Multiple Windows or Tabs in WorkFlows

When working in WorkFlows, please press Close after each transaction is complete. Opening a new wizard will leave the previous account open and possibly still active. This may create confusion when new transactions are completed.

It has been noted that working with multiple windows or tabs open in WorkFlows has caused some issues in the past. Some of these incidents may include all items checked out or in to not be noted on the window currently used. If a Display User Tab is opened and then a Checkin or Modify User Tab opened and actions performed, those actions may not carry over when switching back to the previous Display User Tab.

To further combat this, please perform the following procedures the next time you open WorkFlows:

1. Under the drop down menu for Preferences select Desktop and then Desktop Setup.
2. Scroll to the down of the pop-up box and ensure the boxes next to Multiple Windows Mode, Tabbed Windows, and Tabbed Windows on Bottom are unchecked.
3. If they are unchecked, click Cancel. No further action is needed.
4. If they were checked, click OK and close WorkFlows and log-in again to allow these changes to update.

Thank you for your assistance.

Floating Holiday

Good evening,

Everyone remember to use your floating holiday if you have one.
They expire at the end of the calendar year.
You need to request for it 30 days in advance at least.

Thanks.
Patrick

New HPL Website

Friday October 24, 2014, HPL unveiled a new website. The address remains the same, but some bookmarks and other links may not work. Please take some time to take a look as some of the features have changed.

Tim S.

Door Count October 2014

From Monday October 20 through Saturday October 26 will be this seasons Door Count. During this time we'll be recording the P Count on an hourly basis and also the number of items used in-house (items picked up by staff throughout the library building that were not checked out). These numbers will be recorded on a table located on a tab labeled "Door Count October 2014" on the Daily Stats spreadsheet. 

To help ensure that we get accurate numbers, please view the P Count from the 3M Security Gate on your way out for your scheduled desk time. On the middle panel towards the bottom of the right side is a small window which will flash three sets of numbers(I=P: 0000, O=P: 0000, and _=P: 0000). The _=P: 215120 is the number that needs to be recorded. While doing pickup please keep a running number of items that you pickup to record in the Door Count table. 

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for assistance.

Tim S.

TexShare Cards

TexShare Cards allows an HPL patron to apply for a library card at various locations throughout the State of Texas. For example, a patron wants to borrow books from the University of Houston library, but they are not a student. A TexShare Card allows them to open an account at this college to checkout items. HPL vouches for this patron and will ultimately be responsible for any fees if the patron does not settle them.

HPL does not require a TexShare Card for non-residents of the City of Houston. We offer a library card to all residents of the State of Texas with appropriate ID and address verification.

Please note the following restrictions for TexShare Card applicants:

• Must be a resident of the City of Houston
• Have a current HPL Library Card that is at least 6 months old
• Does not owe any fees or fines to the Library

If a patron desires to apply for a TexShare Card and submits an application, it must be placed in an envelope and then the Central bin immediately. It should never be mixed with the regular Library Card applications.

Tim S.

Library Card Accounts

There's been some recurring issues with Library Card accounts that I want to go over. The past month has been extremely busy with the new cards and the amnesty program. The number of applications received has doubled.

Replacing a Card-

When a patron is replacing an outdated/lost card, always use the Lost Card wizard under the Special wizard group. Please do not erase the previous number in Modify User. Doing so will not deactivate the previous card. After scanning the new card in the Lost Card wizard and returning to the account to make modifications, scan the new card in the Display or Modify wizard. Clicking on the grey box with the previous user name will redisplay the account declared as lost. This account will then be inadvertently be reactivated.


Entering/Updating Information of an account-

Basic Info: Uncheck the "Allow Routing" Box next the Alt ID field. Ensure the proper Library is selected. Ask the patron what library they will normally use. The library choice will select that library as a default when placing holds.

Privilege: The expiration date on most cards should be 3 years from the date of application. If a patron is over 18 years of age and they complete an application form to receive a new card and all fees are paid, please select "Extend User's Library Privilege" box to give the appropriate length of time. If a patron is under 18 years of age, but turn 18 in under 3 years, then the date should be set for their 18th birthday. Allow the patron to set a new PIN.

Demographics: UserCat 1 is for residency for all patrons. RES is for all City of Houston residents, NR-Waiver is for all Texas residents that live outside of Houston. NONRES is only for patrons that do not have a Texas address and pay the non-resident fees. UserCat 2 is used to select the Laptop Permission for juveniles. This is especially important on old accounts that have this as a note. Always select Yes or No as necessary for juveniles in this field. Birth Date is required for all juvenile patrons, but is not required for adults. Normally, most adult patrons will write it in, but if they do not want to provide this information then this fine (please add this request as note: 10/9/14; STE/TS; Adult patron declined to provide birthdate on current application.) Please do not edit any other field in the tab.

Addresses:

• Care/Of: Smith John (Reverse the order of the parent's name for a juvenile account; a comma here is not necessary; leave blank for adults)
• Parent_ID: T123456 (use the same prefixes as normal for the Parents Identification; leave blank for adults)
• Street: 7405 Stella Link Rd (when abbreviations are used a period is not necessary)
• Apt_Unit: APT 123 (always use the APT abbreviation for structures with multiple units; delete the abbreviation for a house)
• City/State: Houston TX (use appropriate postal coded abbreviation for the state; a comma is not necessary)
• Zip: 77025
• Phone Number: 832-393-2630 (always enter phone numbers in this format and change it when necessary for older accounts; Add a new field for a second phone number or enter it in the Address 2 fields)
• Emails: smithj@yippee.com,jsmith@grackle.com (When entering more than one email, they should only be separated by a comma and no spaces)
• Enter the second parent name or second address in the Address 2 fields. The second phone number may be listed here as well.

Extended Info: For all other information that does not have a predesignated entry point in the account, this is the place for it.

• Out-of-State IDs or alternate address verification need to be explained here. (ID: New Mexico Driver's License. Address Verification: Light Bill)
• Parent Birthdays: P1 01/01/1950; P2 02/02/1955 
• Anything else: If you have any concerns about the account please leave a note such as Name was previously listed as Smith-Jones. 
• Date and Initials: When adding notes, please your initials (STE/TS) and date. 
• Older Accounts: Information on these accounts was defaulted as notes when the system changed from MilCirc to WorkFlows. Please move any information in the notes to the correct location (such as laptop permission or parent name)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you for your unending dedicated hardwork.

Tim S.

Wellness Connection

Hello All,

The COH Wellness Program for 2014 -15; It PAYS to IMPROVE  has made several recent transitions this benefit year. HPL CIGNA Subscribers are encouraged to review all of the program update emails that are periodically sent to all City of Houston Employees from the COH Wellness Team. Listed below are the current updates.

1.    New! Health Assessment Due Date, November 14, 2014. The deadline date for Health Assessment Completions has been extended from October 31, 2014 to November 14, 2014.  

a.    To take your Health Assessment log on to MyCigna.com. If you have trouble resetting your user password through the online tool, please call 1-800-284-8346. For registration validation concerns please call CIGNA Customer Service at 1-800-853-2713.

2.    HPL Flu Shot Clinic - October 16, 2014 form 12 noon until 2:00 p.m, Jesse Jones Bldg., Concourse Level Meeting Room. HPL will host a Flu Shot Clinic at the Jesse Jones Building in the Concourse Level Meeting Room. Flu shots will be available for COH Employees who are medical benefits plan members on Open Access, CDHP, KelseyCare and Mayor. Walk-ins are welcomed on a first come, first serve basis. Please bring your Cigna ID card. Click this link to see the schedule of additional locations of Flu Shot Clinics being offered by the COH Wellness Team. http://www.cohemployeenews.com/events?view=events

3.    New! Online Wellness Points Tracking Portal. The new online tracking portal will begin November 1, 2014. Stay tuned in for upcoming details. There are no reporting forms for the 2014 – 2015 Improve Program Cycle.

4.    New! Improve Program Point Values Visit this link to review the 2014-2015 Improve Program  point values listing and how to report your activities for points. http://www.cohemployeenews.com/improve/wellness-incentive-points

Last Day to Register to Vote in Next Month's Election

Today, October 6, 2014, is the last day for citizens to register to vote in next month's election. The mail was picked up at 12:50 PM today. If a patron wants to register to vote for the next election, please advise them that it must be postmarked by today and needs to be delivered to the Post Office. Thanks, Tim.

Amnesty and New Cards

From Fred's E-mail:
****

Beginning tomorrow (September 10^th) and running through September 26^th , accounts not in collection are eligible to have up to $24.99 in overdue fines forgiven when the customer exchanges his/her current library card for the new My Link – Powered by HEB library card.  Additionally, from tomorrow through September 26^th, overdue fines will be automatically forgiven on all overdue items returned and checked in on the HPL Symphony system. 

To find out more about the amnesty, check out the Overdue Fines Tutorial Video (https://sites.google.com/site/hplstafftraining/amnesty) on the HPL Staff Training Portal.  The video will not only explain which fines/fees are eligible to be forgiven, it will also provide instruction regarding how to remove eligible charges from accounts when customers get the new My Link – Powered by HEB library card.  Additionally, an Amnesty Program FAQ is available on HPLnet at https://hplnet.hpl.lib.tx.us/images/staff-amnesty-faq.pdf.  The FAQ provides answers and direction for anticipated questions regarding eligible fines, fees and accounts.

Finally, remember that you will need to use the User Lost Card wizard under the Special wizard groups in Symphony Circulation to issue new cards, then assign a new expiration date (most easily done with the Renew Privilege wizard).  Only the User Lost Card wizard can accurately update the account with the new card number and block the previous card number from further use.  Refer to the tutorial video for replacing a lost card to review how to use the wizard (https://sites.google.com/site/hplstafftraining/learningresources/libraryfunctions/replace-a-card).

****

When doing Amnesty, this can only be applied to Overdue fines (not Lost, Assumed Lost, or Damaged), and ONLY if they apply for a new My Link -- Powered by HEB card. The payment type is Amnesty.

-Mark

Print Refund

Good afternoon,

Jocelyn Taylor, from Two Chicks with Shears, printed out seven sheets off of the public printer.  She thought they would be in color, but they were not obviously.
I told her we had no way of offering a refund, but that we would give her seven free prints in the future some time since she did not need any more today.

If she comes up and asks, let her have seven free prints(or if the job calls for eight or nine even let her have them free of charge), and just let me know so we can know we fulfilled our end of that agreement.

Thank you.
Patrick

Wear your HPL Shirt Sept. 10-17

       During September 10-17: Please wear your HPL Shirts if you have it. You can wear a plain solid red shirt as a substitution. A plain solid white shirt would be your last resort. You will definitely have to wear a button with your white shirt. You may or may not need to wear a button with your red shirt (to be determined).               

Holds Wrapped Incorrectly

Good afternoon,

We are somehow getting holds wrapped incorrectly again.  I have found six in the last two days.

This new method of printing should have made it even easier to wrap correctly with the barcode on the wrapper.
We must continue to take one item off the cart, scan one item, wrap one item, put one item back in alphabetical order, before touching the next item that is to be wrapped.
There should only ever be one item off of the metal cart at any one time in the process.
Cross check the barcode number on the item with the wrapper before wrapping each item.

Also, two people should not be using the same printer at the same time.
This will also lead to confusion.
We have had no holds wrapped incorrectly for as long as I can remember.  I have not run into any in over a year at least.
We do not want to get sloppy now because of the new system.
Holds wrapped incorrectly make us look like amateurs to the public.

We will have to go back to the old copy and paste system which has people's initials on them if we cannot get it figured out.

Thank you.
Patrick

Password Manager - Everyone Must Sign Up

Please go to the following link and set up your password manager.
This will help in the future if you forget your password.

Go to: http://passwordreset.houstontx.gov

1.      Enter your Username – six digit employee number with the “e” – use leading zeroes, if needed (i.e., e012345 or e123456).

2.      Enter your Location – the location should default to ‘HOUTX’.

3.      Enter the characters from the image, and ‘Click’ OK.

4.      ‘Click’ the My Questions and Answers Profile link.

5.      Enter your network password and choose ‘Next’.

6.      Select a Question, and enter an Answer for each drop-down box and choose ‘Next’.

7.      Questions and Answers Profile is successfully created.

Additional Smoking Ban Information

For HPL, the No Smoking Zone rule goes into effect on Thursday, July 24, 2014 at our downtown properties -  the Central Library and the Julia Ideson Building.  Signs will go up on the downtown properties tomorrow. All other HPL properties will become smoke and tobacco-free by Tuesday, September 2, 2014 (the day after Labor Day).  Signage announcing the change to our customers will be posted as required by City ordinance, during the month of August.

Customers and staff who wish to smoke should move to areas off of library premises, which in most cases is the sidewalk portion of the property.

HPL staff are asked to enforce this smoking ban in the same manner as any other rule – upon seeing someone smoking, the customer should be asked to extinguish the product or leave the property. If the customer refuses, he or she will be subject to suspension from HPL premises, following existing policies and procedures.  

Please note that I do not expect you to go outside the building and confront a customer or staff member who is in violation of this rule.  Instead, I would encourage you to mention the rule to the customer or staff member when they return to the building, so that they can abide by the rule in future visits. 

Additionally, the posting of signage on our properties will allow HPD to issue a citation if they see someone violating the no smoking ban. Your supervisors will be speaking with you about this new rule and will be available to answer questions you may have about this important change.  

Smoking Ban starts September 2nd for us

Good afternoon managers and supervisors.

I wanted to let you know that this afternoon Mayor Annise Parker announced a new policy that bans smoking and the use of other tobacco products at all Houston Public Libraries and Parks and Recreation facilities.  As you know we currently do not allow smoking in or within 25 feet of our properties, but this new policy extends the zone further out, now including all Library premises and mobile units including any plaza, walkway or green space around a Library building. This designates all HPL locations and mobile units as No Smoking Zones.

This new policy goes into effect at the Library's downtown properties (the Central Library and the Julia Ideson Building) on Thursday, July 24th, and at all other HPL properties by Tuesday, September 2nd.  Signs will be going up during the month of August.

Dr. Lawson will be following up this email shortly with an email to all library staff with additional information.  Please note that all managers and supervisors should contact my office for additional information.

Thank you and I appreciate your support with helping share this message with all Customer Experience staff, especially those who will be directly impacted by this new policy. It's highly likely staff will come to you for additional information, so please read Dr. Lawson's email thoroughly in order to answer any questions staff may have.  I will also be working with our Communications department to develop additional talking point to share with staff shortly. 

Thanks,

Michele

Door Count July 2014

Monday July 21 is the first day of door count for the quarter and will run until the end of the day Saturday July 26. During this time we will count the number of patrons that enter the building at the beginning of each hour and the number of items (in-house materials) used inside the library, but not checked out during the course of the day. It is important to collect these numbers for statistical purposes.

To obtain the number of patrons, we will enter the P-number from the front gate. The middle barrier will have a window towards the bottom. Three numbers will flash on this screen (I=P: 39770, O=P: 40100, and _=P: 79001). Only the number that shows a blank=P: 79800 needs to be recorded. This number shows the total. The I= is the number of patrons entering the building and O= is the number leaving the building.

The number of in-house materials used will be taken during pickup. Please keep a count of items that picked up pickup and ask volunteers if they pickup items.

The numbers can be entered on a printout at the front desk or online on the spreadsheet included as a tab on the Daily Stats under "Door Count July 2014."

If you're scheduled for the desk or roving at 11:00, for example, please go check the count from the front door before you get to the desk and enter the number. It is OK to check and enter a number at 11:10 or so if it is forgotten at 11:00.

Thank you for your assistance in this season's door count and all the hard work.

Tim

Kronos

Good Evening,

Excellent job everyone on their Kronos for this past period that ended today.
We were about as close to flawless as one could possibly expect.
Thank you for being diligent about signing in and out on time and reporting any issues.

Have a good Saturday.
Patrick

Phone Upgrade

The City will be moving all current VoIP phones to an upgraded VoIP system.  During this time, outgoing calls will be able to be made but there will be no incoming calls.  There will be periods of time during the upgrade where no phone service is available.

Monday, July 21, 2014 between 5:00pm and 6:00am on Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Current Cisco VoIP phone system

All Department’s with the exception of HAS and HPD

The City is upgrading the Cisco Phone system.  This upgrade will allow us to expand the service to new locations and keep us supported by the manufacturer.

To make an outgoing call during this time, users must dial 9# and then the number.

Camp Stream Reloaded

Hello HPL!

The Houston Public Library’s Community Engagement Team is proud to present Camp STREAM Reloaded! 

Camp STREAM Reloaded is an abbreviated version of our recently presented camp session at Central and is being offered at a few additional library locations in response to the valuable feedback provided by you, our fellow team members and our valuable customers. This free week-long summer day camp will allow students from Kindergarten to 8^th grade the opportunity to participate in activities relating to Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Math during the month of August. Listed below are the library locations and week offerings:

·         August 4-8, 2014

o   Collier

o   Park Place

·         August 11–15, 2014

o   Henington-Alief

o   Scenic Woods

Each camp participant will enhance their team building and critical thinking skills, learned through innovative and interactive daily activities.  There is also a chance for the participants to receive daily awards. For more information please review the Community Engagement section on HPL's website (http://www.houstonlibrary.org/camp-stream). Supplemental print materials are also available at each library location.  

Registration for this event is currently open and time is of the essence, as there are limited spaces available and applications will be processed in the order of receipt.

For additional information or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Community Engagement Team at 832-393-1533 or by email: (hpl.mobile@houstontx.gov).  

We look forward to seeing you there!

Regards,

My'Tesha Tates and the Community Engagement Team

Meeting with new Deputy Director

Good Morning,

Michelle Gorman, the new Deputy Director of Customer Experience, is coming to our location on 7/23 which is on a Wednesday.  She will be here at 11 am.  This will take the place of our staff meeting that week.

I would like everyone to be there at 11 am sharp.  If you normally come at 11:15 am, please take the 15 minutes on Thursday by coming at 9:30 am.  

Please arrive promptly on that day.

Frances, you  may have to take an hour and 15 minutes for lunch or sign out at exactly 8pm that night.

Thanks for your help with this.

The meeting will be in the large meeting room.

Nhu and I will not be in the meeting.

Thank you.

Patrick

Reference Count

Good Morning,

Please remember to track your reference and directional either on the stats sheet online or with Nhu personally.  Preferably, on the online stats sheet.

Patrick

Teen Room

Good Afternoon,

The teen room is for teens all day everyday in the summer.
No adults or children in there for any reason.

Thank you
Patrick

April Statistics

We got the April system-wide stats in on HPLnet.

Some highlights:

• Stella Link had 24,000 visitors, 1st among Neighborhood Libraries(CEN had 43,000)
• We had 30,000 circulation, 1st among all libraries
• We had 124 programs with 2,599 in attendance; first in attendance among all libraries
• Our self check % was at 90%, 1st among all libraries

Keep up the outstanding work.

Patrick

Lift Off Houston Program

Mayor Annise Parker Announces Liftoff Houston! 2014 Register today! Mayor Annise Parker recently announced the second year launch of the "Liftoff Houston!" 2014 Business Plan Competition. Sponsored by Capital One Bank and in partnership with the Houston Public Library and the Office of Business Opportunity, the competition engages and empowers Houstonians seeking to start a new business in Houston by providing them with access to essential information, resources and support necessary to develop a sound business plan as a first step toward realizing this goal. To be eligible, businesses must have been in operation for less than one year, have revenue of less than $10,000 and be located within Houston's city limits. Capital One Bank is the key sponsor for this event providing cash prizes totaling $30,000. The competition will take place in four stages - orientation, workshop, mentoring, and presentation, over a 5 month period. Applicants will participate in a myriad of workshops ranging from business plan basics to access to capital, as well as information sessions on essential City of Houston business resources available through the Houston Public Library (HPL) and the City's Office of Business Opportunity (OBO.) The goal is to enable individuals to successfully research and develop their business plan.  Applicants will also receive additional support from professional mentors from SCORE Houston and Capital One Bank to further refine their business plan for submission. This year there will be three award categories: Product, Service, and Innovation. A winner from each award category will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with in-kind prizes. $10,000 - Awarded for top "Product" Based Business Plan (Retail, resale, merchandise, etc.) $10,000 - Awarded for top "Service" Based Business Plan (Food, labor, consulting, etc.) $10,000 - Awarded for top "Innovation" Based Business Plan (Software, Hardware, inventions, new market businesses, etc.) Mandatory orientations will be given to provide interested individuals with detailed information about the competition including rules, resources, and the process to compete. Multiple sessions of the orientation will be offered at designated Houston Public Library locations citywide. Timeline of Competition: RSVP for Orientation Session: June 11, 2014 - July 31, 2014 Orientation: July 12, 2014 - July 31, 2014 For more information or to register, visit www.liftoffhouston.com or call 832-393-0954.

Staff Meeting 7/2/2014 Notes

• Please take 15-20 minutes out of your day to do some shelf reading. Give yourself time to do a quick browse through the collection for misplaced items. At this time, volunteers are doing almost 100% of our shelving and they sometimes forget the differences between YA, JUV, Large Print, Classics, etc.

• Please finish your Cyber Security Training I today.

• Thanks to Carol for redoing the labels for the Adult Fiction. On that note, the Adult Fiction has been shifted so that the far wall can now be the Adult paperback fiction. We are getting rid of the spindle racks.

• Please remember to take your lunch on Friday between 11:45am-12:45pm to give yourself time after lunch to prep and transition to library’s opening time at 1:00pm.

• Please let Mark know when you put missing discs in his box. Just give him a heads up that you’re dropping something in the box. When you do drop an item in the box, please attach a note with the date and a quick message of what’s wrong with the item.

• Mo has space on the back shelf for items that needs labeling.

• When you get the chance, give Comic Plus Library Edition a run through. The ComicPlus can be accessed on the catalog page…scroll to the bottom. Creating your own ComicPlus account and playing with it can help you assist patrons and answer their questions.

• Keep up the great job everyone!

Staff Meeting 6/25/14

• Everyone is doing a fantastic job! With Bertha being out yesterday and her online status still unknown, staff is doing an excellent job taking care of the extra work load.

• Please continue to carefully check bookdrop. Only check in books through the thumper. Be sure to check for tags and holds.  Do not rush through bookdrop as it may cause issues later.

• If you still have a Personal Day, please use it by the end of August.

• Our benefit year is from September 1- August 31.

• If you have a Floating Holiday, please use it by the end of the year.

• The Fiscal Year and the Evaluation is now the same time period : July 1- June 30

• If you have any concerns or questions about your HEAR, please meet with Patrick whenever you like. You can talk with Patrick about it in your monthly meetings with him or at another time if you like. Theodora is still going through the HEAR to approve them. She has a lot to go through so it will take some time. HEAR is given at the 5 month and 11 month period for new hires and after the 11 month period, you receive your HEAR on a yearly basis.

• There will be a new spreadsheet on the blog for noting numbers of Processed Items (expired, in transit, holds, etc). There will be a link to the spreadsheet on the blog and Mark will post a link on the favorite bar on Google Chrome.

• Nhu will be in charge of collecting and safely keeping the donated funds she will receive from the staff for staff parties (birthdays). You do not have to donate. It is up to you if you want to. If we do not have the money, we will just not have the party.

• Excellent job everyone on your Kronos last week. There were very few issues and red boxes. Keep it up!

• There is training on Thursday morning. Please be here at 9am sharp. We will get out of here as close to 6pm sharp as we can so that your Kronos will be correct. Nhu and Patrick may stay past a little if we have to and let everyone else go home on time.

• If you can think of anything that you may need the volunteers to help with, please let Jesse know. Jesse is currently not taking any more volunteers for our location. Those who wish to volunteer can apply online at our HPL website within the VOLUNTEER link at the top of the page. They can still volunteer at other locations. HPL does not take court ordered volunteers.

• Disk repair schedule for Stella Link is September. Please continue to put problem disc (with a note attach about the issue with the disc) in the cardboard box on the shelf and Mark will figure it out. If you have a disc without a case, please put it in an empty plastic case before putting it in the box.

• Please do not staple passport to application ahead of time. Please let the person in the office do the stapling of the passport to the application to avoid rips or tears that may occur.

• Kids may be bringing in a printed page of their Wonderopolis badge/card to receive their S.T.E.A.M. badge. Please place that S.T.E.A.M. badge in the badge log and then note in the badge log next the the S.T.E.A.M badge the following: Wonderopolis received @ STE. Kids may only receive 1 S.T.E.A.M. badge for Wonderoplois. 

Manager's Meeting 6/26/2014

Good afternoon,

The following topics were discussed in the managers' meeting today:

• New policies and procedures for library cards
• 30 holds maximum now - includes ILL holds and any holds waiting on the shelf to be picked up
• Reordering the hold queue - Designated staff only
• Text message alerts are not available yet for hold pickups, but could be soon
• Holds are now cancelled after 365 days if they are not fulfilled
• Holds on the hold shelf expire after seven days
• Consular ID - Good for ID, not for address verification
• Temporary Resident Card - Good for 30 days, only check out three items at a time
• Staff Cards - Need an address in the information
• Texshare - Circulation administration issues them - Application is on blog
• Patrons can now check out as many CD's as they want up to the total item limit of 50
• Do not give out pins over the phone
• If they return a DVD disc with no case, just check it in and do not charge them for the item
• Pop Up Library is different from the Summer Reading Program
• Friends warehouse is out of space - Our discards will not be picked up for a while
• Self Check Percentage for the month of May was 91% (Great job everyone)
• Michelle Gorman, from Charlotte, NC, will be starting July 7th as our new Deputy Director of Customer Experience here at HPL
• When giving a customer comment form to someone, please give out the most recent version.  It is located on the blog under cheat sheets. Make sure to write down a staff response and then pass it along to me. 
• When someone has a complaint, please come and get me to see if I can satisfy the customer here at this level
• If a customer wants to call someone to complain, give them the 3-2707 number for administration.  If they insist on talking to the director, give them the 3-1300 number
• Language Access Committee - Shammi is part of a committee to ensure equal access for those that might not speak English as a first language.  The city has 311, which we can use as a translator.  They subscribe to a language program.  There may be customers coming in with cards with them that explain what their first language is, at that time, we will try to help them either with 311 or the best way possible.
• Important: We need to start tracking every time we help a customer that involves a foreign language interaction.  This will go up front with the reference marks.  This starts July 1st
• If you want to be on a committee, please run it by me first.
• If a performer needs to submit an invoice, then the contact for that is Tiffany Hoover.  Please e-mail Tiffany.

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Patrick

Staff Meeting Notes

• Staff is doing a great job pitching in and helping each other out on Tuesdays and Thursdays with increase flow of patrons after programs are let out.

• Thanks to Lauren and Loni for stepping up and taking care of Storytime and SRP program on Tuesday.

• Please continue to follow up with patrons if they set off the alarm (beep) when leaving the building. Please check their books and receipt and resolve the issue. If there is a long line at the desk and we are busy, it is not the end of the world to let the patron who set the alarm off to go through without checking their receipt.

• All books need to continue to be checked out at the self check out machines or at the staff computer station next to the self check out machines. Do not check out at the desks. All items should be returned through book drop or Bertha with exception of Flip Kits and books that are too large to fit through Bertha. If patrons come to the desk with books to be return and say that Bertha is not working, take a walk over to Bertha and assist them in returning the books. Most likely the patron did not return the book properly.

• If you have any suggestions/issues for or about administration, please bring it to Patrick’s attention first. If the suggestions/issues are about Patrick, you can speak with Theodora.

• If you are asked a question by a patron that you feel is beyond your scope, you can come get Patrick, Nhu, Tim, Mark, or Jesse to assist you.

• Always finish your interaction with your patron. Do not leave them hanging; always come back to them with an answer. Example: Patron is looking for a book that our catalog says we have, but the shelf does not have it and you let them know you will check the back room. The book is not in the back room. Please do not end your interaction here. Go back out and let the patron know you could not find the item and give them options such as placing the item on hold.
• Please continue to give the three part greeting at all times when answering the phone. You never know who is on the other end. As a reminder, the greeting is:

Thank you for calling the Houston Public Library System. 

This is the McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library. 

How may I help you?

• Brandon will no longer be with us. He has transferred to Mancuso.

• Lauren and Mo will begin their training in passport in the coming weeks.

• Volunteers are doing 95% of our shelving. Please keep an eye out for miss shelved items. Items may be in the wrong section.

• Patrick, Tim, Jesse, and Nhu are currently piloting Mobile Cir and Barcode Generator on the Galaxy Tab while roving.

• Please empty out the black metal cart used for emptying out the Others Bin before moving onto your next task. Do not leave holds or items to be transferred to other locations sitting on the black metal cart for the next person.

ELT Plus Meeting Notes

Good afternoon,

Here are some points of interest from the meeting this afternoon.

We will be rolling out a new library card in the month of September.  There is no need at this time to make the public aware of this, but just for your own information.  HEB will be sponsoring the card.  There will be a lot of cross-promotion involving HEB trucks, sales papers and in store advertising for HPL.

The Children's Book Celebration program had over 500 people in attendance.  This was the best showing yet.

Camp Stream had 100+ registered campers this year.  This was a program at Central for school-aged children that was held in conjunction with the Summer Reading Program.

Everyone is very pleased with the job we are doing here at Stella Link.  The passport services particularly were mentioned.

Keep up the great work everyone.

Patrick

New Assignments

Good Evening,

With Renee leaving, her duties have been re-assigned.

Mark is now in charge of the discs with problems.  There is a box that is now on the back wall below the discs with problems.  Put them all into the box at first, then once he processes them, he will put them on the appropriate shelf.

Jesse is going to be the point of contact for our deposits now.

Mo will be our point of contact for evanced, which is the software we use to get the programs into the online calendar.  If we have any issues there, we should speak with him.  I will be supporting him in this endeavor.  When a program is going to be cancelled, we should let Mo know so that he can remove it from the online calendar as quickly as possible.
Mo will also be in charge of making new labels for the books.  If you see any that are too faded or that new labels should be made.  We will make a shelf in the back, against the wall, next to the shelf with the missing discs.

Lauren will be cleaning up the meeting room calendar online from now on.

Thanks,
Patrick Atkins

Manager's Meeting Notes 5/22/2014

Issues discussed:

• Lift Off Houston commences 7/11/2014 - This is a program where citizens create a business plan and present to the city and the winners receive funds to begin a business
• Substitutes - We have no more money for substitutes - Administration is looking for funding
• LMS Training System - If you have trouble logging in, remember to always use Internet Explorer come ask me, Nhu or Renee if you are having trouble with the system before calling it in.  You do have to be on  work computer to use the training modules.
• FLIP kits - All must be refurbished after we receive them back.
• We can ask for more CMH passes. Let them know how many passes we need.
• All training must be approved by the branch manager.
• EB Cape is now called the Learning Development Center
• Whoever is in charge of the building, should make staff aware if they are leaving the building or going to be somewhere difficult to find.
• Three part phone greeting - Every time
• We have to get better at the five expected behaviors of good customer service
• Greet Customers
• Smile
• Make Eye Contact
• Use Their Name When Applicable
• Acknowledge Them As They Leave
• We are doing a good job with the customer service already, but it never hurts to remind ourselves of the goal.

Keep doing the fine job that you all are doing.

Patrick

Staff Meeting Notes

Staff Meeting Notes

• Everyone is doing a fantastic job keeping STE in order especially with the amount of staff we have.

• Since we are short on staff, there is a great possibility of staff being on Desk/Rove a few times in a row.

• Staff members that have Vocera (Patrick, Tim, Renee, Jesse, Mark, Nhu, Ray, Ade, and the security guard) can be reached by phone using the ext. 31499.

• Please respect people’s confidential information. Do not leave completed library card applications around on top of the desk. Right after completing an application, please go ahead and place it under the desk. The same also applies for passport applications. When not in the passport office, please keep the cabinet with the passport applications locked up.

• Respect your colleagues’ lunch hour.  If it is a simple issue that no one else can resolve, please ask patron to call back or come back later.

• In Workflows, please make sure you are signed in to STE so that STE will automatically be populated when you register patrons for a library card. How to: Right Click on User Registration. Click on Properties and change library from CEN to STE. If a patron is renewing their library card and their home library is another location, ask the patron if they would like to change their home library to STE (they may have moved and is now closer to STE). One reason that home library is important is for when patron places holds in the catalog. The holds will automatically populate their pick-up location with the home library.

• Do not add more time to computer for patron if there is currently a waiting list. Extra time can be added if there is no waiting list. It is fine to take request from patron for adding time if they happen to approach from the side of the desk. There is no need to make them get in line to receive help about adding time.

• Please continue to hand out SRP flyers to patrons with children on the main floor and in the passport office.

• We are closed Monday, May 26^th for Memorial Day.

• We will be doing something new during the ASZ time. The orange and green chairs in the teen room have been moved to the large meeting room. Those in the teen room will need to be sitting in a chair. If they are not sitting in a chair, the students will need to be in one of the programs (computer lab or gaming room). If a student can demonstrate that they are working on their school assignments quietly, they can sit at the tables in the library.

• Para los Niño is a bilingual family learning program offered by the Children Museum of Houston. It will occur every third Monday of each month. The first Monday will be June 16^th. 

Training Certificates

When scanning and e-mailing your training certificates to HPL Training, please put your name and E# on the certificate.
Thanks.
Patrick

Read Down Your Fines Coupon - All staff Must View Video!

https://sites.google.com/site/hplstafftraining/learningresources/libraryfunctions/read-down-your-fines

Staff Meeting May 14, 2014

• When roving, be proactive in looking for customers that need help anywhere. See if they need help with checking in or out and don’t let customers wait in line for the desk. Stay alert and keep looking around all the time for anyone that might need help.
• The staff is down 3 people so everyone needs to help with delivery and shelving. The volunteers are doing at least 70% of shelving so be aware and look for misshelves when you are shelving such as large print in regular adult or adult with juvenile, etc. Jesse is giving them a shelving test but it doesn’t help with knowing where YA vs. ADU vs. Juv are located or the special collection.
• Patrick is in charge of Jungman now so he will have to travel to that location at times. Nathan (manager) from Jungman will be coming over here while Jungman is closed starting mid-June.
• There are 2 mandatory trainings you need to have by May 31:                                                         Executive Order 1-50 and Cyber Security Awareness
• There will be a site visit by Theodora on Thursdays from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. She will visit the ASZ and tour the library.
• SRP:  Do not give out prizes till June 1 and only if we have received all prizes. We still don’t the badges.
• Kronos: you must have 40 hours if you are full time and 20 or 29 if you are part time by the end of the week. Check your account and if you have less or more than 8 hours for the day, make it up the next day with your lunch but don’t leave early. If you need to switch with someone, alert Patrick as soon as possible. If you miss a Saturday, you will have to make it up and bring a Dr. note.
• The phone needs to be answered with:

Thank you for calling the Houston Public Library System.

This is the McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library.

How may I help you?

• The shelves on the back wall have been cleared and labeled. All discards will be upright with spine/call # facing out so all can be easily searched. AV material to be discarded is also on the discard shelf.
• The shelf for items still on patrons account should be wrapped with their record printed so that the spine also faces out and title can be easily read. Make sure you document why the item is on their account plus when and how you contacted them and if they answered.
• All AV material with problems should be put in the box behind Renee’s desk. After it is checked out to Ste-repair and documented, it will go on the back shelve.
• All books from other systems need to be documented in the Google doc which is on our blog.
• Books belonging to Harris County Public Library are checked in then sent directly to Central after it is documented. All others from other systems go on the back shelf that is labeled for them after they are documented.
• Ray on passports:

Pending receipt of the new Parq, the following is subject to change.

Sleeveless or tank tops are permitted. Applicant cannot appear to have bare shoulders. Straps must be seen and not hidden behind hair or clothing.

The hairline must be visible. Bows are ok if they are not in the way of the hairline.

Hand carry by private flight must have a letter on company letterhead. If they are traveling with a friend on a private flight, they need a letter. If they insist, send the app in but let them know it might not go through if they don’t have paid itinerary or letter. This also goes for hand carries outside the 14 days. Put it through if they insist.

Ray will check about the hospital certificate for parent verification and if white backgrounds giving the floating head effect are ok.

Literacy in Houston

Good Morning,

Dr. Lawson sent out a report on literacy in the city of Houston.
This report is located at the front desk, by the meeting room sign-in folder.  The public can have access to the reports if they would like.

Thanks,
Patrick

WorkFlows Update for Thursday Morning

E-Mail from Erin Cody.

IMPORTANT

SirsiDynix will install an upgrade to WorkFlows tonight (5/7/14). When you open WorkFlows on Thursday, 5/8/14, you should be prompted to load and install the upgrade.

***This upgrade MUST be carried out on every computer that has a WorkFlows client.***

I have attached instructions. Please contact the HelpDesk if you need assistance.

__________________________

I will place printed instructions at the desk and in the work room.

-nl

Children Museum Passes

I have ordered more CMH passes. It should be here by Friday or Monday.

-nl

Staff Meeting Notes 5/7/14

• Stay alert and engage with patrons when roving and at the desk.
• The person at the desk may not always be able to pick up the phone. Rover needs to be alert and pick up the phone too when not helping patrons.
• Patrick, Nhu, Jesse, Tim, Ade, Ray, Mark, and Renee can be contacted through Vocera by dialing 31499 and stating the first and last name.
• Starting today, if you need to change your schedule for any reason (switches, vacation days, days off, leaving early, etc.), please e-mail Patrick and put “Schedule Change” in the subject line.
• Please answer the phone with the following greeting.

Thank you for calling the Houston Public Library System.

This is the McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library.

How may I help you?

• Wear your badges. Please keep them visible at all times.
• Please do the online training: Executive Order 1-50 and Cyber Security Awareness. Please check your e-mail for information on the trainings.
• When scheduling Meeting Rooms, please ask patron what type of meeting it will be. No selling of anything and no parties (birthdays, baby showers, etc. ).
• Everyone has received a copy of the Summer Reading Prizes list. Patrons can register and log in their books now, but cannot claim prizes until June 1^st. Patrons can register themselves or we can do it for them. If you need help on how to register, let Nhu know and she will show you.
• $5 coupons are for paying off fines on account even if the account is in collection, but the coupon cannot be used to pay for collection fees or lost books. Coupons expire August 31^st.
• Remember to keep statistics for your program. Write zero if there were no attendants.
• Please remember to write down the Processed Items count.
• Please hand out SRP fliers to family with children in the Passport Office.
• When Mark is not available to help patrons with their e-reader devices, please inform patrons of the E-Book Open House at 6PM on Mondays and 12PM on Wednesdays.
• Frances is still collecting the Box Tops.
• Stella Link has a Stella Link Storytime account for checking out storytime books and items associated with children’s program.
• Tim will e-mail everyone individually about their applications.
• Ray has the following comments about Passport:
• The new PARG is not out yet. Reminder that current rules are not set in stone.
• Children with previous passports can have parents bring a regular copy of their birth certificate along with the old passports. However, Ray suggests that the parents bring the original/certified birth certificate anyway and we can make a copy here.
• If a patron has lost a passport that has expired more than 15 years, they do not need to fill out a Lost/Stolen Form, but Ray suggest the patron filling one out anyways, but if they do not want to fill one out, you do not need to force the issue.
• On the DS-11 Form, 15 yrs and under must fill out the parental information. 16 years and older, filling out the parental information is optional.
• We no longer accept the short form of the Texas or California Birth Certificate. If the short Texas Birth Certificate has an “i” near the file date.

This is Rosa’s last week at Stella and LaQuinta’s last day will be Monday. The staff thanks Rosa and LaQuinta for all their help the last few weeks. We definitely appreciate it. 

-nl

Manager's Meeting Notes of Interest 4/30/2014

Below are listed some of the notes of which staff should take note:

• Summer Reading Program(SRP) signs ups will start on May 1st.
• At registration, the child gets a "Rosen" book, a "Registration" badge and a $5 coupon to pay down late fees.
• If we run out of supplies, let Tiffany Hoover know in programming.
• They will receive a $5 coupon for late fee payment for signing up, reading 5 books, 10 books, 20 books and 30 books.
• There will be more badges to give out as the kids attend summer reading programs.  
• Once they get five badges (and have read at least five books), they will get a book bag and Chipotle meal coupon.
• They will have a badge log booklet, that we give to them, with the first sticker.  These have not arrived yet.
• The program with the coupons is called "Read Down Your Fines".  It is not an amnesty program.
• The coupons can only be used once, and then we send it in with the deposits.  The extra coupons that we have not given out will be guarded as if they are money.  The fine payment will be paid down in Sirsi, much like a "forgiven" except there will be an option for "Coupon".
• Any age patron can pay their fines with the coupon.
• If they pay $2 in fines, we still take the coupon and they simply lose out on the other $3 they could have had.
• They CANNOT pay collections fees or lost books.  Only overdue fines.
• The coupons expire at the end of August.
• We do not log books until June 1st.
• The "Rosen" books are to be kept separate from the other giveaway books.
• There is a video on the staff training portal talking about the SRP.
• When signing people up for the meeting rooms, please ask questions.  Remember they can only book it three months in advance, they cannot use it to sell any goods or services or to turn a profit in any way.  They cannot use it for parties of any type.
• Be informed about the Pop Up Library. It is a grant-funded program that HPL has wherein we go out and have a program and give kids a punch card that they can get punches when they come to programs here at library.  Once they get three punches, we give them a book.  At six punches another book, then we take the card and turn it in.  These books are separate from the SRP books.  The books and the hole punch are in my office in a brown box by the Vocera badges and batteries.
• The Friends of the Library visited with us.  We want to be aware of all of the good that they do for the library.
• They now have four book sales per year.  
• They have a special children's book sale.
• They give the library, on average, $55,000 a year.  This goes to scholarships for employees, TLA visits, and the Link advertisement we get monthly.
• This year they also purchased two new vans for the Community Engagement team.
• The next sale is June 12-14th.
• They have volunteer opportunities for high school students at the warehouse.
• Communications is trying to start pulling our programs from evanced to create the fliers and calendar.
• We received a Saturday guidelines rough draft.  It talked about the part time staff getting four Saturdays per year off since they work every Saturday.  If you call in on a Saturday, you will be required to work the following Saturday.  If you have to take off on a Saturday, you must attempt to switch with someone.  If no switch is available, then you must use vacation time and work the following Saturday.  If you are in the hospital, you are excused from your Saturday without having to work an additional Saturday.
• If you have circulation issues, you can always call Central Circulation and ask for a manager.  This is if Tim or I have not been able to solve the problem, or we are not available.
• Administration wanted to re-emphasize using the formal telephone greeting.  Again for those that have forgotten "Thank you for calling the Houston Public Library system.  "This is the Mcgovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library  How may I help you?"
• We need to re-focus on engaging with the customers when we are roving.   Remember that roving is an active pursuit, not a passive one.

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Patrick

Notes from Staff Meeting April 16, 2014

•  Carol wanted to thank Lisa for staying with her while she got the safe open last Wednesday.
• Good luck to Candace and hope the best for her after her last day here next Tuesday.
• Thanks to Lauren for doing a good job with the discards and leaving the area clean.
• Brandon will do the serials while Tim’s out.
• We can now accept photocopies of birth certificates for parental relationship but not if it’s for citizenship.  In other words, the applicant should have a previous passport for citizenship then a copy of the birth certificate is acceptable for parental relationship or, the original birth certificate if it’s for both parental relationship  and citizenship.
• If the security gates go off, ask the customers to come back and check their receipt.
• We can now take reservations for June and July. Reservations can be made 3 months in advance so they can now be made for May, June and July.
• Ronald McDonald canceled his Summer Reading Program for July 15 but hopefully can reschedule and we can get someone else in for that week.
• When taking out items from Bertha’s bins, remove all bookmarks, post-it notes, etc.
• Don’t let anyone in after closing. This gives them the chance to keep asking for other services they might want.
• On Saturday’s, we only do shelving, book drop/others and pickup.  The same goes for weekdays before we open. We need to concentrate on getting all books out and on shelves before the library opens. Don’t try to do tagging, discards or planning which can be done after we open.
• Remember to be professional when interacting with the public and whenever you are on the floor while we are open.
• Staff is doing a great job especially for how many staff there is and how much work this library takes to run efficiently.
• Renee: please remember to record your program attendance on the attendance sheet and the computer programs on the sheet in the computer lab.
• Ray: we can no longer accept passport applications that expired 12/2013.

Floating Juv NF

We are going to get some JUV NF soon.  floating from other locations.  check them in through Bertha.

Thanks,
Patrick

Meeting Room Reservations

Good afternoon,

Just for clarification's sake, once a person calls and reserves a room, we will keep that room reserved for them.  They can come fill out the paperwork the day of the event if they would like.  We will not give that room to someone else.  There is no time limit as to when they need to have their paperwork filled out.

Thanks,

Patrick

Staff Meeting Notes on April 2

1. Passports:

          Make sure that people know the cutoff time might be well before the end time but we would

          rather go over the cut off time than turn people away and finish early.

          Let people know there is a processing fee to the city before they go to the back office.

2. All money orders are processed as checks now instead of cash.

3. Get your delivery stats turned in to PA.

4. Thanks to Francis for doing Baby Lapsit and Lauren for taking over.

5. Thanks to Candace and Brandon for doing Toddler Time.

6. Thanks to Jesse for taking care of the Children’s tasks.

7. When unpacking the delivery, pay attention to the receipts and whether the item goes on the shelf or

          a hold for here. Keep only the holds on the cart so the delivery will be accurate.

8. For outgoing items, put the library’s 3 letter code on all receipts.

9. When the holds cart is finished, count the cart and record the numbers on the processed sheet.

10. Don’t use the copier by the passport desk for multiple copies. That one is too hard to find cartridges

 for. Instead, use the copier in the computer lab. Scan or email your document and use the

 teaching laptop in the computer lab to print out.

11. The schedule is done 6 weeks in advance so small changes just for one day are not usually made.

12. For the exceptions bin, there are only items that are going to other locations, items on hold here, and

          items that need tagging. Don’t tag books that are going to other locations.

13. Finish up the others cart and be ready for the next hour if you are scheduled on the desk and leave

          the black cart at the exceptions bin.

14. Stack gray bins in the back so they will lock into place and not nest in each other which could cause

          the stack to topple over.

15. Shelf reading might be scheduled on Fridays.

16.  Welcome Mark to the staff.

17. Thanks to Ade for taking out the boxes of discards.

Staff Meeting March 26, 2014

• Highlights from extended ELT meeting Patrick attended yesterday:

            1.  Dr. Lawson promotes a continuous improvement model which asks the employees to 

                 continuously implement improvements and adjustments as needed instead of waiting for a team of

                 system analysts to be hired and propose changes.

            2. Employees need to create a “yes” culture in the workplace which calls for giving the customer all 

                 possible options to get what they want.  Ex. A customer walks in on Friday to get a passport

               . Don’t just tell them we don’t process on Friday but let them know who does process on Fridays

                 with the location, directions and time.

            3. A new building is planned for Alief which will include the Health Department and will be called 

                Alief Park.

            4. E-Rate is a program that provides discounts of 20%-90% depending on poverty level for 

                  schools and libraries that qualify. Most HPL branches do get the discounts for computers.

            5. HPL is a member of The Urban Library Council. For more information go to ULC.

• Remember to take lunch on Fridays by 11:45 so you can clock back in before the library opens.
• Keep all supplies in the closet. Only take 1 box or item out to store at your desk or front desk so Tim has an accurate inventory in the supply closet.
• Remember to stop customers when the alarm goes off. Determine if a book or an item on the person is the cause. If it’s a book, make sure that it is checked out. If it’s in a backpack, bag or pocket, be tactful and ask if there is something that could set off the alarm.
• Open Enrollment is March 15 - April 15. An agent will be here April 9 at 11:00 am.
• For passports, make sure you start your break when your relief shows up and get back to desk 15 min later.
• When you get a personal phone call, stop work and go to the back to finish it.
• Remember to record the number of books you process when you do B/O.  This goes on the stat page on the board that says processing.
• Two substitutes will be here today for training.
• Remember to email Patrick if your Kronos time stamps need adjustment.
• Sharise will go to Alief and Mark will transfer here from Alief starting next Monday.
• Everyone did a great job last week on passports. Thanks to Ade and Ray for handling most of the 400 passports last week during Spring Break.
• Lauren will be taking over Baby Lapsit. Francis will change her schedule and work on Wednesday nights.
• Remember to be proactive and give suggestions if you see something can be done better.
• Candace thanks whoever contributed the bottle caps and needs craft donations.