Meeting Notes 5/16/12

1. Summer Volunteers (PO):
1. 25 volunteers max., scheduled in 2-hours shifts (see attached sample schedule).
2. Two volunteer orientations will be held: Wednesday, May 23, 5 pm plus one in early June tba.
3. have problems with volunteers or need help?  Email Pam directly.
4. will be able to help run book drop, retrieve paging list (but nothing involving customers’ names).
5. schedule will be added to blog when ready.
6. sign-in (on KEN blog) on 3rd floor desk computers; trying to add lap-top for sign-in (keep in gaming cabinet).
7. direct students/parents interested in volunteering to the application process on the HPL website (click on donate or volunteer in the upper left or lower right corners of the home page).  The applications will be screened first by Andrea Lawrence.
8. Potential volunteers must be at least 14 years old.

2. Checking timecards from Quick Kronos (PF)
1. Enter your user name and password, then click on Log On (instead of Record Time Stamp) to access your account (check timecard, request time off, view work & absence summary, access COH Employee Self-Serve page).

3. Expanded Computer Class Schedule (PO)
1. Classes added in May: Wednesday at 12:30 and 5:45, Thursday at 3.
2. KEN now has 6 weekly classes.

4. EPE Plans for FY13 (KL).  From Ophelia Cespedes, 4/2/12: The current performance management process has been on hold pending review by an City- Wide EPE task force per the Meet and Confer Agreement between HOPE and the City administration. Recently, the task force forwarded a recommendation to the Mayor for consideration, however, a new EPE process will not be in place until 2013. For this reason, Employee Performance Evaluations (EPE) will not be required for the current 2012 EPE cycle. In preparation for the new performance management process, employees must receive an EPE plan by the end of May. For HPL employees, the EPE plan deadlines are as follows:
1. Supervisor EPE plans must be reviewed with the employee, signed and received in HR no later than, Friday, April 27th
2. Non-supervisor EPE plans must be reviewed with the employee, signed and received in HR no later than, Friday, May 25th.

5. Questions/Discussion
1. KL: press release from Mayor’s Office about new FY budget: no job or service cuts planned.  Mayor’s 5 Priorities also posted in building lobby for the month.
2. PF: Sorter set up to backdate until 1 pm (when we open at 10 am) or 2 pm (when we open at noon).  Please make sure to finish the first two book drops of the day (including exceptions) before this cutoff so all items returned before we open are properly back dated.
3. NO: Be sure to use the Smart Money workaround saved on the desktop of the 1st floor computers when doing the deposit to generate the correct merchandise report.

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.