Council members will meet regularly with Dr. Mullins to discuss the needs, comments, ideas and suggestions of the staff. The Falvey Staff Council hopes to promote professionalism among our coworkers and superior service for our patrons as we enter the new millennium. Natalie Tomasco is serials technician and chair of the Staff Council.
Improved Access to CD-ROM Databases; Historical Newspapers; Homepage Enhancements
(Falvey Library homepage:(www.library.villanova.edu) With the cooperation of Dan McGee and the efforts of John Murphy of UNIT, some of Falvey Library's more important CD-ROM databases are now available remotely. Catholic Periodicals and Literature Index, Census CD + Maps, Comindex, Philosopher's Index and Science Citation Index are available on office, dormitory, and laboratory PCs. At the Start button select "Network Applications," then VUNET, then Library. For questions about searching the CDs call Reference at ext. 94273 (or 610.519.4273). If you are unable to get to VUNET and the Library folder, please call UNIT 's help desk at ext. 97777. Web access is now available to the full text African American Newspapers: The 19th Century, The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1800, and The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective. They may be found under "E-Resources by Subject: History"or "Political Science." African American Newspapers is also under Africana Studies. They will be under the A- Z list of databases as well. Some changes have been made to Falvey's homepage. "How Do I...?" answers frequently asked questions on printing, downloading, e-mailing, searching databases from off-campus, etc. If there's a question that you have that would be of general interest, please call Reference at ext. 94273 or send email to falvey-reference. Your question will be considered for inclusion. At "Patron Record" you can check to see when your books are due, any fines you might have, etc. Under the category "VUCAT & Other Catalogs," click on "Other Catalogs" to link to area libraries and to WorldCat. There is no longer a link labeled FirstSearch because by just going to FirstSearch many users miss better or more appropriate databases listed on the various E-Resources by Subject pages. Access to the individual FirstSearch databases is still available on the subject pages. Louise Green is Assistant Director for Public Services and head of the Reference department.
Also contributing to this issue of Blueprints: Donna Chadderton, James Mullins, Jacqueline Smith, and Judith Olsen. Photographs and graphics provided by Bernadette Dierkes and Steven Dixon, IMS department. |
Mary Heyman, Natalie
Tomasco, Domenick Liberato,