Staff Meeting Notes 8-5-15

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Breakroom

In attendance: Albert, Karen, Lauren, Kathrine, Alisa, Doug, Nina, Jasmine, Leona, Evin, Pam, Trish, Temeka, Shanti, Theodora
__________________________________________________________________
AGENDA:

1. Updates from 7/24 CE Managers Meeting (Lauren & Karen)
2. New Staff: Welcome Iffat, new part-time CSC (Lauren)
3. New Staff Training Meetings (Karen)
4. CIRC Training: On the Fly Items

Quick Notes

• New HEAR Year.  If you haven’t already, please review and sign your new HEAR plan at https://talent.houstontx.gov/Saba/Web/COH
• Texting and Music in Public Service Areas:  
• Texting and listening to music in public service areas distracts you from paying attention to customers’ needs and doing your job effectively.  
• Texting or listening to music when customers are around tells them you’re not available and not interested in helping them.  
• Texting and listening to music should be done in non-public areas or during non-public hours with the volume turned down low enough so you can hear someone speaking to you.  

Upcoming Staff Events

• Friday, August 7: Pay Day
• Friday, August 7 & August 14: Staff Training I & II
• Monday, August 10-Friday, August 14: New Employee Onboarding
• Friday, August 14: Last Day of Pay Period
• Wednesday, August 19: Programming Meeting
• Friday, August 21: Pay Day
• Friday, August 21: Youth Service Meeting
• Wednesday, August 26: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, August 28: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, August 28: Customer Experience Managers Meeting
• Monday, September 7: Labor Day Holiday--Library Closed

FY16 Staff Meetings (meetings occur every 4 weeks, except holidays)

1. Open Discussion (everyone), 11:15-11:45, Break Room: 2015--7/29, 8/26, 9/23. 10/21, 11/18, 12/16; 2016--1/13. 2/10, 3/9, 4/6, 5/4, 6/1, 6/29.
2. All Staff Meeting (everyone), 11:15-11:45, Break Room: 2015--7/15, 8/5, 9/2, 9/30, 10//28, 12/2 (rescheduled for Thanksgiving), 12/30 (rescheduled for Christmas); 2016--1/20, 2/17, 3/16, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8.
3. Program Planning (Karen, Alice, Jasmine, Jose, Leona, Nina, Pam, and Shanti), 11:15-12:15, Break Room:: 2015--7/22, 8/19, 9/16, 10/14, 11/4 (rescheduled for Veterans Day), 12/9; 2016-1/06, 2/03, 3/02, 3/30, 4/27, 5/25, 6/22.
4. Staff Training (everyone): to be determined.

NOTES:
Karen: Telecheck settlement receipts should be sent in with deposits.  She will ask financial services if it is important for us to make copies for our own records before sending the originals in.

Johnson Controls has been dropped as a city contractor.  Elevator contractors have changed, so we are waiting for repairs with the new contractor.

The early literacy stations are being replaced with Crayola iPad stations.  10 locations have been chosen as testing sites, eventually all literacy stations will be replaced.

Nina: Why isn't Kendall chosen as a pilot location for anything?
Theodora: My guess is that things are much more complicated at Kendall due to the multi-level layout.  It is easier to pilot things when you can see how everything is affected on one level.  She will suggest at the innovation meeting that Kendall should pilot something.

Karen: We will be trying a new system for staff trainings.  Two consecutive Friday mornings (same topic twice) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Trainers may have to adjust their schedule to accommodate the second group.

We will also have training on the new holds software and process this Friday 8/7 at 11:15 am.

Meeting Notes 4/11/12

11:15-11:45 AM, Break Room

AGENDA

1. Elevators;  the left elevator has been fixed; the right elevator will remain out of order to receive the same repairs (in the next week).
2. Smoking:
1. City Ordinance (Ordinance 2006-1054) requires smokers to be at least 25 feet from a building entrance (the curb across from the staff entrance): “Smoking is prohibited outdoors within 25 feet of building entrance and exit doors, wheelchair ramps serving the door, operable windows and air-conditioner intake vents.  (See: COH Health and Human Services website).
2. Please pick up and dispose cigarette butts in an appropriate container--the butts littering the curb outside the staff door make all of us look slovenly.
3. Keep smoking paraphernalia at your desk, not at shared workstations.  Some of us are allergic to tobacco products and the smell makes us nauseous.
3. Phones
1. Use standard greeting for public calls (“Thank you for calling the Houston Public Library.  This is the Kendall Neighborhood Library Library. How may I help you?”)
2. Use name for private line and internal calls.
3. Ring tones: bell ring for public line (pick asap during public hours), electronic rings for private and internal lines (pick up asap during all hours).
4. When transferring calls, please tell the person receiving the call what is needed.  Don’t just push the transfer button when the extension starts ringing because: 1) the person receiving call can’t tell if it’s an internal or public call (communication, teamwork); 2) the customer has to repeat request second time (customer service).
4. On the Fly applications: Please don’t do this. . . ever.
1. If you’re too busy to complete an application now, you’ll be too busy later too.
2. You’re not saving time, just creating more work later for someone else later on.
3. Customers deserve a fully-functional card right away--take the time to do it right the first time.
5. Listening to Music: Wearing earbuds or headphones while shelving or working at your desk is okay IF you keep the sound low enough that you can hear someone speaking to you without that person having to shout or jump around to get your attention.  Listening to music should not interfere with doing your job, which includes communicating with other staff members.
6. Benefits Open Enrollment: through next Tuesday, April 17.  Enroll online at www.houstontx.gov/oe.
1. Meetings for AFLAC Supplemental Insurance: Central, 4/12 at 2:30, Stella Link, 4/13 at 10:30
7. Next Staff Meeting, 4/25: 1-hour weeding workshop by COMS staff, 10 am (for am staff) and 11:15 (for pm staff), Workroom.
9. • Q&A
• Courtesy holds for patrons should have a note on the item with name, date, and initials of the staff person that placed the hold. Courtesy holds can be held for 24hrs.
• Please keep alphabetizing the sort room karts in the sort area correctly. YA uncataloged items should be in order by author last name. The juvenile series are in order by title. Remember when sorting it is author last name, first name, and then by title. Spell out the number of items that have numerical titles.
• Remember door count will be done next week. The person on sort will most likely be the person to write down door count.
• When closing at the end of the day remember to:
Clear everyone off the floor and check restrooms.
Turn off all public monitors and TV screens.
Turn off staff computers.
Make sure all chairs are pushed in.
Pick up all loose books on tables and shelves.
Shelve items on their correct shelf if time permits.