Staff Meeting Agenda 1-20-16

11:15 – 11:45 AM, Breakroom

1. Staff Changes:
1. Jose promoted to SR CSC, starting at STE 1/19
2. Christopher, new CSC-PT, starting 1/19
3. Karen interviewed candidates for CSC-FT opening, 1/19
2. News from Youth Services Meeting 1/15 (Jasmine, Leona, Shanti)
3. Kronos Review (Lauren), new interface; leave requests; Lauren's Kronos presentation

Quick Notes

• 2016 Customer Experience Meetings with Deputy Director Michele Gorman, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM (aka lunch & chat with Michele): Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Collier; Thursday, July 21, at Walter; Thursday, Nov. 10 at Alief; staff names are drawn randomly by CE Admin staff, attendance is highly recommended/ mandatory.
• 2016 CyberSecurity Training: Must be completed by Feb. 11.  Each employee will receive an emailed link to the  training.  Send Karen or Lauren the date you complete the training.

Upcoming Staff Events

• Friday, January 22: Pay Day!
• Friday, January 22: CE Managers Meeting at CEN (Karen, Lauren)
• Friday, January 22: Serials  training with Gail Ibarra (all staff)
• Friday, January 22: 2016 CyberSecurity training time (online)
• Monday, January 25: Send disks needing repair to LMS Jan 25-29.
• Tuesday, January 26: Worker’s Comp Training at STE (Karen)
• Wednesday, January 27: Management Team Meeting (Karen, Lauren, Alice, Shanti).
• Friday, January 29: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, January 29, 2016 CyberSecurity training time (online).
• Tuesday, February 2: SW Managers Team Meeting at FRA (Karen)
• Wednesday, February 3: Lunch and Chat with Michele at COL (by invitation)                                       
• Friday, February 5: Staff Training: Super Star Shelving with Leona and Shanti
• Friday, February 5: 2016 CyberSecurity training time (online)--last chance!
• Wednesday, February 10: Open Discussion Meeting (need Moderator and Recorder)
• Friday, February 12: Last Day of Pay Period
• Friday, February 12: Staff Training: Super Star Shelving with Leona and Shanti
• Wednesday, February 17: Staff Meeting

Links:

KRONOS full-service log-in: https://coh.kronos.net/wfc/navigator/logon; KRONOS comments saved in the Kendall folder on the G: drive and on the Kendall blog on the Staff Links page.

Jobs @ HPL: http://houstonlibrary.org/jobs-hpl (or go to the bottom of the HPL website home page).

City of Houston Job Opportunities: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm (or go to the COH website,  www.houstontx.gov, and click on “I Want To” and select “Jobs”).

Staff Meeting Notes 12-30-15

In attendance:

Lauren Wilcox, Lutricia Bratton, Alice Dooley, Janalyn White, Kathrine Fan, Nina Oliver, Doug Dietrich, Temeka Doakes, Jose Torres, Pamela Officer, Shanti Rao, Jasmine Zelaya, Leona Hoegsberg, Albert Banks

Highlights
Pay Structure Change: Everyone will be receiving up to a .50 cent per hour raise starting the first pay period after 1/1/2016.  To find out how this will affect you:

o   Know your pay grade:

§  Library Assistant – Pay Grade 5

§  Customer Service Clerk – Pay Grade 10

§  Senior Customer Service Clerk – Pay Grade 12

§  Library Service Specialist – Pay Grade 13

§  Senior Library Service Specialist – Pay Grade 16

o   To see your exact gross pay and to know whether you are above, below, or at midpoint pay, log in to your ESS account (https://portal.houstontx.gov/irj/portal)

      Open Carry: “Effective 1/1/2016, citizens with a current concealed handgun license, or a person who obtains the new ‘license to carry a handgun’ will be able to carry a handgun in a concealed manner or openly in a belt or should holster in most city-owned or leased property.”

o   We are not allowed to approach a person and ask them if they are properly licensed to openly carry a weapon.  If we are concerned that someone will act violently, we are to call 911 immediately.

o   If there is a school group or school-sponsored event happening in the library, we can put up signage and prohibit the carry of weapons in the specific location of the group/program meeting (ex: if there is a program on the 3^rd floor, we cannot prohibit carry on the 2^nd floor).

      EAP: The Employee Assistance Program is a free service to all city employees and should be used if you need any counseling or guidance with any issues, including but not limited to:

o   Stress, anxiety, or depression

o   Relationship/marital conflicts

o   Getting out of debt

o   Retirement planning

o   Landlord/tenant issues

o   Contracts

o   Child and elder care

o   Home repair

§  If you get a referral number and are connected with a counselor, you will receive 6 free sessions for any specific issue.  If you have another issue you would like counsel for, you will receive another 6 free sessions for that specific issue.

§  Call 24/7 at 855-378-7485

§  Website: guidanceresources.com

§  City of Houston web ID: HOUSTONEAP

      Shelf-Reading and OnSearch: starting next week (1/4 – 1/9) Doug will begin distributing the missing (OnSearch) list to each employee.  You will be using this list as you shelf-read weekly to search for items marked as missing.  This will keep us more informed about our shelf-reading areas and keep the items marked as missing to a minimum.

      Delivery Priorities: If you are assigned to delivery for the day, you need to stay down on the 1^st floor as much as possible.  We will begin tagging items in the delivery area, as well as answering phones and helping people in the lobby if the line gets long.  We need to communicate with one another to keep the sorting and delivery area as orderly as possible and cleaned up at the end of the day.

Monthly Report: You will be receiving a Google doc that will outline your SMART goals and give you space to track your progress on a monthly basis.  These reports will also include a narrative portion that you will use to give examples of how you have contributed to the team.  These reports will be brought to the monthly one-on-one meetings with your direct supervisor so that everyone can discuss progress, issues, challenges, and successes.  

Quick Notes

• 2016 Customer Experience Meetings with Deputy Director Michele Gorman, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM (aka lunch & chat with Michele): Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Collier; Thursday, July 21, at Walter; Thursday, Nov. 10 at Alief; staff names are drawn randomly by CE Admin staff, attendance is highly recommended (mandatory).
• New Elected City Officials, effective 1/4/16 (Handout)
• Open Carry Law: Firearms Legislation Overview from City Attorney Donna L. Edmundson 12/11/15 (Handout)

Upcoming Staff Events

• Thursday, December 31: Last Day of Pay Period (before New Year’s Holiday).
• Friday, January 1: New Year’s Day - Library closed
• Tuesday, January 5: SW Managers Team Meeting, 9AM-12 Noon at Frank (Karen)
• Wednesday, January 6: Program Planning Meeting (Karen, Nina, Leona, Shanti, Jasmine, Alice, Pam, Jose, Doug)
• Friday, January 8: Pay day!
• Friday, January 8: Staff Training: Intermediate Word with Pam
• Tuesday, January 12: SW Assistant Managers Team Meeting, 9:15-11AM at Stella Link (Lauren)
• Wednesday, January 13: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, January 15: Youth Services Meeting, 8:30AM-12 Noon at CEN (Jasmine, Leona, Nina, Shanti)
• Friday, January 15: Staff Training: Intermediate Word with Pam
• Wednesday, January 20: Staff Meeting
• Friday, January 22: Customer Experience Managers Meeting, 8:30AM-12 Noon at CEN (Karen & Lauren)

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 10/29/14

11:15-11:45, Breakroom
Moderator/Recorder: Meg

General Discussion:

• CMC now ends on November 7th. Please ask Meg if you have any questions.
• We are currently out of the League of Women Voters Guides in English. Please refer customers to their website for information. (http://lwvhouston.org/)
• Additionally, information about voter ID requirements have been posted on our blog here. 
• Let's keep the fridge and microwave clean!
• Requests for vacation during the holidays will be approved on a first come, first served basis, with consideration of the overall schedule.
• Emergency exit doors must be armed. Please check that the doors on each floor are armed as part of closing procedure.

Circulation/Collection:

• Keep some bins to the side for use in the sorting room.
• Use your scheduled time on Fridays to shelf read -- check the Collection page on the blog if you've forgotten your assigned shelf-reading section. 
• Conditional weeding should be ongoing. 
• Please be mindful when shelving the music CDs. Pay attention to the labels. 
• For foreign languages not at this location, please return via delivery to the owning location (with a note).

Customer Service:

• Shelving and Shelf Reading: Please shelve when assigned to do so and start on time, especially in the mornings before opening. If there's nothing to shelve when assigned to shelve, please use that time to shelf read.
• Plumbing and electrical issues: Albert is working with Shammi to get these Sprocket requests expedited. 
• Meeting Rooms: 
• Let customers know that they are required to fill out the meeting room request form in order to use a meeting room. Until they have completed the form, there reservation is tentative (TENT). 
• If a HOA is meeting in a one of the rooms, please list the name of that HOA/Subdivision on the Room Reservation sheet. This is so when can direct people correctly.
• On the Room Reservation sheet -- Lavender (Light Purple) is a non-library program and Green is a library program. Please no other random colors. 

Open Discussion Notes 4-23-14

Break Room, 11:15-11:50AM.  Moderator: Meg; Recorder: Jose

Today we discussed…

1.  Shelve reading:

      --Divide the library in different sections

      --Rotation of the sections too (sign up for shelve reading, whatever you prefer)

2. Any worker that comes to fix something  has to sig in: name- last name & ID # [notebook at Lobby desk. KL]

3. If you refer anyone on the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor for computer use, please remind patrons that 3rd floor it’s a kid friendly zone.

4.  Anyone is welcome to check out a laptop as long they don’t have any fines on their record and have had their library card for at least 30 days.

5. Don’t  turn off 3M pads, please.

6. During delivery time make sure you do it the right way (don’t get confuse with drive up and normal holds).

7. Meeting Room Reservations:           

     --Always fill out forms for reservations

     --No double booking

     --No adults sessions in 3rd floor

     --Always give spare time to groups to leave (don’t do back to back reservations) [30 minutes           between events. KL].

     --We don’t do reservations for birthday parties aka “child gatherings”, nor is food allowed either [meetings must be free and open to the public—no private parties. KL]

     --No multiple reservations

     --One reservation = one form (also check forms for correct information).

8. Keep the closet in the 3rd floor locked all times.

9. Assist Westside volunteers to keep their personal stuff, Tuesdays from 10am-12noon.

10. Monthly report of library apps would be excellent in the future to avoid any inconvenience at the time of evaluations.

Remember Lights Out Houston Thursday, April 24 - Sunday, April 27, turn off all not essential lights before we leave during those days