Weeding the Reference Collection

The library is currently in the middle of a huge weeding project. This weeding project has been complicated by the loss and gain and then loss again of a Collection Management Librarian. Both the reference and main collections are targets of this weeding. Since I am in the reference department, (though technically I am an Instruction Librarian) I will be taking part in the weeding of the reference collection. We spent the past few weeks discussing the best way to approach weeding the reference collection. A plan was implemented during last week's reference department meeting. We decided that each librarian would weed the section they are liaison to and then the remaining sections would be divided up. I am in charge of weeding the Accounting, Finance and Business Law (I am liaison to this department), Dance and Theater, Philosophy and Religion, Nursing and Information Technology. It adds up to approximately 1,000 titles, and we have until August 1 to get these reviewed.

I started working on this on Friday, and I am currently working on the AFBL section. I have made decisions on approximately 80 titles. It is painfully obvious that this section has NEVER been weeded. I am finding books from the 1920s and 1930s. I am weeding based on how important currency is for the subject, (with AFBL very) and if we have an alternate source for the information somewhere in the collection. I've decided to remove approximately half of the titles I've reviewed thus far.

Reference Questions, 4/8/2011

I am so glad that today is Friday. I may need to make a trek over to Starbucks today. I haven't had one in a while. For now though I am at the reference desk awaiting questions.

1. Sent a document to the print, but it wasn't printing. She didn't let the print assist box calculate the printing cost before hitting accept. Maybe someday student will learn to do that.
2. (Email) A student had put a hold on a database (Econlit) in the catalog. I had to email them and tell them how to access the database
3. Student told computer to print one-sided and it printed double; printing is the bane of our existence here in the ref department
4. Looking for a hole puncher
5. Needed help using the database finder and JSTOR
6. (Chat) Needed help with ILL
7. Looking for a color printer

It was a slow shift until the very end, of course.

Reference Questions, 4/7/2011

The coughing librarian has returned to the reference desk. This lingering congestion is going to make my one and a half hour Prezi class this afternoon fun.

1. Wanted to know how many books she could check out
2. (Phone) Wanted someone to check her APA reference list for errors; we are not supposed to do that, so I had to tell her no
3. Wanted to know where to check out her books
4. Wanted to know where he could fax something

Database Finder is down. Oh the joys of technology.

Reference Questions, 4/6/2011

I'm at the reference desk for a 2 hour shift this afternoon. Here we go again.

1. Student wanted to know how to put page numbers in a Word document
2. Looking for a stapler
3. Wanted to know if we had a folder he could have
4. Looking for hole puncher
5. Wanted to borrow a permanent marker
6. (Email) Was having trouble finding 3 articles; it turned out to be 1 article, 1 book chapter and a book
7. Having trouble printing single sided
8. (Email) From #6: guy had deleted my reply and needed me to re-send it. I guess he could go get it out of his trash folder?
9. Having trouble inserting a header title and page number in a Word document; I had her insert the page number (right aligned) and then type the title right next to the page number and then tab the title over tot he left side of the page
10. Computer was saying the printer was jammed but it wasn't
11. Looking for hole puncher
12. Wanted a piece of paper

And to home I go.

Reference Questions, 4/5/2011

It's Tuesday night on the reference desk and I am starting to feel a little better. I'm so glad. This illness has had me down for nearly a week.

1. (Chat) Question about citing (in APA) a work in an anthology where the anthology and each section of the anthology has different editors
2. Printer in Classroom B was jammed
3. Question about APA in-text citations; he wanted to know where the quotes go
4. Question about creating a journal article reference in APA
5. Wanted to borrow a highlighter
6. Question about creating a journal article reference in APA without a DOI
7. Wanted to know where they could rent laptops
8. Wanted to know how to get to our databases
9. Wanted to know where his print out would go
10. Student is on the Student Advisory Council for the library and was looking for the Privy papers that she is supposed to hang in Young Hall; I told her that I was not aware of any that had been left for her here at the ref desk but that she should check with the front desk because I believe that they sometimes have stacks of them there
11. Wanted to know if something was a magazine or a journal, so he would know how to cite it in APA
12. Looking for headphones
13. Wanted to know what time the reference desk closes
14. Student was looking for a CD, but couldn't find it upstairs; after looking it up in the catalog I discovered that it is at the TRC

This was the night of the APA question. Well, it's not surprising. The semester is winding down and students are working on final projects. Final projects that must be cited in APA format.

Reference Questions, 4/2/2011

I have been out 3 days this week with tonsillitis. I'm not entirely sure that I should be here today. I feel better than I did, but that isn't saying much. Well, it's Saturday so hopefully it will be a slow day, unfortunately I'm on the desk for 6 hours.

1. Needed a guest login
2. Wanted to sign up for the APA workshop tomorrow; I told her she couldn't sign up until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow
3. Looking for the restroom
4. Wanted to know if she could put card stock paper in one of the printers; no
5. Looking for reserves
6. Said that there was a paper jam is BW3; there wasn't, the computer told her there was and it's not always right
7. Looking for the restroom
8. Needed help with a table in Word
9. Looking for an article in the January edition of Lancet; I found it and emailed it to him
10. A patron that was logged in as lib-public did not have any printers installed (I really do not understand why they cannot fix this.)
11. Wanted to know if the bookstore was open today
12. The headphone box was empty
13. Student wanted to know if I knew what the group was called that were hired to "de-stress" employees; she thought that they were called human resources
14. Looking for books on underage drinking
15. Said that there was a paper jam is BW5; there wasn't, the computer told her there was and it's not always right
16. Wanted to know what time we close tonight
17.  Wanted to know where to find a book but didn't write down the entire call number and couldn't remember what the name of the book was

It was so very dead in the library today. There were very few students, and even fewer "reference" questions. No complaints here though. I got what I wished for. I just wish the time could have moved quicker.

Reference Questions, 3/29/2011

It's reference desk time once again. I'm taking all questions tonight, including questions about Cityville.

1. Looking for a book that is in Special Collections; must get permission from the archivist to see it
2. Needed a guest login
3. Wanted to borrow a pen
4. Looking for a fax machine
5. Wanted to know if I had any note cards she could have
6. Was having trouble playing a DVD on the computer; the computer was acting strange, it wouldn't let her access her H drive so I told her to restart the computer and try it again
7. Looking for company financials for Airbus SAS; this is an international company so the databases we have did not have the info she was looking for. She was able to search using Google and found what she needed that way
8. Wanted to know if I had change for a $20
9. Having trouble printing; she wasn't waiting on the Print Assist to finish calculating before she hit print
10. Wanted to know how to print in color
11. Wanted to know how to print on both sides of the paper

Another one down.