Prior to the conclusion of a shift, the ELA on duty should make a final check of the Research Commons to make sure that all equipment is functioning properly and reset or report problems as appropriate. If another ELA is not scheduled to immediately come on duty, the ELA workstation should be logged out and shut down. If another ELA comes on duty immediately, the ELA on duty need only log out of his or her account.

Double check that all routines and assistance provided have been appropriately recorded on the provided statistics sheet (sample online).

Closing the Work Area -- ELAs responsible for maintaining service past 9 PM (when Reference staff leave) should make sure that the following tasks are completed before leaving:

During each shift, ELAs should check mice for proper operation, check monitors, mice, and keyboards for cleanliness, check printers for error messages and paper supplies, and make note of any problems that can't be resolved immediately and contact the appropriate service contact to have those problems corrected.

Mice -- The only good way to check a mouse for proper operation is to open a program (in this case, open a Web browser or one of the Microsoft Office applications) and try clicking options and moving the mouse around the screen. If the mouse pointer shows any sign of sluggishness, the ELA should check to see if the mouse needs cleaning and immediately take care of this. If either of the mouse buttons fails to respond, this indicates a hardware issue that will need to be resolved by the library's Computer Technician. In this case, a report should be filed using the online paging form.

Keyboards -- The most common problem with the keyboard will be grime, rather than malfunction. Malfunctioning keyboards could be the result of sticking keys, which normally will require replacement. If keys are sticking, and the ELA can't determine an easy fix, the library's Computer Technician should be paged and an "Out of Service" sign should be placed on the workstation. If the only problem is grime, the ELA on duty should take care of cleaning the keyboard. Supplies are available at the ELA workstation. As supplies are exhausted, ELAs should report this to the supervisors.

Monitors -- Monitors normally need little attention other than periodic cleaning. ELAs should make every effort to remove fingerprints from the monitor screens on a regular basis. Cleaning supplies are available at the ELA workstation. Any other strange monitor behavior should be reported to the library's Computer Technician.

Malfunctions in general -- In the case of a keyboard not responding, a mouse not responding, a monitor having no display, ELAs should check the obvious thing first: is the device still plugged in. Monitor power cords sometimes get knocked loose. Mouse and keyboard cables can also get pulled loose. Before calling for help, the ELA should make these simple cable checks.

Library users often leave programs running, visit Web sites that might cause workstation lock-ups, and neglect to return the workstations to the default desktop. It is the duty of the ELAs to regularly and routinely check every workstation not in use, to close down unattended sessions, and to restart machines that have ceased responding. Rounds are recorded on the statistics sheets provided at the ELA workstation (a sample sheet is available here). ELAs should also take note of how long individual workstations have been running and restart any that have been running more than a couple of hours. A banner displays at the top of the desktop showing how many hours the machine has been running (click here for a sample screen). If the screen saver has kicked in, the screen saver, itself, shows how long the workstation has been running. Even though the screen saver normally reboots the workstation periodically, ELAs should check for machines that have not rebooted within a reasonable amount of time (2 or 3 hours) and should reboot the machines to ensure that library users don't inherit problems or view sensitive information inadvertently left by previous users.

During regular rounds, ELAs should also be attentive and look for library patrons who might be experiencing difficulties with using the computers, who might have questions about using any of the installed software, or who might otherwise need assistance with doing library research. Patrons might not always come to the Reference Services station for help, so Reference staff rely heavily on the ELAs to identify situations where reference assistance might be warranted.

Regular rounds should also include pushing chairs back under tables, picking up scrap paper left near the workstations, removing deserted drink bottles or other materials, retrieving abandoned diskettes or other media and routing these materials to the lost and found area at the Circulation counter, and returning the work area to its normal, unoccupied appearance as much as is possible.

ELAs should be proactive in their approach to providing assistance and monitoring the LAN. In short, regular monitoring of the public workstations can easily fend off serious problems and help the library maintain a positive research environment for all its users.

No matter how dilligently the ELA on duty monitors the LAN, certain situations will require making additional, unscheduled rounds of the LAN. Situations that might give rise to this might include:

Time sheets are used to record hours worked and to certify hours for payroll. Incomplete and unsigned time sheets can result in ELAs not getting paid on schedule. ELAs should routinely record times worked on a daily basis to avoid problems with incomplete time sheets and, thus, with delayed payment for services rendered.

Time sheets are kept in the Reference Office in the ELA in-basket. A sample filled-in time sheet is available online. The current payroll schedule is also available online. ELAs should be careful to observe deadlines for time sheets.