Library Technician 2023 Flashcards
Tell me about yourself
-Started part time in children’s room March 2016
-helped categorize graphic novels from nonfiction and distinguish manga
-Full time November 2016 as lending technician, a brand new position
-Created procedures for overdues, billing, collection agency
-Patron record retention and fine waving
Why should we hire you?
-I took initiative to learn and master Sierra
-I’m confident that I will pick up cataloging rules efficiently
-I understand how patrons look up materials using our catalog
What is your experience with Sierra?
-I use it daily for lending purposes
-I maintain patron data
-I build lists for a variety of uses
-I run overdue and billing notices
-how is sierra used in this department beyond cataloging?
What is your greatest weakness?
-Cataloging
-I understand the basics of the data collected in an item record
-I’ve watched webinars as part of the Maine Librarian Certification program about technical services
-I spent an hour with Beth cataloging an Erin Hunter book
-I’m eager to continue building this skill
What type of work environment do you prefer?
-I’m flexible
-Lending is really casual, which I enjoy
-I collaborate with other staff and adapt well with whoever I’m working with
-Can you tell me more about the work environment here?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
-Mastering the rules of cataloging
-I heard there is a cataloging mentorship program, and I’d love to take full advantage of that and perhaps become a mentor myself someday
-Possibly on my way to earning my MLIS
-Hopefully attending ALA again
Why do you want to leave lending?
-I want the opportunity to learn more about cataloging
-I’m excited by conversations about genre labels and other nuance by collection services staff
-I enjoy lending, especially the numerous specific rules, and I’d love to apply that passion toward cataloging
What is your leadership style?
-Delegation
-I have a grasp of the small tasks that need to be done and who is the best fit and assign them accordingly
-What approaches have you seen work best in this department?
Why do you want to work here?
-I’m excited by the nuance of cataloging and I really enjoy the black and white of rules
-I learned a lot from Karen about how Sierra works when I started working here
-I’ve also learned a lot from Beth and Josh
-Karen and Beth’s teaching styles work for my learning style, and I have a lot I want to learn from them.
Tell us about a time you saved the day or solved a big problem?
COVID LENDING
-When we returned to the building after working from home, my challenge was to create a lending procedure while patrons weren’t allowed into the library.
-I developed a scheduling system that allowed patrons a 15 minute time frames to pick up materials at the door
-I created email templates for confirming holds that explained how patrons could get their materials
-I communicated the process to the rest of staff, several of which weren’t used to lending at all.
-Patrons and staff ultimately felt safe.
Tell me about a time where you saved the day or solved a big problem?
COVID SHELF LABELS
-My challenge was to help patrons navigate the fiction stacks quickly with little physical help from staff during covid.
-I labeled the shelves with blue numbers and made a map of the floor so we knew what was where.
-We could look up items and then tell patrons what aisle number to find the item
-Staff and patrons felt safer using the library while social distancing. We are still using this system even today.
What’s a time where you saved the day or solved a big problem?
YARN DONATIONS
-My challenge was getting yarn and other supplies necessary for a bimonthly program that taught people how to knit and crochet for very little money
-I submitted a request to the sunjournal sunspots asking the community for donations.
-I have four giant bins full of yarn, needles, crochet hooks, and other miscellaneous supplies that we still utilize for the crafting circle to this day
Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult patron and how you handled it.
RETURNED OR NOT
-A challenge I frequently face is a patron that claims they returned something, but their record shows that it is still checked out.
-This can definitely be frustrating, and I empathize with the patron, taking an approach where we’re both on the same side to fix the problem together.
-When I find the item on shelf, I’m sure to thank the patron instead of saying sorry since it leaves everyone feeling positive
-When I can’t find the item, I assure them that we’ll keep looking, I renew the item if I can, and I encourage them to look as well.
-Regardless, my goal is a patron that feels taken care of, and this method works very effectively.
Tell me about a time where you worked with a difficult patron and how you handled it.
ROBERT RUSSELL
-My challenge was delivering customer service to a regular patron that was notoriously grumpy
-I made sure to listen carefully when he requested art books, showing him my computer screen so he could see his options and pick the ones that best suited his needs.
-Understanding the books he was interested in, I started setting aside donations and weeded material that also fit his interest, which absolutely delighted him
-This resulted in a lot of book sales and Friends money collected, and a patron that came to the library in much better spirits regularly than he did previously.
Tell me about a time you messed up or failed and how you handled it.
IAN OVERDUES
-I was placed in charge of the overdues and billing procedures after transitioning full time into the lending department, and part of that process had been handled by our children’s library assistant at the time.
-With very little communication ahead of time, I took over this process and really upset him. He said he felt like this duty was part of how he contributed.
-Ultimately, this was a task I needed to take on, but I should have communicated better with my coworker. I’m a lot more communicative about change since then.
