Fall 2007
Into Print aims to educate, inform, and entertain its readers, with a goal of fostering positive communication between its participating departments, their staffs, and their clients.
In this issue
Printing Department taking calendar orders
Hours change for Surplus computer sales
Product Show scheduled
Wide Media Center to close
General news
Look how things have changed
100 issues of
Into Print
Outstanding Staff Award goes to Jerry Slezak
Staff Excellence Award for Chris Kula
Materials Management conference covers contracts, pandemic planning, distribution
Printing staff attend Graph Expo
Education, outreach, and training for customers
Central Mail Services
Do NOT reuse hazardous material containers for shipping
Postal Service announces holiday shipping deadlines
Mailing Smarter: Shape and size count
Separate international, domestic mail
Don't overstuff envelopes
Character Counts: Meet Cindy Yenter
Equipment Rental
Rental to update software
General Stores
Save money and help the environment. Read on.
Check us out for best prices on tech items
Laundry Service
Hop in... Riding shotgun with a delivery guy
Parking and Transportation
Fleet Services relocates, for now
Printing Department
Try mail merge for smooth distribution
When you need a really big poster...
CopyHawk puts congressman to work
Surplus
Remove stored confidential information before item disposal
Furnished by Surplus
We like feedback
Send story ideas, address corrections, additions, e-mail
We are . . .
Directories
The University of Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement
NEWS BRIEFS
Printing Department taking calendar orders
The Printing Department is taking orders for its 2008 calendar. There is no charge for the calendars, but there is a limited supply. Order online or send a request to Calendars, Printing Department, 126C MBSB. Specify the number of calendars you want in each size (20x28, 4.25x11, and 14x1.25 inches) and provide your name, department, and campus address.
Hours change for Surplus computer sales
Surplus computers are now sold to the general public on Thursdays only from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. General merchandise is still sold on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is open to UI departments also by appointment.
Product Show scheduled
The next General Stores Product Show will be Thursday, January 17, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the University Hospital East Room, 8008.
Wide Media Center to close
The Printing Department's Wide Media Center, which prints and distributes plans for all UI capital development projects, will close by the end of fiscal year 2008. Its employees will be placed in other areas of Business Services.
TYPESTRIKES
from our typo treasure chest
Carl Sandbug
GENERAL NEWS
Look how things have changed
Fall 2007 marks the 100th issue of
Into Print. The first issue, a Printing Department newsletter named
Fine Print, rolled off the press in January 1989. Here is a look back, through excerpts.
1989
Some Aldus Freehand or Aldus PageMaker files can take as much as an hour a page to typeset, especially those using graphics and graduated screens.1990
We're offering a service unique to the area - you can use our laser printer from a remote location.1991
We learned there is an academic journal on typography named Fine Print. We decided to rename our newsletter Into Print.1992
Offset printing refers to the modern method of printing, as opposed to letterpress.... Our network is now hooked up to the Internet, a campus network which connects many departmental networks.1993
We are now able to print color copies not only from Macintosh disks but also from IBM disks.1994
PageMaker 5.0a improvements include the ability for TIFF images to print to all imagesetters in the correct tonal values.1995
The Printing Department's color copier service was moved to [MBSB] from the Old Public Library in April. This brings all our staff and services together under one roof for the first time since the summer of 1993, when our previous building was flooded.1996
The Printing Department welcomes its new neighbor, Central Mail. We appreciate the proximity. Where once we would box, load, deliver and unload orders, we can now walk them to the next room.... General Stores is implementing a new online ordering and billing system, called MIGS. The database contains the more than 10,000 items that are in the catalog provided by the University's office products supplier.1997
The Board of Regents approved a remodeling and construction project that is needed for General Stores to move to the Consolidated Business Services Building.... We are progressing well on Laundry Service's new building at Oakdale, where our laundry staff will soon be enjoying a facility with state-of-the-art equipment.
Outstanding Staff Award goes to Jerry Slezak
Jerry Slezak, a Parking and Transportation cashier at the Dental Science Building visitor parking lot, has received the University of Iowa Outstanding Staff Award. Only six staff members are awarded this honor each year. The awardees were recognized at a Faculty/Staff Awards Banquet on October 16. Each of them will also receive a commemorative gift from Staff Council.
The University created the award in 1985 to recognize staff for "outstanding accomplishments and contributions that significantly benefited or brought honor or recognition to the university."
Jerry's positive and helpful interaction with everyone he meets is evident when spending just a few minutes with him. He has an endless supply of jokes and one-liners that he shares with his customers to help brighten their day. But he also quickly and accurately completes the cash transactions and gets his customers on their way - skills that are especially valued because the lot is a very busy place. Jerry is extremely good at his job and an asset to our department. Congratulations to Jerry on receiving this award. It is well deserved and we appreciate all that he does. — Michelle Ribble
Staff Excellence Award for Chris Kula
Central Mail and Copy Centers manager Chris Kula was presented a Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award this summer. He was one of six UI staff members receiving the award for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the University as well as to the state of Iowa.
Chris was cited for promoting a respectful and professional work environment; improving efficiencies in Campus Mail delivery routes; supervising the renovation of the IMU CopyHawk; and effecting changes in the Copy Centers that will save over $200,000 during the next fiscal year. He works closely with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the UI Foundation, the Alumni Association, several smaller departments, and the University of Northern Iowa to help them save money on mailings.
The award was established in 1993 to provide a statewide forum to recognize staff members in the Board of Regents institutions. Each winner receives a commemorative gift, and the University grants a $1,000 prize to the winner's department to be used for his or her benefit.
Materials Management conference covers contracts, pandemic planning, distribution
Gary Anderson recently attended the Big Ten and Friends Materials Management Conference at Ohio State University. The attendees spent time discussing and learning about gas cylinder tracking and billing, office supply contract management, pandemic plans, and deliveries and distribution. It was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and reconnect with old friends.
Printing staff attend Graph Expo
Printing Department employees Chris Swart, prepress supervisor, and Allen Bales, production supervisor, attended Graph Expo in Chicago in September. They looked at a variety of prepress equipment, particularly computer-to-plate products, and presses. Graph Expo, with 654 exhibitors this year, is a major national graphic communications trade show.
Education, outreach, and training for customers
Central Mail
Producing Successful Mailpieces introduces participants to mail piece design and discusses addressing methods and database management. The course will be especially helpful for those involved in mail piece design or address file management. It is scheduled for Thursday, November 1, from 10 to 11 a.m. Register for the class through UI Learning and Development,
http://hr.uiowa.edu/learn. Also, Central Mail makes presentations tailored to each department's mailing needs, to provide information and money-saving suggestions. Contact Chris Kula.
New staff orientation
Business Services staff participate in Learning and Development's monthly
new faculty and staff orientation. Contact Linda Noble, Parking Services, or Jenean Arnold, other Business Services departments.
Tours
Groups are welcome to tour Printing, Mail, and General Stores at the Mossman Building. Contact Jenean Arnold.
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CENTRAL MAIL SERVICES
Do NOT reuse hazardous material containers for shipping
VERY IMPORTANT: Do not reuse boxes marked with hazardous material symbols when you send packages for shipping via UPS. UPS will not accept them. These items will be returned to you for repackaging.
Postal Service announces holiday shipping deadlines
The U.S. Postal Service has announced its mailing deadlines for the December holidays. Some self-service options are available - it is possible to print labels and customs forms online at www.usps.com/clicknship, for example. For international and military APO/FPO mail deadlines, refer to the excerpt from Postal Bulletin #22215, 9-13-07. It is posted on the Central Mail website, www.uiowa.edu/~fuscmail/pkgsvcs/pkgsvc.htm.
Send mail by the following dates for delivery by December 25:
Holiday shipping deadlines
- First class mail....December 20
- Priority mail....December 20
- Express mail....December 22
- Parcel post....December 15
- DBMC drop ship....December 20
- DDU drop ship....December 21
Mailing Smarter: Shape and size count
Small and flexible is good!
A half-inch too long or tall will classify your mailing as a flat or a parcel. Why spend more than you have to?
Stay away from a square mail piece.
You may incur a surcharge for mail being out of ratio for postal equipment. Central Mail is your best friend when it comes to saving your money. The earlier you consult with us in the design process, the more impact we can have in helping reduce your postage costs and speeding your mail through the postal system. —
Chris Kula
Separate international, domestic mail
Your friendly, loyal, reliable Campus Mail carriers kindly request that you PLEASE keep international and domestic mail separate in your outgoing Campus Mail boxes. Thank you! —
Mike, Ron, David, Tom, Alex, Larry, Flo, Carol, and Roger
Don't overstuff envelopes
Watch what you stuff into your mail pieces. "We are seeing too many business envelopes that are over the one-quarter-inch maximum thickness allowed for letter rates," says Central Mail manager Chris Kula. "The postage for these increases from a letter to a flat rate - fifty-eight cents instead of forty-one." USPS templates to test envelope dimensions are available free of charge. Contact Kula and ask for the Notice 3A template, letter dimensions.
Character Counts: Meet Cindy Yenter
As a mail clerk in UI Central Mail, Cindy Yenter wears several hats. She runs the inserter, making sure the right information gets into the right envelopes; she spots mail pieces for printing flaws as they roll off the VideoJet. "Sometimes a line doesn't print completely," she says. Postcards come through as fast as 20,000 per hour; larger pieces about 5,000 per hour. She rarely misses an error.
"Your eye is so used to seeing what's right, that when it's wrong you catch it - just like that," she says with a snap of her finger. She runs the burster, which breaks continuous-feed forms apart and trims the edges, and the tabber, which seals self-mailers closed. She performs small mechanical work such as cleaning parts. "The machines pretty near run themselves. You just have to keep them clean so they run right," she says.
"I enjoy it here, especially the hours," says Cindy. "And I always have my weekends...and sick leave." In her previous two jobs covering more than thirty years at mailing businesses, 65-hour work weeks and little sick leave were typical. Another draw, she says, is the UI van pool program. "That's one reason I left the other place. When you figure the cost of driving - tires, oil, gas, and the rest - it saves a lot of money."
Cindy and her husband, Craig, live in Crawfordsville, about 37 miles south of Iowa City. They were married in February this year. It's the first for both of them. "For being single all our lives, we've done really well," she says. Every evening they enjoy a walk through town with their blended family: Thelma, a Shih Tzu, and black labs Samson and Zacchias. Eddie the cat stays home.
As a San Diego area native, "I didn't see snow until I was twenty-four years old. I love it," Cindy says. Sometimes she misses the ocean, but "I wouldn't go back to California. My roots are in Iowa now."
Cindy enjoys her church activities, "They've got me teaching the teenagers;" writing poetry, "That comes easily to me;" and embroidery, "mostly tablecloths and quilts." She began taking piano lessons about a year and half ago and discovered the blues - her favorite genre. "Old dogs can learn new tricks!" says Cindy. "I'm pretty upbeat; I just enjoy everything I do. You see, my blood type is B-positive, so I have 'be positive' continually running through my body!"
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EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Rental to update software
Equipment Rental is working with a software developer to update its tracking and billing
system. Initially, customers will see a third level of rates for equipment: medium-term rentals. With
the current system, short- and long-term rates are the only options. Eventually they will have access
to real-time information about what's in stock. The first phase should be operational by the end of
the fiscal year.
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GENERAL STORES
Save money and help the environment. Read on.
Did I get your attention? It is true. You can help the University save over $50,000 this year and be green at the same time - and it is easy. Just use the new price list posted on the General Stores website to order toner cartridges. Some HP printer supplies are manufactured in both standard- and high-capacity versions, and some products are packaged with two cartridges per carton, called dual packs. The high-capacity and dual-pack products provide significant savings. Both are available through the General Stores/OfficeMax contract.
High-capacity cartridges end with X; dual packs with D. If you use an A-toner, order an X-toner if it is available, for example. The capacity is larger so you will use fewer cartridges, recycle fewer boxes, spend less time changing cartridges - and save money. If you can use the double pack, you will order less often, creating fewer deliveries - and save money. — Gary Anderson
Check us out for best prices on tech items
Looking for the best deal on tech items? Give OfficeMax a try if you're planning to buy printers, software, memory, headsets, or other technology-related products. Contact Angie Roach at 800-425-0977 ext. 5330, for quick delivery, free shipping, and great prices! —
Gary Anderson
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LAUNDRY SERVICE
Hop in... Riding shotgun with a delivery guy
Lump-ety, bump-ety, thump, thump, thump.... A ten-ton delivery truck is not the most comfortable riding vehicle. And job shadowing one of the Laundry Service drivers turns out to be quite different from what I had anticipated.
The driver got up at 4:45 a.m. and clocked in an hour later. Thankfully, I did not have to report so early. When I do meet him, the man is smiling cheerfully, ready to get moving. His truck is loaded - with the second run of the day. As we head toward campus, I start asking questions.
Why do you make such early deliveries? Does it take long? Is anyone else moving about at that hour? He smiles slowly, then begins to speak. Many trucks make deliveries all over campus. A few, like the milk and bread trucks, make early deliveries too. Later in the day it can be slow going because most of the buildings' docks accommodate only one truck at a time. An early start means less down time waiting in line.
The bright sun, cool air, and lumbering pace are soporific. Approaching our first stop, I am thinking this ride is a bit.... boring? That soon changes as my cabmate suddenly morphs into the Energizer bunny. He leaps out, dashes to the opposite side of the truck, bolts up the steps, grabs armfuls of uniforms, and heads inside to the delivery site. In the blink of an eye he returns, leaps into the truck, changes gear, and we're off to the dormitories.
This pattern is repeated at each stop, but with some disconcerting variations. One is a steeply inclined dock, barely wide enough for the truck to fit. Another requires backing down an inclined dock off a busy highway. The common denominator is students, swarming everywhere. They wander in front, behind, and alongside the truck, blissfully unaware of potential danger.
After our last stop, my questions start again. What is the best part of your job? "The people, you meet so many interesting people," he replies. What is the most difficult part of your job? The driver raises an eyebrow and says, "The job is not hard. Avoiding pedestrians and bikers is the hard part." What is the worst part? "Getting behind schedule when equipment breaks down. You really have to rush to keep up."
As we lumber and thump back to Laundry, I silently agree. The job does not look difficult - if you can drive a humongous truck, back into awkwardly configured docks with pinpoint precision, and avoid squishing pedestrians, all while maintaining a strict schedule. But in my opinion, the job requires a person with enormous patience. Without it, a driver would be missing the key tool to success. — Jo Anne Worley
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PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Fleet Services relocates, for now
After squeezing into a tiny temporary unit since the 2006 tornado destroyed its building, Fleet Services finally moved to a new facility and was fully operational there as of October 1. It has leased a new, double-wide trailer which will be used until rebuilding takes place.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the new building?
It is located at the end of Harrison Street in Lot 64. Our location and delivery address is 155 West Harrison Street. The official building name has changed to Fleet Services, so our campus mailing address is 100 FS. Our U.S. mail address is 100 FS, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1522. Our phone numbers have remained the same. To see a map of our new location, go to www.uiowa.edu/~uifleet/fleet_services_location.pdf.
If I drive to your facility, where should I park my car?
We will keep the same customer parking area. When you arrive to pick up our vehicle, park yours in Lot 11. When we give you the keys to our vehicle we will give you a parking permit for that lot. If you will not be leaving your vehicle here, you may park on the north side of our facility for up to ten minutes while you pick up the keys and paperwork.
Where do I leave the Fleet Services vehicle when I return from my trip?
If it is after business hours you may return our vehicle to Lot 11, directly east of our building, or Lot 64 - whichever is more convenient for you. If it is during business hours, please drop the vehicle off as close to our building as you can and bring the paperwork to our office.
Where do I return the vehicle keys if I return after business hours?
There is a drop box located in the entryway to our new building. Put the keys, completed paperwork, and any phone or GPS navigation devices you have rented from us in this box.
We lease a vehicle from Fleet Services. Where do we get fuel?
For the short term, our fuel island will remain in the same location, at the southwest corner of Madison and Prentiss streets. In about six weeks it will be relocated to just west of the corner of Prentiss and Madison Streets. —
Mike Wilson (reprinted from the September 2007 Fleet Services Newsletter)
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PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Try mail merge for smooth distribution
Large mailings do not have to give you headaches. CopyHawk offers a mail merge service that can help make everything flow smoothly. The idea is to incorporate your mailing list with your document as it is being printed.
The document should be in Microsoft Word, any version between 1997 and 2003. "If you use a newer version, save it as Word '03," says Copy Center operator Gary Sammons. The mailing list must be set up in Excel. And, it's important to make sure the addresses are valid before merging the files. "I highly recommend getting address files cleansed at Central Mail," says Sammons. "It saves money to not have bad addresses. If you're spending 40 cents to mail the piece and it doesn't go anywhere, the money is wasted."
The Center has seen many uses for mail merge, such as letters, surveys, booklets, numbered tickets, 6x9-inch post cards, and items going through Campus Mail. Mail pieces can be designed as self mailers or inserted into window envelopes. For the latter, the Center needs a sample envelope in order to properly position the type. It's also possible to do mail merge on items that will go to Central Mail for inserting and addressing. Check with the CopyHawk staff if you have ideas for mail merge. They can let you know what will work and how to set up files, and will be happy to print proofs to make sure you get just what you want.
When you need a really big poster...
Try the Printing Department's wide-format color printer for posters, presentations, displays, and banners. It produces photo-quality images with 1200x600 resolution on 50-inch wide glossy paper. The printer uses the CMYK color model and Pantone Matching System for spot and process color. It is multi-platform and networked for sending files via the web. A PDF format is preferred, but we do print from PowerPoint files, particularly for meeting and poster presentations. Look for sample output the next time you're in the Hancher Auditorium lobby.
When you're ready to send a file, go to printing.uiowa.edu, click on "Send to Color Center," fill out the form, attach your file, and send it. The cost is $2.50 per linear inch and turnaround is 24 hours, provided the file works. For payment, we accept m-numbers, and blue requisitions with a valid MFK number and two authorized signatures. Call Prepress/Color Center at 384-3716 with questions.
CopyHawk puts congressman to work
Congressman Dave Loebsack, who represents Iowa's second district, visited the IMU CopyHawk in August for a job shadow. He spent about an hour working at the Center, during which he printed, finished, and packaged a course pack. His visit was in conjunction with Take Your Congressman To Work Week. In addition to working at CopyHawk, he helped deliver packages for UPS, worked with Union Pacific railroad workers, and visited a family farm.
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SURPLUS
Remove stored confidential information before item disposal
Before you send items to University Surplus, be sure to check for information that may have been left in drawers or file cabinets. Examples could be student grades, documents with social security numbers, or patient information. These documents must be destroyed to comply with federal statutes regarding the protection of confidential information. If you do not have access to a shredder or have too many items for a conventional shredder, the University has a document destruction contract with Iron Mountain Company. It offers secure, on-site shredding; can destroy plastics and most other media, including x-rays, microfiche/film, binders, and videotapes; and provides a certificate of destruction.
For more information about document destruction call Jason Garrett at Iron Mountain, 515-331-3516, extension 200. If you have questions about records retention, contact Susan Klatt, director of financial management and University secretary, 335-5084. Please take the steps necessary to make sure confidential information does not leave your department. — Gary Anderson
Furnished by Surplus
A good deal of what is sold at University Surplus goes to local businesses, nonprofits, schools, and individuals. But the primary goal is to recycle within the University. Many departments save money buying there. One beneficiary is Professor Anton McCaffrey's research lab, which focuses on rational design of therapeutics for Hepatitis B virus.
The lab received a National Institutes of Health grant, explained graduate research assistant T.J. Cradick. "We needed to have data in order to apply for a grant, so had to get our lab up and running. It was set up with quite a bit of Surplus equipment - you can get it used for a tiny fraction of what it costs new," he says. A critical piece of equipment which came from Surplus is a shaking incubator for growing bacteria, he added. "Other labs even come over to use it."
"We've bought refrigerators and miscellaneous equipment and supplies," says research assistant Kathy Keck. "It helped save the budget to get equipment at low cost."
The lab staff also looks to Surplus for computer supplies such as cables and equipment. "We were able to transfer data from an antiquated piece of equipment once we got an old floppy disk drive," says Cradick. "When we saw a department getting rid of some old floppy disks, we thought, 'We don't need those for coasters; we can use them!'" Visit the Surplus website, www.uiowa.edu/~fusmm/surplus.html, for information and photos of current stock.
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WE LIKE FEEDBACK!
Story ideas
Are there topics we haven't covered that you would like to see in our newsletter? Do you have questions you would like us to address? Send an e-mail to the editor or a memo to
Into Print, 129 MBSB.
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Send questions and comments about departmental topics to:
Bionic Bus
Cambus information
Central Mail
Commuter Programs
Fleet Services
General Stores
Parking Facilities Operations
Parking Services
Copy Center #2, 100 Mossman Building
Copy Center #3, C102 Pappajohn Business Building
Copy Center #10, 180 Boyd Law Building
UPACS and Copyright Service
We are . . .
Business Services: Equipment Rental, General Stores, Laundry, Parking & Transportation, Printing and Mailing Services, and Surplus, serving The University of Iowa community. The print version of
Into Print is distributed free and on request to UI faculty, staff, and students.
Contributors to this issue
Gary Anderson/Business Services, Stores, Surplus;
Chris Kula/Central Mail, Copy Centers;
Michelle Ribble, Mike Wilson/Parking and Transportation;
Jo Anne Worley/Laundry.
Editor and web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 319-384-3723, 129 Mossman Building.
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