Library Service Points

Historically Amherst College Library has had several service desks. About 24 years ago there were approximately eight service points/desks for library service. One desk was for Circulation (which is one the main entrance floor), one desk was for Reference/ILL, one desk was for Reserves (two levels down from Circulation), one was for Media (one level down from Circulation), one was for Archives and Special Collections (one level down), one was for Visual Resources (in the Mead Art Center) and one was for Art also in the Mead Art Center. The Science library was self service as was the Math Library and the Music library had a circulation service desk in Morgan Hall. The Science librarian served on the circulation desk on Saturdays and Reference was open on Saturdays and from 6pm -9pm on Sundays. The Circulation Librarian was backup for the Saturday desk staff. There have been a couple of renovations that re-organized the service desks and sprouted new titles and dual positions for some. You’d think there would be less service desks/points but actually there are about the same number as 24 years ago. Configured in a different way but disconnected in the same. Circulation, Reserves and ILL are one service point (staffed by a variety of staff and student staff), Reference is one service point (staffed by librarians), Media is no longer media but an IT help desk on Level A (staffed by the Systems Librarian and IT student staff), Science library has a service point in their building across campus (staffed by librarians, paraprofessionals and student staff), Music still has their service point (staff by paraprofessionals and student staff), Archives and Special Collections have their own service point (staff by librarians and paraprofessionals) and Visual resources has their own service point in yet another building (staffed by librarians and paraprofessionals). There is no longer an Art library and the Math library is being slowing absorbed into the main collection. Lastly, there is the Amherst College Depository, although there is no service desk per se patrons can request items virtually through the online catalog and web form.