Public Services in Special Collections · 75
Pennsylvania State University
Hang up
d.
Pick up line 1793
e.
Dial 103, wait for the tone
f.
Hang up
9. Check 1793 for any voice mail messages.
a. Dial 5-7000
b. Enter I.D. Code – The current code is always posted under blotter at
Reception Desk.
c. If there are messages, press 5 to listen (22 will back up to beginning of
message)
d. When finished listening to messages, press 3 to erase, then press 99
e. Hang Up
Noon Procedures:
At 11:50 a.m., check 1793 for any voice mail messages that may have gone into that line
while all lines were busy. Follow procedures as outlined above for checking messages.
Closing Procedures:
1. Notify “late-comer” patrons that Special Collections closes at 5:00 p.m. (in case
they had hoped to request a lot of material).
2. Check the Charles Mann Assembly Room:
a. Turn off the lights in the room if necessary.
b. Be sure that both sets of doors into the room from outside of Special
Collections are closed and locked (also the doors next to the Special
Collections entrance and across from the staff lunch room).
c. Lock both sets of doors that lead into the Assembly Room from the
exhibits room. *contact the on-call person if a key is needed to lock doors.
3. Close the two exhibit room doors into Special Collections Library at 5:00 p.m. They
lock automatically.
4. Lock the doors into the Reference Room. Be sure to set the two posts in the left-
hand door first. (Usually the Reference Desk personnel does this.)
5. Place the In/Out board on the courtesy counter for the convenience of staff
members signing in or out after hours.
6. Turn out only one set of lights in the Exhibits Room, leaving one set on for any
staff member working late.
7. At 4:50 p.m., check 1793 for any voice mail messages that may have gone into
that line while all lines were busy.
8. Put 1793 and 7931 on voice mail.
a. Pick up line 1793
b. Dial 102, wait for the tone
c. Dial 5-7000, wait for voice mail system to pick up
d. Hang up
e. Pick up line 7931
f. Repeat steps b-d above
Checking Email:
When checking your email at the Reception Desk, use Web Mail vs. Eudora. At the
present time, only one part-time Reception Desk staff person can be set up for Eudora at
the Reception Desk computer and rather than change their settings several times per day,
we have made arrangements for the rest of the staff to use Web Mail when working at the
Reception Desk.
Reception Desk Duties and Responsibilities
1. Greet researchers and visitors.
2. Give directional information as needed.
3. Direct researchers to the locker room. Any researcher requiring a locker must
present I.D. to the Reception Desk staff person. Acceptable forms of I.D. are: PSU
I.D., government photo I.D.’s such as driver’s license, passport or military I.D.
Reception Desk staff person will write the name legibly on the clipboard and issue
key to researcher. Researchers entering the reference room should have only
pencils, notepaper and/or laptop computers and I.D with them. You should suggest
they may want to take change with them if they wish to have copies made.
4. Answer the telephones (transfer calls, take messages, etc.)
*See Telephone Guidelines instruction sheet.
5. Be polite and tactful when dealing with the public whether it is by telephone or in
person. You will give the first impression of Special Collections to many of our
Pennsylvania State University
Hang up
d.
Pick up line 1793
e.
Dial 103, wait for the tone
f.
Hang up
9. Check 1793 for any voice mail messages.
a. Dial 5-7000
b. Enter I.D. Code – The current code is always posted under blotter at
Reception Desk.
c. If there are messages, press 5 to listen (22 will back up to beginning of
message)
d. When finished listening to messages, press 3 to erase, then press 99
e. Hang Up
Noon Procedures:
At 11:50 a.m., check 1793 for any voice mail messages that may have gone into that line
while all lines were busy. Follow procedures as outlined above for checking messages.
Closing Procedures:
1. Notify “late-comer” patrons that Special Collections closes at 5:00 p.m. (in case
they had hoped to request a lot of material).
2. Check the Charles Mann Assembly Room:
a. Turn off the lights in the room if necessary.
b. Be sure that both sets of doors into the room from outside of Special
Collections are closed and locked (also the doors next to the Special
Collections entrance and across from the staff lunch room).
c. Lock both sets of doors that lead into the Assembly Room from the
exhibits room. *contact the on-call person if a key is needed to lock doors.
3. Close the two exhibit room doors into Special Collections Library at 5:00 p.m. They
lock automatically.
4. Lock the doors into the Reference Room. Be sure to set the two posts in the left-
hand door first. (Usually the Reference Desk personnel does this.)
5. Place the In/Out board on the courtesy counter for the convenience of staff
members signing in or out after hours.
6. Turn out only one set of lights in the Exhibits Room, leaving one set on for any
staff member working late.
7. At 4:50 p.m., check 1793 for any voice mail messages that may have gone into
that line while all lines were busy.
8. Put 1793 and 7931 on voice mail.
a. Pick up line 1793
b. Dial 102, wait for the tone
c. Dial 5-7000, wait for voice mail system to pick up
d. Hang up
e. Pick up line 7931
f. Repeat steps b-d above
Checking Email:
When checking your email at the Reception Desk, use Web Mail vs. Eudora. At the
present time, only one part-time Reception Desk staff person can be set up for Eudora at
the Reception Desk computer and rather than change their settings several times per day,
we have made arrangements for the rest of the staff to use Web Mail when working at the
Reception Desk.
Reception Desk Duties and Responsibilities
1. Greet researchers and visitors.
2. Give directional information as needed.
3. Direct researchers to the locker room. Any researcher requiring a locker must
present I.D. to the Reception Desk staff person. Acceptable forms of I.D. are: PSU
I.D., government photo I.D.’s such as driver’s license, passport or military I.D.
Reception Desk staff person will write the name legibly on the clipboard and issue
key to researcher. Researchers entering the reference room should have only
pencils, notepaper and/or laptop computers and I.D with them. You should suggest
they may want to take change with them if they wish to have copies made.
4. Answer the telephones (transfer calls, take messages, etc.)
*See Telephone Guidelines instruction sheet.
5. Be polite and tactful when dealing with the public whether it is by telephone or in
person. You will give the first impression of Special Collections to many of our
