SirsiDynix Renewal change

Hello all. 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. Fred Schumacher Senior Manager

Staff Meeting Notes, 11-30-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

1. Welcome New Staff: Kitty (Acting Manager); Norma (PT-CSC); Antoinette (PT-CSC for Collier); Victor (Assistant Manager, starting 12/12).
2. Updates (Karen):
1. Cell Phone Use at Public Service Desks
1. When you’re working at a public service desk, you’re paying attention to our customers and you’re ready to respond to their needs.
2. OK--library activities, such as demonstrating Overdrive, checking wireless connection
3. NOT OK--personal activities, such as checking social media, texting, shopping.
4. Phone should be set to silent mode in public areas.  
5. No personal phone calls at the desk. If it’s an emergency, find someone to cover the desk and take the call in a non-public area.
2. Closing Issues
1. Last week the following were observed after staff had finished closing the floor: lobby lights on; conference room blinds not opened; extra chairs in study rooms; drive-up window not locked; self check and TV screens still on; phone not forwarded; front door not locked.
2. Review opening and closing checklist so you know what you’re responsible for doing.  Work with your colleagues on the floor to complete these tasks.  Don’t leave the floor until everyone is finished.   
3. Leave the building together--there’s safety in numbers!  If you leave before everyone else, we won’t be able to respond if you should need help.
3. Safety Issues: Kick Stools
1. Two kick stools are stored under the desk on the 2nd and 3rd floor; 1 is stored under the Lobby desk.  Extra stools must be kept in the workroom--if you bring one out to use, put it back in the workroom when you’re finished.
2. We don’t want any customers (especially young children!) or volunteers hurting themselves by tripping over or falling off a kick stool.,

Quick Notes

1. Tag Arriving Holds:  All incoming holds must be tagged if they aren’t already, especially Central items.  This speeds checkout and supports your team members at the public service desks!  
2. Float Items: Check out items to be floated to the KEN-FLOAT account before you put them in a floating bin under the sorter. This account will hide the item from view in the catalog until it’s checked in at its receiving location.  
3. Sorter Tasks at the End of the Day:  Clear Outgoing Holds and Bin 9 Exceptions every day. They haven’t been checked in yet and need to be cleared the same day they were returned so the customer doesn’t get a fine.  
1. Outgoing holds get labeled and go into a Delivery bin ASAP--someone is waiting!  
2. Bin 9 Exceptions need to be checked in, then tagged, floated, or returned to Central.  
3. Turn around items waiting to be tagged the same day.  The catalog shows them as “Check Shelf”--ready to be checked out--and we need to get them on the shelves as soon as possible.

Upcoming Events

• Friday, December 2: Last Day of Pay Period; Staff Training--Alice on Business Reference
• Monday, December 5: Last Day to complete Cigna Health Assessment (and save $$!)
• Tuesday, December 6: SW Managers Meeting (Karen, Kitty)
• Friday, December 9: Payday!; Youth Services Meeting (Jasmine, Leona, Shanti); Staff Training--Alice on Business Reference
• Saturday, December 10: Staff Holiday Gala
• Friday, December 16: Customer Experience Managers Meeting (Karen, Kitty, Melinda)
• Friday, December 23-Monday, December 26: Library Closed for Christmas
• Sunday, January 1-Monday, January 2: Library Closed for New Year’s Day

Staff Meeting Notes 11-2-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

I. Updates (Karen):

1. Quick Notes
2. Floating Collection:
3. Safety Issues: Kick Stools; Reduce Slips, Trips and Falls Poster--the #1 source of accidents at HPL
4. Holiday Gala decorating challenge
5. Upcoming Holidays: Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11); Thanksgiving (Nov. 24 & 25); Christmas (Dec. 23-26), New Year’s Day (Jan. 1 & 2).

II. Quick Notes

1. Floating Holiday:  Floating holidays must be requested 30 days in advance and used by the end of the calendar year (Dec. 31)--the deadline is fast approaching!  If you haven’t already used your floating holiday, submit your Kronos request soon--they’ll be approved on a first come, first served basis.
2. Floating Collection: Circ Admin is rolling out a new account to check out floating items so they can be accounted for during the float process (much like the KEN REFURB account for the FLIP kits).  This means all items to float are checked out and disappear from our holdings.  
3. Discard Items in Poor Condition:
1. If an incoming hold is disgustingly nasty, please don’t check it in--the customer deserves better!  Discard the nasty copy and place a hold for another one.  (If it’s the last copy, call the customer with options, including Interlibrary Loan and HCPL).
2. If an item to be floated is in poor condition, don’t float it--your colleagues deserve better!  Discard it immediately (items in poor condition are approved for immediate discard).  
4. Book Sale Donations:  We smile and accept all donations.  
1. If some of them have to be discarded due to condition, take care of it later after the customer has left.  
2. If the customer asks your opinion about the saleability of items, you can offer “We don’t see much demand for this” or “We had some of these last month and they didn’t sell very well.”  People want to support the Library--we want them to know their effort is appreciated.  
3. If a customer wants a discount, let them know the books are donations and all funds raised support library programs.
5. Donation Slips: Put them in the manila envelope marked “Donation Slips 2016“ on the Time & Attendance desk.  Don’t leave them downstairs.
6. End of Day tasks:  Please clear Outgoing Holds and Bin 9 Exceptions each day--these items have not been checked in and need to be cleared the same day they were returned.  
1. Outgoing holds need labels and need to go into Delivery ASAP--someone is waiting!  
2. Bin 9 Exceptions need to be checked in, then tagged, floated, or returned to Central.  
3. While items are waiting to be tagged, the catalog shows them as “Check Shelf”--ready to be checked out.  Let’s get them on the shelves as soon as possible.

III. Upcoming Dates

• Friday, Nov. 4: Last Day of Pay Period; Youth Services Meeting at Central; Brainfuse webinar
• Tuesday, Nov. 8: SW Assistant Managers Meeting at Frank Express; Election Day
• Thursday, Nov. 10: Weeding Workshop at Johnson
• Friday, Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day--Library closed; Payday!
• Wednesday, Nov. 16: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, Nov. 18: CE Managers Meeting at Central; Last Day of Pay Period
• Saturday, Nov. 19: Energy Corridor Recycling Day
• Thursday, Nov. 24: Thanksgiving--Library closed
• Friday, Nov. 25: Day after Thanksgiving--Library closed; Payday!

Open Discussion Notes 10-19-16

Break Room, 11:15-11:50AM
Moderator: Trish
Recorder: Leona
Present: Alice, Alisa, Chris, Iffat, Jasmine, Karen, Kathrine, Leona, Melinda, Nina, Pam, Trish, Valentin.

1. Pumpkin Carving Contest at CMC Fall Festival at CEN on Friday, Oct. 28.  $5 entry fee, ideas welcomed.  We have two pumpkins--one ugly one, one beautiful one--plus assorted smaller pumpkins to attach/decorate and other supplies.  The carving should be ready by Thursday evening so Karen can deliver it when she goes to the CE Managers Meeting Friday morning.
2. Staff Development Day was a win according to the KEN staff.  Esp. popular--gift cards and other prizes, presentation from HEB, info about lending hotspots, location at JIB, seeing colleagues from other locations.
3. Work at giving great customer service, as talked about in the HEB session at SDD, esp. the element of surprise and random acts of surprise.
4. Remember all books with yellow labels are not to be discarded.  Please p ut them in the float bins.  These are leased items and need to be returned when we don't need them or they're in poor condition.
5. Classics that are cataloged can be put on the the shelves with other cataloged items.  Non-cataloged classics still go on the designated shelves by the restrooms.
6. Please log all "orphan" items (those belonging to non-HPL libraries).  Do not put them in the Lost & Found bin.
7. When pulling items to float, please discharge them first to make sure there are no holds and they're off the customers' accounts.  Check the condition too--items in poor condition should be discarded, not floated.
8. When the picture book bin on the sorter fills up, the overflow will go into Bin 9.  If you can scan the book on the RFID pad, it doesn't need a new label. Karen is going to see if we can get Bin 9 changed to an overflow bin for picture books.
9. Pam asks us to save all small empty water bottles for her New  Year's Eve kids party--she's using them to make noisemakers.  She'll put a bag in the break room for collection.

Open Discussion Notes 9-21-16

Breakroom, 11:15-11:50

Moderator & Recorder: Melinda Campbell

• Volunteers: Please welcome our volunteers who are a great help to the Library. One volunteer loves to help with the children’s programs and likes to help with the craft projects for the children, so please direct her in this direction.
• Damaged/ Incomplete items: Please apply a note to the customer’s record if item is still on their account, with details of what is missing, when and how contacted. Check each item before checking in so we can catch items before taking item off account. Place incomplete items in basket in workroom. Through our diligence we can reduce the loss of items for HPL.
• Question: Do the volunteers go through a background check? [Yes, that's part of the application process. KL]
• Outreach: Middle School Outreach next Thursday 9/27 5:30-7:30P with two staff members attending.
• Supplies: Please place your supply needs on the sheet provided on the back of the supply cupboard to be ordered.
• Promotion: Janalyn will start in her new full-time position on Saturday!
• Collection: Picture book shelves are looking great! Please take done unfinished shelving carts to 1^st floor when unable to complete task in allotted time.
• Pre-School Storytime:  Any volunteers to help while Shanti is away.

Staff Meeting Notes 9-7-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

1. Updates (Karen):
1. Welcome Melinda!
2. ROB holds/ ALI reopening
3. Bin 9 exceptions
4. Floating

2. Training: (Karen): New Learning Link with HISD; handout.

Quick Notes

1. Tag all incoming items:  Be a good team member and tag all incoming items without tags (except ILL).  This includes items from Central and other locations and it will save everyone a lot of time since we’ll handle them again when they’re checked out and when they’re returned.
2. Don’t erase room reservations (accidentally) by scanning a barcode into the spreadsheet.  If you do, click on the Undo arrow to restore the previous version.
3. Sorting ADU DVDs:  Non-Fiction DVDs on cart, Fiction DVDs in orange bin (to be scanned and loaded in AllCirc). Put JUV DVDs on the Juvenile cart, not the Adult cart.
4. Donation Slips: Put them in the manila envelope marked “Donation Slips 2016“ on the Time & Attendance desk.  Don’t leave them downstairs.
5. Deposit Slips:  Don’t save the data you entered in the Excel deposit slips when you’re finished.  We want to start each day with a clean slip.
6. Clear Outgoing Holds and Bin 9 Exceptions each day: Outgoing holds are waiting for labels and need to go into Delivery ASAP--someone is waiting!  Bin 9 Exceptions need to be checked in first, then tagged/retagged  While these items are waiting to be tagged, the catalog shows them as “Check Shelf”--ready to check out.  Let’s get them on the shelves as soon as possible.  .

Staff Meeting Notes 8-10-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

1. Updates
1. Staff Changes (Karen)
2. July CE Managers Meeting & CItizenship Institute (Karen)
3. SRP Wrap-up (Leona, Jasmine)
4. New Jungman (Alice, Temeka)
5. Customer complaints about smell (Karen, Temeka)
2. Training: The Correct Way--Lost Cards & FLIP Kits (Karen, Alisa)

Quick Notes

• Tag all incoming items:  Be a good team member and tag all incoming items without tags (except ILL).  This includes items from Central and other locations and it will save everyone a lot of time since we’ll handle them again when they’re checked out and when they’re returned.
• Don’t erase room reservations (accidentally) by scanning a barcode into the spreadsheet.  If you do, click on the Undo arrow to restore the previous version.
• Sorting ADU DVDs:  Non-Fiction DVDs on cart, Fiction DVDs in orange bin (to be scanned and loaded in AllCirc). Put JUV DVDs on the Juvenile cart, not the Adult cart.
• Donation Slips: Put them in the manila envelope marked “Donation Slips 2016“ on the Time & Attendance desk.  Don’t leave them downstairs.
• Deposit Slips:  Don’t save the data you entered in the Excel deposit slips when you’re finished.  We want to start each day with a clean slip.
• Clear Outgoing Holds and Bin 9 Exceptions each day: Outgoing holds are waiting for labels and need to go into Delivery ASAP--someone is waiting!  Bin 9 Exceptions need to be checked in first, then tagged/retagged  While these items are waiting to be tagged, the catalog shows them as “Check Shelf”--ready to check out.  Let’s get them on the shelves as soon as possible.  
• Labor Day is September 5.  Labor Day is a City of Houston holiday and HPL will be closed on Sunday, 9/4, and Monday, 9/5.

Events

• Thursday, August 11: Lunch with CE Administration @ WAL (Alice, Kathrine, Pam)
• Friday, August 12: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, August 12: Youth Services Meeting @ PAR (Jasmine, Leona)
• Friday, August 12: Staff Training, Green Group (Karen, Alisa, Nina, Temeka, Trish)
• Wednesday, August 17: Farewell Party for Albert, Doug, Rita & Nagma
• Friday, August 19: Pay Day
• Monday, August 22: Sunday Streets Planning Meeting @ KEN (Karen, Jorge Sanchez)
• Wednesday, August 24: Staff Training with EAP Counselor--Dealing with Difficult Situations
• Friday, August 26: CE Managers Meeting @ VIN (Karen, Shanti)
• Friday, September 2: Pay Day
• Monday, September 5: Labor Day

Open Discussion Notes 7-27-16

11:15-11:45, Break Room
Moderator: Albert
Recorder: Karen

1. Sort Machine:  At end of day do not turn off--just pause, close screen.  Reconnect bins after unplugging.
2. Credit Card Machine:  Use little machine to start credit transactions, then enter rest of info in large machine. Process credit card payment before finishing in Smart Money (to make such charge is accepted before crediting customer).
3. DO NOT turn off printers at workstations.  This creates problems (workroom printers are still not working correctly).
4. We're currently waiting for toner for the workroom printers.
5. Customer Service: the security guard changed a flat tire for a customer on Tuesday, July 26.

Staff Meeting Notes 7-13-16

Kendall Staff Meeting

July 13, 2016, 11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

1. Updates (Karen):
1. Thank you to our Summer Interns Gabriella and Hannah.
2. Cake Challenge
3. HEAR Review deadline July 30.
2. Training: Policy Review: Attendance, Absence and Kronos (Karen)

Quick Notes

• Deposit Slips:  Don’t save the data you entered in the Excel deposit slips when you’re finished.  We want to start each day with a clean slip.
• FLIP Kits:  After checking in returned FLIP Kits, check them out to the KEN-REFURB account if they’re going to the Children’s Museum to be refurbished.  If they have a holds, print out the hold label, then check the kit out to the REFURB account so we can track its location while it’s in transit.
• Tag all incoming items:  Please tag all incoming items without tags, including items from Central and other locations (except ILL).  This will save us a lot of time later when they’re returned.
• Clear items in the Tagging bins each day::  While these items are waiting to be tagged, the catalog shows them as “Check Shelf”--ready to check out.  Let’s get them on the shelves as soon as possible.  
• A good team member: 1) puts the team first, 2) shares the work, and 3) shares the ice cream!

Events

• Friday, July 15: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, July 22: Pay Day
• Friday, July 22: CE Managers Meeting (Karen)
• Wednesday, July 27: Open Discussion Meeting and Cake Challenge!
• Saturday, July 30: FY16 Annual Reviews finished and locked.
• Monday, August 1: Last Day of Summer Reading Program!
• Thursday, August 4: Last day for Gabriella and Hannah.