Central Service Desk Assistant Guide

Your duties at the service desk involve deciding which patron questions to take, and which to pass on to a reference librarian. As a general rule, if a reference question takes two minutes or less and can be answered through searching the catalog, answer it. If not, have the patron submit an 'Ask a Librarian' request or have a full-time staff member request a librarian through Teams. 

Reference questions can be trickier to define, and when in doubt, always check with a supervisor before referring to a reference librarian. A decision will be made whether to request through the 'Librarian Hotline' through Teams.

If a patron is requesting books on a certain subject, this is a teaching opportunity. Take the patron out to the public workstations to log into the system. We have guest logins available, which require a photo ID. For Vanderbilt affiliates, they will login with their email and password. Show them where the search bar is on the main library homepage and how to conduct a basic search.

YOU ARE NEVER TO DIRECT A PATRON TO A LIBRARIAN'S OFFICE. If a patron is insistent they speak to a librarian, refer to a full-time supervisor for help.  

Directional questions are often easy to distinguish from reference questions. If someone asks you to point them to a certain location in the library or on campus, such as restrooms, computer lab, Sarratt Student Center, those are directional questions. Other question inquiries might be:

• What time do you close tonight?
• Who do I talk to about why I have fines?
• How do I find out what books are checked out to my account?
• Where can I find this call number?

Please go ahead and answer directional questions if you know the answer and record the interaction on the iPad.