At my library, we use the old school method of keeping track of time worked - we use time cards that we fill out by hand. When I first started working at the library, I was somewhat taken aback that this method was used. I had worked other places before (not libraries), and most of them used computerized time tracking. We’d swipe a card, or type in our employee ID number and the computer would handle it. But writing it down, you have to remember what days you worked, had vacation, used sick time, and so on and so forth. Plus, it is really depending on the honesty of the individual filling out the time card, as well as their supervisor. I’m not so sure this is the most efficient method of keeping tracking of employees.

Recently, we were told that we would soon be moving to a more automated system, which will likely be some kind of online employee time tracking software. I think its about time. Other people may disagree with me. With any system, there are its downsides. The automated system has the potential to be exploited as well, just as anything does, but I think it will cut down on a lot of unnecessary paperwork and headaches in the long run.

What have your libraries used to keep track of employees? I would be interested in hearing other people’s experiences with automated time keeping in a library setting.

While it is not that common of a question working in a branch, business department librarians are often asked about stocks and how to go about researching them. Everyone knows about Yahoo Finance, and more recently Google Finance, but if you’re looking for professional grade information that is easy to use and has a wealth of information, Mergent Online (previously Moody’s FIS Online) is the best database out there to research online stocks. Other useful business databases for researching stocks include Wall Street Journal database (covers full text articles from 1984 to present), and ReferenceUSA which provides 11 million US businesses, SIC codes, number of employes, and sales volume data. These three databases are essential for a good business department and research library.

Where I work, we use various methods to try to prevent our books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials from being stolen. For books, we put those security strips down the spine, and for DVDs and CDs we have these “donut” clear stickers with security strips built-in that we slap on the top of each disc. Then, at the entrances we have the security gates that everyone passes through as they walk in and out of the library. Things still get stolen, but we do catch some in the act.

All in all, putting in all the security tags and those things on the CDs and DVDs is a pretty time consuming tasks, especially when you consider that we have to do several other things to prep the materials for circulation. Those security measures are actually quite costly, and we have to buy security tags all the time too. The security donuts for the CDs and DVDs, last time I checked, came out to be $0.90 a piece, and when you get hundreds of them in over the course of a month or two, that can really add up.

Apparently, however, there is new RFID technology that is supposed to make our lives easier now. You just put this tiny little chip thing in each piece of material, and it makes checking books in and out basically an automated task. As well, with the electromagnetic sensors that guard library exits, a book that is not signed out that has a hidden RFID security tag in it will trigger sensors and alarm will sound to alert librarians of a possible theft.

This RFID technology has not yet made it to my library, although it is a big urban library. I imagine, however, that this technology will soon become a regular part of library life. That’s nice and all, but I wonder what kind of effect it would have on library staffing.