Open Discussion Notes 3-9-16

Moderator: Albert
Recorder: Trish
Present: Albert, Alice, Alisa, Chris, Doug, Iffat, Janalyn, Jasmine, Katherine, Karen, Lauren, Leona, Pam, Shanti, Temeka, Trish

1.  ROB staff will be working at KEN this week (Chris and Nagma).
2. We need to bring problems to the table and bring a solution for it as well.
3. Please record all statistic counts at the desk and phone questions.  We have to record the counts to show how busy we are at the reference desk on each floor.  The 2nd and 3rd floor desks are not the problem, it's the lobby and drive up counts not being recorded.
4. Cards are being given out and the card barcode is being trashed.  Please complete applications for all new and replacement cards.
5. Card Apps--Make sure the complete app is filled out so Albert will have the info to enter into the system just in case.  Make sure everything is readable.  Tape the barcode sticker on the app if it's not sticking.
6. Card PIN numbers must be given to all customers when getting a new card. Ask if they would like to change the PIN to a number they will remember.
7. Coin Copier printer can be used for KEN work related print job with a code.
8. Please do not turn the phone ringer down in the work areas.  In case of an emergency and for safety reasons, the volume should be turned up.
9. Please answer the phones by the 4th ring, even if you're in the workroom.
10. Lauren and Temeka will make sure the ring tones on the phones are different for the public, private and individual extensions.
11. More RFID tags have come in to make sure we have KEN 100% tagged.
12. Please clean up behind yourself in the kitchen and the refrigerator
    .

Open Discussion Notes, 12/16/15

Staff Break Room, 11:15-11:45AM

Karen - Saturday, Dec. 26, will be a staff holiday.  The Library will be closed Dec. 24-Dec. 27 for Christmas and reopen Monday, Dec. 28.  Everyone will work a Mon-Friday schedule for the pay week Dec. 26-Jan 1.

Albert -- cleaning out the supply closet and cabinets at the lobby desk.  At the lobby desk, the right cabinet is for supplies (tags, tape, staples, etc.) and the left cabinet for cleaning materials (paper towels, etc.); please keep them in order.  Wipes are not a supply item--we must buy with our own money.  If you need a supply item, leave him a note.

Albert - all applications have been wonderful--everyone is doing a great job!  Info is correct and no duplicates.

Shanti - wet books in the book drop stick to the sorter belt.  We need towels to wipe them dry. Suggested keeping a role of paper towels or rags (from the janitor's  closet) in the sorter room.

Doug - one of the magazine display racks is missing a nut and the plex cover is coming off.  Karen suggested we can "borrow" another nut or cover from another magazine shelf (if you can't find the nut on the floor).

Leona - there is a plastic bag with dry erase markers and cleaner at the 3rd floor desk which groups using the 3rd floor conference room can check out to use during their meetings.  By providing the markers, we avoid having a problem with groups using permanent markers instead.  But we don't provide rugs or AV equipment for our meeting rooms: the rugs are dirty when we need them for a program: and the AV equipment needs a staff member present to set-up and monitor.  See the new Meeting Room Guidelines for details about what is provided/not provided.  The Guidelines are stapled in packets with the new meeting room reservation form and fee schedule.

Alisa - What are the holiday hours going to be?  In addition to above, HPL also closes at 6 PM on 12/31 for New Year's Eve.

Shanti - we need to use the empty paper boxes to store crafts supplies in the crafts storage room.

Doug - Is Santa going to be here tomorrow?  What are going to be the activities?  Photo ops?  Leona - Yes, Santa Lance here at 4 PM, not sure exact activities but Communications is bringing a newspaper reporter to take pictures, will have photo ops, need staff to help.  Alisa and Doug volunteered to help Leona and Temeka with the program.

Leona - program schedule during holiday period: next week -- 1 Holiday storytime at 10:30 on Tuesday for all ages; week after Christmas -- no storytimes, a movie on Tuesday at 2 and the New Year's celebration on Thursday at 11.

Open Discussion Notes 8-26-15

11:15-11:45, Break Room
Moderator: Albert
Recorder: Trish
Attending: Lauren, Albert, Jose, Alice, Karen, Shanti, Jasmine, Alisa, Evin, Iffat, Nina, Temeka, Pam, Katherine, Doug, Trish

1.  Applications.  All applications must be complete (including parents' info on kids' applications).  Make sure birthday, driver's license/ID and signature are there.  Blue or black ink only--no green, purple, pink or other colors.  Check for duplicates before starting an application.

2.  Holds Printers.  Each print job needs to be printed or cancelled before moving on to the next item. When you don't clear the waiting print jobs, they stack up and the next person will have to spend time clearing them from the Virtual to Print Wizard first.  Please do not change or adjust the printer settings on the computers with the holds printers.  It's not necessary to print a new label for delivery items that already have a sticky label.

3. Holds.  When you receive a hold with a sticky label, scan the barcode to notify the system (Sirsi) that the item has arrived at Kendall.  Read all labels for location before putting items on the Hold shelf or in outgoing bins--we've had holds belonging at different locations shelved here.

4. Delivery.  When you're scheduled for Delivery for the day, you can help with other first floor functions, especially after Delivery has been checked in.  Examples: sorting, exceptions, holds needing sticky labels, and customers in the lobby needing help (desk back-up).

5.  Checking in Holds.  Use "Discharge" to check in holds, not "Trap Holds."  Returned items with holds (received at the desk or in Exceptions) should be labeled and shelved ASAP, as customer can see the hold is available and may come to pick it up right away.

6. Location  of Hold Label.  For books, place the label right above the call number label.  For AV, place the label over the side of the case that opens (after verifying the disk(s) are in the vase) high enough from the edge to not cover the barcode.

7. AV Holds with Missing Disks.  When AV holds are received with missing disks, call the supervisor of the location it was sent from, so they can address the problem.

Teamwork will make this happen!

NOTE: See also the post "Holds Printers Update," 8/15/15.  Karen

Open Discussion Notes 5-20-15

Workroom, 11:15-11:55AM Recorder: Trish    Moderator: Alice

1. Cleaning the Breakroom (Karen):
1. GSD janitors not here to clean up after us.
2. Dirty dishes in sink:  Please wash your dishes or put them in the dishwasher.  Dishes in the dishwasher will be washed; dishes in the sink will just sit there.
3. Clean refrigerator:  We should take turns cleaning out the refrigerator.  She will set up a quarterly cleaning schedule to empty and clean the refrigerator.
2. Applications (Albert):
1. Use only blue or black ink and no other colors (forms are microfilmed and must be legible).  TDL or TID should always be on the application and in the customer’s record.
2. Please put new address in the account when customers renew.
3. Double-check to make sure no duplicate accounts in the system by checking both name and Alt ID.  When you find a duplicate account with fines on the old account, block the new one (and add a note) and let the customer know he/she has a balance; make sure the customer pays the old balance before unblocking the new card.
3. Books between the cracks (Doug):
1. Thanks to everyone for helping him learn things around the HPL system.
2. He found 5 juvenile fiction books stuck in the gap between the shelving units, incluing one missing item and one dropped from the catalog.  Please check behind the lower shelf when shelf reading for any items stuck in this gap.
4. Sorting Room (Temeka):
1. Items being sorted onto wrong carts:
1. Juvenile items going to Adult floor
2. Adult classic paperbacks going to the juvenile floor
3. Cataloged paperbacks shelved with uncataloged paperbacks.
2. Please read the labels on the wall above the carts and bins if you’re not sure which one to use.
5. Tagging (Karen):
1. Please check all DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and kits when returned and when checking out to make sure all disks are there.  If we consistently check, then customers will not need to say the disk was missing when they checked out the item.
2. TechLogic is going to lend us a RFID wand to use to scan items on the shelves but it only will read tagged items.  We need to make sure all items being shelved are tagged.  Set untagged returns in the bin under the Lobby desk (to be tagged during slow periods), float to LMS, or discard (if the item is worn).  
6. Orphan/County Items (Karen):
1. Please log returns that don’t belong to us using the Orphan/County Items Received from on the Customer Service page of the blog.  Fill out a form for each item..  
2. Send each item and send to ILL at CEN to be returned to the owning library.  
3. The log makes it easier to help customers who are looking for books from other libraries they may have returned to us.
7. Self-Check and Key Tag cards (Alice):
1. The key tag cards don’t scan very well at the self-check stations.
2. Alisa suggested holding the card flat before running it under the scanner.
8. Customer coming behind the desk (Karen):
1. How should we handle customers who come behind the service desks to get something, especially on the 2nd and 3rd floor?
1. Offer to help customers find what they’re looking for.
2. Ask them not to come behind the desk for their safety (carts, cords, and other trip hazards).
3. Use tact and be helpful.
9. Study Rooms on 2nd Floor:
1. Reserve rooms only for 2 hours at a time, to give everyone a chance.
2. Advance reservations are convenience for customers planning ahead and will be held for 15 minutes before we release them for other customers who are waiting.
10. Adults on the 3rd Floor:
1. Greet everyone when they come on the 3rd floor because:
1. it makes everyone feel welcome.
2. we ask let adults without children to cooperate with us in providing a safe environment for children by accompanying a child or looking for children’s materials on this floor.
3. it lets everyone know we are paying attention and keeping an eye on what’s happening.
2. Once an adult without a child is comfortably settled on the 3rd floor, it’s very difficult to make them leave.  Just let them know that we ask customers’ cooperation etc., so the next time they come they’ll be aware of our goal.

Open Discussion Notes 1-28-15

Workroom, 11:15-11:45AM Recorder: Evin    Moderator: Alisa

1. New Staff: welcome to Trish from COL and new-to-HPL staff Lauren and Doug. Trish appreciates coming back to KEN
2. Meeting Room Reservations: ask customers to try to at least estimate number of people who may be attending, so we have something to base the “meeting room used” stats on.
3. AV Repair Shelf: Temeka is going take over duties from Juli [now being done by Trish. KL].
4. Printer Settings: please don’t change the printer settings, especially the Delivery printer and the receipt printers.  They are configured specifically to work with the software.
5. Duplicate applications:  Before creating a new account, check for duplicates with a name and ID (TDL or TID) search.  
6. Evanced: everyone had turned in their programs for March and they are already in Evanced.
7. New Procedure for Lost Cards: go to “Modify User” > “Privilege” > Change to “Lost Card” and save.  Then open account again and scan in new card number.  
8. Override password in Workflows:  Use your Workflows password, not the default one.
9. Workflows discharge:  Don’t use fine-free discharge.  Use “Special” > “Discharging Bookdrop” if you need to backdate items.  Whenever waiving or reducing a fine, put a note in “Extended Info” to explain and document your action.
10. When in doubt, always have another person with you.
11. Appropriate government-issued IDs for library cards are Texas driver’s license and id card, US and foreign passports, US military cards, etc.
12. Don’t forget to check in returned laptops!  Customers will be charged $25/hr late fees, which could block their card.
13. When holding items at the desk for customers, please include the date, so we can tell how long the item has been sitting there.  (Desk holds for 24 hours or less only.  If longer, need customer’s account number to hold item and place on hold shelf.)
14. Jose did a great job helping a Colombian family.
15. If someone calls for Jose saying she’s his mother, it’s customer who wants to speak to him, not his mom.  Take a message.

Open Discussion Notes 6/11/14

Workroom, 11:15-11:45AM, Recorder: Karen, Moderator: Alice

1. Introduced Shanti from JUN, who will be here for 1 yr while JUN undergoes renovation.
2. Reviewed procedure (handout) for on-the-fly library card registrations during the summer only at KEN when lines are huge:
1. mark with small flags
2. application must be complete and signed
3. enter:
1. name (FIRST, LAST)
2. ALT ID (for adult cards)
3. location code (HOU-KEN)
4. profile (already entered with barcode)
5. birth date (XX/XX/XXXX)
6. address (ADU) or address & parent name and ID (JUV)
7. Notify via (EMAIL/PHONE)
4. put Post-It flag on the application
5. pick up all applications at the end of the day and bring them to the workroom so the on-the-fly applications can be completed before we open the next day.
6. applications must be fully entered before we open the following day.
7. applications must be legible and complete (esp. since the customer won’t be able to answer questions); you can write clearly near the illegible info.
8. handout applications must be
3. How do you convert an online card/application?
1. Two options:
1. No Holds: delete the profile and create a new card
2. Holds: go into Modify User to update; don’t forget to change the expiration date!
2. Take application back to workroom.  PDF of application marked as well.
3. Trying to get portable workstation for lobby

Collection

4. Don’t float stuff we’re getting from other locations, esp. Teen and Juvenile fiction, beginning readers
5. Way to get last of new Teen books for display--all getting shelved because they’re not marked.
1. change display to something maintainable, discuss further at future meeting
6. Need barcodes for holds you can’t find on the shelf when customer comes to pick up so we can send to Circ Admin to investigate.
7. When putting items in bins, please stack them neatly.  Don’t dump in the bin--it wastes space--or overfill the bin because items get broken when the bins are stacked (esp. AV).
8. When loading a cart from bins, put the stuff in order so it’s ready to shelve (including AV, graphic novels, audiobooks).
9. Don’t just dump DVDs on the shelf.  On the 2nd floor, they’re in alphabetical order by letter or by Dewey number (100s).
10. Also sort adult items with adult, juvenile with juvenile, etc. or they end up on the wrong floor.
11. If you don’t finish the cart you’re shelving, don’t leave a partially-finished carts on the floor or downstairs--move the remaining items to a similar cart in the sorting room so they can get shelved on the next cart.

Holds

12. When clearing holds, check the shelf for expired items that were overlooked.  Workflows has already cancelled the expired hold and sent the item on to the next person.  It’s our job to take the item off the shelf and send it on it’s way.
13. In order to extend a hold for a customer (someone who can’t pick up the hold in time), use the “Modify Hold” wizard.  Don’t just write the new date on the wrapper--the software won’t know and will expire the hold anyway.

SRP

14. SRP Updates---supplies are low, exp. coupons, books.  Waiting for restock for prize books, logs.
15. Use the Ready 2 Open time--15 minutes before opening--to restock SRP materials and  to make sure everything is turned on.
16. Not enough time to pick up at night.
17. SRP registration not available on catalog computers--reported to IT Help Desk.
18. No zoo tickets yet.  Need more FLIP coupons too--only sending us 10-15 every week.
1. Can they bring the evaluation form to CMH and get the passes there?  Not sure.
19. Registering groups--do one group registration
20. Keep desk clear for SRP stuff.  Put holds on the shelf behind the desk.
21. Gaming equipment--shut down Wii players on Saturday and remove the disk.  Let them rest over the weekend!

Staff Meeting Notes, 10-16-13

1. Kronos Updates (Karen)
1. See email about password (in mailboxes too)
2. Please review your timecard regularly and email me before the end of the pay period any comments or missed punches before the end of the pay period.
3. The pay period ends every two weeks (see Upcoming Staff Events below).  They’re also posted on the in the cubicle on the end where the Vocera battery recharging stations are plugged in.
4. When swapping Saturdays with another staff member, email  me who is swapping and the changes for the dates worked and days off (or not) the following week, so I can update the Staff Schedule calendar.   
5. Overtime must be approved in advance.  Please pay attention to the schedule and punch out on time.  
6. The Library does not have a budget to pay out comp time so you need to use an accumulated comp time within 120 days.  If you request vacation leave, Kronos will automatically substitute any available comp time.     
2. Combined Municipal Campaign (Sharon)
1. Access from Kronos by going to My Links > CIty of Houston ESS Portal > login and click on CMC Sign Up.
2. Giving options: biweekly payroll deduction or one-time contribution.
3. Campaign runs Oct. 1-31.
4. Check out the online auction on the CMC page at http://cohemployeenews.com/home-cmc, See Library fundraising events at https://hplnet.hpl.lib.tx.us/cmc-2014.html.
3. Application Review Process (Nina)
1. Applications go to CEN to be indexed on the 15th of the following month.
2. Don’t forget to:
1. change library location to HOU-KEN
2. enter both phone numbers
3. ask customers if they want a custom PIN
3. Renewals and Lost Cards: enter updates from applications, esp. address and birthdate.
4. Add notes when making any  changes to a customer’s card.
5. Lost Cards: change status, add note to account and destroy card--it can’t be reinstated.  Use current expiration date.
6. New Registrations: check for duplicate accounts first and update online applications in existing record.
7. Address Change:  paste old address into a note with date changed (and your initials.

Upcoming Staff Events

• Oct 18:  Youth Services Meeting, 8:15-10:15AM (Leona, Regina)-CANCELLED
• Oct. 20-26: Fall Door Count
• Oct. 21: Childrens’ Book Festival Meeting, 4:30-6PM (Leona, Regina)
• Oct. 24: NL Managers’ Meeting, 9:15-12 (Karen)
• Oct. 24: Outreach--Budewig Intermediate School, 5-7PM (Karen, Nina)
• Oct. 25: Last Day of Pay Period
• Oct. 30: Open Discussion Meeting
• Nov. 5: Stats due
• Nov. 7: Service Innovation Meeting, 9:15-11:15 (Karen)
• Nov. 8: Last Day of Pay Period

     

Remaining October Programs

ADULT PROGRAMS

• Kendall Bee Quilters, Mondays, October 21, 26, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 1st Floor Meeting Room.
• Kendall Book Club, Tuesday, October 22 • 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, 1st Floor Meeting Room.
• Intermediate to MS Excel, Thursday, October 31, 10:30 AM – 12:30PM, 2nd Floor Conference Room
• The Affordable Care Act Open Lab, Wednesday, October 30, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Computer Basics I &II (Bilingual), Wednesday, October 23, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
• Social Networking, Wednesday, October 16, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
• Intro to MS Word, Thursday, October 17, 10:30 AM – 12:30PM, 2nd Floor Conference Room
• Getting to Know Your Gadgets: eBook Open House, Tuesday, October 22 & 29, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Advanced MS Word, Thursday, October 24, 10:30 AM – 12:30PM
• Computer Help Session, Wednesday, October 30, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

TEEN PROGRAMS

• Teen Video Game Time, Wednesday, October 16, 23 & 30, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM
• Advanced Origami, Tuesday, October 22, 4:00 PM-5:00 PM

KIDS PROGRAMS

• Toddler Story Time, Tuesdays Oct 22, 29 at 10:30-11:00 AM and at 11:30-12:00
• Preschool Storytime, Wednesdays Oct. 16, 23, 30 at 12:30-1:15PM
• Babytime, Thursdays, October 17, 24, 31 at 11 AM – 12 PM
• Babytime: Baby Yoga, Fridays, October 18, 25 at 2:30-3:00 PM
• R.E.A.D (Reading Education Assistance Dogs), Saturday, October 19 – 2:00-3:00pm
• Kendall Book Mania Club, Wednesday, October 23 – 4:45-5:45pm
• Halloween Book Celebration, Thursday, October 31 – 4:00-5:00pm