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. 

Staff Meeting Notes 7/23/14

Kendall Staff Meeting, 11:15 – 11:45 AM, Breakroom

1. Updates:
1. New Deputy Director (Karen); handout
2. Returning empty bins (Karen)
3. Holds wrappers (Karen)
4. New monthly staff training meeting (Karen)
5. Door Count: difference between reference & directional questions (Alice)
6. SRP Updates  (Meg & Leona)
2. Circulation Training: Policy Updates (Alisa); handout

Quick Notes

• Desk Holds: If you hold items at the desk for a customer, please put their last name and “Hold for Pick-Up through [date]” with your initials.  We can only hold items for 24 hours without a card number because the catalog stills shows they’re on the shelf (and therefore findable, holdable, and available).
• Answer the Phone: If you’re not helping a customer, answer the phone.  If we all expect someone else to do it, the phone won’t get answered..
• Close the workroom doors before opening hours.  We don’t want customers wandering around in the workroom.
• Shelving: Straighten rows and “front” the books (push up to the front edge of the shelf) when you’re shelving. The shelves will look neater and you’ll be able to see what you’ve accomplished.
• Alphabetize: It seems basic but is really one of the foundations of library work.  It’s so much easier to find what you’re looking for when it’s in the right place.  (Extra credit: what are the other foundations of library work?)

Upcoming Staff Events

• Wednesday, July 23: Staff Meeting
• Thursday, July 24: NL Managers Meeting
• Friday, July 25: Payday
• Wednesday, July 30: Staff Training Meeting
• Thursday, July 31: Deadline for completing Cyber Security Awareness Training.
• Friday, August 1: Last day of Summer Reading Program.  
• Friday, August 1: Last day of Pay Period
• Tuesday, August 5: July statistics and Monthly Report due
• Wednesday, August 6: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, August 8: Payday
• Sunday, August 10: Facility Checklist due
• Friday, August 15: Last day of Pay Period
• Wednesday, August 20:  Michele Gorman meets Kendall staff, 11AM
• Friday, August 22: Payday
• Monday, September 1: Labor Day Holiday--library closed

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!

Open Discussion Notes, 10-2-13

3rd floor conference room, 11:15-11:55AM Recorder: Albert Moderator: José

1. Shelf Read
1. Take turns
2. pull misshelved items, esp. WLC, 700s, fiction
3. takes longer to shelve when time must be spent reshelving items in wrong place.
4. suggested schedule: Tues & Thurs shelf read, Mon, Wed, Fri shelve
5. volunteers: review how to shelve fiction
6. staff: shelve where items go instead of at end of shelf (like they’re tired of shelving)
7. if not finished, bring items back downstairs
8. we can all learn how to shelve again.
9. it’s happening a lot!
2. Bins for tagging
1. don’t put holds in tagging bins!  Found item for customer there
2. not good customer service
3. also discard bins--don’t put problem books or holds there
4. Checkout discards to KEN discard account to change shelf status, so items doesn’t appear to be on the shelf
3. AllCirc
1. check and make sure the DVD barcode matches the one on the case
2. also check boxes and replace broken ones with supply in workroom
3. discard damaged disks (scratched, cracked) and worn cases with old covers (call number sitckers on case)
4. Relieving the Desk
1. Get to the desk on time, especially when returning from lunch.
2. hour lunch doesn’t mean you can come back to the desk late--public service takes priority.
5. Workroom
1. clean your own dishes from sink; Angie is not our maid.
2. leave strainer in left sink to keep solid food bits out of the drain pipes, causing plumbing problems.
3. clean up your own mess.
4. refrigerator full of stuff, no room for lunches; big water bottles taking up too much room!
5. need to clean frig--Temeka will do 10/3.
6. Statistics
1. mark questions answered and holds on stats sheets at desks
2. if customers call with reference questions and too busy, refer/transfer them to Telephone Reference (ask if okay first).
7. Meeting Rooms
1. give customer contact info for outside meetings if requested.
2. meetings in library buildings (city facilities) must be free and open to the public.
3. Library does not publicize outside meetings but can direct customers to contact for the meeting (the person who filled out the form).
8. Symphony
1. User look up--if you can’t find new cardholder, change to HISTORY in profile from NO HISTORY.
9. Holds Shelf
1. shelve in alpha order by last name, first name.
2. not good customer service to mis-shelve items that can’t be found by customer or staff
10. Paging
1. bring items checked in downstairs asap--they’re HOT and ready to be picked up.
2. some customers come very quickly to pick up holds and staff can’t find them if they’re not on first floor.