Date Approved revised 3/23/06 LA

5/20/11 SLA

1/31/13 SLA

TELEPHONE POLICY

General

Courtesy on the telphone is extremely important. Library telephones are intended

for library business. Personal calls must be kept to a minimum and be brief.

  1. Phone Lines
  1. Library phone number to be given to patrons: 330-534-3512

2. Fax Line: 330-534-7836

  1. Answering Phone

When answering the telephone, the library/ Department should be immediately identified. For example: “Hubbard Library. May I help you.”

or “Circulation Department, may I help you.”

  1. Voice

Speak distinctly and pleasantly.

  1. Referral of Calls

Calls should be politely and quickly referred to the appropriate department.

  1. All reference questions must be transferred to the Reader’s Assistant on duty. Do not question the patron about his or her request. Explain that the Reader’s Assistant will handle the inquiry.
  2. Phone renewals may be handled in any department. Give patron new due date. If a patron has a fine, please remind the patron to pay the next time they visit the library.
  1. Length of Call
  1. If patron’s question requires lengthy research, tactfully explain that you will call the paton back with the information.
  2. See “Reference Service Policy” for more information on handling telephone reference questions.
  3. Always acknowledge the presence of a patron who is waiting until you have finished a call.
  1. Taking Messages
  1. If caller wishes to talk to a staff member who is not available, transfer the call to the staff person’s voice mail if appropriate, or take a message, being sure to carefully record the caller’s name and phone number.
  2. Personal information about staff members must never be given over the phone or in person.

G. Long Distance Calls

All long distance calls are for library business only.

H. Outgoing Calls

  1. Outgoing calls should be kept as brief as possible in order to keep the phone lines free for incoming calls.
  2. Always identify the library before asking to speak to someone. For example: “I’m calling from the Hubbard Library. May I speak to…”.

Public and Staff Use

All employees must use discretion in allowing a library phone to be used for anything other than library business.

  1. Patrons are encouraged to use their cell phones in the library lobby.
  2. In case of emergency or special need, the person in charge may allow an employee or patron to use the library phone.
  3. When members of the public call the library in search of a particular patron, tactfully explain that the library does not have a paging system and it’s very difficult to locate a patron. See Paging Patron Guidelines in this manual.