What exactly is Technical Services? Head of the department Anne is here to help you understand with an outline of her typical day.
From Technical Services: A Day in the Life
by Anne Giffey
From Technical Services — Book Repair
Hardcover and paperback books don’t last forever, especially when they are well-loved and fall apart – literally – but don’t despair, the library can put the pieces back together again!
The Technical Services staff assess materials needing repair and utilize three main components: glue, tape, and a helpful machine called Cover One. This machine heats the book glue and helps adhere pages back onto the spine. The machine can also bind materials in-house, transforming loose-leave pages instantly into a bound volume.
Book repair preserves library treasures, saves resources, and returns your favorites back to the shelves (almost) as good as new!
From Technical Services — Processing to Protect
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes to get materials ready for our shelves? Here’s a peek into the life of a book as it’s physically processed in the Technical Services department.
When new materials arrive, Technical Services staff physically process items to protect them and extend their lives on our shelves. Those colorful and informative book jackets on hardcover books are covered with plastic, protecting them from moisture, so you can enjoy the book design AND its contents! Paperbacks are covered in a thicker plastic to prevent bends and rips and to strengthen them for standing straight on the shelves.
After covers are secured, staff construct labels with collection and call number information so materials can be shelved…
Staff Picks — November 2021: Anne
Curious what the staff of GPL likes to read? Every month we’ll share five titles we’ve read recently. All titles are available for checkout at the library — give us a call or visit the catalog to put one on hold!
THE PROGRESS OF LOVE by Alice Munro
A divorced woman returns to her childhood home where she confronts the memory of her parents’ confounding yet deep bond. The accidental near-drowning of a child exposes the fragility of the trust between children and parents. A young man, remembering a terrifying childhood incident, wrestles with the responsibility he has always felt for his younger brother. In these…