Sig was unanimously voted as a winner of the Model the Way award and Employee of the 3rd Quarter (April-June 2013).
Q: You are a part-time clerk at WST now. What is your previous work experience in JPL or elsewhere?
A: I started as a part-time page at Maxville in 2006 while
still in high school. Within a few weeks I moved up to a part-time clerk. In
2011, I started working as a full-time clerk at WST. In January of this year, I
dropped back to part-time clerical for educational reasons, to wrap up my
bachelors degree. While holding a position with the library, I worked on a
research project with the chair of my department at UNF in the fall of 2011 and
completed a criminal justice internship this past spring. Recently, I was promoted to a part time clerk at WST.
Q: You obviously have
good people skills to get cooperation and accurate input from different
employees to compile a new JPL missing/damaged manual. What is your
personal take on dealing with people to get needed results?
A: I would not say my people skills are exceptional. I try to
be sincere, direct, and respectful with everyone. I have found if
you politely ask a clear question, typically people are willing to help. Of
course, this doesn’t always work, but I find it a great rule of thumb when
dealing with patrons and co-workers.
Q: What steps did you
take to rewrite JPL’s missing/damaged manual?
A: The manual was mostly from scratch, not really a rewrite. Prior we had some policies and procedures, but not a manual. A good portion of the material is not policy, but general directions. The obvious first step was to find an efficient way for me to handle the clerical damaged materials job. This is a larger feat than it sounds. I learned a lot from Melloney Shepherd, from whom I took the position. I worked as a damage clerk for about a year before a firm routine for dealing with damages was settled. During this time, I thoroughly familiarized myself with standing policy, new policy (floating media), billing, what resources we have for repairing materials, capabilities of Workflows, and the best way to communicate with other damage clerks. I frequently sought the expertise of Marilyn Jordan and Jane Harris in figuring out how to handle various issues, and they proceeded up the chain of command as needed. I’m not sure which clerk began sending blanket e-mails to all damage clerks trying the match-up mix-ups, but it was a great step in getting us communicating. Once a decent system was implemented, it was just a matter of taking the time to write and create the text and images.
A: The manual was mostly from scratch, not really a rewrite. Prior we had some policies and procedures, but not a manual. A good portion of the material is not policy, but general directions. The obvious first step was to find an efficient way for me to handle the clerical damaged materials job. This is a larger feat than it sounds. I learned a lot from Melloney Shepherd, from whom I took the position. I worked as a damage clerk for about a year before a firm routine for dealing with damages was settled. During this time, I thoroughly familiarized myself with standing policy, new policy (floating media), billing, what resources we have for repairing materials, capabilities of Workflows, and the best way to communicate with other damage clerks. I frequently sought the expertise of Marilyn Jordan and Jane Harris in figuring out how to handle various issues, and they proceeded up the chain of command as needed. I’m not sure which clerk began sending blanket e-mails to all damage clerks trying the match-up mix-ups, but it was a great step in getting us communicating. Once a decent system was implemented, it was just a matter of taking the time to write and create the text and images.
Q: Tell us about the
improved efficiency the rewritten manual has effected system-wide?
A: The manual really came about because of the shift to
floating media. Prior to floating media, branches really did not need to coordinate
nearly as much. A portion of standing policy and procedures were made obsolete
by this change, and new procedures had yet to be written. After some trial and
error, circulation staff was told to keep damages in-house regardless of
originating library. The manual is a great tool in pointing out how obsolete
some of the procedures have become, the reality of new policies, and highlighting
all the grey areas between policy, procedures, and actually handling damages.
For example: Basic procedure stipulates that damaged material that has been
billed to a patron should be held on the damage shelf for six months. However,
on occasion we encounter possible biohazards that render items unsafe to hold. Such
as, items might be covered in blood (yes, this really happened; I have pictures),
cat urine (no pictures for that one), or regurgitation (more pictures). What
then? That is something that is covered in the manual, and can streamline how
clerks across the system would respond to such instances.
Q: What is something
you would like to share about yourself that most of us don’t know?
A: While most people quickly figure out that I am a massive nerd,
only a handful of people know that I attend a sci-fi/pop culture convention
every year in Atlanta. Several other JPL employees attend as well, so I’m in
good company. The convention includes LARPing, cosplay, gaming (video and
tabletop), puppets, books (youth and adult), comics, movies, TV, etc. Also, my
Toyota Rav4 has been named G.I. Joe--affectionately referred to as Joe.
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