Barcodes on ILL items

When handling an ILL Hold item, please ensure the barcode on the purple sticker is scanned or typed. Also, some library systems that provide HPL with ILL items may use an RFID tag. Scanning the item may pick up this RFID tag instead of the ILL barcode. 

ILL items have a wide band placed vertically over the front cover with a purple sticker in the middle placed by HPL staff at Central. The barcodes on the purple sticker will only work in Work Flows. The barcodes on the white band will not. 

Please see the picture above as an example (click to enlarge). The barcodes with the red oval will not be accepted by Work Flows. The barcodes surrounded by the green oval will be accepted by Work Flows. 

Central called to inform me that an ILL item was returned in delivery to Central from STE and had not been checked in and removed from a patron's account and was accumulating fines. It was noted that this is the first time that this has happened so it's not a recurring problem. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Tim S.

Attendance for Events

I have posted a sheet on the bulletin board outside the manager's office that lists the events for March with the attendance. It's very important to get accurate statistics so if you are too busy too count during the event, get someone to come in and count then record the numbers. The teen after school zone and teen computer lab have sign in sheets so there is no need to record those on this sheet. However, there have been several sign in sheets where only marks or unreadable scratches were made for names. Please make sure all attendees write legibly. Please record all computer classes and job labs on the sheet in the computer lab next to the teachers laptop.
Very important: We have visitors helping with programs now so I or Patrick can show them where to record the attendance. However, if we are out or busy, please take it upon yourself  to show them the attendance sheet.

Please ask me if you have any questions.

Thanks
Renee

Staff Meeting Notes 01/22/2014

Stella Link Staff Meeting Agenda

Wednesday 02/26/2014

·   Thank you for the good job with shelving

·   Stats for December 2013 show we are circulating 31,000+, which is the highest in the system.

·   Thank you to Doria, Christine, and Frances for taking up Venus & Allie’s programs.

·   December 2013 self-check numbers are down, but we suspect it could be discards.

·   March 31 is the deadline to get your Wellness information completed. Please make sure you complete the requirements in order to avoid paying an extra fee.

·   iPads for Afterschool Zone are kept in the gaming cart. We keep those plugged in so that they are fully charged.

·   Patrick’s meeting on 02/25: HPL is the 7^th largest library by population served in the 5^th largest city. Greg Sampson will be sending an “HPL in Context” sheet showing how we do more with less in comparison to other library systems.

·   Please make sure we maintain accurate data collection on statistics. Don’t make up numbers.

·   Juvenile kits go in with the flimsy books in the blue bins. Make sure no other cataloged books go in there.

·   When shelving, please watch for Central items. Also, look out for country/state books that are filed in with nonfiction – we keep those in a separate section (organized alphabetically by state or country)

·   Also when shelving, watch out for superseded editions of books. Please pull older editions for discard. (Example: If we have Frommer’s Paris 2013 and Frommer’s Paris 2014, pull the older edition.)

·   When you are helping out individuals, please try to keep the library as a whole in mind. You are welcome to help them out, but try to find a balance.

·   Sharise asked what if helping out a customer goes over your desk time. Patrick suggests making adjustments to your schedule that result when you help a customer (Example: If you end up taking a shorter lunch, you can come in later/leaver early the following day). If it affects your time coming to the desk, make sure the beginning of your shift is covered by someone else. No one is doing anything wrong; just try to keep this in mind going forward. Note that you can tell the customer politely, “I’ve got other customers to assist right now” or “You’re welcome to call back later” (if it’s a prolonged conversation over the phone).

·   Sharise reminds staff to recommend the Open Job Lab to unemployed customers.

·   Candace says crafts are going well. She also asked about customers who ask for help finding many books. Patrick suggests showing customers (with lists, for example) how to use the catalog to find many items.

·   Christine says she will be organizing juv. paperbacks so that they are alphabetized by series/title. Please help her keep it that way. She also thanks Ray for helping her clean up after craft time, and Jesse for getting her a craft time volunteer.

·   Ray thanks everyone who has helped him with random library questions. And he suggests we use extra (flat) bookends to help the graphic novels stay organized, and so they don’t easily fall.

·   LaQuinta volunteers to do pajama storytime. Edgar will get that info on eVanced.

·   Tim says the library card apps are looking good. Random errors here and there. We have received All About Your Library brochures. 

Review your Self Serve Information

Good afternoon Supervisors/Managers,

Please request that each of your employees review their Personal and Emergency Contact Information in the Employee Self Service system to verify that it is accurate and up to date.  The ESS link may be accessed on the home page of the Library’s Intranet website or click on  https://cohapp.cityofhouston.gov/ESS/login.aspx.  The employee may make any necessary changes here which will update immediately.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that, in the event of an emergency, valid information will be available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 832-393-1351 or Chanta George at 832-393-1337.

Door Security

From Planning and Facilities:

We are no longer to prop the back door open for any reason.  This mainly affects us for when the delivery driver comes.
The policy states that a door can never be propped open unattended, which that door would be unattended for a few minutes.
Just let the delivery driver know that we can no longer prop it open.

Thanks
Patrick

Lone Star and Bluebonnet Books

These are no longer considered automatic discards.  We should float them to Vinsons and Blue Ridge through Candace's float shelf.
Also, the Bluebonnets on display should all be the newest year's Bluebonnet books. 2014-2015.

Thanks,
Patrick

Notes From staff meeting on February 19, 2014

•  Thanks to Tim for helping out at Meyer and cleaning up the Book sale room.
•   Thanks to Sharise for doing the outreaches and open job lab.
• Thanks to LaQuinta and Carol for getting the discards done.
• Welcome LaQuinta, Lisa and Michelle and thanks for jumping in and doing a great job.
•   There have been a few Smart Money errors so please be careful and take your time.
•   There is early dismissal today so the Teen Craft, Lab and ASZ will be from 1 – 2 today.
•  Passports: make sure that the transmittals match the number of applications in the envelope.
•  Frank Library is closed for about 5 weeks.
•   Please lock up the computer lab after a class. It should remain closed and customers waiting for passports need to stay in the hallway.
•   The computer generates a five digit number for a new library registration. The customer can change it but please don’t automatically change it the last 4 numbers of their telephone. Make sure the caps are off if you hand them the keyboard to change it.
•  The library applications have to be turned in by Friday for that week so make sure you check them before each Friday.
•  Kronos looked great this past pay period. Keep up the good work.
•  Please remember to not use your headphones when we are open unless you are doing delivery. You can also use them when we are closed while shelving.
•  If you come in early before it’s your time to punch in, you can stay in the computer lab or somewhere else quietly. If you are here on your day off, you are a customer so please don’t perform any work or stay in the workroom. Also, please do not use the computer lab on your day off. You may use the public computers.
•  Christine needs tables in the large room for the craft.
•  Ray said having a blank transmittal flash drive on the key chain helps with typing of the transmittals.
•  Michelle thanked everyone for being helpful and friendly

Procedure concerning pin number

When making a new account for a patron, the computer generates a pin number for them. Please write the pin number down and hand it to them. Let them know what it's for and they have the option of changing it online. HPL bookmarks are at the front desk with a place for the pin number. Please use these when looking up or giving out pin numbers.

Ask Renee if you have any questions.
Thanks for your hard work.

Notes on staff meeting February 12, 2014

•  Thanks to Tim for coming in early and Chris for covering Storytime.
• Good job Sharise on getting the flyers out for the outreaches.
• The graphic novels will be kept aside on the A/V cart and shelved by series. Please let’s keep these from piling up on the cart.
• Take your time when using the Telecheck and smart money. Make sure that the amounts are correct before hitting enter.
• 2 staff members are coming from Frank next week. La Quinta starts Monday and Lisa starts Tuesday. Also, a staff member will be here from Scenic Woods next week to train.
•  Passports: It is ok to write in corrections on passports for hand carry. Also, it might help to say to a customer that we are sanctioned by the US Dept of State. This will let them know we have been trained by them and given specific instructions by them on the procedures.
•  Library applications are looking better. Everyone is allowed one mistake per app. They are kept behind Tim's desk if you want to check them.
• There will be a book sale March 3^rd and 4^th. Books will be in the small meeting room for customers to go in on their own and bring books to the desk for purchase. All paperbacks are $0.50. We have bought supplies with the funds such as plastic bins, large stapler, etc.
• Meeting room: make sure customers understand that the prep time for their event has to be included in the reserved time. Reservations in the Google doc should include the contact name and number, your initials and the date it was made. The name of the institution helps also. Make sure to fill in the bottom of the written reservation below the customer’s signature.
• Starting next month, Gaming for Special Needs will be once a month.
•  Spring break is March 17-21. There will be no ASZ, lab or Teen Craft that week.
• There are iPads for use only during the ASZ and they will be heavily supervised by the staff in the room since there is no security device for it.
• Please make sure that the Flip Kits go back to the Children’s Museum when returned.
• Book drop/others will continue to be on the schedule every hour.
• We have new book/AV donation slips at the front desk now. Please keep the yellow copy.
• Please take the HPL website survey for staff. The link is on our blog.
• Sharise mentioned that Keith’s last day is Thursday. Make sure you have signed the card.
• Videotaping staff by customers is not allowed. Children are not allowed to be taped without parent’s permission. Some cases are ok such as parents taping their child playing. If you are not sure, ask the person in charge. This is covered in the policy on stalking and harassing.
• Passports:

ü  Ray asked about printing out 2 transmittals and signing both copies (1 to send and 1 to keep) vs. printing out 1 copy to sign and making a copy of the signed one for our records.  The procedure will be to print out 1 copy, sign it then make a copy for our records.

ü  Also, no transmittals will be saved on any computer.

ü  A flash drive with a blank transmittal will be kept with the passport key. We can use this to type up transmittals in the computer lab on the teaching laptop.

Notes from staff meeting on February 5, 2014

·        1.  Welcome Doria to her first staff meeting and congrats to Ade for getting the new passport agent position.

·        2.  Thanks to Sharise for setting up the Mardi Gras going away event for Venus.

·        3.  Ray is switching to Patrick’s Saturday and the Anime class is canceled.

·        4.  Pajama Storytime is cancelled until someone can do it and the Scratch Programming class is canceled. The

        programming class will pick up at a later date as a Kids’ basic programming class.

·        5.  There are 3 positions to fill so the schedule will also possibly have 2 hours in a row on the desk and/or B/O

        during the week. You might also have shelving scheduled.

·         6. Someone from Scenic Woods will come the week of February 17 for training here.

·        7.  Make sure you complete the Ethics and Public Service Training. Scan and e-mail the completed certificate 

         to yourself.  Send an e-mail (attaching the certificate) to hpltraining@houstontx.gov and to 

         patrick.atkins@houstontx.gov stating that you have completed the training.

·       8.   Please record your program attendance on the sheet outside the manager’s office on the board. The 

         knitting and craft classes are also listed. If your program is not listed, enter it at the end.

·        9.  Passports:

ü  If someone is already in line, they must be taken. Keep checking to see if the line needs to be cut off and let everyone at the desk know.

ü  Calls on the phone – make sure the customer understands that we finish processing at the end time. Do not say that if they come in by the end time, they will get in. they must understand that the line might be cut off early depending on how many are waiting.

ü  Once the application is signed, it can’t leave the office, if there are any changes after signing, it must be done over again since the signee has already sworn that the info is complete and correct but they haven’t sworn to the changed form.

ü  Hand Carry: only typed applications are accepted. If changes need to be made, they must do another and print it out again. This enables the third party company handling it to scan the bar code whereby the info is automatically entered into their computer.

·       10.  Library cards for juveniles:  In the C/O field enter only the parents name in order of last, first then middle 

         initial. Don’t enter anything else in that field. Parent ID goes in the Parent ID field.

·       11.  New Books Display: only books from the last 3 months should be put out. If there is room, put out books

          from November or before.

·        12. The silver carts are kept on either side of the exceptions bin and should be kept empty when they are 

         there.

·        13. Delivery: when processing holds, don’t leave books around the computers that are not holds. Clear off the

         desk you are working on when you are finished.

·         14.When you are finishing up doing holds for the 3^rd hour that day, don’t worry about tracking yourself.  

         Usually what’s left at the end is A/V material so tracking won’t be accurate.

·        15.  Keep the black exceptions cart in front of the exceptions bin when no one is working with it.

·         16. Tim will put up the clocks for the meeting room.

·        17.  Remember when you are in the public area; don’t have disagreements with co-workers or talk about them

          to a customer.

·        18.  Jesse reminded us to check out our holds before they expire.

·         19. Francis wanted to know where to get supplies from. Ask Patrick if you need anything but orders for 

         common craft supplies are once a year.

·         20. Candace said there are no instructions for the program in a box so she will contact Rubie.

Website Survey

http://hplnl.blogspot.com/2014/02/website-survey.html

Everyone take the time to go to the above link and click through to the catalog survey and respond please.
Thank you.

Patron Refunds

When a patron pays for a lost item or requests a refund for a previously lost and paid item that was found, please note that payments can only be refunded if they were made within the last 12 months. A patron visited the library this morning and was very angry that a staff member informed them they could receive a refund on an item that was paid for in 2011.

Thanks, Tim