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!

Staff Meeting Notes 9-2-15

 Kendall Staff Meeting

September 2, 2015, 11:15 – 11:45 AM

Breakroom

1. Updates from 7/24 CE Managers Meeting (Lauren & Karen)
2. New Staff: Welcome Janalyn, new part-time CSC (Lauren)
3. Electronic Timekeeping Policy annual review & new Attendance & Punctuality Metric for Customer Service (Karen)
4. CIRC Training: Voter Registration (Alisa, Temeka)

Quick Notes

• New HEAR Year!  Please review and sign your new HEAR plan ASAP at https://talent.houstontx.gov/Saba/Web/COH.
• Safety: Gwen Walter, HPL Safety Coordinantor, says, “Trip, slips, and falls are our leading indicators for incidents.  Remember to watch your step are you keep it moving!”  Comfortable, safe footwear also helps--that means no flip-flops, platform sandals, high heels or bare feet.

Upcoming Staff Events

• Friday, September 4: Pay Day
• Friday, September 4 & 11: Staff Training
• Monday, September 7: Labor Day -- Library closed
• Friday, September 11: Last Day of Pay Period
• Wednesday, September 16: Programming Meeting
• Friday, September 18: Youth Service Meeting
• Friday, September 18: Pay Day
• Tuesday, September 22: Director’s Chat (Nina, Pam)
• Tuesday, September 22: Civic Engagement Meeting (Karen)
• Wednesday, September 23: Open Discussion Meeting
• Thursday, September 24: TLA A-Z Webinar: Communication Skills
• Friday, September 25: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, September 25: Customer Experience Managers Meeting

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

1. Open Discussion (everyone), 11:15-11:45, Break Room: 7/29, 8/26, 9/23, 10/21, 11/18, 12/16, 1/13/16, 2/10, 3/9, 4/6, 5/4, 6/1, 6/29.
2. Staff Meeting (everyone), 11:15-11:45, Break Room: 7/15, 8/5, 9/2, 9/30, 10/18, 12/1 (rescheduled for Thanksgiving), 12/30 (rescheduled for Christmas), 1/20/16, 2/17, 3/16, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8.
3. Program Planning (Karen, Alice, Jasmine, Jose, Leona, Nina, Pam, Shanti), 11:15-11:45, Break Room: 7/22, 8/19. 9/16, 10/14, 11/4 (rescheduled for Veteran’s Day), 12/9, 1/6/16, ⅔, 3/2, 3/30, 4/27, 5/25, 6/22.
4. Staff Training (everyone): to be determined.

Staff Training Notes 8/7 & 14/15

Kendall Staff Training

Policies & Procedures: Attendance & Security

August 7 & 14, 2015

Presented by Karen & Lauren

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Objective:  To review and understand key City and Library policies and procedures regarding attendance and library security.

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Attendance & Timekeeping: City of Houston Administrative Procedures

1. A.P. 3-11: Absence; access at http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/3-11.pdf.
2. A.P. 2-4: Electronic Timekeeping Policy; access at http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/2-4.pdf.
3. See also: Reminder: AP 2-4 Electronic Timekeeping Policy, email, 10/25/12011; City of Houston Employee Guidebook; access at http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/guidepages/Muncipal%20Employee%20Guidebook%20rv2272014.pdf

Attendance: Houston Public Library Policies & Procedures

1. Human Resources, 5.1: Policies & Procedures relating to Hours, Time and Attendance (December 2009); access at https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-5_1.pdf and https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pro-5_1.pdf.
2. Human Resources, 5.0: Policy & Procedures relating to Notification of Tardiness or Absence (December 2009); access at https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-5_0.pdf and https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pro-5_0.pdf.
3. See also: Customer Experience Blog: Attendance Guidelines, 8/13/13; access at  http://hearresources.blogspot.com/2013/08/attendance-guidelines.html.  Staff Attendance, email, 5/19/2000.

Security: Houston Public Library Policies

1. Planning & Facilities, 2.3: Policy & Procedures relating to Library Security (March 2009); access at https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-2_3.pdf and https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pro-2_3.pdf.
2. Run, Hide, Fight: Surviving an Active Shooter training video; access at  https://youtu.be/5VcSwejU2D0 (YouTube) or http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20120726.html.
3. See also: Planning & Facilities, 2.8: Policy relating to Safety (March 2009); access at https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-2_8.pdf.  Personnel, 5.4.1: Policies relating to Recommended Safety Dress Guidelines (June 1997); access at https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-5_4_1.pdf. Human Resources, 5.9: Policies relating to Injury, Safety, Disability (May 1997); https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-5_9.pdf.

Staff Training Notes 7/30/14

I. Troubleshooting: AllCirc Machines

II. Staff/Customer Safety & Evacuation Routes Presented by Karen

Overview: Learn steps to take when an active shooter or other security threat occurs in the building and learn the evacuation routes on each floor.
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How to:

1. View the film “Run, Hide, Fight: Surviving an Active Shooter Event” (on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0&feature=youtu.be or from the Intranet homepage.
2. With the Evacuation Route map (attached), familiarize yourself with the location of each evacuation route in the building so you can use the one nearest to your location.
3. With the Evacuation Route map, identify locked areas in the building where you could hide from an active shooter.  Also identify areas that are not secured but could provide a hiding space in an emergency.
4. The Evacuation Route map is also posted on the bulletin board in the workroom and linked on the Kendall blog, on the “Facilities” page, under “Kendall Phones & Floor Plans.”
   

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Assignment:

What is the nearest evacuation route if you’re in the following:

1. 1st Floor Meeting Room
2. Teen Gaming Area
3. Sorter Room
4. Adult Large Print collection
5. Print Center (both)
6. 3rd floor conference room
7. Workroom

Where are the locked spaces in the building where you can hide from an active shooter?

1. On the 3rd floor?
2. On the 2nd floor?
3. On the 1st floor?
4. Which ones have telephone access to call 911?
5. What is a key thing to remember about some of the doors in these spaces?

Email your answers to the practice questions above to Karen by Wednesday, August 13.