Monthly Archives: March 2021

Tech Tip: Create an alert to get notified when a file or folder changes in SharePoint

By: Ryan Johnson

To stay updated when your Microsoft SharePoint documents or items on your site change, create alerts. You can set up an alert for a list, library, folder, file, or list item. For example, you can set up an alert for a specific folder in a library, without receiving alerts when changes occur in the rest of the library.

Get alerts on item changes in SharePoint

You can get an alert whenever a file, link, or folder is changed in a SharePoint document library. Depending on the item (file, folder, link), you may see different options when you set an alert.

  1. Go to the list or library.
  2. Select the file, link, or folder for which you want to get an alert.
  3. From the list of options for the list or library, select the … (ellipses), and then select Alert Me.
  4. In the Alert me when items change dialog, select and change the options you want.
  5. To save, select OK.

Get alerts on all changes in a document library in SharePoint

  1. Go to the list or library and make sure no items are selected.
  2. From the list of options for the list or library, select the … (ellipses), and then select Alert Me.
  3. In the Alert me when items change dialog, change or fill in the options you want.
  4. Select OK.

Customer Service Tip: Empathy is a powerful de-escalation tool

By: Myra Golden (submitted by Carmen Gass)

Many people are surprised when I bring up empathy in my de-escalation workshops. They’re looking for hard-hitting tools and frameworks to help them bring down the temperature in interactions with customers. But empathy? How does this soft skill fit in?

Empathy helps you come across as a compassionate, non-judgmental listener. With customers in intense situations, empathy helps you begin the de-escalation process. Read more here.

Library 101: Leveling up your library knowledge

By: Hailley Fargo

We are pleased to announce our Library 101 lineup of presenters. This series will start Tuesday, March 23 and we have a great lineup of topics to share with our library student employees.
Please share this information with student employees you work with or supervise. For more information, check out our Intranet page which includes Zoom registration links. Please make sure to sign up in advance for the Zoom link!

Our topics will be:

March 23: How do I fit within the Libraries’ Organizational Structure?
Take a dive into the Libraries’ organizational chart to learn more about where your position fits and how we work across departments and campuses. Learn more about what other reporting
lines do and how their interests and strengths connect with your work within the Libraries.

March 30: Libraries’ Assessment with Steve Borrelli
Learn more about the role of Libraries’ Assessment and how they use data to inform our decision-making process. We will also talk about how student employees can help support the work of this department.

April 6: Demystifying LionSearch and the Catalog with Ruth Tillman and Binky Lush
Join this session as we pull back the figurative curtain on how LionSearch and the Catalog work. Knowing how these systems work and interact can be crucial when assisting patrons and doing your own research!

April 13: Special Collections with Rachael Dreyer, Julie Porterfield, and Heidi Moyer
Learn more about our Special Collections Library including what materials we have, how we find them, who uses them, and more!

If you have questions about the series, please get in touch with Hailley Fargo (hmf14) and Rachel White (rhw135).

Tech Tip: Create a file request in OneDrive

By: Ryan Johnson

If you need to obtain files from various people, you can use OneDrive to create a file request that allows others to upload documents directly to a folder you specify. This gives people a quick way to transfer files to you without giving them view or edit permissions to your OneDrive folder.

Here’s how!

REQUESTING FILES

  1. Using OneDrive Online, select the folder where you want others to upload their files.
  2. Click Request files on the toolbar above.

request_filesrequest files screenshot for tech tip

  1. Enter a descriptive name for the files you are requesting and click Next.

screenshot for tech tip

There are two ways to send the request:

    1. Copy the link to send to others and paste it into an email.
    2. OR enter the names and/or email addresses of the recipients and write a message with your request and then click Done. This will send a notification with your request.

request files for tech tip screenshot

Recipients will use this link or notification email to access the folder. You will receive a notification whenever someone uploads a file.

To Learn more about creating a file request including managing access, please visit the staff site training page.

Customer Service Tip: Culture is contagious

By: Shep Hyken (submitted by Carmen Gass)

I was recently interviewed by Yigal Adato for his mastermind group, all entrepreneurs and owners of pawnshops. We were discussing how important it is to “bake” customer service
into the culture.

It’s leadership’s job to define the customer service vision, ensure it’s communicated, and be the role models demonstrating how customers and employees are to be treated. Read more here.

Register for All Staff Conference Book Group: Pre-Conference Discussion

Don't Label Me: How to do Diversity without Inflaming the Culture Wars, cover artThe All-Staff Conference Book Group will be reading Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity Without Inflaming the Culture Wars by Irshad Manji. A print copy will be purchased for all participants who register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday March 31.

The book discussion is being held as a virtual pre-conference event for the Libraries All-Staff Conference and will be led by Aaron Procious (awp3@psu.edu) on Wednesday June 2 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Barnes & Noble called Don’t Label Me “a unique conversation about diversity, bigotry, and our common humanity, by the New York Times bestselling author [Irshad Manji], an Oprah ‘Chutzpah’ award winner and founder of the Moral Courage Project.”

To participate in the All-Staff Conference Book Group, register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31.

Customer Service Tip: Working with upset customers

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

More than any other topic, frontline employees ask for advice on how to serve angry and upset customers. This course reveals proven techniques for effectively neutralizing negative situations. Customer service expert Jeff Toister also shares specific actions employees can take before and after encounters with upset customers that will reduce the likelihood of problems
occurring in the future. Watch the course here.

 

Diversity Week is coming May 17-21!

By: Jackie Dillon-Fast

The Diversity Week planning committee is hard at work crafting a week of diverse speakers and virtual events for the 2021 Diversity Week, May 17 – 21, 2021!

Here’s one of the upcoming scheduled events:
A DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE BOOK DISCUSSION
We invite you to “listen in” and engage in a discussion of Allison Maxwell’s book Listen In: Crucial Conversations on Race in the Workplace. This intriguing work of business fiction picks up where research and scorecards leave off. It follows five African American characters as they exchange personal experiences that happen behind the research, data, and attempts at best practices. You will meet a curious CEO who overhears one of their conversations and blazes a trail to accelerate progress on the diversity goals his company has been struggling with for years.

[Please note: This event requires early pre-registration to allow for time to order print copies of the books and to allow you adequate reading time. To receive a print copy of the book, you
must register by Friday March 19, 2021. Registration is capped at 20 participants.]
Register here.

Reminder: Nominations for Outstanding Student Employee Awards due March 12

By: Jeffrey Stainbrook

Do you know of a student employee who consistently exhibits a deep understanding of the library while providing excellent patron service? Do you work with a student employee who is
passionate about their responsibilities, and often provides constructive feedback? Is there a student employee who produces quality work, and is viewed as a leader among their peers and
colleagues?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Penn State Libraries wants to celebrate the student’s accomplishments and achievements! Nomination letters for the Libraries’
Outstanding Student Employee Award are being accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, March
12, 2021.

Outstanding Student Employee Award Categories:
Outstanding Service – Recognizes a student who exceeds expectations in library customer service. This individual displays a positive and empathetic attitude, going above and beyond their assigned responsibilities by contributing their time, energy, and talents to further the growth and development of the University Libraries’ service.

Libraries’ Outreach – Recognizes a student that has been successful in special efforts or initiatives that create, convey, and enhance knowledge and communication between library
departments, the University, and beyond.

Libraries’ Innovation – Recognizes a student that has displayed a significant level of innovation and creativity. The recipient should demonstrate initiative and insight through technology, innovative ideas, or other creative projects.

Student Leadership – Recognizes a student who demonstrates a commitment to leadership amongst their peers and various library departments. The recipient will be an imaginative leader dedicated to supporting and promoting the values of University Libraries.

For information concerning eligibility, timeline, criteria, the nomination process, and more, please visit the Libraries’ Outstanding Student Employee Awards Intranet page.

We look forward to every nomination, and to celebrating each and every student for their dedication to the Libraries, their academics, and to the ethos of Penn State University.

Sincerely,
The 2021 Awards Committee:
Paul Burnell, co-chair
Danica White, co-chair
Alexandra Kowsh, Branch SAT representative
Melissa Millar, CCL SAT representative
James Harlan
Rob Peterson
Jeffrey Stainbrook

Tech Tip: How to enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Office

By: Ryan Johnson

Microsoft Office includes black and dark gray themes for Office apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

To change your theme, click the “File” menu at the top left corner of an Office application like Word, Excel, Outlook, or PowerPoint.

dark mode screenshot for tech tip

Click the “Account” option in the sidebar. On the right, open the “Office Theme” dropdown menu, and then select your desired theme.

dark mode screenshot 2 for tech tip

To enable dark mode, select “Black” for the darkest possible Office style.

You can also select “Dark Gray.” This theme uses lighter dark grays, which you might prefer if you find the Black theme too dark.

You can select a different “Office Background” from here, too. For example, if you’d rather not see a design behind Office’s ribbon bar, click the “Office Background” box and select “No Background.”

These theme and background settings affect all Microsoft Office applications on your system. They even affect Office applications on other Windows PCs, assuming you sign into them with the same Microsoft account.

All Staff Conference 2021 Pre-Conference option

all staff graphic

Virtual Pre-Conference Option: StrengthsFinder

When: Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 8:30am – Noon

According to Gallup, only 40% of workers use their strengths every day at work, which means most of us aren’t working up to our purpose and potential. Imagine if everyone in your workplace did. A Strengths Assessment and workshop by a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach can get you on the road to better performance, relationships, productivity and more!

This event will help you:

  • Discover what you naturally do best.
  • Learn how to develop your greatest strengths.
  • Use your customized results to live your best life – personally and professionally.

Session limit: 35

This virtual pre-conference option will take place, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 8:30am – Noon. The Pre-Conference ends at noon and the Full Conference begins at 12:30 p.m.  Participants attending both events will need to be within 30 minutes travel time to the Penn Stater or already be on site. You don’t have to attend the conference to be able to participate in the pre-conference!

Register for 2021 All-Staff Conference StrengthsFinder Pre-Conference by 5pm on April 19. Register for the All-Staff Conference by April 23. And if you need a hotel, last chance to register for that is March 1. Please see the staff post for more information.

StrengthsFinder e-book available at LRN.psu.edu 

  • Log into the LRN and enter “Books and Videos” into the search bar.
  • Click on “Skillsoft Books and Videos” — then click “launch.”
  • This will take you to the Penn State Online Books Portal where you will click on “Skillsoft Books” – located on the top-left of the page.
  • This will take you to the library where you can view books by category. Or, you can search by title or author using the search tool on the top-right. Then launch the book of your choice. StrengthsFinder 2.0 book (or book summary) is the only reading assignment.
  • You can read at your leisure 24/7. It’s that easy!
  • Only those who register for the virtual session will be sent a private code to take the individual Strengths Assessment.

Thank you,
The All-Staff Conference Planning Committee

Online Open Consulting on Open Source Geospatial Technologies

By: Jae Sung Kim

In Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information, online open consulting on open source geospatial technologies (for example, QGIS, GDAL, OGR, PostGIS) are available to students, faculties, and staffs at Penn State University.

The consulting hours are 9:30 am – 1:30pm, and 3:15pm – 5:00 pm on every Monday between March 1st, 2021 and May 3rd, 2021. The consulting will be on a first come, first served basis. Registration (https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrf-GgqTIuHtTfF-xBft7WRgUM5o2dE_ho) can be done anytime during or before consulting hours.