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.

Scanner/Copier

Good Evening,

The scanner/copier/printer out front by the passport desk should be used primarily for scanning and e-mailing to yourself or for the passport ID's.
Any other printouts should be done in some other manner.  We have difficulty getting replacements for that cartridge, as it is not a standard supply room order.

If you have some stuff to print out, such as for a class, you can stack them in the feeder and e-mail them to yourself where they will scan and come out as a multi-paged PDF, and then print them out in the computer lab.

Thanks,
Patrick

Notes on staff meeting March 19, 2014

• Welcome to the team Lauren.
• Good job Carol and Lauren on doing the discards.
• Everyone is doing a great job especially on the passports.
• Passports:
• all pictures need to be 2X2
• for new picture, go to edit then right click and replace picture
• let customers know at front desk to keep their ID out for the next agent
• all staff can give out passport hours but give all other questions to agent.
• On Saturdays, agents using Smart Money need to be signed onto their acct.
• No adults are allowed in the Teen Area while they are out of school. If a parent wants to be with a teen on the computer, they need to go out to the other computers.
• Everyone is doing a great job on roving. Remember to stay at the computer at the self checks when customers are using the self checks.
• If an item has already been renewed, you can renew it as seen if the customer has it here and over ride it. This can be done at any desk. It’s not necessary to check it in then have customers check it out again. Remember that a renewal has to wait till the due date since they are due 3 weeks from renew date.
• When you are unpacking delivery, get enough on cart for 1 hour of processing holds then hand it over to staff to keep track of their time.
• Do not stack your holds. Only process 1 at a time.
• You do not have to do a monthly report unless you have to report anything relevant to your Smart Goal.
• Lauren will be taking the skills test in a few months.
• In Sirsi, when entering in the parent name, put the last name first. Hyphens are allowed between last names.
• We aren’t taking any meeting room reservations for June or July until we know when the Summer Reading Programs are.
• At times, the noise level in the work room gets too loud for others to do their work. Please keep conversations down to a normal level.
• Lauren, Tim and Brandon need to go to defensive driving. Staff cannot drive on city business until they have this and it needs to be taken every 3 years.
• Individual meetings are only once a month. They are necessary as part of Patrick’s HEAR.
• Ray wanted to know about the Verbal Judo training next Friday. It’s at 8:30 am at the Heights Library and lasts about 1.5 hours.
• Tim wanted to let us know not to use the Discharge wizard when doing B/O.  LaQuinta said we need to use the Receive Transit wizard. Using the Discharge wizard could make the hold available before we send it. Then the customer gets a notification that the item is on the shelf for them to pick up before it even gets to the receiving library.

Substitutes

Hello,

Two former substitutes may visit your library to return their contractor badge.  Please advise your staff to take the badge, place it in an envelope, address it to me (Attn: Yolanda Anguiano/NL Admin), and place it in delivery.  The former subs are Sarah Zaman and Kelly Fields Greer.  Also, please send me an email informing me that it’s on its way.

Thank you,

G Yolanda Anguiano

Notes from staff meeting March 12, 2014

• Good job to the staff Monday morning on getting everything shelved  before opening at noon
• If you have delivery on your HEAR, get your stats into Patrick today.
• Everyone that is not on break, lunch or delivery needs to make sure all telephone calls are answered. It’s best to try to get to the phone and not assume someone else will answer it.
• Stagger the passport breaks if you are relieving the agents making sure that there are always 2 agents doing passports.
• It is alright to answer questions about the passport hours just make sure that you let the customer know about cutting off the line before the end time. Also, stress that the end time indicates when the processing will finish, not when it can begin. In other words, if they show up at the end time, we won’t be able to help them. They have to show up in time for us to complete the processing by the end time. If the line is long, we might have to cut it off early at any time. If they want anything else besides the times, pass the call to an agent.
• Remember to get the passport stats entered at the end of every day.
• The agent that receives the passport application after we mail it may decide to ask for 5 or more IDs. There is nothing that we can do to prevent this. It is a good idea to ask for more ID if the ID presented is less than 6 months old. If it is the paper copy of a renewed license, ask for the old plastic one and include that copy also.
• We had 118 programs in February with 2,500 attendances which is up from last year. The biggest difference is the YA attendance programs which is 186% higher than last year. Great job everyone.
• Make sure that only 1 person is at the desk at any time if possible. The roving person needs to be up by the self checks ready to help or nearby but keeping an eye out on the self check. This applies even if both staff members are scheduled at the desk for that hour.
• If you tell a customer where something is, get up if possible and take them over helping them locate the item. Don’t sit and point unless they obviously understand and don’t need any help. Try to determine what the situation calls for.
• If you are on the desk at closing, make sure someone is at the door and it is closed at closing time with the sign moved to Closed. Also, make sure the phone is turned on at opening time. There have been recent incidences when the door was still open at 7 minutes after closing and the phone still off at 30 minutes after opening.
• The new Bluebonnet books (2014-2015) are out. The list is on the board next to Bertha. Only these books should be at the special display on 5B. Shelve old ones unless there are more than 4-5. If there are extras, put a few on the float shelf. Do not discard them anymore.
• The large oversized African-American paperbacks are on the racks near the exit doors in the adult reading area.  Any over flow is at the end of the large print. Don’t confuse the African-American novels with the contemporary romance novels. Look on the cover to determine where they go.
• Remember that all items go into the bins through Bertha. Do not place any items directly in the bins. The exceptions are the flip kits and if a book is too large to fit onto Bertha’s belt.
• Remember to keep head phones off except when doing delivery or shelving when we are closed. Keep one ear piece in when you are using them.
• Candace will put up a list with a box for donating craft items.
• Preston says his staff will be here Friday morning at 7am to strip and wax the workroom. He asks us to remove the carts, chairs and any other items on the floor out into the library Thursday evening. You might also put anything up off the floor at your desk.

Notes From staff meeting on March 5, 2014

•  This was not mentioned in meeting but thanks to Lisa for wiping down the refrigerator last Friday as it was badly needed.
• Thanks to Carol and Brandon for helping with booksale.
• Congratulations to Edgar for his new manager position at Park Place. His last day is next Thursday, March 13.
• Please follow the lost card instructions that have been posted below.
• Moms are allowed to breast feed wherever they are normally allowed to be, i.e. not in the workroom since they are not allowed back there. They do not have to have any special restrictions such as covering up.
• Passports: please keep the small and large paperclips separate since only the large ones are really needed at the front desk.
• The outlets on the floor around the tables have covers that need to be flipped down when they are not in use. Please remember to do this when you are out in the library and see them flipped up.
• We can print out any tax forms that we don’t have but not the booklets since they have too many pages.
• The fire department came out and will send us a list of things to adjust. In the meantime, we have to keep anything at least 18” from the sprinkler outlets. The sprinkler outlets are the round gray metal discs in the ceiling. Make sure the ones in storage areas are 18” clear of objects.
• If you have the delivery on your HEAR, please get the numbers to Patrick.
• When an item sets off the alarm, try to find out which item is causing it and make sure it is checked out. If they keep going after the alarm goes off, be tactful and call after them but you don’t have to chase them down in the parking lot. Remember, other gadgets can set it off.
• When you are on the desk, don’t use the computer for personal time. Make sure whatever you are looking at is work related.
• Candace asked about the public videotaping staff. This comes under the policy of no stalking or harassment.
• Doria mentioned other parents taping their children in programs. Staff doing children’s programs can announce at the beginning the policy of not taping children other than their own.
• Ade wanted passport staff to let public know we don’t take American Express.  Also, it is possible to enter passport ID into Telecheck.
• Ray said the flat ends he used for the graphic novels is working.
• Candace needs extra craft supplies if anyone has any to donate. Patrick will make sure all orders have been delivered.
• Brandon thanks everyone for their help and support and welcomes feedback on training.
• Chris says she is participating in the May 10 Women’s Walkathon and welcomes staff to join her. Theodora is looking into HPL sponsorship.
• Tim reminds passport staff not to send in starter checks as passport payment.
• Renee reminds staff to record the attendance of programs on the chart outside the manager’s office and making sure the sign in sheets for all programs are legible.
• New service available from HPL going live around mid March. Marianne has emailed everyone a password and user ID to use until then: Freegal is a free music service from your library. All you need is your library card number and some libraries utilize a PIN. Freegal offers access to about 7 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists. In total the collection is comprised of music from over 28,000 labels with music that originates in over 80 countries. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions. Access to Freegal is limited to patrons of subscribing libraries.See FAQs.

Ethics Training

Good Morning,

Just wanted to share some ideas from the ethics training I attended today.

• We all need to be objective in viewing our own behavior.  If a co-worker did what you are about to do, would it pass the "smell test" or would you think your co-worker was in the wrong.
• Know when to ask a question.  If it might be unethical, ask.
• Don't engage in business that might affect your official duties as a city employee
• Don't use your position as a COH employee to make money
• Don't try to get special treatment because you work for the city
• We all must report if we see any wrongdoing, especially those in a supervisory position.  If not, we then become complicit in the unethical activity
• We cannot accept a stipend or honorarium for a speaking engagement(travel, meals & parking is OK)
• Don't accept gifts from a person in a position to benefit from city activity
• Gifts may be accepted if you have a personal relationship outside of the fact that you are a city employee.  No gift may create an appearance of impropriety on our part.
• All outside employment must be cleared with the director first
• You cannot use a day where you are paid with the city to then make money outside of the city, such as a vacation day or sick day.

A lot of this is more geared towards those in the city that have the power to affect bid proposals and things of that nature, but it is still good to keep all of the above points in mind.

Thanks,

Patrick

Lost cards

This email was posted last September but since Fred just sent it out again, I am reposting it with Erin's comment.

It is essential that Houston, as well as the other HALAN members, follow these directions. WorkFlows is specifically designed so that the use of the User Lost Card wizard prevents multiple active IDs. There is no other way to protect against this.

Erin Cody

When replacing a card in Symphony, it is important that you use the User Lost Card wizard under the Special wizard group.  The User Lost Card wizard will create a second account for the lost card and assign a Lost Card profile to the account.  Although the lost card number will remain on the borrower account as an active and previous ID, the second account with the Lost Card profile will prevent its use for check out.  Use the following procedures for dealing with lost cards:

When a customer reports a card lost on the phone:

1.       1.  Look up the account in Symphony using the Modify User wizard or the Display User wizard.  If you look it up with the Display User wizard, click on the Modify User helper after the account displays on your screen.

2.       2. Click on the Privilege tab, and change the Status value to LOST-CARD.  Add a new note in the Extended Info indicating the date and time the card was reported lost.  Let the customer know whether items are checked out and/or fines/fees are owed at the time the account is reported.

3.       3. When the customer comes into the library to complete a new registration form and replace the card, use the User Lost Card wizard to issue the new card.  (Settle any outstanding fines/fees before extending the expiration date on the account)

4.       4. After assigning the new barcode, look up the account with the new card number in Modify User or Display User.  If you look it up with the Display User wizard, click on the Modify User helper after the account displays on your screen.

5.      5.  Click on the Privilege tab, and change the Status value from LOST-CARD to BLOCKED, and save.  The system will assign the correct status to the account based on HPL’s policies.  Record a new note in Extended Info indicating the date and time the card is replaced.

6.    6.    Issue the card to the customer.

When a customer comes into the branch to report a card lost:

1.      1.  When the customer comes into the library to report a card lost, have him/her complete a new registration form, and use the User Lost Card wizard to issue the new card.  (Settle any outstanding fines/fee before extending the expiration date on the account)

2.       2. Record a new note in Extended Info indicating the date and time the card was reported lost and replaced. 

3.     3.   Issue the card to the customer.  Make sure the customer is aware of all current check outs and/or fines/fees owed on the account.

Please do not deviate from this procedure when dealing with lost/stolen cards.  The system will manage blocking the use of lost/stolen cards, as long as the proper procedure us followed.

If you have questions/concerns, please feel free to contact Circulation Administration or your local LA Supervisor.  We’ll be glad to assist you in whatever way we are able.

Fred Schumacher

HPL Brand Initiative

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15473454/Brand%20Presentation_NL.pdf

Please feel free to look through the document given to us by Donna Jackson, head of branding for HPL.

Thanks,
Patrick