[Publib] staff cell phones my 2 cents worth

[Steve Benson]

In my library there are 4 floors and staff rotate to different desks.
Staff may be assigned "off desk" and may not be within reach of a
phone.  A cell is a great communications tool for our mobile
environment.  I've no problem with staff using them. It only becomes a
problem if public service suffers because of personal cell use.

Telecom Corridor is in Richardson. Years ago we had prohibitions
against staff and public cell phone use in the library.  Then we began
to ask why we would ban something that was bread and butter for our
local economy.  The object wasn't a problem.  Use of a cell wasn't a
problem.  Where and how it was used could be a problem.  We chose to
focus on disruptive behaviors.


Steve Benson
Richardson Public Library
Richardson, TX



On 9/19/09, terry.lawler at phoenix.gov <terry.lawler at phoenix.gov> wrote:
> "Cell phones are a necessary evil in some cases."
>
> Just out of curiosity, or devil's advocatness, or whatever, why can't the
> library's phone number be given to family and friends for use in contacting
> staff?  Why must it be the cell phone?
>
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> -----publib-bounces at webjunction.org wrote: -----
>
>> To: publib at webjunction.org
>> From: Donna Cain <donnaccain at gmail.com>
>> Sent by: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
>> Date: 09/18/2009 09:18AM
>> Subject: [Publib] staff cell phones my 2 cents worth
>>
>> I and others where I work have cell phones with us at all times. Having
>> sick family members, appointments being confirmed on a personal level
>> gives me peace of mind that they can reach me. I do have it on vibrate. I
>> am also one of the contacts on the emergency phone chain at the school.
>> One of the things I might suggest is to take things on an individual case
>> with staff members.
>>
>> When I worked at a library with a bigger staff we usually had issues with
>> the same people disregarding rules. This resulted in a STAFF MEMO to the
>> entire staff repeating what was said and sometimes taking away a
>> privilege. This would cause grumbling from those who adhered to the rules,
>> and continual disregarding rules from the ones that caused the memo. We
>> had one who always had her "Borg" ear piece in and had long non-work
>> related conversations. She also refused to put her phone on vibrate,
>> because she claimed the vibrations would ruin her phone.
>>
>> Cell phones are a necessary evil in some cases. I just suggest, when one
>> staff person continual ignores the rules, talk to that person and not
>> "punish" the entire staff. This causes bad feelings and moral plummets.
>>
>> My two cents worth.
>> Donna
>>
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>
>

-- 
Sent from my mobile device


Steve Benson