Open Discussion Notes 3-9-16

Moderator: Albert
Recorder: Trish
Present: Albert, Alice, Alisa, Chris, Doug, Iffat, Janalyn, Jasmine, Katherine, Karen, Lauren, Leona, Pam, Shanti, Temeka, Trish

1.  ROB staff will be working at KEN this week (Chris and Nagma).
2. We need to bring problems to the table and bring a solution for it as well.
3. Please record all statistic counts at the desk and phone questions.  We have to record the counts to show how busy we are at the reference desk on each floor.  The 2nd and 3rd floor desks are not the problem, it's the lobby and drive up counts not being recorded.
4. Cards are being given out and the card barcode is being trashed.  Please complete applications for all new and replacement cards.
5. Card Apps--Make sure the complete app is filled out so Albert will have the info to enter into the system just in case.  Make sure everything is readable.  Tape the barcode sticker on the app if it's not sticking.
6. Card PIN numbers must be given to all customers when getting a new card. Ask if they would like to change the PIN to a number they will remember.
7. Coin Copier printer can be used for KEN work related print job with a code.
8. Please do not turn the phone ringer down in the work areas.  In case of an emergency and for safety reasons, the volume should be turned up.
9. Please answer the phones by the 4th ring, even if you're in the workroom.
10. Lauren and Temeka will make sure the ring tones on the phones are different for the public, private and individual extensions.
11. More RFID tags have come in to make sure we have KEN 100% tagged.
12. Please clean up behind yourself in the kitchen and the refrigerator
    .

Open Discussion Meeting Notes 10/21/2015

In Attendance: Lauren, Albert, Jose, Iffat, Alice, Janalyn, Doug, Alisa, Nina, Temeka, Kathrine, Shanti, Pam, Leona, Trish, Karen

Note Taker: Trish
Moderator: Lauren

- The sorter will be fixed.  The barcode scanner will be removed as well as the receipt printer.  The sorter will now read RFID tags and any items that are not tagged will go into the exceptions bin.  There will be no voice!

- Blinds must be open at night.  If the blinds are not functional, just leave them open as much as possible.

- Holds are still being put on our shelf that belong to other branches.  Please pay close attention when shelving holds.  Keep items going to other branches separate from KEN items both when you are paging and when you are doing delivery/exceptions.  Expired holds must be cleared first thing in the morning and we should be checking the holds shelf for old holds just to be sure they are being sent out as necessary.  There have been issues with the clear holds list, LMS is aware.

- A-Z webinar is asking for a $25 payment and we can't pay for it, so do not take the most recent A-Z webinar.

- Please make sure customers in the meeting rooms and study rooms are leaving 15 minutes prior to closing.  Make announcements at 30 minutes, 15 minutes, and at closing and make sure the people in rooms are aware of the closing time well in advance.

- Make sure to give customers the new room reservation guidelines when they reserve a room.  Customers may make up to 6 reservations in a 90-day period, but they must fill out a separate reservation form for each reservation.

- Make sure to make tallies on the stats sheets!  This week is door count week, so it is very important but we should always be diligent about making tallies and keeping track of our activity on every floor.

- Jose went above and beyond in customer service with a customer on Monday.  Go Jose!

- Iffat did 3-tier work on Monday night, taking care of delivery, exceptions, and the sorting room.  Go Iffat!

- Name That Book contest is very intense right now.  Leona has a list that will be on 3rd floor and in the sorting room to make locating these items easier.  You can also print out a list for customers by going to the HPL kids page.

- CMC team still needs help with the festival at Central on Friday, October 30th.  Let us know if you'd like to participate.

Staff Meeting Notes 10/15/14

11:15-11:45, 3rd Floor Meeting Room

1. Updates and Reminders:

• Upcoming website launch (10/24/14)
• KHOU Book Drive - benefiting Neighborhood Centers
• Laptop checkout reminders (see Fred's email from 10/9/14)
• Door Count begins Monday
• Health Assessment due - November 14

2. Circulation Training (Alisa) -- Items Wizard

Quick Notes

• Cleanliness of our shared spaces: Please be thoughtful of everyone when it comes to making sure our service desks, delivery desk, and break room are clean places.
• Counterfeit Detector Pen: If a customer gives you a bill of $5 or more, please mark it with the counterfeit pen. (Pens are at the lobby and drive-up desks.)
• Out-of-Order Signs: Please post an Out of Order sign on any equipment that you have reported to the Help Desk (or completed a Sprocket on). This helps us all stay informed. 

Upcoming Staff Events:

• Friday, October 17: Payday
• Wednesday, October 22: Staff Training Meeting
• Friday, October 24: Last day of pay period
• Wednesday, October 29: Open Discussion Meeting
• Friday, October 31: End of CMC

Open Discussion Notes 10/1/14

Updates/General Reminders:

• CMC starts today and runs through Oct 31. You can easily contribute via ESS.
• Facilities is ordering a new microwave for the breakroom. Hopefully it will arrive in the next few weeks.
• We will be using booksale funds to make much-needed purchases for the branch. Shammi will be sending the information soon.
• Shammi thanked us for all our hard work during the amnesty program. We processed nearly 400 library card applications in one week!

Circulation/Collection:

• If you notice any non-KEN foreign language items floating our way, please send them on to a location that does house those items. 
• The DRIVE-UP option will be merged with KEN soon, eliminating the need to override transit on holds. (ILLs, Flip Kits, need to stay behind the drive-up desk.)
• The stats at the drive-up desk are lacking. Please remember to mark down directional and reference questions. Don't forget to mark any and all holds that are outgoing!

Customer Service:

• Language assistance: Mark languages spoken on the stats clipboard. Call 311 when absolutely necessary. (It's a service HPL must fund for each phone call.)
• Be consistent about our services (e.g. phone use, applications, fines, etc.). Follow policy and procedure and give a reason WHY to the customer.

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, 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.

Meeting Notes 4-10-13

April 10, 2012, 11:15 – 11:45 AM, Break room

1. Spring Door Count (Alice)
2. Ebooks for All website (Chris)
3. Meet New Employees: Trish, Temeka, Sharon, Jose (Karen)

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Upcoming Staff Events

• April 12: Last day of pay period
• April 15: Last Day for Open Enrollment
• April 13: Last day for Tax Help
• April 15-20: Door Count
• April 17: Open Discussion meeting
• April 19, 8:15-10:15, Youth Services Meeting (Leona, Regina)
• April 19, 10-12: Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony (Pam)
• April 25, 9:15-12: Manager’s Meeting (Karen)
• April 26: Last Day of pay period
• May 1: Staff Meeting

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Remaining April Programs

Kendall Neighborhood Library – Adults

Kendall Bee Quilters  

Mondays • 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Kendall Book Club

Thursday, April 23 • 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Kendall Neighborhood Library  - Adult  Computer Classes

Computer Basics I & II

Thursday, April 11 • 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Intro to MS PowerPoint 2007

Thursday April 11 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Thursday April 18 • 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

 

Digital Photography

Thursday, April 23 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Computer Help Session

Saturday, April 6 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Getting to Know Your Gadgets: eBook Open House

Tuesday, April 23, & 30 • 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Intro to MS Word 2010

Wednesday, April 17 • 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

MS Outlook 2010

Wednesday, April 10 • 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Thursday, April 25 • 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Social Networking

Tuesday April 30 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Computer Security

Wednesday, April 10 • 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Work Skills: Creating a Resume/ Resume help

Saturday, April 13 • 10:30 PM – 12:30 PM

Open Job Lab

Saturday, April 13 • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Intro to MS Access

Wednesday, April 17  • 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Advanced MS Word 2010

Thursday, April 18 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Intro to MS Publisher

Wednesday April 3 • 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Intro to MS Excel

Wednesday April 24 • 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Saturday April 20 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Intermediate MS Excel 2010

Wednesday April 24 • 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Advanced MS Excel 2010

Thursday, April 25 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Saturday, April 27 • 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Kendall Neighborhood Library – Teens

Teen Video Game Time

Monday, March 11, 18 & 25 • 4:30 PM-6:30 PM

Beginner Origami

Tuesday, March 12 • 4:15 PM-5:00 PM

Advanced Origami

Tuesday, March 26 • 4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Teen Movie Time

Tuesday, March 19 • 3:30 PM-5:30 PM

Kendall Neighborhood Library – Children

Toddler Story Time

Tuesdays • 10:30-11:00 AM

Tuesdays – 11:30-12:00

Preschool Storytime

Wednesdays – 12:30-1:15pm

Babytime

Thursdays • 11 AM – 12 PM

Babytime: Baby Yoga

Fridays • 2:30-3:00 PM

R.E.A.D (Reading Education Assistance Dogs)

Saturday, April 20 – 2:00-3:00pm

Earth Day Craft

Wednesday, April 10 – 4:00-5:00pm

Kendall Book Mania Club

Wednesday, April 24 – 4:45-5:45pm

Open Discussion Notes 2-20-13

11:15 – 11:45 AM, 3rd Floor Conference Room

Moderator: Alice

Recorder: Leona

1. Stats
1. Record program attendance numbers as well as all directional and reference                       questions on weekly stats sheet.
2. Record outgoing and incoming hold stats on any sheet  (don’t forget clear holds)
2. IRS forms and instructions- What we have is on the table inside the entrance to the    building. Customers can print out forms or instructions on irs.gov website or check back to see if we have received additional forms. We have information on our blog.
3. Door count- Will be held again in April.
4. Patrons first at any desk, then help with other tasks
1. When you are at any desk, the patron comes first over whatever you are doing.  
2. But when you have no patrons at the lobby or driveup, remember that you can keep busy by sorting when there is no sorter, doing exceptions, tagging or even help shelve holds.  Take the initiative to start on anything that is needed to keep the floor clear.
5. Sorting
1. When being in the sort room, pay attention to patrons bringing back items.  Do not turn off the sorting machine to raise bins while  patrons are walking in and trying to return  items.
2. At busy times, stop only one bin at a time by unplugging it.
3. Help patrons when they have problems with the sorter or the voice keeps  sounding
4. Do not turn off the computer for the sorter at the end of the day during the week.  Only turn it off on Saturday night.
6. Safe
1. The code for the safe is [see Logins/Passwords on Equipment page].
2. Make sure all the bags that are in the safe are sent in with delivery. (Good idea to double check in the safe in case there is more than one bag.
7. Items with missing pieces -Put a note the item and its account when a piece in missing and put it on the repair shelf.
8. Notes on items
1. For discards, change to “Not in use”.
2. For missing item or overflow book,, change to “repair shelf”
9. Adult books
1. Keep only 2 copies of adult fiction on the shelf (pull another branch’s copy first)
2. Keep only 1 copy of any adult nonfiction titles.
10. Place topics for open discussion on topic suggestion site on blog
11. Use the counterfeit pen on bills $5 and up.
12. Only be courtesy to patrons.
13. Help keep books in the right section. Watch for adult books in the kids section or  adult graphic novels in teen.

Meeting Notes 8-22-12

August 22, 2012   11:15 – 11:45 AM
3rd Floor Conference Room

1. Updates:
1. End of Summer--Horray! (with cake)
2. SRP final results (Leona): record registration and completion; 8 weekly drawing winners and one grand prize winner (kids entered in drawings after logging 10 books); kids can use SRP books for HISD Millionaires' Club.
3. Circulating Periodicals (Alisa): don't check-out magazines without "c" on cover--we want to keep current issues on display so everyone has a chance to read them. Current issues checked out to branch for six weeks, don't override. Past issues with "c" can be checked out. Issues older than six months automatically deleted from Millennium; don't create an "on the fly" record to check out to customer; just scan as if checked out (magazine will be discarded/recycled when returned).
4. Annual Report (Karen): FY12 annual report highlights statistical trends, accomplishments and challgenges; Kendall was #1 branch in circulation for 11 months of fiscal year (#2 in April by less than 600 items after Stella Link). See below.

5. Other Updates
1. Nina: Smart Money incident--ran credit card twice after first swipe failed (said "try again"), customer charged twice, Business Office has to refund charges. After first failure, take customer to self-check to use eCommerce option. If transaction fails in Smart Money, make note in customer account and waive charges paid.
2. Nina: Bins in sorting room--please place items in bins neatly to make better use of space, doesn't damage items (Juli).
3. Albert: Desk in lobby looks junky, items scattered can't tell if books checked in or not. Space is limited--keep neat. Bring up for discussion at upcoming Open Discussion meeting (Karen).
4. Pam: Volunteer party was a success Staff applause. Thanks for contributions (Nina).

2. Calling in and Kronos (Karen)
1. When you call in an absence, please indicate whether you are using sick leave or emergency vacation.
2. When you call in a tardiness, please indicate the reason (see list below).
3. This information will be used to properly code your timecard.  Tardiness without a reason will be marked “unexcused”.
4. Please call 832-393-1887 within 30 minutes of your scheduled start time.  If you call early, please don’t leave a voice mail message; if no one answers, call back.

3. Open Discussions (Karen)
1. Starting September 5, we alternate informational/training staff meetings with open discussion meetings oriented toward addressing and solving branch problems.
2. One staff member will moderate and one will take notes, to be rotated among staff members. Nina volunteered to moderate and Alice volunteered to take notes at the upcoming meeting.
3. Bring issues and several possible solutions to the meeting.  The issues will be listed and one selected to be addressed in the meeting.
4. The goal is to end the meeting with a mutually-agreeable solution for the chosen issue.  Tabled issues will be carried over for discussion at the next meeting.

Adjourned at 11:50 AM
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Houston Public Library

Kendall Neighborhood Library

Annual Report FY 2012

Usage Trends

In the second full year of operation, Kendall experienced an overall reduction in service numbers--11% in visitors and service contacts, 13% in hours, and 14% in computer users—indicative of the transient, highly mobile quality of life in Houston.  Alief, which ranked 3^rd in visitors in FY11 (behind Stella Link and Kendall), moved to first place in FY12, followed by Kendall and Stella Link.  Kendall ranked first among branches in service contacts in FY11 and FY12, although this year the number dropped below 1 million to 975,857; overall HPL saw a 9% reduction in service contacts.  Kendall’s total circulation of 619,027, topped all branches for 11 months (the exception being April) and matched Central’s 7% overall reduction.  Kendall circulated more Juvenile items than any other HPL location—367,493, an average of 30,625 items per month—because many parents check out up to their circulation limit every two weeks. 

Significant Accomplishments

In October the Kendall Book Club celebrated its twentieth anniversary.  Several of the original members are still active in the group, which meets monthly September through May and reads widely from classic literature and bestselling fiction to history, biography and current issues.  In January we were able to expand our computer class schedule from two to six weekly classes when a part-time trainer (hired with BTOP funds) joined the staff.  The addition of a second trainer in March relieved a staff member who had been teaching many of the classes. The first week of the Summer Reading Program we were surprised by the over-capacity crowds for Toddler Storytime and the featured SRP event, leading to gridlock in the parking lot.  We quickly created a plan to manage the situation, deploying staff outside to direct traffic and assist customers. We posted “Parking Alerts” to notify customers about capacity times and made signs to direct traffic efficiently.  The branch has become a popular location for recycling in the community.  We have three bins on site (8-ton and 4-ton general recycling bins and a 4-ton paper recycling bin) which regularly fill to capacity within days.

Significant Challenges

Last summer’s drought claimed several trees on the property, both existing and newly-planted ones. The prairie grass and flowers planted during the previous year went dormant until we received some rain last winter but when they finally sprouted and bloomed, the sight was glorious with bright green grass and colorful wildflowers covering the ground along the fence. Staffing continued to hover at minimal levels.  One long-time staff member retired at the end of December, the assistant manager was transferred to a new position in February and one full-time staff member requested a change to part-time status in March.  The branch received a part-time Customer Service Clerk in December, as well as a full-time CSC and a new assistant manager in March.  We were helped by the temporary deployment of staff from other locations; they quickly learned how to use our specific equipment and adapted to the challenges of functioning in a three-level building.  Adequate seating on the 2^nd (Adult) floor continues to be in heavy demand.  In addition to computers users, lots of customers use the branch’s wireless connection and fill every available seat in addition to the two study rooms and the conference room, which is open for seating whenever no computer class is scheduled. 

Submitted by Karen Luik, Kendall Branch Manager, 8/17/12

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Kronos Standard Comments (to document any change or alteration to the employee’s schedule)