Information Desk Specialist Training Home -CPNM Overview
This guide is intended to help with the most crucial and most common situations at CPNM. For more details and more situations, see the CPNM manual – black spine, green cover, with the binders and books on the right of the desk arrangement.
Overview
Current Periodicals, Newspapers, and Microforms (CPNM) holds current issues of social science/humanities related material as well as various local, national, and international/foreign newspapers. CPNM is located on the 1 st floor, directly below the north wing of the Social Sciences Humanities Reference section of the Geisel Library. A selection of popular periodicals such as Time and People are prominently displayed on shelves near the middle of the room. Newspapers are displayed on racks and academic periodicals are shelved behind the popular periodicals; in front are the microform, microfiche and micro-opaque file cabinets and the corresponding machines, that patrons can make photocopies with using a copy card. Patrons who are having trouble in locating any of the materials in CPNM as well as in operating these machines, photocopiers, etc., can ask for assistance at the CPNM desk or by ringing the desk bell if staff is not within visible range.
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Opening
- Top priority is to set out the four daily papers – L.A. Times, S.D. Union Tribune, N.Y. Times and Wall Street Journal.
- Keys to the blue metal book bins at the end of Hopkins Drive (and to CPNM desk cabinets) are in the staff desk, top right drawer. Paul says to guard them with your life.
- Stamp the right and left sides of page 1 of each paper with the “Property of Current Periodicals” stamp after updating it with today’s date. That stamp is in the same drawer as the keys.
- Place the papers on the sticks. Put yesterday’s edition in the hanging folder in exact date order.
- Check off the papers received in the black “Newspaper Check In List” on the shelves in the staff area. We don’t need to get replacements. Just put a note in the CPNM Log Book and be sure to tell the CPNM staff person who replaces you.
- Change the Desk sign from closed to open.
- Turn on any public and Desk workstations that are off or need resetting.
- Unlock Desk cabinets/drawers (#2,3,4).
- Write in today’s date on new User Statistic Sheet.
- Read Log Book.
- Be sure “Ring bell for assistance” sign is displayed.
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Closing
- Put all supplies away and lock cabinets #2,3,4.
- Be sure all microprinters are turned off.
- Turn off micro opaque printer (green machine) and laser printer that is attached. Leave laser printer attached to Infostations on.
- Turn off Infostations if energy conservation measures are in effect.
- Put up “closed” sign in place of “Ring bell for assistance”.
- Be sure both doors going into the CPNM staff area are locked.
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Everything in between:
Periodicals
- Consumer Reports, Journal of Homosexuality, UCSD Guardian (on microfilm) and Playboy (on microfilm) are in staff area (controlled circulation). Playboy in print is at the Desk (cabinet #4). Hold on to an ID.
- Current journals do not circulate. Bound journals at SSHL do for UCSD affiliates.
Newspapers
- Sunday LA Times, NY Times, SD Union Tribune and the Reader are held at the Desk. Hold on to an ID. Place ID inappropriate slot on cabinet door.
- If ROGER shows that an index is available for a newspaper, that index is available in Reference or online. As of 9/01, the S>D> Union Tribune index has been restored to a CD changer also in Reference.
- Online & printed indexes exist for most of the major papers. If in doubt search under “Databases A-Z or refer to an SSHL librarian.”
Microforms include the following:
- Microfilm – on reels, 35mm or 16mm, positive or negative - XF or F
- Microfiche – flat transparencies, positive or negative - XX or X Micro Opaque (also called Micro Print) - non-transparent, cardboard cards - XP
- Micro cards – smaller version of Micro Opaque - XC
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Microfilm XF or F
- The on/off switch is around the corner from the lower right side of the screen. If the machine won’t turn on, check that the door on the bottom right side (area providing access for clearing jams and for repairs) is firmly shut.
- The most common size for microfilm is 35mm. There are a small number of 16mm (about ½ the width). The distinction becomes important when you load the film because the mm number has to match on the front, right edge of the loading area. To adjust it, hold the area marked 16 < > 35mm and move it toward or away from the rest of the machine.
- Place the spool on the left side so that the film will roll out in a clockwise motion. The spool has to fit on the extended metal spindle and over a rounded notch so you have to both turn it and push firmly until it clicks into place.
- To the right of the spool is a small plastic lever. Pull it toward you (i.e. pull it out, not to the side) and lift up and feed the film down the little ramp. You should be able to see the film moving between the two layers of glass. If not, remove the top layer of glass and guide the film through. If the edge of the film is too ragged or bent, try bending it the other way. Or you can get scissors and trim the edge. Now pull the lever toward you again and close it back (it will be at an angle, not flat).
- To load the film, use the small, separate unit usually found to the right of the machine. Place the dial lever in the middle (neutral) position. Then push LOAD and use the forward and reverse positions to fine-tune the location.
- Check that the appropriate lens is in place. To view newspapers, the 9x16 lens is best. To remove a lens, just pull it toward you. You can come up with replacement lenses by switching with another machine. Or there are extra lenses in a supply cabinet in the staff area (there’s a label showing “lenses” on the door). To add a new lens, lift the lens release lever up and slide in the lens until it clicks. Note that lenses should be changed by staff.
- Adjust focus or 200mm using the ratcheted blue and gray dial(s) just above the lens-type label. Use the loader control to position the image from left to right and the small gray knob on the machine (at the base, by the instructions) to move it up or down.
- If a patron wants to economize by printing two pages on one sheet, use the Image Rotation knob to turn the images to the side. Once the image is positioned, check that the lens-type number matches the type selected at the base of the machine (just above the tray where the paper comes out). Then insert the print card and hit the light-green Print button.
- See the Printing/Troubleshooting section at the end of the Microforms discussion for handling problems with the printer.
- If the film runs all the way off the left-hand spool, begin by removing the lens. Then pull out the top glass plate. Run the film back under the white plastic wheels, over the glass plate and up the little ramp on the left side. Remove the empty reel and feed the tip of the film into the center slot. The film should then be moving counterclockwise onto the original reel. Use the reverse control to rewind it (it may make a noise). Replace the glass plate and lens.
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Microfiche XX or X
- For information on turning on the machine, see number 1 above.
- Pull the gray Fiche Carrier handle out (toward you) to open the glass carrier. Microfiche vary in the precise positioning needed for reading, so you have to experiment with placement.
- Generally the appropriate lenses for microfiche are 13x27 or 23x50. For the XX568 collection, use 56 or 87 power. See step 6 above on how to change lenses.
- See steps 7, 8 and 9 above for focus, positioning and printing.
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Micro Opaque XP or P
- The Micro Opaque collection (also called Micro Print) is located just past the periodicals stacks. A one-sheet guide is posted on the bookcase on the right hand side. There is also a smaller version of Micro Opaque called Micro Cards (XC). (Now at the Annex in anticipation of the BML move here.)
- There is one reader-printer for the above items. It’s the green machine with a blue frame near the ERIC documents. (ERIC Documents have now been moved to SSHL Ref. area in anticipation of the BML move.) Another machine, a reader only, is in the same area. The on/off switch is at the base of the machine, in the front. It should be switched toward <Print>.
- Pull the glass carrier, at the top of the machine, out (toward you) to open it. Place the card upside down (opaque side facing you). Often only part of the page will fit into the viewing area. Adjust placement by moving the glass carrier in and out or side to side. Focus by turning the black knob on the upper right side.
- Before printing, warn patrons that copies will be poor quality. The default positions for printing (described in a paper attached to the table) should provide the best results. Patrons can experiment with the dial settings to try to improve results. When you change the dial settings, you won’t see corresponding changes on the screen – only in the results. Press Start button to print.
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Printing/Troubleshooting
- All microfilm / microfiche machines in the core area have printers attached. There are two microfilm viewing-only machines along the wall by the restrooms. Other film and fiche readers are clustered around the ERIC microfiche cabinets.
- Before printing, set the focus and be sure that the appropriate lens type has been selected at the control just above the area where the copy comes out.
- CPNM adds paper to the microprinters. It is kept in the staff area. Don’t add more than about one inch because adding more than that tends to cause jams.
- There are three possible codes for paper jams.
- P1 means a jam at the back of the tray. Turn the machine off. Pull the tray out (it’s located underneath the front of the machine), reach in and pull out the jammed paper. Replace the tray, turn the machine on and if it’s okay, it resets itself. If not, call Imprints. The patron has lost one copy. Replace it using the CPNM copy card in the cabinet with the Sunday papers. You must sign out and in to use it.
- P2 is an internal paper jam. Turn the machine off. Open the door (bottom right side). Move the black tray out of the way. Proceed carefully as some parts may be hot. Push the yellow lever to open the area. Remove jammed paper and then gently but firmly shut the door. As described above, call Imprints if the problem is not resolved and use the CPNM copy card to replace the patron’s lost copy.
- P3 – 90% of the time this error message means that the patron pulled the paper out of the tray too quickly. Turn the machine off then on. In this situation, the patron has not lost a copy. Call Imprints if the error message continues.
- If there are a lot of jams, it could be that humidity is causing the papers to stick together. In that case, shuffle through the stack of paper. Another cause can be the small white plastic lever on the side of the paper tray. Sometimes it sticks up and needs to be pushed so that it’s nearly flush with the tray edge.
- Sometimes the toner light (a triangle) comes on. It’s not too accurate so look at the actual copies to determine if there’s a problem. And if the copies show a problem, call Imprints after noting the type of toner needed i.e. it needs negative toner if there is white print on a black background or positive toner if it’s black print on a white background.
- Usually the printer automatically selects the appropriate mode for printing from positive or negative microfilm and microfiche. But if a copy has to be redone, first get the CPNM copy card (in the cabinet with Sunday papers – sign out and in for it). Now adjust the print mode (button located just beneath and to the right of the screen) to the appropriate mode i.e. N > P if the film or fiche is white printing on black or P > P if it’s black on white.
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Miscellaneous
- CPNM acts as greeters to any visitors to the Preservation Dept. & others). Names of and a seating chart are posted on the window just before and to the left of the door to Preservation. The preferred approach is to walk with the visitor to the desk of the person they’ve come to see.
- The Photocopy area has copy card machine, paper cutter and hole punch as well as 3 photocopiers.
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Overview
