Know your sign-in sheet

It's a new year, and that makes it a good time to get off to a fresh start with that clipboard that waits for you every time you come in to volunteer. How much do you know about the volunteer sign-in sheet?

We use the time log for two main things:

1. Tracking who's here. We have to know who's in the building for safety and security reasons.
2. Recording who's doing what, and for how long. We need to know how much work goes into doing all the things that we do around here.

About once a week, we enter all of those log entries into the volunteer database and use that information to produce regular reports for library administration on volunteer hours. Many volunteers also request hours reports for school, service organizations, or tax preparation.

Here's how you can help make our time tracking system run smoothly:

1. Sign in when you arrive, and sign out when you leave. Do NOT estimate your departure time and write it down when you sign in. We need to know who's in the building for safety's sake. (If we ever need to evacuate the building, we'll use the clipboard to take a roll call.) 
2. Use the correct area code. The "Area" column indicates the job you're doing while you're here. Most people use codes--see below--but if you're not sure what your code is please ask, or just write down what you did. Don't leave it blank!

• CS: Circulation Services. Shelving, sorting, pulling holds, or checking materials in, etc.
• TS: Technical Services. Receiving, processing, cataloging, repairs, deletes, et al.
• LS: Library Steward. Book straighteners, shelf readers, and restockers of scratch paper and pencils.
• F: Friends of the Library. Checkers, pricers, strippers, box haulers, and other money-makers.
• ILL: Inter-Library Loans. You know who you are!
• Ref: Reference. Reference volunteers work with librarians on eReader trainings, book groups, or other special projects and programs.
• YS: Youth Services. Storytime assistants and kids' event helpers. (Brave wranglers of preschoolers and their parents.)
• SRP: Summer Reading Program. Staffers of the Summer Reading desk (June-August only).
• Event: Helpers with special events, programs, etc.

Thanks for your help keeping the time logs accurate and in order!