Meeting Notes 5/2/12

11:15-11:45 AM, Break Room

AGENDA

1. SRP Online Sign-up (Leona)
2. Customer Service Updates
1. Credit Card payments: please remember HPL only accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.  We do not accept American Express (reason: their merchant fees are higher than the others). [Staff: AMEX accepted at self-check stations; notify Business Office.] [KL: payment info from website.]
2. Meeting Room reservations:  We had some confusion last Wednesday when the 3rd floor conference room seemed to be double booked; except the 2nd floor conference room was available (no computer class) and Spanish class was adults only, should have been on 2nd floor.  We found a alternate space for the Girl Scouts in the Community Center but because we weren’t talking to the leaders, they were not aware of the arrangement.  Please:
1. Review room reservation spreadsheet--reserve rooms for your programs and clear reservations you don’t need;
2. Adult groups should only be in the 2nd or 1st floor meeting rooms; the 3rd floor room is reserved for kids, parents, and teachers;
3. 30 minutes minimum between programs/events;
4. Changes can only be made by the individuals named on the reservation form; other people in the group may want to help, but we need to speak to the person responsible for the reservation;
5. Add the date and your initials to the spreadsheet when making a reservation, so we can see at a glance when it was made; reservations are tentative only until we have the signed meeting room reservation form.
3. Updates from Service Priority Workgroup meetings 4/26:
1. Pedro: Training & Technology
2. Karen: Workforce Development
4. Updates from Manager’s Meeting 4/26:
1. New training software--Telephone Doctor, rolling out in June for Neighborhood libraries (except extended hours locations initially--not enough $$ available for all to start); web-based, successfully complete at least 2 training modules per month (30 min + quiz); focus on customer service.
2. New virtual library services--mobile app ready in May; website being reworked; content management software shifting to Drupal; Sarah Borders wants to visit branches on Friday for input on website redesign; sent ebook questions to email reference.
3. Revising service area maps in June: to gather info about where our customer come from, asking customers put pins in city map indicating their home or work location; date collected in June, analyzed in July, ready to use in Aug, to help us better address service priorities.
4. Project for Public Spaces: national organization collecting input for plan to reorganize/revitalize Central Library plaza week of May 7; previously worked on Discovery Green and Market Square; using TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) funds for renovations.
5. Children’s Book Celebration; Saturday, May 5; lunch w guest author for origami contest winners, followed by program and other events.  Leona worked on decorations, helping day of program.
6. BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunity Program): still looking for bilingual trainers; will post job signs at branches asap; can work up to 29 hours/week, 50% of time teaching digital inclusion classes (computer basics, MS Office intro, digital technology); can also help with workforce development classes and open job labs.
5. Questions/ Discussion

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.

Meeting Notes 03/28/2012

11:15-11:45 AM, Break Room

AGENDA 

1. New Staff: Glenn Hollis, BTOP trainer, begins March 24

 
 2. Updates:

a.       Library Card Renewal Requrements (from Fred Schumacher): "Everyone renewing his/her library card registration must submit a new completed application form and present the required documentation.  If fines are owed on the account being renewed, the fines owed must be paid in full at the time the registration is renewed."

b.      How to Handle Customer Comments (from Laurie Covington): “When a customer complains (or compliments) our locations, we should offer them a Patron Comment Form. According to the Patron Comment Policy (1.1 B.1), “whether or not the patron decides to pursue a matter by filling out Patron Comment Form, a staff member and the unit manager always send in the form upon each incident of a complaint.”

Therefore, if a customer complains verbally, but does not want to fill out the Patron Comment Form, the staff member accepting the complaint should fill out the Patron Comment Form themselves with as much information as is available. This applies to complaints both in person and on the telephone. If the customer does not give you their name, leave that section blank. It is preferred that staff direct customer concerns to the manager first so he or she is aware of the issue and can address it immediately.

Route Patron Comment Forms to Yolanda Anguiano in NL Administration and indicate if follow up is needed. Communications tracks complaints and reports them monthly to ELT so it is as important to report these verbal complaints as the ones we receive in paper form. It can also be helpful to have a record of customer concerns as early as possible so they can be resolved quickly.”  Comment forms can also be filled online.

c.       Handy After-Hours Phone Numbers (from Laurie Covington): “Have you ever been working an evening or weekend and had a pipe break or the AC go out?

There is now an after-hours GSD Call Center for Weekdays after 4:30pm and on Weekends. Simply call 713-213-8776 and they can help you with your emergency plumbing, carpentry, and mechanical issues.

Emergency AC and HVAC issues can be assisted with the Johnson Controls After Hours number: 1-866-635-1395.

For Security issues after hours (including after hours alarms) call the On-Call Investigator at 832-316-1944.

For Neighborhood Library issues you can call 832-393-2707 during the weekday and on weekends and someone should answer your calls.”

3. Updates from March Managers’ Meeting (Pedro):

· The open discussion times for Mike VanCampen at neighborhood libraries has changed from 10-12 to 9-11a.m.

· Hired 13 new substitutes recently.

· Please encourage any substitute that you believe is doing a great job to apply for new positions that are being posted.

· Please let your manager or team leader know of anyone that is planning on retiring or leaving to try and get the position posted ASAP.

· Team leaders rotate on Saturdays for any questions that might arise. Their number is 832-393-2707.

· Passports are currently still being processed at Alief and Central. Alief’s hours are different from what the HPL website states: Mon.&Wed. 3-7p.m. / Tues.&Thurs. 1-5p.m. / Sat. 10-2p.m.

· All staff should have printed out and signed the Cigna email by March 30^th. Even staff that is not a Cigna member.

· After hours call procedures are stated above. If HiTech calls tell them not to send HPD. You call GSD to send investigator. GSD will call you back with an update.

· Staff should view the Neighborhood Library Leaders blog on a regular basis for updates and are encouraged to comment on posts.

· Staffs interested in literacy are encouraged to let their team leaders know. Carnegie is being discussed as being a designated literacy hub.

· Keep on the look-out for counterfeit money, including $1 & $5 dollar bills.

· Let your manager or team leader know when service personnel are showing up without a badge for identification.

· Keep doing incident report on everything needed to be reported to show the necessity for security.