Next week

A reminder -

I will be unavailable from Saturday through Wednesday of next week.  I will be back at my regular time on Thursday.

If you can wait for an answer, please send me an email and I'll respond when I return.  If it is an emergency, either call Tula, Pedro, or if neither is available, call the Neighborhood Library Administration line.

Thanks!
Brandon

Friday, March 6 staff meeting Notes

 Staff Meeting

March 6, 2015

Place: Tuttle

Attendance: Brandon, Tula, Jeremy, Rosa, Nadine, Wendy, and Courtnie

Absent: Brittany

1)      Manager’s meeting information:

a)      Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO)- We cannot stop someone from using the restroom based upon their outward appearance of gender. Anyone can use the restroom of their choice to which they identify with. If another patron starts to become disruptive about someone using a restroom, then we need to call security or police on the one causing the disruption. If someone wants to question or bring up the fact that the ordinance is in the courts then staff are encouraged to use the Executive Order 1-50, this order is not in the courts and it also is about non-discriminatory restroom use.

b)      Staffing – Ashley is starting on the 16^th of March. We are also getting a full-time staff person from LMS on the 18^th of March. We are still going to be getting a part-time replacement for Lori’s position but that will be at a later date. When the new staff start, Ashley will go to PLE and the LMS person will be primarily at Tuttle along with Jeremy, to help jump start the Juvenile program.

c)       Shelving consistency – The CE wants all the NLs to shelve the books identically. Right now they are starting with the concept books (shapes, colors, ABCs, 123s); they will need to be interfiled with the regular picture books. As of right now, Holiday books and other special sections, can stay separated until further notice.

i)        Quick Note: Josh Norris has resigned from GSD security. If he does come into the library, please remember to treat him courteous and just like any other patron. He just is no longer a City Employee.

d)      Incident Reports – I, Tula, will start to pass out training guides for incident reports. I will send a scanned copy of what an incident report should look like. It is requested that anyone who witnesses an incident should make a report; do not just delegate it to the highest person. Since most of the staff isn't used to writing incident reports, I will come up with a weekly example and send it to everyone which then people will write up a mock report for me and Brandon to see only as practice. This way when something does happen, you will all know what to do and can simply send it in; especially if we both might be out of the office for a few days.

e)      Comment Forms – all the previous comment forms that are printed up and stored at the front desk(s) need to be recycled. The new and updated comment forms can be downloaded and printed from the reference guide on the intranet. When filling out the forms be sure the “Staff Comment” portion is filled out. Find out from the patron if they want to be contacted and if so how; this information is what you would put in the staff portion, yes, they want to be contacted; no, they do not want to be contacted. Forms need to be viewed by the manager first unless they are out on vacation will not return in a timely manner, then they can be sent on to admin. Comment forms can be scanned and emailed to Pedro, if you send it into CE then please send it to Yolanda and label it as Comment Form on the envelope; otherwise it will remain on the desk unopened for a while. Also remember that if the comment is about IT, then you can call IT immediately and just find out if something can be done or not; it does not have to wait for an admin. This would also go into the staff comment area, information about what you did to help remedy the situation. 

2)      Customer Service Minute:

a)      Attitude @ the Desk – Everyone is doing a good job, haven’t heard of a compliant about anyone being too mean or rude to customers.

b)      Eye Contact – Just remember that eye contact is important. Making eye contact with a patron means you are paying attention to them and hearing them. When it comes to answering the phones, where you cannot make eye contact, remember that the tone of your voice can be your eyes. If you sound pleasant and cheerful they will probably be too. If you sound harsh or speak with an uninteresting tone they will probably think you are not wanting to help them. So even if they can’t see you smile when you are talking, even on the phone, it can be heard!

3)      Nuts and Bolts:

a)      Timing of Future Staff Meetings – Managers meetings have switched to the 4^th Friday of the month. So the staff meeting will be held the Friday after. Be aware of this when scheduling doctor appointments. Also, the managers meetings have started to include assistant managers as well, so Tula will now also be attending so that two people will be able to hear the news and report back what is going on.

b)      Missing Item List –Not all NL has been doing this, but is requested that all NL should start to do this if you are not already doing so. You can retrieve the missing list each Friday from the Reference section of the Intranet.

c)       Reshelving Project @ Tuttle – (Follow the guide that was handed out at the meeting)

d)      Shelf reading assignments – Once the shifting is completed and new staff have become adjusted, then assignments may change.

e)      Sick/Vacation/Dr. Appts – Just send in the requests on Kronos. There is a section for a message where you can leave Brandon a message if you need to explain in detail what you want to do about your hours or what is going on. You do not have to send in an email first to get permission to send in kronos.

f)       Cleaning up workrooms – Thanks to Nadine for cleaning up the safe room at Tuttle. Next is to start on the work areas and get those organized. Just remember to put things back where they belong so everything isn’t cluttered.

g)      Training – You may take Gale courses but they will not count the full 24 hours. You will only get 6 hours of training towards your total hours. Also, the all-day Staff development day training is mandatory for both full-time and part-time employees. This will take place on May 1^st, so start  to let Brandon know about schedules so it can be worked out.

h)      Flip Kits – Only one coupon for the CMH can be given out per survey per kit. If someone checks out 20 kits and returns 20 DIFFERENT surveys then they can receive 20 coupons. If someone checks out 1 kit (ex: for a daycare) and the person returns with 20 surveys for that 1 kit then they cannot get but 1 coupon. Remember that when a Flip Kit returns from checkout, that they must all be returned back to CMH no matter what. If it happens to have a hold on it for another branch, please tape the receipt to the side of the label without the barcode and send it off to CMH. They will replenish it and then send it to the proper location.

i)        FYI -  If there is ever a shortage of $10 or more in the cash drawer, the police have to be notified. Do not lose the credit card receipts that the patron signs; and if someone wants to make a payment over the phone, we do not offer that service BUT WE CAN transfer them to CIRC ADMIN and they will take the payment. 

Service animals

Hello,

There have been some inquiries about service animals in the library.

Here is the official sheet about what is allowed.

http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Brandon

Lori Reza

Hey everyone.

Lori just came by and told me that she is resigning effective immediately.

She had what sounds like her literal dream job offered to her that was full time with benefits and no nights or weekends.  She is very excited and very sorry that she had to resign today because they want her to start tomorrow!

This will mean some changes to our scheduling, but Pedro is trying to find us some more assistance, especially on Saturdays.

Thanks,
Brandon

Tax Season

Most of you have been through a tax season before so you know what it is like.

However, we have some new hires who have not so I want to give some advice.

1) WE DO NOT GIVE TAX ADVICE. - People will ask all sorts of things, but the truth is that none of us are experts.  Anything other than "What libraries give tax help?" and "Where can I get forms" is something with which we just cannot help.  If someone is insistent, please get Tula or me and we will do our best.

2) The only forms we have are 1040, 1040EZ, and 1040A.  Any other form will need to be obtained through a different source.  www.irs.gov has all of the forms on it, however people will need to pay to print them.  Occasionally, you will have someone say that we have to give them printouts for free.  This is not true.   Handle this like you would anyone else wanting to print something.

Finally, I want to emphasize this again

WE DO NOT GIVE TAX ADVICE!!!!!

Workflows

Please remember to shut workflows when you are not assigned to the desk.

If you are scheduled for the desk and workflows is already up when you get there, please shut it down and log in as yourself.

Thanks,
Brandon

January Staff Meeting

Staff Meeting

January 30, 2015

Place: Tuttle

Attendance: Brandon, Tula, Jeremy, Rosa, Nadine, Wendy, Lori, Brittany, and Courtnie

Notes:

1)      Next month and March’s meeting will be on different days. The administration have moved the managers meeting to a Friday.

2)      Training

a)      NEO? Looks like everyone but Lori does not need to take the new onboarding (NEO)training courses.

b)      Give ‘em a Pickle - if you have not taken this quick training video guide, please do so. It is going away soon. So please do so sometime this week when you are off the desk this week or let Tula or Brandon know that you need to take it so you may be scheduled time off the desk to take it.

c)       Defensive Driving - this needs to be done every 3 years, either with the city or on your own. Either way, the city needs a copy of the certificate on record. If you have not already registered, please do so now so that it can get approved.

                                            i.            Questions asked:

Rosa – How do we find out how many hours of training do we have so far?

Answer: To see how many hours you have go to the training portal and it will list your formal hours. If you had informal training (ex. someone came and personal trained you on serials or other procedures, etc.), let Brandon know.

3)      Customer Service Minute

a)      Appropriate Computer Use – Do not get on Facebook of social media site while on duty. If you are looking at the internet or on the computer, are you able to justify the use of it? Remember you can use the time to become familiar about databases on the HPL websites. When you are on break or lunch then you are free to browse the internet at your leisure.

b)      Appropriate Dress – Capri pants are fine but it’s based on material. If it is yoga or sweat pants material, then leave it at home.  Remember that the dress code that is currently in affect was established in the 80s and hasn’t been rewritten since, but will be revised over the next year possibly. If you are doing programming or storytime, you may want to wear something you can move around in. If you know we will be shifting and moving books all day, then jeans may be appropriate. Keep in mind that you want to wear something that will separate you as a staff member from other patrons. You want to be taken seriously and not have them look at you as if you have no authority which you all do.

4)      Nuts and Bolts

a)       Special Projects

i)        Reshelving Tuttle -  Next Friday we will start to reshelve the entire adult nonfiction portion of Tuttle. We will try to put the nonfiction into the first half of the rows before the YA split and after the split will contain the CLASSICS and the Biographies, which will also be separated by Juvenile and adult.

ii)      Displays -  Nadine has agreed to take over the displays at Tuttle; while Rosa and Tula continue to handle the displays at PLE. Remember that the displays need to be clean and clutter free. Look out for ads that were left by outside sources or vendors. Definitely no signs for personal businesses or want ads. If you have any questions about posting a sign for an outsider ask Brandon or Tula.

iii)    Cleaning up workrooms -  Tula is starting to rearrange the PLE workroom and preparing it possibly for it to become a HUB location. When PLE is completed, Tula wants to start working on Tuttle’s backroom and closets. Brandon has talked with Pedro about Tuttle possibly becoming a HUB but only once Sharita’s position gets filled.

iv)    Programming -  Tuttle has been asked about starting an ASZ; possibly starting back a movie day. It was originally on a Thursday night but we may try it on a Saturday just to see if it can become a more active family activity. Graduation Game Plan for the Spring, has been brought back up again. It was held in the Fall at both locations. It was considered a success at PLE while Tuttle didn’t have anyone attend. It may be considered to keep the same schedule setup for PLE the way it was for the Fall but change TUTs up for the Spring.

v)      Ideas - If anyone has any ideas on programs that can be used for Tuttle to help build up the storytime or ASZ times, please let Brandon know. No idea will be turned away. And if the idea isn’t possible for Tuttle it may be possible for PLE, so let him know.

b)      HEAR Plans

i)        Brandon has met with most of you and gone over your HEAR plans; if not he will get to you in the next week or so to go over that. The HEAR plan is to show you what is expected that way when the review come no one is surprised. Previously, most of the staffs HEAR plan consisted of a combined goal of shelf reading and shelving which should have been 2 separate goals. Since both locations can’t actually shelve as much books per day or hour that could acquire a 5; the focus will be on shelf reading, which everyone can keep their same section for their shelf reading assignment. If you do not have a shelf reading assignment, then please let Brandon know so that he can assign you a section. Let him know what your current section is anyway so that he can keep up with who does what.

ii)      Applications – not everything that is wrong with the application has to be counted wrong. Brandon is only looking for the major details, like if the signature is missing or it is a duplicate record. If the person forgot to check off yes or no on the voter’s registration app, then it isn’t a big deal.

c)       Outreach

i)        Nadine went out and conducted an outreach at Hester House. She signed up 13 people for library cards.

We need to be on the lookout for more outreach opportunities. Sharita’s position is looking at possibly being turned into a children’s focused position, so that person will be needing to do outreach for schools and community centers. Remember, just going to a place to hand them flyers is considered outreach, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out event.