Circulation Module 11: What To Do When

Closing time can be chaotic depending on the day and time of the semester. There should be two Circulation workers every closing shift and one person must be at the desk until all patrons have exited the building. The other worker may help the building manager on duty by clearing the main floor of patrons, straightening up furniture, and picking up trash. Typically, the Reference worker on a closing shift will do the same for the top floor while the building manager clears the bottom floor. This sharing of responsibilities ensures a quick and efficient closing of the library.

At the Desk

The person at the desk during closing is responsible for checking in items left in the Circulation drop box and checking items out to patrons as they leave the library. This person must also clean and organize the Circulation desk area. This includes wiping down the counter if necessary, putting pens in the pen holder, stamps on the stamp holder, and picking up loose papers. 

Once the building is clear of patrons, the building manager will lock the doors.

Once the building is clear of all patrons, the building manager will lock the doors and complete the closing log. At this time, all student workers should make their way to the time clock to clock out for the evening. Once all students have clocked out, the building manager will turn off the lights and set the alarm. After the alarm has been set, workers have approximately 1 minute to leave before setting off the alarm. All workers must leave the building at the same time for safety purposes. After exiting the building, building managers must tug on the doors to ensure they have all been properly locked. The workers must stay until the building manager has checked the doors. At that time, the workers may part ways for the evening.