Frances has helped organize the FLIP Kits by age range on the FLIP dog house. Please try to keep all the Orange FLIP Kits on the back side of the doghouse, the blue FLIP Kits along the side of the house facing the cabinets, and all others (pink, green, and yellow) on the side facing the library's children's area windows.
This should help both staff and customers better browse and find the correct age-appropritate FLIP Kit.
Let Frances, Nhu, or Edgar know if you have any questions.
-Edgar
4.28.2017
4.21.2017
World Book Encyclopedias Replaced
The 2016 set of World Book encyclopedia have been converted from reference to circulation. This set will replace the 2014 set that was in circulation. STE received the new 2017 set a couple months ago is currently on the reference shelf.
Several volumes of the 2014 set are still checked out. When they are returned, please place them with the rest of the set on the bottom shelf of the discard shelf. They are easily recognized by their orange covers. The newer 2016 set in circulation is purple.
Several volumes of the 2014 set are still checked out. When they are returned, please place them with the rest of the set on the bottom shelf of the discard shelf. They are easily recognized by their orange covers. The newer 2016 set in circulation is purple.
4.20.2017
Stella Link Team Meeting 4/19 Qless Training
Present: Alex
Gabitto, Ade Odusanwo, Jacob Hornbeak, Jose Zamora, Patricia Tucker, Frances
Saldana, Jesse Farias, Ray Williams, Carol Wu, Amethyst Taylor, Nhu Le, and
Linda Shen
Leading: Tim
Siegel
Not Present: Edgar
Fuentes
We want to include all staff, including non-passport agents because it will help everyone see how the process works.
Qless Basics: Stella Link will be piloting Qless starting on Monday, April 24th.
This will not require any change to the library’s website. Once customers walk in to the library, we will have them line up and then have them one by one sign up in Qless. The first few customers should probably stay close by, while the other customers are free to go where they need to. The ipad will then be secured at the desk so that any additional customers who come in can add themselves to the virtual queue.
The huge benefit is that customers will not have to stand in a long line anymore. It will be similar to the paper sign-up sheets that some locations use already, with the added benefit of the customer getting text messages to let them know.
So Is it Still a Walk in Service?:During this testing phase, it’s still a walk in service and the lines still could get cut off early, so please continue to encourage them to come at least 2 hours early during the week. When they arrive, we ask them to sign in on the virtual queue. Staff should not put customers in the queue over the phone.
Once we go live, anyone who goes to the online signup page can register. People can sign up from home, and customers who walk in can also sign up. Patrick is working with Communications and HPL Virtual Library on getting the HPL website updated with ALL the information the customers need before they put themselves in the virtual queue. It will list prices, documents needed, and information about renewals. In English and Spanish.
How Will Customers Know How Long the Wait is? : When customers get in the queue, a text message will alert them “Thanks! Your est. wait is now ## min. We’ll let you know when you reach the front.
The customer will also receive a text giving them an option to reply with “H” for additional commands, including:
S – for status update
L – leave the line
M – need more time
N# - notify me # minutes before I’m next
Staff Login for Qless: All staff can go to www.qless.com and go to business log in. Log in with your username and password. Username is typically “name.lastname” and the password is something passport agents should have already created by now. The default password was “qless.”
When multiple agents are on duty (such as on Saturdays), each agent should log in with their unique username and password. We can use the ipad, the Kindle Fire, and the staff passport computer so that each passport agent can summon 3 different customers at a time.
Customers with No Cell Phone: Customers who do not have cell phones can be added manually. When you summon the customer, the system will have an animation with an X and a phone icon to let you know that they do not have a cell phone. [Demonstrate animation in Qless]. Please let these customers know to stay close by in the building because you will not have a way to communicate with them when their turn is up.
Summoning Customers: When we are ready for the first customer, we will summon the first customer. The customer will receive a text message indicating “You have reached the front of the line! Please see the host & tell him your phone number. Hurry, or your spot will be lost! Need more time? Reply with “M”.”
After 5 minutes pass, if the customer does not respond, they will get the following message: “Sorry, we still haven’t heard back from you, so we had to give your spot to someone else. You have ### min. to rejoin the front of the line – reply with J.
The staff Qless interface will show the name and the last 4 of the telephone number used at sign up. We can ask the customer to verify the last 4 numbers of their phone to ensure we have the correct customer before us.
No Shows: Qless should automatically put no-shows into the “expired” list after about 5 minutes. The customer should have received text message alerts, and they also have an option to “rejoin line” if they text “J” within ### amount of minutes.
If the customer tries to rejoin the line but passport services have closed, they will get a message, “Sorry, we are currently closed. Please try again later.”
Customers Who Forgot Money Order: Once you “Summon Customer,” they receive a text message stating “You have reached the font of the line! Please report to the front desk.” When the customer arrives to the passport desk, the passport agent on duty then marks the customer as “Arrived.”
The customer being processed will appear on the “Currently Serving” area at the top of the Qless staff interface. If during processing, the customer has everything they need but is missing a money order, and they are coming right back, there is an option to put customers in a waiting area.
To put a customer back in the queue:
1. If you click on the icon to have customer “Reenter Queue”, you can put the customer back in line.
2. A small window will appear asking “Enter XXXX (Name) into the Stella Link Passport queue?
3. You can put a note such as “Needs $80 money order.”
4. Check the “Reenter queue as expired” box so that the customer is put into the holding list.
5. Once the customer returns, click on the “Expired” tab and mark them as “Arrived.”
6. Once you are done with the customer, you can summon the next customer.
If the customer is returning with payment on another day, advise them that they will need to sign up again in Qless, and all parties must be present along with any applicable identification.
Is Stella Link the Only Location Testing?: Yes. Stella Link will be testing out Qless for about 2 weeks. On May 8th, if all goes well at Stella Link, the software would be rolled out system-wide.
What About Special Cases?: Walk-in customers who bring in letters can be reviewed by any available passport agent. If the letter requires execution by a passport agent, we would need to have the customer get on the queue to be processed. Or if the customer requires in-depth assistance, please direct them to sign up with Qless.
If the letter just asks for the customer to send in additional information (such as a birth certificate or consent form, for example) any available agent can advise the customer on how to proceed. If no agent is available, please advise the customer to get in the queue.
What About Adult Renewals?: Adults who walk in and have the DS-82 can be advised by any passport agent on their options. If the customer opts to use the DS-11 instead, have the customer put themselves in line for the next available slot.
If the customer happens to sign up without telling a passport agent that they have the DS-82, the passport agent on duty can also advise them on how to proceed. When we go live, information on adult renewals will be posted online on the passport page before the customer signs up for the virtual queue.
What About Closing the Line?: Qless will automatically “learn” how long it takes to process people. Using that algorithm, Qless will automatically cut off the line based on the amount of time remaining and number of people already in the virtual line.
During emergencies when the building has to close, Senior Managers will have the ability to go in and edit the text messages to reflect, “Building is closed.” Staff will then manually remove customers from Qless, and the customers will get the text message notification.
4.19.2017
Ebooks Class
The ebooks class for Wednesday night 6PM is canceled. It has been removed from the online calendar; although printed calendars still listed it. We generally don't have any participants for the evening class, but if anyone does show up with questions, any available staff should help the customer as best they can.
4.15.2017
Books Alive! Contest
Books Alive! Contest
8th Annual Children’s Book Celebration Contest
Deadline: Monday,
April 17, 2017
Winners will be notified by Monday, May 1, 2017.
Winners will be notified by Monday, May 1, 2017.
Let's Go Fly a Kite
Open to children in Grades K - 6
Children in grades K
through 6 are invited to submit a homemade kite.
Join us for some
high-flying fun as we gear up to celebrate this year’s Books Alive! featured
author, Grace Lin. In honor of Grace’s books' celebrating the Chinese
culture, we want to see your best homemade kite, inspired by the books she’s written and/or illustrated.
Enter to Win!
Fifty winners and one
adult guest with each winner will be treated to a catered lunch
and an autographed
copy of When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin. This
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is scheduled to take place prior to the kickoff
of the 8th Annual Books
Alive! Children’s Book Celebration on Saturday, May 6, 2017.
Submission Guidelines:
·
Participants
must be children in grades K-6;
·
Kite
must be homemade. Store-bought kites will not be accepted;
·
Original
art only. Traced or copied artwork or images will not be accepted. Please do
not use copyrighted images;
·
One
person per entry and one entry per person;
·
Kites*
may be submitted to any HPL location in person or mailed to the following
address:
Houston Public Library
Youth Services Department
500 McKinney
Houston, TX 77002
Youth Services Department
500 McKinney
Houston, TX 77002
·
Please
include with your kite:
- Name
- Grade
- Parents name
- Parents email
- Parents phone number
- Grade
- Parents name
- Parents email
- Parents phone number
If your techer is submitting, include your teacher's name
and school
*Kites will not be judged on their ability to fly.
4.14.2017
Easter Basket Raffle
Today our lucky winner picked up her easter basket!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this great raffle!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this great raffle!
4.12.2017
Stella Link Team Meeting April 12, 2017
Present: Patricia
Tucker, Carol Wu, Jesse Farias, Nhu Le, Alex Gabitto, Jacob Hornbeak, Jose
Zamora, Frances Saldana, Linda Shen, Ray Williams, Amethyst Taylor, Ade
Odusanwo, and Tim Siegel
Leading: Edgar
Fuentes
Thank you: Yesterday
was National Library Workers Day. In appreciation of your hard work and
dedication to exceptional customer service, and for being library employees our
location was given $75. If you have not done so already, please go to the break
room and partake of some of the snacks that were purchased with that money.
Political Groups in Meeting Room: We had a political group meet a couple weekends ago, and I just wanted to remind everyone that political groups are not allowed to use the library’s meeting rooms. When in doubt about a group, please check with Edgar, Tim or Nhu.
MENTIS Volunteers: Starting Monday, we will have a group of volunteers from MENTIS Health. The group will be meeting the 3rd Monday of each month from about 1:30-3:30pm. Their group will have Speech-Language Pathologists and a therapy tech to help with the patients/volunteers during each visit. The participants are patients who are recovering from a head injury. Their primary task will be shelving, so please try to avoid giving them any other duties.
TIRR Memorial Hermann Volunteers: There will be another group with similar patients/volunteers that will be coming in on Wednesdays from about 1:30-3:30pm but only in July 19th, September 20th, and November 15th. They will also be doing primarily shelving.
Arabic Class: The Arabic class will be taking place on Wednesdays 1PM – 3PM starting on April 19. The class will be in the small room if it's available. I will ensure the information gets back on our promotional materials and online.
Holds Issue: Tim, Frances, and I have had some issues with customer holds the last week. The issue has been that a customer receives notification that their hold is ready. When they come in to pick up the item, the hold appears to have gone to the next person. When you look at the customer’s account, the item does not appear on their active holds list. You have to click to view “All” holds (both active and inactive). Their hold will appear as having been “Filled,” yet the customer has not checked out the item. If the same thing happens to you (but make sure you’re not just checking out some random person’s hold to another customer) please let Tim, me, or Nhu know. Ask the customer if you can keep the hold wrapper so you can investigate the matter. In the meantime, we can manually check out the item at the staff rove station since it will require an override.
Financial Literacy Workshop: We will have a Financial Literacy Workshop on Monday, April 17 from 6-7:30PM in our large meeting room. Please try to spread the word to our customers to ensure we have a good turnout. I know we only have a few days to encourage customers to sign up, so let’s try our best. I have already told Gregg to share the information with his students. This workshop will teach participants techniques to get a better handle on their money. The program provided by World System Builder. Customers are encouraged to sign up – the signup sheet is at the desk.
Customer Donations Receipts: We are to keep donation receipts for 1 year at our facility. To help streamline the process, we need to have a good system in place to keep them organized. Tim has agreed to keep track of them. When you receive a donation and you give a receipt to a customer, please put the yellow copy in the same (blue) container with the library card applications just below the cash register.
Team Discussion:
Political Groups in Meeting Room: We had a political group meet a couple weekends ago, and I just wanted to remind everyone that political groups are not allowed to use the library’s meeting rooms. When in doubt about a group, please check with Edgar, Tim or Nhu.
MENTIS Volunteers: Starting Monday, we will have a group of volunteers from MENTIS Health. The group will be meeting the 3rd Monday of each month from about 1:30-3:30pm. Their group will have Speech-Language Pathologists and a therapy tech to help with the patients/volunteers during each visit. The participants are patients who are recovering from a head injury. Their primary task will be shelving, so please try to avoid giving them any other duties.
TIRR Memorial Hermann Volunteers: There will be another group with similar patients/volunteers that will be coming in on Wednesdays from about 1:30-3:30pm but only in July 19th, September 20th, and November 15th. They will also be doing primarily shelving.
Arabic Class: The Arabic class will be taking place on Wednesdays 1PM – 3PM starting on April 19. The class will be in the small room if it's available. I will ensure the information gets back on our promotional materials and online.
Holds Issue: Tim, Frances, and I have had some issues with customer holds the last week. The issue has been that a customer receives notification that their hold is ready. When they come in to pick up the item, the hold appears to have gone to the next person. When you look at the customer’s account, the item does not appear on their active holds list. You have to click to view “All” holds (both active and inactive). Their hold will appear as having been “Filled,” yet the customer has not checked out the item. If the same thing happens to you (but make sure you’re not just checking out some random person’s hold to another customer) please let Tim, me, or Nhu know. Ask the customer if you can keep the hold wrapper so you can investigate the matter. In the meantime, we can manually check out the item at the staff rove station since it will require an override.
Financial Literacy Workshop: We will have a Financial Literacy Workshop on Monday, April 17 from 6-7:30PM in our large meeting room. Please try to spread the word to our customers to ensure we have a good turnout. I know we only have a few days to encourage customers to sign up, so let’s try our best. I have already told Gregg to share the information with his students. This workshop will teach participants techniques to get a better handle on their money. The program provided by World System Builder. Customers are encouraged to sign up – the signup sheet is at the desk.
Customer Donations Receipts: We are to keep donation receipts for 1 year at our facility. To help streamline the process, we need to have a good system in place to keep them organized. Tim has agreed to keep track of them. When you receive a donation and you give a receipt to a customer, please put the yellow copy in the same (blue) container with the library card applications just below the cash register.
Team Discussion:
Ray asked
everyone to please keep shared work areas clean and orderly. This is a good reminder for all areas
and workspaces such as the break room and the front desk to be kept clean and
clutter free.
Amethyst will be
leading an HPL field trip is scheduled for this Friday to TSU to visit the
Football Hall of Fame exhibit.
Tim will be
trading out the 2015 World Book encyclopedia set that is currently being
circulating with the 2016 set. STE received the 2017 set not long ago for the
reference shelf. If any 2015 encyclopedias are returned, please place them on
Tim’s desk to complete the set. They will be orange.
Frances performed
the drawing for the Easter basket giveaway and will be notifying the winners.
4.05.2017
Financial Literacy Workshop
I have added a sign up sheet at the desk for a financial literacy workshop happening on Monday, April 17 from 6-7:30PM in our large meeting room.
Information about the program is below; I will post a flyer today:
Program provided by World System Builder.
Please call the library to register.
Information about the program is below; I will post a flyer today:
This workshop will teach participants techniques to get
a better handle on their money. Topics include the following:
· Make money work
better for you
· Find and save more
money
· Understand
investments and build wealth
· Protect and
preserve your money
Program provided by World System Builder.
Please call the library to register.
Stella Link Team Meeting April 5, 2017
Present: Patricia
Tucker, Carol Wu, Jesse Farias, Nhu Le, Jacob Hornbeak, Jose Zamora, Frances
Saldana, Linda Shen, Ray Williams, Amethyst Taylor, Ade Odusanwo, and Tim
Siegel
Leading: Edgar
Fuentes
Not Present: Alex
Gabitto
Thank you: Crystal
Shiver from Jungman for helping us out today.
Great work Frances and Nhu with taking charge on Saturday when the water pressure in the toilets caused some of them to not flush. Nhu reported them, and Frances put up the signs and even poured water into the toilets to get the waste out.
Good work on the current Earth Day display, Nhu, Jacob, and Frances, and anyone else who has been working on it. The plants and cactus coming out of the book are a nice touch.
Congratulations to Jose for getting the Sr. LSS position.
Coloring Sheets: Nhu has created a binder will various coloring sheets. It is located at the desk.
FLIP Kit Labels: The FLIP Kit zip ties and labels that remind customers to enjoy the FLIP Kits at home are located in a red wire mesh container in the supply closet on the second highest shelf immediately to your left. Use them when the FLIP Kits have been refurbished and need to be put out on the FLIP Kit doghouse.
Grab the top of the FLIP Kit and wrap the zip tie and label around the bunched up mesh bag to secure the opening. CMH passes will also be placed in the mesh container.
Great work Frances and Nhu with taking charge on Saturday when the water pressure in the toilets caused some of them to not flush. Nhu reported them, and Frances put up the signs and even poured water into the toilets to get the waste out.
Good work on the current Earth Day display, Nhu, Jacob, and Frances, and anyone else who has been working on it. The plants and cactus coming out of the book are a nice touch.
Congratulations to Jose for getting the Sr. LSS position.
Coloring Sheets: Nhu has created a binder will various coloring sheets. It is located at the desk.
FLIP Kit Labels: The FLIP Kit zip ties and labels that remind customers to enjoy the FLIP Kits at home are located in a red wire mesh container in the supply closet on the second highest shelf immediately to your left. Use them when the FLIP Kits have been refurbished and need to be put out on the FLIP Kit doghouse.
Grab the top of the FLIP Kit and wrap the zip tie and label around the bunched up mesh bag to secure the opening. CMH passes will also be placed in the mesh container.
Poetry Workshops:
Today will be the second poetry workshop from 5:30 – 7PM. Keep in mind that we
will continue to allow anyone to register (the registration is still at the
desk). Anyone who shows up today without registration will also be allowed to
join. These workshops are for adults.
Arabic Class: Ms. Alkaysi has found a permanent job with HISD and will no longer participate through the Chinese Community Center. We wish her well in her new endeavor. The Wednesday Arabic class will no longer be taking place. The online and paper calendars of events have been updated. Ms. Alkaysi may be offering the class at a different time – I will keep you all posted. I will check with Marjorie about the TV content.
Online Library Card Registration Updates: If a customer is a temporary resident, they can sign up online but they must also come in person and we would need to request the proper documents from a shelter or hospital showing the customer will be staying for a specific duration of time. The Profile Name must be changed to TMPRES, and the card expiration must also be changed to 30 days; a maximum of 3 items may be checked out. Please see the library’s policies on library card registration https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-6_2.pdf .
Arabic Class: Ms. Alkaysi has found a permanent job with HISD and will no longer participate through the Chinese Community Center. We wish her well in her new endeavor. The Wednesday Arabic class will no longer be taking place. The online and paper calendars of events have been updated. Ms. Alkaysi may be offering the class at a different time – I will keep you all posted. I will check with Marjorie about the TV content.
Online Library Card Registration Updates: If a customer is a temporary resident, they can sign up online but they must also come in person and we would need to request the proper documents from a shelter or hospital showing the customer will be staying for a specific duration of time. The Profile Name must be changed to TMPRES, and the card expiration must also be changed to 30 days; a maximum of 3 items may be checked out. Please see the library’s policies on library card registration https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-6_2.pdf .
Please continue to send your questions and suggestions to
Virtual Library Services (hplvirtuallibrary@houstontx.gov).
We will continue to offer voter registration forms for customers who come in to get their MyLINK card.
Passports: Fridays we do not offer passport services. As a courtesy, we can help answer passport questions but we should refrain from taking passport photos for customers. Whenever our schedule allows, we can look at the customer’s information to ensure they have everything they need. It is up to the passport agents’ discretion to compile the application if time allows, although Fridays are generally a time for us to catch up on shelving and to work on other projects.
If we help a customer on Friday and we compile their application, and they have everything, they cannot come on Saturday and expect to not wait in line. This would encourage other customers to come in on Fridays to get reviewed and expect the same service.
Encourage customers to return the same day when they don’t have all the required documentation. If a customer is missing only 1 piece of document and needs to return on the same day, we can allow them to return without having to wait in line. If they must return on another day, advise the customer they would be required to wait in line. This will be the case with Qless as well.
Qless Training: Next Thursday will be the Qless training for passport agents. It will be via a conference call, so no traveling will be required. Because Qless will be controlled by the agent at the front desk, I have scheduled Tim, Jacob, Ray, and myself. Whatever we learn, I will share with all passport agents.
Alex, Frances, Carol and Linda – please continue to get a passport agent whenever customers call about passports. Never tell customers that if they come by a certain time they will be processed. Instead, please tell them to come in at least 2 hours before the office closes. On Saturday, have them come at least 3 hours before the office closes. There is never a guarantee that customers will be seen.
On the library’s website it says, “Often times we have a large number of people requesting passports, so it may be necessary to close the waiting list due to high volume.” (http://houstonlibrary.org/learn-explore/passports)
Databases: There have been several reported issues with Overdrive, Hoopla, and Factiva. Please see the latest blog posts for more information. Any issues with our databases should be reported to IT and Marianne Lorio.
We will continue to offer voter registration forms for customers who come in to get their MyLINK card.
Passports: Fridays we do not offer passport services. As a courtesy, we can help answer passport questions but we should refrain from taking passport photos for customers. Whenever our schedule allows, we can look at the customer’s information to ensure they have everything they need. It is up to the passport agents’ discretion to compile the application if time allows, although Fridays are generally a time for us to catch up on shelving and to work on other projects.
If we help a customer on Friday and we compile their application, and they have everything, they cannot come on Saturday and expect to not wait in line. This would encourage other customers to come in on Fridays to get reviewed and expect the same service.
Encourage customers to return the same day when they don’t have all the required documentation. If a customer is missing only 1 piece of document and needs to return on the same day, we can allow them to return without having to wait in line. If they must return on another day, advise the customer they would be required to wait in line. This will be the case with Qless as well.
Qless Training: Next Thursday will be the Qless training for passport agents. It will be via a conference call, so no traveling will be required. Because Qless will be controlled by the agent at the front desk, I have scheduled Tim, Jacob, Ray, and myself. Whatever we learn, I will share with all passport agents.
Alex, Frances, Carol and Linda – please continue to get a passport agent whenever customers call about passports. Never tell customers that if they come by a certain time they will be processed. Instead, please tell them to come in at least 2 hours before the office closes. On Saturday, have them come at least 3 hours before the office closes. There is never a guarantee that customers will be seen.
On the library’s website it says, “Often times we have a large number of people requesting passports, so it may be necessary to close the waiting list due to high volume.” (http://houstonlibrary.org/learn-explore/passports)
Databases: There have been several reported issues with Overdrive, Hoopla, and Factiva. Please see the latest blog posts for more information. Any issues with our databases should be reported to IT and Marianne Lorio.
National Library
Workers Day: Next Tuesday, April 11 is National Library Workers Day. Our
budget is $75.
I welcome any suggestions for what you guys would like on that day. If I
receive no suggestions, I will spend the money on snacks for the team.
4.03.2017
OverDrive Issues
From Marianne Lorio:
"Recently patrons have had a couple of issues with OverDrive so I just wanted to provide some 'insider' information. Frankly most issues with OverDrive aren’t really 'fixable' either the cause is unknown or it is due to operator error. However, let the patron know that we will look into the matter. If the patron is willing to provide their library card number, e-mail address, and the title and format of item involved we will make sure the next available copy goes to their account. Please e-mail this information, as well as a description of the issue, to the IT Helpdesk and me."
Helpdesk email is HPL.HelpDesk@houstontx.gov
Marianne's email is marianne.lorio@houstontx.gov
-Edgar
"Recently patrons have had a couple of issues with OverDrive so I just wanted to provide some 'insider' information. Frankly most issues with OverDrive aren’t really 'fixable' either the cause is unknown or it is due to operator error. However, let the patron know that we will look into the matter. If the patron is willing to provide their library card number, e-mail address, and the title and format of item involved we will make sure the next available copy goes to their account. Please e-mail this information, as well as a description of the issue, to the IT Helpdesk and me."
Helpdesk email is HPL.HelpDesk@houstontx.gov
Marianne's email is marianne.lorio@houstontx.gov
-Edgar
4.01.2017
Hoopla Issue with iOS
With Apple’s recent release of iOS software version 10.3, your
patrons may find that previously downloaded hoopla content no longer plays. The customers have been instructed to delete the title from their checkouts and then re-download the title (without costing them 1 of their 8 monthly alotted titles).
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