Laptop Forms and ID's

It is extremely important when returning an ID to ask the customer's 
name to be positive the correct ID is returned to the  customer. 

Laptop Forms must be completely filled out:

• Customer must print and sign name in given fields.
• Staff Initials at Checkout
• Time of Check-out
• Staff Initials at Check-in
• Date
• Library Card Number
• Laptop number in upper right corner of the form

After the information, ID, and account has been verified, proceed with the checkout. It is important to translate military time for the customer and write in on the receipt that is taped to the laptop. Verbally inform the customer of time due and fines will be assessed if late.

Paper clip the ID and staple a copy of the receipt to the form and place in the corresponding stall from where the laptop was removed in the laptop cabinet. Keep the laptops in order inside this cabinet. 1-6 HP laptops are on the left starting at the top. Number 7 HP laptop is at the top on the right. 7-11 Apple laptops are located on the right (We have two number 7 laptops).

When a new laptop is requested, be sure to change the number on the form and staple a new receipt before placing the form in the new and correct location.

AV Items with Issues

As a reminder, please put all AV materials that have issues such as missing disc(s) or non-working disc(s) in the cardboard box maked "AV Issues". Patricia will take care of the items. It will greatly help the process if you attached a note to the item whether it is to say the item is missing a disc or patron report disc not playing and date the note.

Please do not put AV items on the discard shelf. There is a procedure of keeping the AV items with issue for a period of time before discarding. Patricia will decide if the AV item should be discarded.

Thanks,

Nhu

Meeting Rooms

Please be sure that the person taking possession of the meeting rooms signs in/out with the meeting room log. Also, I've included a shortened version of the Meeting Room guidelines created by Laurie Covington. Please view the ones listed below and on the link included on the right below the Meeting Room Calendar.

The meeting rooms in the Houston Public Library (HPL) Neighborhood Libraries are available at no charge for use by community groups for informational, educational or cultural meetings and programs when not needed for Library purposes.  Use of the meeting room does not constitute Library or City endorsement of the viewpoints, beliefs, ideas or policies expressed by organizations or individuals using the space.

Neighborhood Library Meeting Room Guidelines

Meetings must be free and open to the general public.  Library staff retains the right to attend any meetings or events scheduled at the Library to ensure compliance of the room usage. 

Eligible groups include: 

·         groups or organizations affiliated with the Library or the City of Houston,

·         civic, educational and nonprofit groups presenting meetings of public interest,

·         Non-partisan events such as a public forum open to all candidates or town hall meeting held by current elected officials. 

Excluded meetings include: 

·         personal events such as birthday parties, baby showers, etc;

·         meetings requiring payment for admission, a registration fee (including fees taken off site), materials fee or required donations;

·          programs involving the sale, advertising, marketing, promotion of commercial products or services or programs sponsored by a business firm, regardless of purpose;

·         Political campaigning or political fund-raising activities.

Meeting Room Requests

• ·         To make a reservation, complete the Meeting Room Request form and then bring the completed request form to your Neighborhood Library. 
• ·         Applications are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• ·         Meeting Rooms are only available when the library is open to the public and all meeting rooms must be vacated at least 15 minutes before the regular closing time of the Library.
• ·         Meeting Rooms may be reserved up to 90 days in advance with no more than six (6) applications from the same group within a 90 day period.
• ·         Each meeting requires a separate Meeting Room Request form.
• ·         The Library reserves the right to change or cancel reservations if a building or weather-related emergency occurs or a special Library program or need intervenes. 
• ·         Groups have the right to cancel a scheduled meeting but must notify the Library as soon as they are aware of the need to cancel (preferably at least 72 hours in advance).
• ·         Rooms are equipped with tables and chairs but groups are responsible for their own set up or any addition equipment needs.

Serving Refreshments

• ·         Groups using the meeting rooms may provide their own light refreshments (single-serving, prepackaged snacks such as cookies, crackers, chips, etc.) and drinks in covered containers without incurring a fee.
• ·         Food service requiring any onsite preparation is prohibited.
• ·         When food is served, groups must provide their own cups, napkins, plates, etc. and remove all evidence of the food at the close of the meeting.

Group Expectations

• ·         All groups must comply with Library Rules (Link).
• ·         Adult supervision is required for any event attended by individuals under the age of 18.
• ·         The Library may withhold use of the meeting room from any group or organization due to violation of the rules or misuse of the Library’s facilities. 
• ·         All Fire Regulations must be followed including room capacity and clear aisles, exits and doors.  In addition, candles and other open-flame devices (lighters, matches, torches, etc.) are prohibited. 

Publicity

• ·         A copy of all publicity must be submitted to the Library Manager or designee for approval prior to publication or distribution.
• ·         Publicity must include the following statements:

o   “This program is not sponsored or endorsed by the Houston Public Library.”

o   “If you have a special physical or communications need that may impact your participation in this activity, please contact (name) at (phone number), (email) at least 72 hours prior to the event to discuss accommodations.  We cannot ensure the availability of accommodations without prior notification of need.”

·         If someone needs special accommodations, the group is responsible for providing the accommodations.

New Meeting Room Guidelines

The new meeting room guidelines are now in effect.
Any meeting rooms scheduled from today onward will go by the new rules.

Please take a moment to look over the new guidelines if you have not had a chance. There are many changes including changes to the meeting room forms and a $25 food fee for bringing in food (items that are not light refreshments such as cookies, chips, crackers, prepackaged snacks, etc). Food fee is to be paid on the day of the meeting.We do not have a way to refund the fee if it is paid in advance and the group end up deciding not to bring food.

Please remember to inform the customers of our new guidelines when setting up a meeting room.

The new guidelines can be found at the following link: Neighborhood Library Spaces: Rules and Policies

A link will also be added to the blog on the left hand side under Meeting Room Calender for quick reference.

Halloween Books

Good Morning!

The Halloween books are now out on the public floor. They are located under the Texas Bluebonnet books (Shelf 4B). There are still a few more Halloween books in the large meeting room closet. These books will go out once space is available.

Thanks,

Nhu

Staff Meeting Notes 09/23/2015

Attendance: Nu Le, Ade Odusanwo, Mo Ahmad, LaQuinta Powell, Jonathan McFarland, Jesse Farias, Carol Wu, Rex Mohammad, Patricia Tucker, Rayshard Williams, Amethyst Taylor, and Tim Siegel.

• ·         New/Visiting Staff: STE welcomes Jonathan McFarland and Marjorie Hackley. Both are full-timers from Alief and will be members of the staff until renovations are complete. Lauren Holmes is a part-timer and new to the system. She, too, will be with us until Alief re-opens sometime before next summer. Gabby Coats was recently offered a full-time position at the Gregory School and will begin her next chapter the first week in October.
• ·         Vacant Positions: Interviews were conducted for a full-time CSC a couple of weeks ago. Also, several candidates were interviewed to fill the Manager’s position. Hopefully, we should receive these additions to our staff in the next couple weeks. A part-time CSC named Shanequa McGill was hired recently and will begin at STE on October 5^th.
• ·         Express Check Devices: The issues with the hard drives, printers, and touch screen on the Express Checkouts have been repaired. Please assist customers with using these devices to check items out and in. This is the only avenue we have to properly desensitize the security devices.
• ·         Personal Electronic Devices: Personal cell phones and tablets are not to be used in any public area while the building is open.
• ·         After School Zone: Be attentive in these areas. We are role models and our conduct during this time does have an impact on the students that visit the library.
• ·         Shifting Projects: To relieve some congestion in the Adult Non-fiction section, the Foreign Language Learning (Books, CDs, and DVDs) have been moved on the set of shelves along the wall at the end of the Adult Biographies.  Some additional shelving and shifting will begin shortly in the Teen section.
• ·         Blog: Review the blog at least once or twice a day. General information will be passed this way on a day to day basis. This information is for your benefit.
• ·         PIE: Prioritize, Initiate, and Execute-During these times listed on the schedule, take a look around to see what really needs to be done, such as shelving, pickup, bookdrop, and others. This is also time to finish special projects such as discards and tagging and training opportunities.
• ·         Notification of sickness or tardy: Tim and Nhu’s cell phone was passed out for emergencies when before or after hours. Please use the private line when staff is normally present in the building.
• ·         Daily Papers: Staff that completes morning bookdrop will also do daily newspapers. 

Learning Link Library Card

NCAA Read to the Final 4 Reading Challenge is a special partnership program between HISD and NCAA for 3^rd grade students. The competition will begin on September 24^th and end March 2016.

HPL has teamed up with HISD to offer participating students the Learning Link card.

What is the Learning Link Card? What is the difference between Learning Link Card and My Link Card?

“The Learning Link card is specially designed to help every participating student succeed in this program by providing access to the library’s over 1 million resources from the HPL’s juvenile print and digital material collections. This card is completely FREE of any charges – no fines, no fees at any time. Late charges and no return fines are not applicable to this card. Each child will be able to use their Learning Library Card immediately upon receipt at any HPL location and online resources (i.e. e-books, audiobooks, tutoring).”

We will not be issuing the Learning Link Card. The participating student will receive their Learning Link Card by their school. However, we will issue replacement cards if it is lost. Please see the FAQ’s below for further details.

FAQ’s

Benefits of the Learning Link card?

• Access to more than 1 million books, e-books, DVDs,

magazines and research materials that make up the

Houston Public Library (HPL) juvenile collection.

• Access to more than 150 electronic resources which

include streaming music, videos, images, audiobooks,

and countless other subject-based websites and

databases.

• FREE Wi-Fi and computer access at all 43 HPL locations.

• Access to Brainfuse, the Library’s FREE online tutoring

programing for students of all ages.

• There are no fines/fees for materials checked out on

your child's Learning Link Library card.

How will this card help my child?

• Stronger reading skills - the more students read, the

better their comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary.

• Academic success - the more students read for fun

on their own time, the higher their reading scores AND

math scores.

• Good communication skills - readers will be armed

with the vocabulary they need to better communicate

with their peers, teachers, and parents.

• Critical thinking skills - readers improve their general

knowledge, and more importantly, are able to spot

patterns quickly and identify solutions.

How does my child get a Learning Link card?

• During the launch of the NCAA “Read to the Final Four”

Program at your child's school, he/she will be given

a Learning Link library card. It’s set up to begin using

immediately. A parent or guardian signature is NOT

required for activation.

How many items may my child borrow?

• Your child may borrow up to a total of 10 juvenile items at

one time for FREE. These can be print items, or audiovisual

items, including juvenile DVDs and books on CD. Your

child will also have unlimited access to digital materials

with their Learning Link card, including e-books, e-audio

books, and streaming video and music.

If my child loses their card, how do we

replace it?

• If your child loses their Learning Link card during the 2015-

2016 school year, you can stop by the Central Library or any

Neighborhood Library. Staff will verify their participation

in the NCAA “Read to the Final Four” Program by asking

them to verify their School ID and name of school. They

will then replace the missing card with a new card. This

card will be good for the remainder of the school year. All

Learning Link cards will expire July 31, 2016.

·         All locations will receive Learning Link stickers to place

on specific MY LINK cards with further instruction from LMS on

how to create the special account.

How long can my child keep library materials?

• The standard loan period is three weeks. Most items may

be renewed for one additional three week period. The

renewal period is calculated from the date the items are

renewed. DVDs cannot be renewed. The maximum loan

period, including renewal, is six weeks.

Thanks,

Nhu

Adult Language Learning Section

On Wednesday, the adult language learning section (420s to 460s) that were originally shelved in the adult nonfiction area has been moved. It's new location is at the end of the adult biographies on the shelves against the wall on the Stella Link street side of the building. All adult books and CDs and similar items need to be placed in this area.

A special thanks to Patricia Tucker for making this happen in an expedited manner.

Thanks,

Tim S.

Collection Management Meeting - 16 Sep 15

STE’s latest loaner, Lauren Holmes, was introduced to the team. She will be trained to do the labels and Rex will be trained to do the Catalog Updates, assuming the duties of the soon to be promoted Gaby Coats.

Booksale items that have occasionally accumulated in front of the newspapers will be shelved where the newspaper currently are, soon. Donation items will be moved from the floor to the shelves, in the book drop room, once the STE newspaper archive is moved to the left on the same shelving unit. Additionally both Lauren and Rex will assist Frances with donations.

Magazines have been changed with the date of the zine in the upper right corner and a red dot atop the barcode. Magazines with the red dot are Not to be circulated/of the current month. Current month magazines won’t be tagged to assist in they not being circulated.

Those staff members Discarding items need not be concerned if the item has a prior hold on it. The system will take care of the hold.

Everyone who touches a book (b/o; shelving; end of day cleanup) should be examining it for weeding by condition. Additionally all items that are included in the boxes for Float should be weeded for condition.

Fire Drill Procedures at STE

Greetings:

A Fire Drill is being scheduled at STE sometime in the next month. I requested it be held in the early afternoon on a Thursday.

Please review and become familiar with the following procedure.

Evacuation Procedure-In the event of an actual emergency or drill, please follow the following steps as safety allows.

1.   Verbally inform the library patrons of the situation and direct them to exit through the front entrance. (Library laptops may be left at the front desk)

2.  One staff member should be at the front entrance to direct patrons congregate past the front driveway and first set of regular parking spots (past the hedges). The fire lane must be clear to allow for emergency vehicles. This staff member may also act as the first contact for emergency personnel.

3.       Two staff members should clear the building of patrons beginning at the lobby.

a.  One staff member should check and unlock both meeting rooms, computer room, and staff workroom. This staff member should also aid in directing patrons out the front entrance to ensure they do not enter areas that have already been cleared.

b.  The other staff member should work their way beginning in the adult area along the interior perimeter of the building and finishing in the teen area before exiting through the front entrance.

c.  When this staff member passes the front desk, they should pick up the Main Building Key. This key is important to have as it will allow the Fire Department to gain access to the electrical panel boxes in the Mechanical Rooms.

4.   Once the building has been cleared and all staff and patrons are at the proper distance from the building, the senior staff member should ensure all staff are accounted for and make contact with emergency personnel on arrival.

5.   The senior staff member should contact the Neighborhood Libraries Department to inform them of the situation and maintain a visual presence to emergency crews for updates on the situation. If the Neighborhood Libraries Department phone number is not known, the staff member may contact Central or another HPL Branch for assistance with the number.

Thanks, Tim S.

Biometric Numbers for Health Insurance

To earn an annual $600 discount on your 2016 medical rate, you must complete the health assessment on MyCigna.com by October 31, 2015. You will need current biometric numbers (blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL, height, weight, waist circumference) from January 1, 2015, or later. 

If you don't have your biometric measurements, visit your doctor or schedule a free biometric screening at healthfair.com/houston. Be aware, screenings are limited and filling up fast. If screeenings at your work site are not available, you may visit your doctor or schedule a screening at another work site.

Tim S.

Passport Meeting on 9/9/2015

Notes from the Passport meeting on September 9th, 2015.

Attending: Mark, Tim, Nhu, Jesse, Ade, Mo
Meeting Leader: Ray

-A resolution was made to check the printer cartridge on the passport office printer, so more could be acquired when necessary.
-A discussion was had about problems with Smart Money, especially with regards to money orders. Money orders are entered into Smart Money as Checks, but are NOT run through Telecheck. This WILL cause a discrepancy between Telecheck and Smart Money check totals, but they're easy to track.
-It was noted that Robinson's passport numbers need to be on the spreadsheet, but was questioned whether policing this is our responsibility. Tim agreed to contact Lori Covington to see whose responsibility it is.
-Testing now, but officially beginning on Monday, we will use Google Hangout's chat feature to notify the back office about incoming customers. The front desk will be using the new stellalinkpassports@gmail.com address, while the back will use stellalinklibrary@gmail.com. If you don't know the passwords for these accounts, ask another staff member.

Handling Missing Discs and A/V Items

If a DVD or CD is found or returned and the case is missing or a case is found missing the discs, please place a note on the item with the date, a brief description of the situation, and your initials. Put the item with the note in the A/V box on the back shelves in the workroom.

Please do not match the item with the case on the Problem A/V shelf or put any item on the shelf. These items have been accounted for and must be properly removed from the STE Repair Holds List. 

If these items are removed from or put on the Problem A/V shelf without being accounted for, the item may be discarded from the system when it is in the building.

Thanks and happy trails,

Tim S.

Monthly Narratives

Greetings:

Monthly Narratives are now in effect. Monthly Narratives are a story of what you've done over the past month. The responses you give will help in determining an accurate score for your HEAR,

To expedite the process an online form has been created and posted to the blog under the Stella Link Staff. It'll ask a series of questions and give you the opportunity at the end to include any special occurrences you were apart of and would like to share.

The next monthly narrative can include everything you've done since July 1, 2015 until August 31, 2015. Please enter your response for this time period by the end of next week on September 11, 2015.

The following months' Monthly Narratives will be due by the 5th of the month.


Happy Trails, Tim.

Staff Parking

Please park in the lot closest to Mark Twain Elementary School, except on rainy days.

Thanks,

Tim S.