Staff Meeting Notes 2-17-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, 3rd floor conference room

1. News from Jan CE Managers Meeting and SW Managers Team Meeting
1. From SW Managers Team Meeting:
1. Self-check Percentages: target number is 85%; need to use expensive technology/equipment; express check is the new normal; will not cost us our jobs.
2. Sirsi override: Everyone should be using individual Sirsi password for overrides; do not use “s****”
3. Do not keep change in the drawer: if over, send extra money with deposit; if under, send deposit less shortage and provide an explanation; do not keep loose change in the drawer under any circumstances.
4. RFID Tags staggered: tags should be placed along the book spine at the top, middle, and bottom in a random fashion so the inventory scanners are not reading them all in the same place.
5. PIN numbers for Library Cards: let customers choose their own PINs; the 5-digit number is hard to remember; they’ll need a PIN to check out with Express Check; the more customers with random 5-digit PINs, the more who will forget it and the more times we’ll need to reset for them.
2. From CE Managers Meeting:
1. With new year comes new goals.  Mayor Turner has called for all City depts to participate in shared sacrifice facing budget shortfall coming in FY17.  He’s asked for slow-down in hiring but not a freeze; critical positions will be filled.  The mayor and Michele want transparency and will communicate any developments as they are confirmed.  View the City budget at www.houstontx.gov/budget.
2. HelpDesk phone calls are being recorded for quality management.  Extra customer service training will be provided for staff when needed.
3. Remember to slow down when using Telecheck and Smart Money.  Dimitri is seeing errors especially with staff putting transactions in Smart Money but not running the check or credit card through Telecheck.  This means the library doesn’t get the money but the fines or fees are cleared from the customer’s account.
2. Training: 2016 COH Summer Jobs Program and Application Process (Karen)
1. handout (memo from Ophelia Cespedes and copy of Summer Jobs Program flyer)
2. PowerPoint presentation: The 2016 Summer Jobs Application

Quick Notes

• Cleaning and GSD: See email from Pedro, below.
• Closing & Pick-Up--What does this  mean?: At the end of the day we want to reset the public spaces (and the workroom) back to their original setup--to move furniture back to its original position, open the blinds, and clear the service desks of clutter--so we’re ready to start the next day with a clean work space.  When you are assigned a closing duty, work with the other staff on the floor to make sure everything is neat and ready for tomorrow.  If you finish early, go see if your colleagues need help on the other floors.
• Lynda.com Training: Must be completed by Mar. 4.  When you complete the training, add your name and the date completed to the sign-in sheet on Karen’s door.
• Study Rooms and Multiple Reservations: At the top of each reservation page: “ONE reservation per customer at a time; finish one before booking the next”.  The change in meeting room policy does not apply to the individual study rooms, because our practice is specific to Kendall, not official HPL policy.
• Answering the Phone & Teamwork:  Everyone needs to make the effort to answer the public line during open hours, and the private line at all times.  Don’t expect someone else to do it.  If  you are trying to call in or are waiting for an important call, you would want someone to answer the phone.
• Dr. Lawson at the White House: See memo from Dr. Lawson about the ConnectED Library Challenge (handout).

Upcoming Staff Events

• Friday, February 19: Pay Day!
• Friday, February 26: CE Managers Meeting at CEN (Karen, Lauren)
• Friday, February 26: Last Day of Pay Period
• Tuesday, March 1: SE Managers Team Meeting (Karen)
• Wednesday, March 2: Programming Meeting
• Friday, March 4: Staff Training Meeting (Blue Group)
• Friday, March 4: Pay Day!
• Friday, March 4: Lynda.com Training deadline
• Wednesday, March 9: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, March 11:  Youth Services Meeting (Jasmine, Leona, Nina, Shanti)
• Friday, March 11: Last Day of Pay Period
• Wednesday, March 16: Staff Meeting
• Friday, February 26: CE Managers Meeting at CEN (Karen, Lauren)
• Friday, March 18: Pay Day!

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Email from Pedro 4-22-15

Please communicate with staff about cleaning up after themselves.  If there is an arts and craft that we provide, we need to clean up after ourselves.  GSD does not need to clean up after something that we did.  If there is a paint project and kids need to go clean up, the staff is responsible for making sure the kids are not making a mess and the staff should clean up if they do, since it is a craft they are doing.  Make sure tables are clean and if glitter is used, try and pick up as much as possible.

GSD is also not responsible for cleaning the microwaves, refrigerators, washing someone else’s dishes or wiping down our staff/public computers. If they do, then that is them being nice and providing that service on their own.  I suggest  you work a weekly or biweekly rotation among staff into your schedule to clean the refrigerator, microwave and wipe down the computers if you yourself do not want to be the only one responsible for it.  You are able to order air cans from Supplies to spray keyboards if need be.

Meeting Notes 7-11-12

 11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break Room

Agenda

1. Updates:
1. FY13 Materials budget/spending plan due 7/13:  overall--flat budget, cutting standing orders 12-15%; ordering fewer copies of more titles; more ebooks, DVDs, databases.
2. June Circulation: 64,192--top circulating branch! (see attached stats).
3. NEW: Director’s Chat (see message from Dr. Lawson below).
2. New Equipment demos
1. 3rd floor: new jumbo toilet paper and workroom paper towel dispensers
2. 2nd floor: new AllCirc machine.

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Director’s Office                               MEMORANDUM          

To:         All Staff
From:   Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph. D. Director
Date:   July 10, 2012
Subject:  Director’s Chats

We are in the beginning of a new fiscal year and I am happy to report that the state of the Houston Public Library is stable. Fiscal Year 2013 promises to be a better year than FY2012 in that, with a relatively flat general fund budget, we are able to maintain our current levels of staffing, services and programs, and hours of operation.

One of my primary goals (or new fiscal year resolutions) - is to create a new way to share with you and receive from you fresh new ideas, information, opinions, and suggestions to enhance both our work experiences and our customer’s experiences. To that end I have decided to host once a month “Director Chats.”   Here is how I see the chats working as I launch them - but I am always open for suggestions as the chats progress:

1. The Director Chats will be held for one hour in a variety of locations including my office, spaces in Central Library and/or the JIB, neighborhood libraries, and special collections.
2. Director’s Chats involve all levels of staff – full and part time
3. Staff members will be randomly selected - I actually have a jar containing folded slips with every full time and part time staff members name in my office. Each month, I will invite someone to reach in the jar to select the next group of chatters.
4. The times, locations of the chats, and size of the groups will vary – some small enough for my office but never more than 20 people.
5. If your name is selected (pulled from the jar) you will be notified well in advance to provide you with time to handle scheduling adjustments and to allow you time to think about questions or suggestions you would like to chat about.
Because the invitees to the Director Chats will be selected randomly, it allows for us to have a great mix of individuals with varied experiences, lengths of time with HPL, and job responsibilities which should make for very interesting, fun, informative and thought provoking conversations. I am also hopeful that you will find these chats a way of learning more about me and your colleagues. As the conversations flow I am hopeful that together we will identify ways to address any staff concerns and, perhaps, identify creative ideas for enhanced services and programs to improve the total customer experience with HPL. These will be power chats so come ready to jump right in.

The first in the series of Director Chats for this year will be held on July 24th.  Look out for your invite!