FREE ICE CREAM?????????????????????????

In appreciation for the efforts of our great student employees, the Library's Annual Great 'CHILL OUT' is Tuesday, May 4th! in the courtyard from 1-230pm - Make sure to bring your appetite!!! Everyone's welcome to come make their own SUNDAES!!! with 'real' ice cream, sugar-free or gluten-free ice cream, or sorbet! The line forms behind Dan.

15 minute rule...

In order to ensure that we are available to help the most patrons possible, remember that we can spend only a limited amount of time with any one individual. If addressing a help request approaches 15 minutes, inform the patron there is a 15 minute limit and that your supervisor will help them further. Our number 1 priority is ensuring there is access to quality help and information given the large numbers of patrons we see over the course of a day or night. Thank you, and keep up the great work!!

1 MORE WEEK OF CLASSES TO GO!!!!

GOOGLE IN THE NEWS AGAIN

Cyberattack on Google Said to Hit Password System......

Ever since Google disclosed in January that Internet intruders had stolen information from its computers, the exact nature and extent of the theft has been a closely guarded company secret. But a person with direct knowledge of the investigation now says that the losses included one of Google’s crown jewels, a password system that controls access by millions of users worldwide to almost all of the company’s Web services, including e-mail and business applications.

See article in the New York Times.

FOUNDER'S DAY!!!

Don't forget to register for the Founder's Day "Celebrate UMass" cookout to be held this Thursday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Goodell Lawn, this year's campus appreciation event. Come enjoy a free meal provided by our very own award-winning Dining Services.
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Stay for the entertainment, including a carillon at the Chapel and a performance by the student group Wicked Pitch A Capella, and then play a round of miniature golf, hosted at the Campus Pond by the Alumni Association and the Student Alumni Association. Cheer on some of our coaches, along with Sam the Minuteman, and celebrate the successful conclusion of the Faculty and Staff campaign.
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While the cookout is free, all attendees are asked to register online at http://ur.umass.edu/urfounders/ to help us obtain an accurate count.
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It is a time for the campus community to come together to celebrate our accomplishments as we near the close of another successful academic year. This is a time to thank you for what you do to make the campus a vibrant, thriving community.

Remember not to punch in too early....

Sleep a few extra minutes....

Try not to punch in more than 5 minutes before your shift. You won't be paid for that time, and you might even get a warning. Relax, get here on time, and keep doing the great job your doing.

George Washington, Library Deadbeat!!

If George Washington were alive today, he might face a hefty overdue library fine.

New York City's oldest library says one of its ledgers shows that the president has racked up 220 years' worth of late fees on two books he borrowed but never returned.

One of the books was the Law of Nations, which deals with international relations. The other was a volume of debates from Britain's House of Commons.

Both books were due on Nov. 2, 1789.

See article here.

Searching Email without a warrant?? Almost.....

Yahoo and Google team up against the Department of Justice......

Yahoo prevailed Friday over Colorado federal prosecutors in a legal battle testing whether the Constitution’s warrant requirements apply to Americans’ e-mail.

Saying the contested e-mail “would not be helpful to the government’s investigation,” (.pdf) the authorities withdrew demands for e-mail in a pending and sealed criminal case. For the moment, the move ends litigation over the hotly contested issue of when a warrant under the Fourth Amendment is required for Yahoo and other e-mail providers to release consumer communications to the authorities.

Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/emailprivacy-2/#ixzz0lJ4Ku3YN

Got Money??

Starting today, please see Carol for your paychecks. Her office is located in the Learning Commons staff office. If she is not there to hand you your check, please see the supervisor on duty.

If you are unable to retrieve your paycheck within a week, it will be mailed to you at the address printed on the check.

Remember to PUNCH OUT!!!!

This is a reminder that you must remember to clock in and out when working for the LC desk.
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Also, you MUST physically sign both sheets in the notebook so we have a written record of when you have worked (if you don't know where these are, ask your supervisor). This is the only way that we can tell that you physically were here if the electronic Kronos system goes down or if you missed punching in or out.

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If you find a discrepancy in your paycheck, you must address it with a supervisor as soon as possible so as to get the problem solved immediately. These procedures are in place in order to ensure that you are paid for the work you do.
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Summer positions in the Learning Commons

If anyone is interested in working at the LC Desk over the summer, please let Peter know by email no later than next Monday, April 19.

We anticipate that there will be funding for 4 positions each consisting of 15 hours per week. While the Library's summer hours have not yet been finalized, last summer the Library was open Mondays-Thursdays 8am-7pm, Fridays 8am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-5pm and was
closed on Sundays. It is expected that the schedule of hours will remain the same this summer. The summer session will begin on or around Monday, May 17 and end on or around September 4.

In your email please specify your preferred days and hours. It is also recommended that you include alternative times you will be available to work in case your preferences cannot be accommodated. If more than 4 people are interested in the openings, priority will be given to those based on a combination of several factors including receipt of your response by
the above deadline, seniority, performance evaluation and availability to work from the beginning to the end of the summer.

The summer work schedule will be available by Thursday, April 22.

If you have any questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to contact
a supervisor.

Need your feedback for our new website!!!

Complete our Wireframes Feedback Survey and you could win a USB drive. For a chance to win, submit your email address at the end of the survey. All responses are anonymous - your email address is not linked to your survey response.

The UMass Amherst Libraries are seeking input on the upcoming redesign of our website, to be released Fall 2010. We are gathering feedback on four wireframes that convey potential layouts for the Libraries' home page. A wireframe presents the proposed functions, structure, and content of a web page without using color or graphical elements. .

Our website serves the undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, administration, and staff of the University, as well as members of the Commonwealth, and we are eager to hear from each of these groups. We are committed to continually improving our site through formal evaluation and user feedback in order to ensure that the site remains vital and usable.

Watch out for the machines!!!

This weekend the Color Printer which is located across from the LC desk was found to be inoperable.

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The problem as analyzed by the systems department:
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8x11 paper was jammed into the 11x17 paper drawer. This paper was forced into the drawer where there was already 11x17 paper. It was also way overloaded. This caused the drawer to be jammed shut with no way for the machine to operate.

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This has happened previously. The potential damage caused by overloading paper as well as putting the wrong sized paper (as well as paper-type)in the printers and copiers is substantial (in the thousands of dollars).
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1. Your supervisor will be retraining you on what paper goes where in the printers/copiers.

2. NEVER overload the paper; put less not more in the drawer.

3. NEVER force the drawer shut. It should slide in with a small amount of pressure.

4. The color copier uses a different type of paper; ask your supervisor where this paper is.

5. Be alert to patrons trying to load paper into any of the machines here; it is not allowed.

6. If you witness any coworkers using the wrong paper or overloading the drawers, please notify your supervisor.

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Thanks! Indirectly, the cost of the equipment in the LC impacts us all...

Article in the Collegian

What do YOU think?

http://dailycollegian.com/2010/04/09/students-check-facebook-while-peers-wait/

SURVEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next week, we will be conducting our fourth survey of the semester. In an effort to gauge the usage of the new landscape, we are conducting five surveys total this semester.

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Your assistance in gathering accurate numbers is vital to this process. These numbers will be used to determine the future of both the Learning Common and services within the Learning Commons.

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Your help thus far has contributed greatly to this process. After next week, there is only one left. Finishing this effort strongly can only help advance the Learning Commons as the hub of campus.

What the heck is GIS?

The Environmental Protection Agency defines GIS: "A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system designed to collect, store, integrate, manipulate, analyze & display data in a spatially referenced environment. It allows you to analyze data visually and see patterns, trends, and relationships that might not be visible in tabular or written form."

Beyond environmental studies. many undergrad and grad programs dealing with social statistics and/or public policy use GIS in their research. There is a great resource available on campus that offers support on campus and online to faculty, staff and students. It is a great referral point for both instruction and tech support.

Check out the campus website here.

For more information about GIS, check out this quick resource from GIS.com

Patriot's Day

This is a reminder that, although Monday, April 19 is a holiday and there are no classes, the Library will remain open 24 hours and the regular Monday work schedule will be in effect. Monday's class schedule will be held on Wednesday, April 21, however the normal Wednesday work schedule will be followed in the Library. If this creates a conflict for anyone, please let a supervisor know this week so that we can make arrangements to cover your shift.

I'm ready for my close up, Mr De Mille!!

Okay so this isn't Sunset Boulevard. Carol is doing a project and needs an intrepid volunteer to help her with a video project. She's looking for a student to play a short part in a video that her group is making for a grad class.

There's no real acting involved...you would be filmed walking into the library for help and getting help at various service desks. (Surprise reward at the end of filming).

If you are interested, contact Carol at cwill@library.umass.edu

The ATC!!

New, glass, power doors have been installed in the ATC and it is open again after a brief closure. On roves, be sure to glance in and check out the room. Use of this space is restricted to students who register with Disability Services. Last week, we had several students drag a table in there and work in this space on laptops. Although logins to ATC computers are restricted to registered users, we need to ensure it is used properly. If you ever see something questionable, please let a supervisor know immediately. Also, make sure the lights are on at all times in that room.

This is an important resource for the students who use it. Please help us keep it that way.

For more information about the ATC, click here.

Stand up and be counted!!

There will be student volunteers in the Learning Commons between Monday April 12th to Wednesday April 15th to help get the word out about the Census to patrons of the Library. This is part of a broader campus wide effort to help students fulfill this decennial responsibility. For information about the broader campus effort, click here.