Meeting Notes, 8-8-12

1. New Staff:  Welcome
1. Jane Hensley, LA Sup, Collier, who will be here 6 months while Collier is renovated.
2. Angie Cruz, GSD, who will be here full-time providing janitorial services to the Library and Community Center.  Angie has 16 years of experience with the Cy-Fair school district.  Monday was her first day working for the City of Houston.

2. Updates:
1. Gaming Equipment:
1. Check that gaming equipment is locked up at the close of business and return the keys to the workroom.  Monday morning the DSI games were under the printer, the gaming cabinet was unlocked and the keys were in the desk drawer.  See Staff Meeting notes, 6/13/12
2. After changing a Wii game, make sure the wall cabinet is securely locked.  Last Thursday, a customer took the screen remote from the cabinet and changed the channel to a television station so he could watch TV.  
2. Lost Cards:  Remember to
1. block lost cards in the patron’s record
2. add a note (including date and your initials) stating what was done with the card
3. put a post-it note on the card with the customer’s last name and what should be done with the card (hold thru m/d, etc.)
4. See Email-Lost Library Cards, 6/9/11 (attached)
3. Smoking:  
1. City of Houston Ordinance 2006-1054 prohibits smoking within 25 feet outside entrances, exits, or wheelchair ramps serving any entrance or exit to ensure smoke does not enter those areas (Section 21-241).  See Staff Meeting Notes, 4/11/12.
2. Ordinance: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/Environmental/2007smoking.pdf
3. A copy of the ordinance is posted on the bulletin board in the workroom.

3. Houston Housing Authority: Online applications for the HHA housing vouchers waiting list will be accepted from August 20-26.  Please help customers get online to fill out applications, get a computer-use card, extend their time if they need it to fill out an application.  See FAQ sheet (attached).

4. Holds Stats: Change to Stats workbook in FY13: Holds recorded as “pulled” (outgoing) and “processed” (incoming).  Pedro is revising weekly stats collection sheet to reflect changes.

5. Discussion/Questions
1. Repair shelf--how to find missing cases not at Kendall.  If disk returned without case, check repair shelf and floor.  If case not found:
1. request new cover from Collection Development department to insert in new case (polyvinyl cases from Midwest Tapes)
2. discard (polystyrene cases with labels on outside)
2. If case returned without disk, do not check in item.
1. add note to customer record and call customer to request return of disk.
2. put case on Repair Shelf with note that customer has been called.
3. Customer Use of Desk Phone
1. If an adult customer asks to use desk phone to make a call, tell them we allow children to call home for a ride.  
2. If the customer has an emergency, dial the number for the customer.
3. If the customer is taking a long time or is discussing non-emergency matters, ask the customer to wrap up the call because the phone is needed for library business.
4. If child asks to use the phone, verify that it’s to get a ride and dial the number.

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EMAIL - LOST LIBRARY CARDS

Sent:         Thursday, June 09, 2011 2:10 PM

Subject:    Lost Library Cards

Dear Kendall Staff:

I want to stress the importance of every staff member correctly blocking lost library cards.

Yesterday Fred Schumacher waived $1,255.86 ($905.86 item costs + $350.00 processing fees) for 37 items checked out to a card which had been reported lost at Kendall but not blocked in Millennium.  In our current budget situation, losing over $1,000 is not something to be taken lightly.  

Right now we also have lots of kids misplacing their cards, which may be found by staff or other customers.  These cards (and any HPL cards lying around the reference and circ desks) must be blocked immediately and stored properly following the directions outlined below.

Please review carefully the procedures outlined below—you are responsible for knowing this information.  If you don’t understand something or have any questions, please let me know.

I will schedule MilCirc refresher training as soon as we can fit it into the schedule.

Karen


LIBRARY CARDS

CUSTOMER REPORTS CARD LOST
1.   In the card holder’s account, select Edit, then click on the MBLock field and select l Lost card.  Click on Save/Close to exit. This prevents anyone from using the card—do this first!
2.   In the Edit mode, enter a note in the customer’s record.  The note must include:

a.  Date: 6/8/11

b.  The following text: CARD RPTD LOST BY CUSTOMER

c.   Your initials and location: KL/KEN

d.  Click on Save/Close to exit.

3.   Label the card with a Post-it note: last name and first initial at top, followed by date found. Keep the card with the completed applications until the close of business, then bring it down to the lobby circ desk and file in the blue lost cards file (alphabetical order by last name).

LOST CARD FOUND BY STAFF OR ANOTHER CUSTOMER:
1.   In the card holder’s account, select Edit, then click on the MBLock field and select l Lost card.  Click on Save/Close to exit. This prevents anyone from using the card—do this first!
2.   In the Edit mode, enter a note in the customer’s record.  The note must include:

a.  Date: 6/8/11

b.  The following text: LOST CARD FND AT KEN; AVAIL AT LOBBY DESK

c.   Your initials and location: KL/KEN

d.  Click on Save/Close to exit.

3.   Label the card with a Post-it note: last name and first initial at top, followed by date found. Keep the card with the completed applications until the close of business, then bring it down to the lobby circ desk and file in the blue lost cards file (alphabetical order by last name).

CUSTOMER USING PICTURE ID INSTEAD OF LIBRARY CARD:
1.   Look up account using name on identification.
2.   Verify that ID Number on card matches number in account
3.   Ask customer if they have lost their library card

a.   If they say yes, issue a replacement card (see procedure below).

b.  If they say no (they forgot it, never carry it), tell them if they don’t fine it, notify us immediately.

c.  If they’re not sure (it might be at home, in the car), offer to issue a replacement card (which deletes the old card number) or notify us immediately if they can’t find it and we’ll block the card.  Add note to record that customer is unsure if card is lost.

TO ISSUE A REPLACEMENT CARD:
1.   Have the customer fill out an application and verify the address with appropriate identification
2.   Change the old barcode field to X to deactivate the old number. After the number note: date, CARD RPTD LOST BY CUSTOMER, your initials, your location.
3.   In the customer’s account, select Edit, then click on Insert and select b P Barcode.  Scan the barcode of the new card.  Click on Save/Close to exit.
4.   Click on Save/Close to exit.

COMPUTER CARDS
Because customers cannot check out items with this card:
1.   Mark the card lost in the MBlock field
2.   Add a note--LOST CARD FND AT KEN; DESTROYED—with the date, your initials and location.
3.   Cut up the card and throw it out.
4.   Customers must provide a picture ID and pay $1 to get a replacement card.
5.   As a one-time courtesy, we will look up a computer card number with the customer’s id.

a.   Tell the customer this is a one-time courtesy; in the future identification and $1 for a replacement card will be needed.

b.  Note in the record the date, that the customer was told the lookup was a one-time courtesy and in the future $1 and id will be needed for a replacement card, plus your initials and location.

THINGS WE DO NOT DO
1.   Add a note to customers’ records requiring them to produce identification when checking out.  [Correct Procedure: Lost cards must be blocked.  Replacement cards are issued with proper identification.]
2.   Forget to add notes to records so our colleagues are left without any information about what you did.
3.   Forget to block a card reported lost by the customer or a card found in the library without a customer.

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.