The time has come for me "go all in" on POLARIS! Despite the fact that we have been on the Polaris system for almost a year now, my preferred method of placing and checking holds and renewing items for customers has been from the CATALOG and MY ACCOUNT functions from the DPL public homepage. For me, it just seemed to be more intuitive than the "professional/staff" version on the staff PC's. At first customers were a bit taken aback when I asked them for their birth date in addition to their library card number. But once I hit upon the handy dandy explanation that "it is SO much harder to misspell a birth date!" we usually got past any awkwardness. And I have gotten over feeling rude about it!
When on the Information Desk on the first floor, it is still my preferred of placing holds and accessing customers' records, since it gives me an opportunity to demonstrate how easy it is to use the PLACE HOLD function and to use MY ACCOUNT to check on holds and fines and loan periods that are about to expire. I access my own account that way most of the time...so it is very comfortable.
But with the New Year, after a whole year of my new, improved 30 hours schedule, I have opted to pick up occasional added hours as an "On Call" staffer. I have enjoyed filling in as a librarian in other departments here at Central, but in order to substitute in the branches, full circulation training is required. So I have opted to take the Polaris trainings being offered this winter on the general training calendar, and am following up with some hands-on practice at the Circulation (make that Borrowers' Services) Desk here at the Central Library. I am looking forward to both the final two training sessions and the coaching from seasoned circulation clerks. And then look out customers---here I come, to a Circulation Desk near you!
I also hope to find fun ways to share the valuable tips and tricks I learn along the way with my colleagues here in Reference Services, too!
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