Staff Profile - September 2014

Robert Moseley started with JPL in May 2000 working part-time in Technical Services (now SST), as he puts it, “slapping labels on books.”  After six months, he worked in Acquisitions, receiving and packaging new materials to go to branches. Robert moved to Distribution in 2002, making daily deliveries and driving the Bookmobile for 2 ½ years.  Then he passed the Library Assistant exam and worked in Main/Circulation until spring 2007, and subsequently laterally transferred to Main/Teen and was there until October 2011, when he was promoted to Clerical Supervisor at Mandarin Branch. Due to budget cuts, Robert demoted to a Library Assistant in October 2012, and was sent to Main/Popular. After 6 months in Popular, he transferred back to Mandarin where he is today—and where Robert had an idea that management thought would improve customer service system wide.  We thought you would like to know how that clever idea evolved into a reality.  

Q: What sparked an interest in you to change the way library cash register receipts are configured?

A: One day I looked at the receipt from the customer’s point of view, and I thought to myself, “Is there a way that we can change the way the receipts are printed so customers can see what they paid for?” So I did a little research, found the manual to the registers, and discovered that you could indeed change the registers and with Ron Block’s and my manager, Lynne Baldwin’s, approvals, I tested a cash register and found it’s not that hard to change one. With that assurance, I wrote an instruction sheet and sent it to Ron, and he distributed it. Now the registers say Fines, Non Resident Cards (Non Res Cards for short, due to small space on the receipts), Lost Materials, Damaged Materials, Library Bags, Lost Cards, Guest Pass, Printing, Donations, VCA, Jamex (rarely used), and Misc.

Q: How did you persuade KR Manager Lynne Baldwin, and then Circulation Manager Ron Block that reconfiguring JPL cash registers would be beneficial?

A: I explained that defining exactly what a customer paid for on the receipt would benefit customers and staff and I explained how it could easily be done, and Lynne could see the advantages of the change and approved my proposal right away.  She asked me to please ask Ron first. I emailed Ron for approval, and he responded within 5 minutes: YES!!  

Q: You also created a manual so other libraries could easily reconfigure their cash registers, if the change went system wide.  Tell us about that.

I am more of a visual learner, so I created a step-by-step instruction sheet with LOTS of pictures to easily guide staff in changing a cash register.

Q: When did the new configuration of cash registers take effect and what steps were made to get the changes system wide?

A: From approval to test my idea, to completion of the instruction sheet, it took about a week. I emailed the instructions to Ron, and he sent them to the branches right away, and the system wide changes were made within a month.

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby or care to tell us who your favorite author is?

A: Spending every second I can at home with my daughter is No. 1. Once she’s in bed, I’m on my computer playing MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games).  The game I’m playing right now is Star Wars: The Old Republic. My favorite author is Joseph Delaney, author of the Last Apprentice series.