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Desk Basics

Desk Basics

Owned by Negeen Aghassibake
Last updated: May 31, 2018 by Elle Covington

Getting Familiar with the Desk

The reference and checkout desks are both available for students to check out or return books and equipment. Encourage users to return reserves items and equipment to the desk rather than the return boxes.



Where to find

*Please note, PCL does not have laptops or laptop chargers to check out. Refer users to FAL if they need to check out a laptop or charger.

The Basics

PC Desk

For links to opening a TAP, other desk related information, and answers to questions not covered in this wiki, visit the PC Desk sharepoint.

https://sharepoint.lib.utexas.edu/userservices/tls/pcldesk/SitePages/Home.aspx


Fines, Fees, & Blocks

Registration block – if a student does not pay their fine after 30 days, they will receive a registration block, meaning that they will not be able to register for classes until the fine is paid. There is NO block on checking out books due to unpaid fines.

Checkout/renew block – if a student has on overdue recalled book, they will not be able to renew or check out any books until the recalled book has been returned


PCL Desk Statistics

Please keep track of your reference interactions through PCL Desk Statistics. It should already be open on the browser when you get to the desk. You can indicate whether your interaction was directional, reference, computer help or a phone interaction. In the question box, include some basic information about the initial question from the patron.


Desk chat

If the desk gets busy and you need assistance, you chat should already be open in the browser when you get to the desk. Send out a plea for help and someone from borrower services can come and help you out.


Virtual ID

If a user has forgotten their UTID card, you can use Virtual ID to verify their identity. Let them know that we can do this once as a courtesy, but they'll need to remember to bring their card next time.

  • Have them log in to Virtual ID
  • Grab their EID number
  • In Sierra, type u in the searchbox and then paste their EID


Reserves

Reserve items can be checked out again to the person returning them unless they have been requested by someone else. Check the do not renew log behind the desk before re-checking a Reserves item.


Interview Room

The interview room must be reserved in advance online.

You can verify a user’s booking through the website: http://libcal.lib.utexas.edu/booking/interviewrooms .

  • Click confirmed bookings underneath the calendar to see the username they reserved the room under.

  • Hover over the information icon (i) to see the hours the room has been reserved for

You will need to manually log the user into the interview room in the red binder located near the remote access terminal behind the desk.

  • Ask for the user’s UTID and fill in their information in the appropriate spots

  • You’ll have to ask for their EID

  • Add the end time on the reservation

  • Add the time you checked it out to them and include your initials

Grab the key from the second drawer behind the desk and take them back to the room. Let them know the outer door locks automatically, so if they leave for any reason, someone at the desk will need to let them back in. Also, ask they they come and check out at the desk when they’re done.

When they’re done with the room, note the time in the log and initial. Then, relock the interview room door.


Group study rooms

Group study rooms are reserved for groups of current UT Austin students only. They should be reserved online in advance. When they reserve a room, they will get an email requiring that they confirm the booking within an hour or the reservation will be lost.

If no one has reserved the room, students are able to use them on a first come, first served basis.

We are not responsible for ensuring that noise levels don’t get too high. If someone comes with a complaint about another room, encourage them to ask the group to decrease their noise levels. If they are still having difficulty with loud groups, you can direct them to the guard station for the guard to take care of.  


Mac Lab

This space is also only for current UT Austin students. These computers have software not on other computers in the building, like Final Cut Pro. However, the memory on those computers is very limited, so if students want to edit videos, encourage them to use an external hard drive to work from rather than saving the project on the computer. It will cause the computer to freeze and they will likely lose their work.

Computer and Wifi Access

PCL is on the UT Wifi system. Users affiliated with UT Austin can log on to UT wifi like they would from anywhere else.

Courtesy borrowers and Texas Exes can use the att wifi system for a cost.

UT Austin affiliated users can log onto any computer in PCL with their UT EID and password.

Guests and courtesy borrowers can get access to computers in the computer lab for up to one hour a day. Once they've logged out for the day, they won't be able to log back in even if their hour is not yet up. If a guest does not have a UT ID or a courtesty borrower card, they can still get computer privileges through Borrower Services.


Printing from Pharos

If a user has had a problem with one of the printers, Pharos allows you to see what they have sent to the printer. This is a way to reprint something if they don’t have it easily available online to pull up at the desk.

  • Open Pharos Remote

  • In the left sidebar, click the down arrow next to Job Management

  • Click Queued Jobs

  • Enter user’s EID into user name

  • Click Find Jobs

Everything they’ve sent to the printers should be listed. You can choose the item that needs to be reprinted and print it from the printer at the desk.


Types of users and access

Due to licensing restrictions from the vendors, remote access to online resources is limited to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff. However, retired faculty should also have remote access to databases. 

Texas Exes have remote access to 3 databases.

  • JSTOR Alumni Portal
  • Academic Search Alumni Portal
  • Business Source Alumni Portal

For other access questions, refer to borrower services.

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