Hello -

I'm a newbie to this listserv.  I'm not a librarian, nor am I a coder.   I primarily do systems related work with our library management system, run SQL reports as needed and project management.  I also work for Access Services and even though I'm considered IT, I'm not in the library IT department.  This is a new position in my department and we're still figuring things out as we go along.

I work in one of the many libraries at Yale University.  In the department I work in, we have three busy service points - two circulation desks and a privileges/registration office.  There are about 50/60 staff members and roughly 50+ student employees who rotate at these service points.  There are times when there are students who are late reporting to a service point, no-shows, or suddenly there's a long line and only one person at a staffed service desk.  At a meeting recently, I was listening to a work leader lament how, if she is the only person there, she is just too busy to make a phone call or send an email asking for help - a common occurrence.  After I heard her, I wondered how possible it would be to create some sort of desktop 'app'.  One that requires only one click and is smart enough to know its service desk location and is sent to the right folks who could come assist right away, upon demand.  These would be on Windows workstations.

Recently, I've seen many encouraging responses to the latest 'getting started...' emails and feel motivated to write to this listserv as I'm eager to learn and to try to do this myself.  I hope that this will be a simple enough project for me but I'm just not sure where to start or what I should be looking at.  So, here I am, not a librarian, nor a coder.  I write to this listserv seeking suggestions, ideas and encouragement.  :)

Thank you -
Cindy