Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Meeting Notes 6-13-12

11:15-11:45 AM, Break Room


AGENDA
  1. Phone Facts:
    1. Please make all outside calls (customers, volunteers, presenters) from the 1880 (public) line.  Don’t use the internal extensions for outside calls, as those numbers are not consistently answered.  Friends and family may call the private line (1884) or the extension near your desk (as long as they’re aware that number may not be answered during public hours).
    2. Be considerate and announce calls being transferred internally, whether it’s a customer or personal call.     

  1. Summer Volunteers:
    1. 22 summer volunteers working 2-hour shifts (plus a few 1-hour shifts Friday afternoon); 3 regular volunteers throughout the year; and 2 Chinese Community Center volunteers each working 30 hours/week (9:30-3, Monday-Saturday)
    2. Volunteer Duties:
      1. shelving carts and bins (1st priority)
      2. sorting, book drop
      3. shelving holds
      4. program and traffic assisting
      5. SRP sign-up
      6. assistance in boxing items
  1. Safety Walk Through.
    1. Fire Alarm response: location of emergency exits.  Also:
      1. Immediately clear your area of customers.  Direct them to the nearest emergency exit on your floor.  Check all areas, including restrooms, to confirm that all customers have evacuated.
      2. Elevators are programmed to drop immediately to the first floor and open their doors.  If not, staff on the first floor should notify the Fire Department when they arrive so they can check them.
      3. Staff meeting point is in front of the gate to the pumping station in the southeast corner of the parking lot.
    2. Emergency Door Alarms: how to turn off and reset
    3. Fire Alarm panel and override key: location of panels and keys
  1. Questions/ Discussion
    1. SRP Sign-up: if you need help with the sign-up process, see Pedro or Leona
    2. SRP Incentives: Circus tickets (30-level) have arrived.
    3. SRP Daily Drawings: Local prize-winners (from daily system-wide SRP drawing) will be posted on blog so we know where to find prize when the winner comes to pick it up.
    4. Gaming equipment: All gaming equipment must be locked up at night and cabinet key returned to workroom by the staff member closing that floor.  In the morning, the person opening should retrieve the key to unlock the cabinet (as part of “ready 2 open”).
    5. Closing Building Check: When closing, check all spaces on the floor, including restrooms and conference rooms.  A customer was locked in the building Friday night for over 2 hours and called 911 to find someone to let him out.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Meeting Notes 5/30/12

11:15-11:45 AM, Break Room

AGENDA
1.    Updates from NL Managers Meeting 5-24-12:
1.        Steve Hill, Communications Dept, Service Area Maps and Customer Survey:
·         During June, each NL location will have a map of Houston for customers to use a push pin to mark where they live (in order to update each NL’s service area).
·         Customers will also be asked to fill out a brief paper (or online) survey asking for their feedback about HPL services.  Encourage customers to use the online survey (easier to tabulate). 
·         Maps need to be in a monitored location so push pins don’t become a danger to children.  [suggest 2nd and 3rd floor desks—lobby too crowded. KL]
·         Maps, easel(s), and surveys will be delivered next week.
2.       Kindle Fire for Staff Training.  NL Admin has purchased 36 Kindle Fires with book sale funds, 1 for each location for staff training.
·         Item will have G# and barcode so it can be checked out to staff members for a 2-week period.
·         Dr. Lawson wants everybody on the staff to be familiar with ebooks and the new mobile app so we all can help customers with their questions.
·         Ebook training—2 at Kendall (May 25 and June 1), 3 hours (2 hours training, 1 hour hands-on practice). 
3.       Counterfeit Bills.  Mike demonstrated the difference between a counterfeit and an authentic $10 bill.  Financial Services has received several counterfeit bills under $20 and asked all staff to check every bill $5 and up.
4.       Jason Stephens, Planning & Facilities: brochure holders for Voter Registration Forms
·         All Texas libraries required by state law (Texas Election Code, Section 20.001) to make voter registration forms available to their customers and to mail them, if requested by the customer.  Each adult applying for a PowerCard should be offered a Voter Registration Form.
·         Staff is not expected to verify customer’s information or to help customers fill out forms.  To answer questions, go to the Harris County Tax Assessors Office, Voter Registration (http://www.hctax.net/voter/acquirevoterapp.aspx) or the Texas Secretary of State (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/reqvr.shtml).
·         If requested, staff can put completed forms (which are postage-paid) in the outgoing mail box for pick up.
·         At Kendall: in addition to the forms at the desks on each floor, additional forms (both English and Spanish) are in brochure holders in the 2nd and 3rd floor Print Centers.
5.       New Substitute Guidelines
·         Substitutes can only be requested when staffing levels fall below established minimum level [posted on Quick Links page
·         For vacation requests, staff must switch Staurdays with a co-worker.  Substitutes may only be requested to fill unexpected absences.
·         Substitutes must be requested only for hours the library is open to the public, minimum 4-hour shift.
·         See CSS section on Quick Links blog for revised guidelines and request form.
6.       NL Administration offices are moving from Marston to the 6th floor of Central (old HALS suite) June 11.  Other moves from Marston:
·         Collection Development is moving in the Library Materials Services area by June 6
·         Financial Services is moving into the former Collection Development office on the Concourse level by June 6.
·         Communications department is moving to the former ILL space (already moved?).
·         Human Resources is moving to the former Program staff office on the 4th floor of Central by June 11.
2.    eBook Training, May 25 & June 1
3.     SRP begins next week (see June/July Program Calendar).
4.  Ready 2 Open: Everyone has this on his or her schedule 15 minutes before we open to the public, meaning everyone is on the floor making sure everything is turned on, checked in, straightened up, and ready for customers.


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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.
  1. 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).
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.