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.

Meetin Notes 3/14/2012

11:15 – 11:50 AM, Break Room

Agenda

1.    Thuy has a new assignment as Technology Trainer, working with Suzy Benton and her system-wide training team which includes Suzanne Rickles. Check out her presentation on ebooks and ereaders to the Executive Leadership team on the Intranet Public Services page.

• The presentation gives a general overview of using eBooks with a the wide range of devices that are available.

2.    April programs due in Program Registration today. 

• Make sure all of your programs are in the G-drive for Karen and in Program Registration for them to be advertised in the DVD that Jason Stephens puts together for our TV screens.

3.    Opening and Closing Procedures (Karen)

• Please make sure to go by the schedule when opening and closing but also fill in for one another when it is needed. -When closing please make sure to pick up, turn off monitors, put the chairs in their proper place, make sure everything is put up, etc.
• Karen did not get to speak much on this subject but will do so on the next meeting.

4.    Reminder to check CD’s and DVD’s when checking out and checking in.

• Please make it a habit to check all DVD’s and CD’s when they are being handled.

5.    Please double check items being shelved on hold shelves are in correct order.

• Remember to check if it is a Drive-up hold or Circulation Desk hold and mark “Drive-up” or put a slip to distinguish the difference.

6.    Karts or items left unattended without a note.

• Please try not to leave items or karts with items in the general area (be it in the workroom or reference desks) without leaving a note as to what is needed to be done with them for the next person to take over or simply putting your name on them so that others know that they are being worked on.

7.    Filling Out Incident Reports and Using Trespass Affidavits (Pedro)

• The following link (Neighborhood Libraries Blog: Incident Reports Reminders) was the hand-out that was passed out and it contains a few reminders about incident reports.
• The person that witnesses the incident should be the one to write and submit the incident report. If help is needed feel free to ask Karen, Pedro or any other staff member that is comfortable doing them.
• Please be as specific as possible when typing up what happened. Exact phrases that were used during the incident are highly encouraged.
• The form also contains how to save and where to send the report.
• There is also a section that speaks about trespass warnings and suspension notices. Trespass Warnings and Suspension Notices are also found on the Intranet under Forms and Facilities. If patron refuses to sign the form there is a section that lets you put that in.

• 8.    Discussion:
• Lin Swalley will come out to do a training on weeding & floating on an date TBD. This will count as training hours.
• Please make sure applications are filled out completely and correctly, including putting the expiration date with the last day of the month and 3 years ahead. If it is for a minor that will be turning 18 before the 3 year period is up then set the date to the minors 18^th birthday.