Technical Reports

The card catalogue is slowly being phased out and titles should be checked in the public catalogue.
Cards still in the drawers are remnants of the former collection and all will eventually be removed from the drawers.
(posted by Bonnie)

Error Message on Smart Cards

We have recently discovered a new error message when patrons are unable to use their library cards for photocopying and printing. The machine says "Card Expired".

When this message appears, please direct the patron to one of two places:

If it is a TCard the student needs to go to the TCard Office for a replacement card.

If it is not a TCard (i.e. Staff, Faculty, etc.) please send the patron to Reader Registration for a replacement card. After they have their replacement they can go to the TCard Office to have any lost funds transferred to their new card.

Added 14 Sept 05: In addition to this, if you find a patron is getting conflicting messages (eg. one machine says INVALID CARD but another says CARD FLAGGED) the card is probably near the end of its life expectancy and again it needs replacement. In the case of conflicting messages it is fine to send all types of patron directly to the TCard Office.

Peter Gurney
[email message to all staff; posted by SL 12Sep05]

Vistor Services Card Use

All Information Desk Staff,

At the Information Desk meeting today I said I would follow-up with a written reminder about the use and loan of Visitor Services Cards.

Please remember the following with regards to Visitor Services Cards at the Information Desk:

• Loan Visitor Cards only to those who are first time/one time visitors to Gerstein. We make the cards available as a courtesy to those who are visiting the library on a one time only basis; the VC cards are not intended for multiple, ongoing uses. Individuals who seem to know that the cards exist or who have used them previously should be told they are for one time use and strongly encouraged/directed to purchase their own Visitor Service Cards.

• Always return the cards to the printer cabinet; please do not keep them in the desk drawers under the counter

• Damaged cards should be given to Jeff

• Lost Visitor Services cards should be placed in the lost & found at the Loan Services Desk

Though it may be difficult to determine if someone has used a Visitor Services Card before, please do your best to restrict their use.

Thanks very much.

Sandra (1 Sep 2005)

Exceptions for Signing Out Journals

A.  Authorization:
Journals may be signed out with the authorization of the following RRUnit staff:
LT6s
Librarians
GALTs

B. Exceptions
In general journals, bound or unbound, do not circulate. However, the following
exceptions may be made:
1.  Item needed for plates to be made from in text photos.
2.  Item bound so close to margins that photocopy cannot be made.
3.  Original wanted to view photos, x-rays, coloured plates which won't
photocopy well.
4.  Entire issue is one article or a theme issue and cannot be photocopied for
copyright reasons.
5.  Readable photocopy cannot be made for other reason.
6.  Reasons other than those above which may come up from time to time and which
   seem valid to the person authorizing the request.
   (E.g. scanning, individual donated the item to the library originally)

Examples of reasons which are not valid for borrowing journals:
"I can get it copied cheaper elsewhere" or "it’s too long to copy" or "I need articles
 from several issues at once which would be too expensive".

C.  Procedures for Making Exceptions:
1.  Identify that patron wants "exception" or needs one to be made.
2.  Ask a person from Authorization list (Section A) to consider "exception."
3.  If exception is to be made the patron will be asked to fill out a manual
charge slip complete with call number, title, volume, issue, date and his/her name,
telephone number and library bar code number. Please see attached example of a completed manual
charge slip.

4. Authorizing person will sign the charge slip, with full first name & first initial of
 last name, after
a) ensuring the manual charge slip is filled out accurately and completely. See attached example.
b) checking that the library card of the person signing out the journal is valid. Staff on the
 Quick Questions side of the desk can be asked to assist with the checking of library cards.
c) adding a DUE DATE to the slip. This should be the shortest time possible, preferably a day
 or two.
5. Tell the patron
-that this is an exception and give reason.
-to return the item to the Information Desk.
-to have the item desensitized at the Loan Services Desk before leaving.

6. File the completed charge slip in the wooden  box-- labelled Box 1: Journals Signed Out
 on Exception--on top of the bookcase at the Information Desk.

Notes:  1.  Exceptions will not be made when there is no one available to authorize them
            (e.g. after 9 pm on weeknights). Please ask the patron to return the following day.
              2.  The normal fines rate will be charged for late returns of periodicals signed out as
            exceptions.

D. Procedures for Returning Journals Signed out on Exception:
When Journals Signed out on Exception are returned to the Information Desk slips should be left
in the volumes and the volumes should be placed in the wire basket on the top shelf under the
wooden charge slip boxes.  An Access & Info staff member will ensure the items are properly
discharged and returned to the collection.

S. Langlands
3 Dec 04

Remote logon for RefWorks

When logging in to RefWorks remotely (http://refworks.scholarsportal.info/ ) patrons may be asked for an institutional login.

It is: RWToronto

They will then be asked for their individual id and password, which they will have to set up and remember.

S. Langlands
22 Nov 04

UTS Records in UTL Catalogue

University of Toronto Schools (UTS) records are now in the UTL catalogue. While they may not be borrowed by UofT library patrons, they are available for in library use.

S. Langlands
19 Nov 04

Gifts: Procedures

GIFTS of books, textbooks, how to handle

In general the library does not accept gifts of textbooks; we already have other books covering the same material. (Textbook is defined as "a book purchased by a student to support a particular course. Textbooks tend to treat subjects in a broad way")

Textbooks are being collected for shipment to developing nations by Diana Alli in the Faculty of Medicine; those wishing to donate should contact her: 416-978-2684 or diana.alli@utoronto.ca

When individuals bring books to give to the library, the staff member should find a librarian to assess the books while the individual is still in the library:

if up to 5 books:

• textbooks are not accepted
• if deemed acceptable for the collection:
• titles in the life sciences should be sent to Dan D'Agostino, 6th floor Robarts(978-4828)
• titles in the physical sciences to Joyce Chyrski, 6th floor Robarts 978-4830

if more than 5 books which are not textbooks:

• bring them to the hallway outside Dan D'Agostino's office.

If anyone calls or emails re donating books to the library: they should be informed that we do not accept textbooks; and that other gifts of books should be brought to the attention of Andrew Davidson, in Gifts Section at Robarts, 978-3118. The books should be taken/delivered to Andrew Davidson; the books should not be brought here to Gerstein.

Those wishing to donate serials should be referred to Carla Hagstrom, 978-7667 or carla.hagstrom@utoronto.ca before they bring the items to Gerstein.

REMEMBER:
(1) thank the individual;
(2) try to find a librarian to assess books while the individual is in the ibrary:
(3) state that we cannot guarantee the items will be added to collection;
(4)if not added to collection, the items are forwarded to the National Book Exchange in Ottawa.

Photocopy Service CHANGES

The Photocopy Booth services will now be provided by either the CheckOut Desk or by the desk beside the InterlibaryLoan counter as follows:

At the CHECK OUT DESK, enquire about:
Tcard problems
Visitor card problems
"on account" copy cards
Get a receipt
Receive a refund

At the new PHOTOCOPY DESK beside ILL counter, ask about:
paper jams in photocopiers; (networked printer problems are still handled at the Information Desk)
cash to card machine problems (jams, vending, etc)
staff assisted photocopying
Pick up/request colour print jobs
Request a refund

But, to pick up copied material, go to ILL counter.

STAPLER will sit on the Loan Services Desk.

Closing of Manual Kardex

The Manual kardex will soon close. Details are below:

Effective September 2004, the current manual Kardex will no longer be
used for the on-going check-in and management of the currently received
print journals at Gerstein. As preparation for closing and moving it the
following plans/procedures are in place:
1. The kardex is being reduced in size by an estimated 40-50% by:
• pulling cards for closed/cancelled pre 1996 titles.
• moving the remaining cards back to fill drawers after completion of
the initial pull.

2. The remaining cards will be retained in a kardex format, at least in
the short term, to better facilitate use by staff for procedures
involved with binding, resource sharing and SIRSI serials check-in.

3. The Kardex will re relocated to the empty desk opposite Bonnie
Horne’s office in the Access & Information area.

4. The “Old Kardex” cards plus outdated cards for “straight to stacks”
titles will be kept as separate (non kardex) files for staff use.

5. As binding information (status of specific volumes/issues) is a major
focus, it was determined that binding information would be added to the
record of individual titles. This will be handled through using the Marc
866 field for the creation of a note as titles are prepared for binding
on a bi-weekly basis and editing this note upon return from binding. The
information entered via the SIRSI serials module will thus be available
both to staff (work flows and opac) and patrons (as notes in the
catalogue record in the opac). This will begin with the August shipment
(using both old and new procedures) and with new only, to begin in
September 2004.

6. Retention and access to information on supplements to journal titles
is another important aspect of the existing kardex records. As such,
check-in of supplements received will be handled electronically through
the SIRSI serials module as follows:

• Infrequent supplements will be checked-in as special issues
• Separate controls for more substantial supplements will be created as
appropriate.
• When supplements are very substantial ( regular , numbered etc.) the
serials cataloguer will also be consulted and given the option of
separately cataloguing the supplements of a given title.

Thanks.
Sylvia Newman
Periodicals Librarian

Mr. Google

Mr. Google is calling again. The phone may display with a phone number that starts 416-487....
Spend only up to 5 minutes trying to answer his questions.

*PROCEED AS FOLLOWS*:
-Ask for his name and number and say someone will call him back.
-If he refuses to provide the information, say you cannot deal with his question and he should call Margaret Wall at 416-978-1757.
-Don't engage in any further discussion. Say, "excuse me, I will now hang up the phone".
-Fill out an incident report form and give a copy to Vidya who will fax it to Mr. Bill Godoy, Manager - Facilities, Security, Fire, Health & Safety, UofT Libraries.
Doing this will ensure that there is a record of all individual incidents campus wide.

Thank you.
S.Langlands
18 Sep 06 revised 5 Aug 2011

Problems with using EndNote and the UTL Catalogue may be solved with the following information: server: University of Toronto; Server address: 142.150.190.41; Database: Library Catalogue; database name: Unicorn; element set: F ; Port ID: 2200; record syntax: USMARC; text: ANSEL. Problems users encounter may be caused by an old version of endnote pointing to the old version of the catalogue & they must edit their u of t connection file with the information given above.

Users may also need to know that author searching via EndNote in the Catalogue only works well for first authors; to capture 2nd authors, they should do an ANY FIELD search to catch all occurrences of an author name. Posted by Susanne; info from N. Singh. There is additional information at http://www.library.utoronto.ca/gerstein/subjectguides/personalbib.html

Serials repairs (current issues and bound volumes) should now be placed on Marina's desk, OR they can be put on the REPAIR SHELF ( lower shelf across from the Kardex).
Posted by Susanne for Sylvia. March 11.