Express Checkout News

The express checkout devices were updated Friday morning 12/30/2016. There are a few "bugs" that are being worked out. The following issues have been reported to IT:

• Failure to sent an email receipt when an email is entered manually at machine or when the email is on the account.
• The middle and right hand machine still display a "Make Payment" option on the screen. The left hand machine does not have the option.
• The numbers for PIN are briefly displayed after being typed in before turning to asterisks. 
• The right hand machine has a credit card reader device installed that is similar to the one we use with TeleCheck. The device is not functional at the moment. It was connected to help with the configuration and should be working in the next couple of weeks.

Returned ILL items

ILL items with a purple tag are not to be placed on the items from other library shelf. ILL items that are returned must be checked in properly and placed in the CEN bin to be picked up by delivery.

This afternoon, the ILL office called about an ILL item that was overdue and still on someone's account. The item was found on the items from other library shelf and still on the account. This is the fourth occurrence in the past couple months that this has happened. Before placing on item on this shelf, please check for the purple tag on the front cover.

Electronic Databases

From Marianne Lorio:

There are catalog records for electronic resources in the catalog. Often the links on these records don’t work properly and return error messages. Don’t give up. Go to the alphabetical Research webpage and find the link for the electronic resource involved. Most of the time you can gain access in this manner.  

This trick will also work if you are looking for a specific journal. Search the Journals & Periodicals webpage. If the title appears in our databases you will see the list of the databases in which you can find the title. If the links in the title record don’t work, you can go directly to the database on the Research webpage and find the title that way (specifics vary by database).

Returned Copy of Outsiders

On December 15th, we had a paperback classic copy of the Outsiders returned with no barcode or tag. The book is here, so if someone claims to have returned it in the next week or so, take them at their word.

And, since this is Mark posting a final blog post, I should like to say "that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
-Bilbo Baggins, A Long-Expected Party

3M checkouts

The 3M checkouts should all be operational. If you experience any issues, please let Edgar or Tim know and report it to IT accordingly.

Thank you,
Edgar

No Sale

Team,

Please make sure that if you do a No Sale that you do not enter any amount other than 0 if you are using No Sale to open the drawer. Some of you may be confusing "No Sale" with "Book Sale" and entering amounts into No Sale instead. While the money adds up in the end, Financial Services may question why we are entering them incorrectly, so please be cautious when taking money.

Thanks,
Edgar

3-M Checkout Update

The monitor to the right-hand Express checkout machine has been replaced and is now functional.

The left hand machine that went down this weekend is getting a new receipt printer. In the meantime, it will be out of service.

Picturebooks

Team,

Since we are expanding the picturebooks section, we will be receiving FLOAT picturebooks from a few different locations. I mentioned Kendall would be sending over a few boxes. Scenic Woods is also going to be sending us their duplicate picturebooks. As we receive them, please check them for condition, and then run them through Bertha to ensure proper checkin.

This will require us to start shifting pictrebooks now in order to accomodate the incoming volume of books.

-Edgar

Express Check-out Machines

The express machine on the far left is giving a printer error. The issue was reported to IT 12/17/16.

The express machine in the middle is not emailing receipts. The issue was reported to IT 12/17/16.

Home Library

At our last team meeting, we discussed changing "Home Library" in Workflows. Unfortunately, the change doesn't affect the customer's online account. If customers want to change their home library so that when they place any holds, the default library will be the one they use most, the change has to be made through the account online.

As you place holds on items for customers, if you see that Stella Link is not the default pickup location, please ask the customer if they would like to change their home location so that our library will be their default pickup from the drop-down menu. Customers have the option to have a different library as their home library. A customer may be visiting our location but use a library across town, so changing their home library without the customer's consent would not be wise.

As customers sign up for a library card or renew their library account, continue to put Stella Link as the home library. Then ask customers if they want this library to be their default pickup library location. If they say yes, please log in to their account and make the change. Otherwise, let the customer know they can always log in to their account online to make any changes.

Ray's Vocera

Ray's Vocera has been set up as "Ray Williams." If you need to reach him, you can now call him.

-Edgar

Stella Link Team Meeting December 14, 2016

Present: Carol Wu, Alex Gabitto, Jacob Hornbeak, Patricia Tucker, Nhu Le, Michael Kozman, Jose Zamora, Mark Hall, Ray Williams, Frances Saldana, Amethyst Taylor, Ade Odusanwo, and Tim Siegel

Leading: Edgar Fuentes

Not Present: Jesse Farias and Linda Shen

Team Appreciation

·         Thank you to Frances and Jose for helping out at the Holiday Fun event at Vinson.

·         Thank you to Frances for helping your colleagues by assisting customers at the desk this past Tuesday when it was busy. This is an example of team work that was discussed during our last team meeting.

·         Thank you to Amethyst for helping out at the Literacy in the Bag event at Montrose.

·         Thank you to Patricia for shifting the Adult Hindi Collection to allow more shelving space for the Spanish Adult section.

·         A group meeting in one of the rooms spent extra time after closure on Monday and Ray, Jose, and Tim assisted the group in exiting the library. This group is called AMI and the contact person in Judy Baptist. This group is no longer allowed to meet at Stella Link.

Checking Out

·         Great work in assisting customers at the Express Checkout Stations. Demonstrate the proper method for checking out by placing the corners of the book inside the square area instead of showing them the tags. This is giving customers information on how to bypass our security system.

3D Printing

·         On every Wednesday in January, will be hosting 3D printing lessons by volunteer March Chung. The program will be held in the studio and is intended for teens only. The lessons will be limited to 10 students and registration is required. It recommended that the same students attend all 4 sessions as each session will build on the previous lessons.

Picture books

·         We will receive a shipment of 3 bins of Picture Books in the next few days from Kendall. This will aid in the expansion of our Picture Book section.

Alarms

·         Please continue to check customers that set off the alarm as they exit if you don’t know why the alarm was set off (such as an ILL item or the item had to be checked out at the desk). Politely ask to review their receipt or account to verify successful checkout. Ask if any items showed up red on the checkout screen instead of green and suggest retrying the item on future checkouts. There is no need to chase down the customer outside of the building.

Home library

·         When renewing a customer’s library card, please ask if STE will be their home library. If so, please change the location preference. An email is being sent to IT in an attempt to link the preference on Work Flows and the Public Access Website.

Disc Repair

·         Please make sure that you continue to put in any items that need repair in the box labeled "A/V Issues." Please include a note and attach the note explaining what the issue is to the item. For example:

"12/12/2016 - Customer stated that disc 3 and 4 skip; they appear to be scratched - EF/STE"

Below are the dates for our disc repair schedule. These are the dates when we can send in any items that need repairing.

Stella Link (STE)

March 20, 2017

June 5, 2017

Ebsco Discovery Search tool

·         Today marks the launch of the Ebsco Discovery Search tool. This added search bar will allow customers to conduct one search across all Ebsco databases instead of going from one database to the next looking for articles. Training will be forthcoming as a recorded webinar.

·         In January, we will be implementing the second Ebsco Discovery Service platform that performs a catalog and a database search when a customer searches the catalog.  Results will be presented in two different tabs. We will send you additional information when we have a go-live date for this

Lockers

·         We have 14 lockers at this library. Priority given to staff (including part timers and employees coming from other locations) who do not have a desk and need a place to store their items.

·         Those of us who have a desk should try to keep our belongings at the desk. Priority will then be given to volunteers who need a place to store their items. Keep in mind that 3-4 Jungman staff are coming in January and may need storage space as well.

·         There will be a sheet where we can write down which lockers are being used so help avoid confusion.

Schedules

·         If you see any oddities in your schedule (such as no lunch or you need prep time), please make sure to let me or Tim know so that we can adjust your schedule as best we can. We have a number of people out and while we make our best effort to review the schedule, sometimes mistakes happen. Please don’t take it personally – let me know and I can correct it.

Community Engagement

·         For those of you who may not be familiar with Community Engagement, they are a unique department within the Houston Public Library. Community Engagement has a Mobile Express bus and they can drive out to places around the Houston area, including libraries and community centers, to offer programming such as computer classes, gaming, 3D printing, Lego robotics, ESL, etc. Organizations can request the Mobile Express in advance (by emailing hpl.mobile@houstontx.gov) and they may be able to come out to do a particular program. For Summer Reading Program, they came out to do programs at Stella Link!

Read more about them here:
http://houstonlibrary.org/our-partners/community-engagement

The full list of services they provide can be found here: http://houstonlibrary.org/sites/default/files/files/15_revised_mobile_express_booklet_final2.pdf

Pot Luck & Ugly Sweater contest

Next Wednesday is our pot luck. Nhu sent out an email, so if you haven’t responded, there’s also a signup sheet posted outside the manager’s office. 

Workflows Searching

From IT HelpDesk:

We have had several reports across the system that searching is not working properly in WorkFlows. We are aware of the issue and have an open ticket with SirsiDynix. We plan to run a report early Friday morning that will hopefully resolve some of these issues. Because this report has the potential to run long enough to affect system performance into the workday, we are waiting to run this on Friday when it will have the least impact. 

Disc Repair

Please make sure that you continue to put in any items that need repair in the box labeled "A/V Issues." Please include a note and attach the note explaining what the issue is to the item. For example:
"12/12/2016 - Customer stated that disc 3 and 4 skip; they appear to be scratched - EF/STE"

Below are the dates for our disc repair schedule. These are the dates when we can send in any items that need repairing.

Stella Link (STE)

March 20, 2017

June 5, 2017

Patricia will ensure that we check out any items that we are sending in to repair to our STE-REPAIR account, and she will send all the items needing repair in one shipment (up to 100 discs) out to:

LMS Float Team

Attn: Robert Harrison

Disc Repairs from (unit name) / date. 

SP Adult Shift

The HI adult collection has been dropped to the bottom two-three shelves of the range they occupy. The Spanish adult collection thereby moved to the right. Although I'm currently in the midst of this shift I hope to generate a space between adult fiction and adult nonfiction. This will be accomplished through weeding and elimnation of most duplictes.

Science in Context

From Marianne Lorio

Did you know that scientist have officially added four new elements to the periodical table? Now we have the perfect database to find out more: Science in Context. This is a Gale database provided through TexShare. The interface is similar to the interface in many of our other Gale subscriptions.

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/?p=SCIC&u=txshrpub100185 

Ebsco Discovery Search tool

From Judith Hiott:

Staff in Digital Strategies have been working for the last few months to implement Ebsco Discovery Service at Houston Public Library.  The following is the timeline for training and Go Live:

December 8, 2016:  Staff can PREVIEW the link below to one of two Ebsco Discovery Service platforms. We call this platform the Ebsco Platform. It consists of a search box that searches multiple databases at once. On the search results page are full text and  filtering options.  Please familiarize yourself with the search features using the link provided.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,shib&profile=eds&custID=s8492860&groupid=main[search.ebscohost.com

December 14, 2016: The Virtual Services team will put a link to the Ebsco Platform on the research page.  The link will be labelled  Search All Databases as a fourth bullet under the heading  Search Online Databases

December 16,2016: Ebsco will be conducting a half hour training webinar to introduce staff to the service.  All staff should view the training. It will be part of the CE Managers meeting on Friday, other staff  can dial in next Friday at 9:00 AM  using the access information at the end of this email, or you can view a recording of the training the following week on the HPL training portal. 

January 2016: In January, we will be implementing the second Ebsco Discovery Service platform that performs a catalog and a database search when a customer searches the catalog.  Results will be presented in two different tabs. We will send you additional information when we have a go-live date for this platform.

We hope you like the new service.

Stella Link Team Meeting December 7, 2016 Notes

Present: Patricia Tucker, Linda Shen, Jesse Farias, Alex Gabitto, Jacob Hornbeak, Michael Kozman, Frances Saldana, Nhu Le, Carol Wu, Mark Hall, Amethyst Taylor, Ade Odusanwo, Ray Williams, and Tim Siegel

Leading: Edgar Fuentes

Not Present: Jose Zamora

Staff Appreciation

• Great work everyone on assisting with checkouts at the 3M Express Machines. STE has one of the highest percentages of express checkouts in the system. This is beneficial for customers that don’t need to wait in a line for help at the service desk.
• STE received a perfect score on the site review conducted by the US Department of State. A big thanks to the entire team that make this service possible.
• Alex did a great job on the winter holiday display.
•  Jacob has lead several programs for NaNoWriMo this month and a Retro Video Game program and has quite a following for these events. Way to go Jacob.
•  Thank you Jesse for taking the initiative to shelve hold items while roving and shelving books during your PIE hours.
•  Jose worked hard to help shift the juvenile nonfiction to make room for the expansion of the picture book section. The top two shelves of this area will be juvenile audiobooks and the lower shelves will be for picture books.

Monday Help from Jungman

• Beginning in January, team members from Jungman will be coming on Mondays when they are closed to the public.

Classics

• Adult cataloged classic items (hardback and paperback) will be shelved with the adult fiction or nonfiction, depending on the call number.
•  The catalog currently lists these items as “paperback,” but a solution is being sought to hide this classification to avoid confusion.
• While paging, check in both fiction/nonfiction and classics in the event an item was misshelved. 

Phone and Desk Assistance

• If the phone rings more than twice and you in the work room, please pick up the phone while you are doing delivery, B/O, or another task. Multiple rings mean that the team members at the desk are too busy to answer the phone.
•  If you are shelving or on the floor, please assist at the desk if the line starts backing up.
• Please keep your team members in mind and help out when necessary.

Newsletters

• Customers can sign up to receive emailed newsletters specific to library locations. They can join this service by signing up at http://houstonlibrary.org/find-it/readers-link/newsletters-all-interests .

Library Card Registration

• In the near future, customers will be able to register for new library cards and update information online.
• This means that the traditional paper application will disappear.
• As an update to a question from a previous meeting, we can assist in signing up customers instead of directing them to a computer.

Assisting Customers

• We should always personally assist customers find items or areas of the library.
•  Please search the catalog rather than pointing them to a computer
• Please walk a customer to an area instead of pointing them in that direction, unless the customer says they can do it themselves.

Meeting Room Reservations

• Please ask about serving food when taking a room reservation. If prepared (hot or cold) food is to be served, please inform the customer of the $25 fee. This fee is to be paid on the day of the event in case of cancellations.
•  Please avoid promising customers extra chairs or tables. The only tables and chairs available are those in a particular room. Moving chairs would cause a burden for staff and any other meetings.
• The library does not provide any service or materials other than the room and the allotted number of tables and chairs. Extension cords, projectors, laptops, and similar items are not provided.

Holds

• Many items have been found on the STE hold shelf that should have been shipped to other branches.
• Please be careful when processing Book drop/Others to ensure that items meant for other branches is separated from STE hold items.

Holiday Books

• Books with a “Holiday” sticker (red firework icon) that are not a major holiday such as Valentine’s Day or Thanksging can be shelved with the majority of the picture books.
• These items are so few and do not need a separate shelf.
•  Please shift books from the bottom shelves of the holiday books when room allows.

Passports

• Returning customers should only be allowed head-of-the-line privileges when only one component is missing to complete an application, such as a money order or birth certificate. Please attach a completion slip and make a note as to the information needed.
• Incomplete applications or applications missing multiple components will need to wait in line. Do not attach a completion slip.
• Customers who are eligible to renew a passport by mail with a DS-82, but elect to apply at our facility with a DS-11 will not experience a delay in processing time. A customer applying by DS-11 will receive a new passport in the same timeframe as if they used the DS-82. 

Express Check Out Machine on right is not working

The self check out machine on the far right is having problems with the touchscreen. A tech was out this morning to fix the problem, but it appears to not have been completely resolved. A new ticket has been opened with the IT helpdesk as of 12:45PM on Wed 12/7/16 by Tim. The machine is currently off with a sign announcing this to our customers. Thank you.

Plumber to fix leak on toilet in public women's room

The plumber will be on site Wednesday morning to fix the leak in the public women's room.

Stella Link Team Meeting November 30, 2016 Notes

Present: Jesse Farias, Michael Kozman, Frances Saldana, Amethyst Taylor, Alex Gabitto, Patricia Tucker, Linda Shen, Mark Hall, Ray Williams, Jacob Hornbeak, Carol Wu, Jose Zamora, and Tim Siegel

Leading: Edgar Fuentes

Absent: Nhu Le and Ade Odusanwo

Staff Appreciation:  Thank you, Jose for stepping up to assist a customer with computer questions that visited the library when a computer class was canceled. Jose has also been doing a great job in helping Spanish speaking passport applicants with questions. He was also very flexible in moving his ESL class to accommodate space for the Talent Show this past Monday. Thanks Jose for your exceptional customer service. Thank you, Frances for helping set up the room for Baby Time. And thank you for covering Nhu’s Pajama Storytime tonight!

Passport Agents:

• Spanish Translation of DS-11: Please continue to encourage customers to use the Spanish translation of the DS-11 as a guide to help them complete their applications. If they have additional questions, please ask for assistance from team members that speak Spanish.
• DS-82s (Passport Renewals): When customers call or show up asking about renewing their passports, if they are eligible to use the DS-82 Renewal By Mail for Eligible Individuals, please make sure they also know that they have the option to process at our facility using the DS-11 Application for a US Passport. Customers don’t have to pay the $25 processing fee if they renew on their own by mail. However, some customers want to process with us regardless of the $25 processing fee. Please make sure they get both options.(We will ask Houston CS for clarification if there will be a delay for DS-82 eligible applicants that prefer to apply at our facility with the DS-11)

Health Assessment & Next Steps: The deadline to complete and submit the health assessment is December 5^th. After the health assessment is completed, you have several options to satisfy the requirements to be eligible for the insurance discounts. These options include:

Complete 2 wellness options:
- getting a physical
- getting a flu shot
- getting a prostate cancer screening
- getting a dental or vision exam
- completing a health benefits education semiar
- completing a City of Houston Employee Assistance Program visit
- Completing a Nutrition Coaching Visit

Or

Complete 1 of the following (while they are available):
- complete a telephonic health coach and achieve a health goal.
- 6 week onsite lifestyle management program
- Earn 1,000 points through Fitness Tracker

See https://my.cigna.com/ > Go to "My Health" tab > Under "My Incentives" Click on "View My Incentive Details" for more information

CDs and DVDs without cases: Last week we talked about what to do when customers return FLIP Kits with missing components. If the book is missing, let them know the FLIP Kit will remain checked out to their account. If it’s smaller components (scissors, fabric, or dolls, or other items), we can let the customer know to return what’s missing, but go ahead and check in the FLIP Kit.

For CDs or DVDs that are returned without the disc, the items will remain on the customer’s account. However, if the customer returns a disc without the case, we can check in the disc even without the case. No fees (other than normal late fees) are charged when a customer returns a disc without the case. This does not apply to lost discs or empty cases. A lost disc or empty case is treated as a lost item.

Checkouts: Please continue to walk customers over to the Express Checkouts and help them check out when they come up to the desk wanting to check out. Saying something like “I’m happy to help – let’s come around and check out right over here” with a smile is a good start. Again, we want to only check out ILLs at the desk, and nothing else.

Holiday Celebration: An email was sent out to RSVP for the holiday celebration. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the email.

Accepting DVDs without the case

There may be an occasion in which a customer loses or breaks the case to a DVD, but still has the disc and is in good condition. If this happens, please accept and discharge the item and advise the customer to continue to search for the missing case. No fee (other than normal late fees) are charged when a customer returns a disc without the case. Please place a note on the customer's account. The disc may be given to Tim or placed on his desk with a note. This does not apply to lost discs or empty cases. A lost disc or empty case is treated as a lost item.

Wellness

Team,

Many of you have completed your health assessment and are wondering what the next steps are. Below are your options (See https://my.cigna.com/ > Go to "My Health" tab > Under "My Incentives" Click on "View My Incentive Details" for more information).

Note: check the deadlines for each option.

Step 1

Earn a 10% premium reduction* by completing these start-up goals

You must complete the health assessment by December 5, 2016 to earn 10% of the 100% required to earn the annual medical rate discount ($600 discount for active employees and $300 for spouses).

10% Premium Reduction*

Get a personalized health assessment

Available: 08/01/2016 - 12/05/2016
Earn 10% by completing a confidential questionnaire that asks you about your health and well-being and provides a personalized assessment of your current health. (Don't forget, each person in your family taking the health assessment needs to register separately on myCigna.com.)

Step 2

Complete  a wellness option to earn 90% towards your annual medical rate discount  

After completing the health assessment and earning 10%, complete a wellness option to earn the remaining 90% towards your annual medical rate discount.

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Complete my annual physical (preventive exam)

Available: 02/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
A low- or no-cost preventive exam for males and females 18+ that’s used to reinforce good health, address potential and chronic problems.
Get your physical. You will be credited when your claim is processed.

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Receive a flu shot

Available: 02/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
The flu is not just a nuisance--it can lead to more serious health issues. Protect yourself and others around you.
Get the shot. You will be credited when your claim is processed.

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Get a prostate cancer screening (preventive exam)

Available: 02/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
A prostate screening for males 18+ can detect changes that lead to prostate cancer. Age appropriate screening allows for early detection.

Get tested. You will be credited when your claim is processed.

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Schedule and complete my annual dental or vision exam

Available: 02/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
Report your annual dental visit or annual vision exam to earn rewards.
Report my goal activity

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Attend a Health Benefits Education Seminar. Get the most value from your COH benefits.

Available: 11/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
At this 60 minute seminar you will learn more about navigating and utilizing your COH medical benefits.
Report my goal activity

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Complete one EAP coaching visit

Available: 11/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
Take care of your mental health. Visit the City of Houston EAP and complete one 45 minute coaching visit.
Report my goal activity

45% Premium Reduction*

Option A. Complete one Introductory Onsite Nutrition Coaching Visit

Available: 11/01/2016 - 01/31/2017
Learn more about your nutritional habits by completing one 45 minute nutrition coaching visit.
Report my goal activity

Complete  a wellness option to earn 90% towards your annual medical rate discount  

After completing the health assessment and earning 10%, complete a wellness option to earn the remaining 90% towards your annual medical rate discount.

90% Premium Reduction*

Option B. Talk to a telephonic health coach and achieve a health goal

Available: 05/01/2016 - 03/10/2017
Achieve a fitness, diet or health goal with the help of a trained health coach. Coaches can counsel you in weight loss, smoking cessation, medication adherence, disease management and many other health concerns.

Call a health coach at the number on your ID card

Complete  a wellness option to earn 90% towards your annual medical rate discount  

After completing the health assessment and earning 10%, complete a wellness option to earn the remaining 90% towards your annual medical rate discount.

90% Premium Reduction*

Option C. Attend a 6 week Onsite Lifestyle Management Program

Available: 08/01/2016 - 03/10/2017
Attend a one-hour weekly seminar for 6 weeks. This interactive seminar series features various topics; please visit www.houstonwellnessconnection.org for location/date information.

Complete  a wellness option to earn 90% towards your annual medical rate discount  

After completing the health assessment and earning 10%, complete a wellness option to earn the remaining 90% towards your annual medical rate discount.

90% Premium Reduction*

Option D. Earn 1,000 points through Fitness Tracker (Cigna Apps and Activities)

Available: 08/01/2016 - 03/10/2017
Choose from a variety of motivating apps and activities designed to improve your health. Earn 1,000 “points” to earn 90% towards your annual medical rate discount.
Start now!

Close

Self report completion of a goal

To self-report the completion of a goal, simply choose the date of the activity, check the certification box and submit.

Date of Activity

Choose a date either on or before today's date.

I certify that this information is true to the best of my knowledge. Click the box to certify.

Cancel

*premium - what you pay for your health insurance coverage; sometimes called "health coverage contribution" or "employee contribution."

If you think you might be unable to meet a standard for a reward under this wellness program, you might qualify for an opportunity to earn the same reward by different means. Contact us at the number on the back of your Cigna ID card and we will work with you (and, if you wish, with your doctor).

DS-82s

Team,

When customers call or show up asking about renewing their passports, if they are eligible to use the DS-82 Renewal By Mail for Eligible Individuals, please make sure they also know that they can process at our facility using the DS-11 Application for a US Passport.

Some customers want to process with us regardless of the $25 processing fee. Make sure they get both options.

-Edgar

Wednesday Passports

On Wednesday, 11/23/2016, passport services will be from 12PM - 5PM due to the library closing at 6PM.

SRP Family Prize Pack

Hi Team,


In the next few days, you may be approached by customers picking up their Family Prize Pack from the 2016 SRP. The prizes are kept in individual envelopes with the name of the customer written on it. The envelopes are kept in the first drawer underneath the register at the front desk. Please have the customer sign for the envelope. There is a paper log clipped to the envelopes.


Thanks!

Stella Link Team Meeting Notes November 16, 2016

Present: Carol Wu, Jesse Farias, Alex Gabitto, Ray Williams, Amethyst Taylor, Mark Hall, Jacob Hornbeak, Ade Odusanwo, Nhu Le, Michael Kozman, Linda Shen, and Tim Siegel

Leading: Edgar Fuentes

Absent: Patricia Tucker, Jose Zamora, and Frances Saldana

Welcome Back: Ade is back from taking care of his wife and new son, Bodhi.

Team Appreciation and Accomplishments:  Tim worked hard the past week or so to promote awareness for veterans through the Veterans Day display here at STE, a veterans program at JUN, and a blog post on the HPL website. The post can be viewed at http://houstonlibrary.org/learn-explore/blog/salute-veterans.  A Jungman customer submitted a positive comment following the Veteran’s Day program.

Thank you to Amethyst for volunteering to participate in the Literacy in the Bag event featuring story times and activities for children at Montrose Library on December 10.

New Job Opportunities: A number of new job opportunities have come up in the last couple of weeks. Please make sure you look through those if you are interested in a promotion.

Emails: Please check your email at least once daily. Ideally, you would want to check it when you arrive and again before you leave to make sure there isn’t anything time sensitive that needs to be addressed.

Meyer: Meyer Neighborhood Library will open at 1PM today.

Early Dismissal: Today is early dismissal. We will only have Teen Lounge and Gaming available for students. There are other programs going on in the computer lab and small meeting room, so no Quiet Lab or Studio today.

Notaries: It has been verified with Laurie that Naturalization Certificates are acceptable forms of identification for notary purposes since it has a photo, a signature, and is government issued. Make sure the certificate is signed.

Online Accounts: When customers create an online account, the profile name is automatically “PUBLIC.” When the customer comes in to apply for the full library account, please make sure that the profile name is changed from “PUBLIC” to either “HOU-ADULT” or “HOU-YOUTH,” depending on the age of the person the library card is for.  Also, please make sure that the information is entered in ALL CAPS. The account may have to be scanned into the Checkout Wizard in Work flows to fully update.

Thanksgiving: Next Wednesday, November 23, the library will be closing at 6PM. Full time employees will be working 9:15-6:15pm. If you need to make any adjustments to your schedule, please let me know so that we can adjust it accordingly. We will be closed Thursday November 24 (Thanksgiving) and Friday November 25 (Day After Thanksgiving). Part time employees who need to make up their time can work with Tim to adjust your schedules.

Backdating: Please continue to backdate all items returned in the mornings. As a courtesy to our customers, please backdate any items returned before the library opens to the last date which the library was open. So if the library opens at Noon, for example, any item returned on or before 11:59am that morning should also be backdated.

Learning Link Fines: Some Learning Link accounts are accumulating overdue fines when they should not be. The issue has been addressed and corrected by IT. However, students who have checked out books prior to the fix may still show fines on their accounts. We should be getting more information as to how to handle these accounts. In the meantime, please reassure students who have concerns that we will take care of the overdue fine on their Learning Link account.

If you come across an account with an overdue fine, please report it to IT - 31570.

NOTE: This does not apply to LOST books, as students are billed $10 for any lost book. This issue only applies to OVERDUE books.

FLIP Kit Rules

1.       Customers may check out as many FLIP kit as they’d like

2.       Customers may receive 1 CMH museum pass for each kit they return with a completed survey.  Ex. Customer checks out 3 FLIP kits & only returns 2 with completed surveys- they only get 2 passes. Passes should be given when the kits are surveys are returned, so you can easily verify that they checked it out.

3.       THE BOOK AND ALL NON-CONSUMABLE ITEMS MUST BE RETURNED. Verify what needs to be included by opening the FLIP Kit to see the checklist on the inside cover. We can only charge the customer if the book is missing.  This doesn’t mean customers shouldn’t return the other items. Please notify the customer if there are several items missing from the kit that are on the checklist and ask them to return them. Upon receiving any missing items, please send them in to CMH to be reunited with their kits.

4.       ALL FLIP KITS MUST BE SENT TO CMH AFTER EACH CHECKOUT.  Do NOT hang them back on the kiosk after they are returned & checked-in.  They need to be refurbished by CMH staff. Check out each returned FLIP Kit to “STE-REFURB” and place a REFUBISH label and send to CMH.

5.       If a customer cannot find the kit they are looking for, please direct them to the website, FLIPkits.org, where they can browse the interactive catalog and place holds.

6.       Please ensure there are FLIP business cards located on your kiosk or front desk that contain the cards (flip website and instructions). 

7.       When sending a kit that has a hold to CMH to be refurbished, please highlight the hold location and attach to the tag (on the non-barcode side), so it can be refilled and sent directly there (without having to come back to your location first).

The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness Webinar:
http://www.homelesslibrary.com/houston. Please follow the prompts and use your work email to create an account. Once you create an account, you are able to access the training as many times as you need in order to complete the 2 ½ hour course. This training is required for all staff members, and is due in February.

The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness Webinar

HPL recently purchased an online subscription to The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: Practical Online Training so YOU can Solve Problems with Compassion.  This 2 ½ hour online training course provides proven methods for successfully handling various situations with the homeless in a compassionate and respectful manner. The tips for handling various situations are easy to understand and simple, with demonstrations provided for each method. Within the course of the training, you will see a lot of the “do this, not this” type of instruction with potential outcomes shown for each choice that you make when handling situations with the homeless.

To access this training, please click this link: http://www.homelesslibrary.com/houston. Please follow the prompts and use your work email to create an account. Once you create an account, you are able to access the training as many times as you need in order to complete the course. If you require multiple log-ins to complete the course, you will need to remember where you last left off so you can easily pick up the training to complete it. Upon completion of the course, you will need to complete and pass the online quiz to receive the certificate of completion. A passing grade of 80% or better is needed to receive the certificate.

This training is required for ALL team members. You will receive 2 ½ hours of training credit upon completion of the course and successfully passing the quiz. Please send your certificate of completion to hpltraining@houstontx.gov and be sure to include your name, employee number, date of completion, title of training and number of training hours on the certificate.

Please complete this training by COB on Monday, February 6^th, 2017.

Learning Link Fines

Team,

It has come to our attention that some Learning Link accounts are accumulating fines. I have reported it to our IT Department and they have investigated and corrected the issue that is causing fines. However, students who have checked out books prior to the fix may still show fines on their accounts. We should be getting more information as to how to handle these accounts. In the meantime, please reassure students who have concerns that we will take care of the overdue fine on their Learning Link account.

If you come across an account with an overdue fine, please report it to IT - 31570.

NOTE: This does not apply to LOST books, as students are billed $10 for any lost book. This issue only applies to OVERDUE books.


-Edgar

Stella Link Team Meeting Notes November 09, 2016

Present: Patricia Tucker, Carol Wu, Jesses Farias, Ray Williams, Jacob Hornbeak, Mark Hall, Linda Shen, Jose Zamora, Amethyst Taylor, Frances Saldana, Michael Kozman, Nhu Le, Tim Siegel, and Patrick Atkins (observing).

Leading: Edgar Fuentes

Absent: Ade Odusanwo and Alex Gabitto

Team Appreciation: Team, those of you who worked last Saturday did a tremendous job ensuring the library ran smoothly when you guys were short two staff members. Commendable job on processing 66 passports!

Politics:This is a good time to remind everyone to abstain from discussing politics with coworkers or with customers. As City employees, we cannot engage in these discussions.  

Book Sale:We have a customer who is constantly asking about our book sale. If the customer comes in and asks about any books “in the back,” please be courteous but let him know that what we have for sale has been put out. We should make every effort to try to put out book sale every morning so that our shelves are fully stocked.

FLOAT: FLOAT Items are to be checked out to “STE-FLOAT” unless they have a hold, are in transit, or are Item on the Fly.

ILLs: Please do not place ILL items on the “Items from Other Library Systems” shelf. The shelf is intended for items that customers return to our library by mistake. ILLs are items that HPL orders for customers and we check it out to their account. Those should be discharged from the customer’s account and returned to CEN ILL, not placed on the “Items from Other Library Systems” shelf.

Renewals: When customers renew their items, they will get 3 additional weeks from the current due date. That means that customers may request renewal of checked out materials at any time after initial check out and get the full six week checkout period.

OneClick Digital: There has been update to OneClick Digital that is causing log-in issues on some customer accounts. Please assist customers as best you can to see if their username/password are entered incorrectly. If they still experience log-in issues, customers can contact support@oneclickdigital.com.

West U Update: Staff at West U Library are working at Bellaire Public Library. Holds are picked up at Bellaire Public Library.

Executive Order 1-50: Just a reminder about Executive Order 1-50 (Workplace Discrimination and Harassment):

7. EXAMPLES OF PROHIBITED HARASSMENT

7.1.13 Impeding access by any employee or member of the public to a city restroom facility that is consistent with and appropriate to that person’s expression of gender identity.

HPL Website Down

Greetings HPL Team,

HPL’s website (houstonlibrary.org) is down at the moment. We are working to resolve this issue.

Online resources are still available:

Catalog: catalog.houstonlibrary.org

Overdrive: http://hadc.lib.overdrive.com/

Mobile app: http://www.boopsie.com/library-page/houston-public-library/

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please let us know if you have any questions. 

Smart Money

Smart Money is working again!
We are unable to take payments in Smart Money, as our money management system is currently down. Please let customers know we apologize for the inconvenience. The issue has been reported.

For passports, we recommend customers pay with a credit/debit card or have exact change. Checks and credit cards can still be rung up in Telecheck as usual. 

HPL Blog Post for Veterans Day

Tim had a posting published on the HPL Blog for Veterans Day. You can see the posting at http://houstonlibrary.org/learn-explore/blog/salute-veterans.

Renewal!

From Fred Shumacher:

We have wonderful news to share about renewal of checked out items in HPL’s SirsiDynix Symphony system.  When customers renew their items, the system will now calculate the new due date by counting forward from the current due date, rather than from the date of the request.  That means that customers may request renewal of checked out materials at any time after initial check out and get the full six week period.

I hope that you and your customers find this to be a welcome improvement.

Thanks.

OneClick Digital Issues

There has been update to OneClick Digital that is causing log-in issues on some customer accounts. Please assist customers as best you can to see if their username/password are entered incorrectly. If they still experience log-in issues, customers can contact support@oneclickdigital.com. See the email that was sent below:


While doing site maintenance earlier this week on our OneClickdigital and RBdigital Gateway platforms, we discovered a few bugs that took longer to fix than originally anticipated. We know service has been intermittently interrupted for your patrons and we apologize that you were not given more notice about the extended downtime.

While we believe we have corrected most of the bugs, a few log-in issues remain that we are working to resolve as quickly as possible. The vast majority of your patrons will not be affected, however some may still not be able to log in to the service. In most instances, clearing the cache resolves the problem.

For those still experiencing an issue, we ask that they submit a support ticket by emailing support@oneclickdigital.com.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Best,
Your RBdigital Team