STAFFING

Aboard ship, the commanding officer is responsible for maintenance and operation of the General Library Program. In most instances, commanding officers will delegate the functions of the library officer as a collateral duty.

Library Officer

The library officer is responsible for organizing, planning, and administering the shipboard library. Library officer duties can be performed by warrant officers, commissioned officers, chief petty officers, or by highly motivated and qualified petty officer personnel. For example, as an RP3 assigned aboard a deep-draft vessel, you will likely maintain the shipboard library. By virtue of experience and training, a senior RP may be assigned the duties of shipboard library officer.

Basic functions, duties and responsibilities, authority, and organizational relationships of the library officer are specified in Standard Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy, OPNAVINST 3120.32, article 305.9.

Library Attendants

The shipboard general library may be staffed in a variety of ways. In some cases, it may be designated as an assigned duty station and staffed by assigned watches. In other cases, especially when the appropriate fleet commander in chief has granted a waiver to the ship, the shipboard library may be staffed by paid library attendants or volunteers. As an RP, you and the library attendants will perform library duties and carry out library procedures under the supervision of the library officer.

HOURS OF OPERATION

The shipboard library is a customer service-oriented program. This means the library's hours of operation must include evening and weekend hours so shipboard personnel will have access to the library's collections and services. Operating hours should be clearly posted, shown in the plan of the day (POD), and advertised during the orientation of newly assigned personnel.

The shipboard library is an important morale builder, particularly during underway periods. This is why it is important not only for shipboard personnel to know when the library is open but also for the library's staff to adhere to and maintain the posted hours of operation. As a member of the library's staff, you should take the libray's hours of operation as seriously as you would the maintenance and care of its materials and spaces.

GENERAL POLICIES AND SERVICES

Library materials are put in the ship's library to be used. The policies and procedures governing the use of these materials should be fair to all shipboard personnel. All aspects of library service are designed to make the library's resources convenient for the users, remove barriers, invite use, and guide reading and education toward the goals of the individual user. Normal services to the customers of a shipboard library should include the following provisions: . Well-organized collections of materials that have been classified, cataloged, and arranged with the convenience of the user in mind 

l Arrangements for the loan of materials, either directly from the library's collections or through interlibrary loan procedures 

. Information services designed to help users locate facts or resources as needed

. Guidance in the use of reference, professional, educational, and recreational materials

. Assistance to command organizations in locating and using materials for professional development, planning programs, and other organizational needs and projects l Publicity to stimulate interest and use of

materials by means of advertising, notices, displays, reading lists, book talks, discussions, and other promotional methods both in the library and at various meetings outside the library's spaces l Bibliographic information on books and other

materials

MANAGING THE USE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

Your shipboard library must have locally established policies for managing the use of its materials. Policies for use will often depend on the types of materials involved. For example, most clothbound (hardbound) or paperback books are made available for circulation or loan to individual users to be enjoyed outside the library's spaces. Managing these materials may be accomplished by the use of library book cards and check-out records, as shown in figure 5-3.

Other materials, such as reference materials, must be used within the library's spaces and are not generally made available for use outside the library. Still other materials may not be locally available but must be acquired by interlibrary loan. In the following sections, we will discuss general procedures for managing materials that can be loaned or circulated, those that must be used within the library's spaces, and those that must be obtained from other libraries.

Clothbound Books

For clothbound books in the general library collection, the loan period is 2 weeks with an option for renewal. Clothbound books that are cataloged as reference books, however, are for use solely in the library and are not circulated.

Figure 5-3.-Check-out records.

CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE.- As a standard check-out procedure, the borrower removes the book card from the book and prints his or her name, rank, and division on the card. The date due (day, month, year) is then stamped on the book card and book pocket. The book card is filed in the circulation file by due date alphabetically by author's last name. Figure 5-4 shows a standard book card.

Reference books are to be used only in the library. This policy makes it possible to control the use of expensive and highly popular reference books such as car manuals. Popular reference books are shelved at the library attendant's desk.

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE.- The library assistant notes the date due on the book pocket of the returned book, locates the book card in the circulation file, and replaces it in the book pocket. If a reserve (request) card is attached to the book card, the assistant notifies the individual waiting for the book that it is

_{Figure 5-4.-Book card.}

available. If no reserve is registered, the book is placed in its proper place on the shelf.

RESERVE BOOKS.- The important service of reserving for a prospective reader a book that is on loan to another person can be done with relative ease. On a 3-inch by 5-inch card, note the author and title of the book requester's name, rank and division; and date of the request. Locate the book card for the reserved book in the circulation file and attach the request card to the book card with a paper clip. When the requested book is returned, its reserve status will be readily evident upon locating the book card. Notify the requester that the book is now available.

RENEWAL.- When a borrower wishes to extend the loan period for a book, the library assistant first makes sure no one has reserved the book in question. Books on reserve should not be renewed, When no reserve is on file, the borrower fills in the book card again-name, rank, division-and the library assistant stamps a new due date on the card and the book pocket. The assistant then files the book card under the new due date.

Paperback books

For circulating paperback books, you might recommend a "take one, leave one" system. Before an extended deployment, your ship can request a special issue of paperbacks through CNET. This will provide enough stock of paperback books for exchange during deployment.