10/20/14 Staff Meeting

Meetings Notes

Kashmere/Lakewood NL Grouping

October 20, 2014

In attendance:

Pedro Fonseca (Manager)

Melissa Ryans (Assistant Manager)

Dionne McLaughlin (Senior Library Service Specialist)

Juan Lopez (Senior Customer Service Clerk)

Twanna Wade (Senior Customer Service Clerk)

Dee Hunter (Library Assistant)

Karl Beck (Library Assistant)

Latoya Chase (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Cristal Nino (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Jennita Thomas (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Not in attendance:

Marissa Baltrip (Customer Service Clerk)

Tandi Pierson (Library Assistant)

Topics of Interest:

·         Job Postings

·         CSD Talk

·         Clayton Special Collections Information

·         Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

·         Managers’ Meetings Information

·         Open Discussion

First Topic: Job Postings

·         P. Fonseca encouraged all staff to apply

·         Only four new positions were created. The rest of the positions posted are vacancies that existed prior to the hiring event and are being backfilled.

·         All staff applying for positions must meet the minimum qualifications.

·         Interviews at the hiring event will be different (more abbreviated, but it will still be a panel interview comprising about three people)

·         Locations of the vacancies are unknown at this time

·         Interviews will take place last week of October/first week of November

·         As positions open, they will file requests, and then post.

·         HPL will be making decisions regarding applicants very quickly, and staff will be notified very quickly

Second Topic: CSD Discussion

·         Transaction Time with Customers:

o   Staff should monitor time spent helping a customer, especially those comfortable with certain people.

o   This is a workflow issue because staff can get backed up (e.g., customers needing assistance at CSD). Customers will also come to expect the same service from all staff.

o   Transactions between staff and customers should be about five minutes, though there are special circumstances. Staff should use their best judgment (e.g., customers who are not computer literate or have disabilities)

o   If customer requires more intensive assistance, staff should excuse themselves from the transaction to aid at the CSD when needed and let the customer know they will return to continue assisting.

o   Let customers know about the programs and services offered by HPL (e.g., open job labs, computer classes, Brainfuse, etc.) so that customers can gain the skills they need to complete certain tasks

·         Gift Policy:

o   Staff should not accept any gifts from customers. Could face possible jail time if transactions are reported to city officials. Special gifts include food, drinks, gift cards, etc.

o   Do not accept any gifts that are given by customers because you assisted them whether they are offered on or off the clock. Do not accept gifts if they are given to a family member to be given to you.

o   The state, city, and department all have gift policies and there are penalties (criminal consequences) for not adhering to the policy.

o   T. Wade asked about customers getting mad at staff for refusing gifts. P. Fonseca stated that staff should explain the policy to customer. Gifts can be donated to a charitable institution. Gift cards can be donated to the library.

o   D. McLaughlin asked about significant others bringing gifts to the library. P. Fonseca stated that if there is a personal relationship outside of work that it is okay, but staff should not claim to have a personal relationship with a customer just to receive gifts.

o   Staff should not accept anything of value for doing what the city is paying them to do.

·         Damaged Items Found on Shelf

o   If a customer wants to check out an item that is damaged, please note the damage on the customer’s account in the Extended Notes field. Type out a brief description of the damage, and make sure that the note is dated and contains the initials of the staff person checking out the item as well as the location. This prevents the customer from being erroneously charged and decreases the chance of an issue arising between other staff and the customer in regards to the item(s). Do not allow a customer to walk out of the library with a damaged item that was found on the shelf without noting the account.

o   If a customer states that an item was checked out damaged, let the customer know for future reference that the damaged should be reported to the library as soon as they see it.

o   Staff should be checking returns for damage to item.

o   If a damaged item comes across the desk, staff should immediately place it in discard status and then put it on the discard shelf/bin.

·         Food at Desk

o   Food is not all at the desk at all. This includes candy and gum.

o   If food is found at the desk, it will be thrown away.

o   Staff can drink whatever drinks the public is allowed so long as the container as a lid. Place all drinks underneath the CSD and out of sight of the public.

·         The ear piece at Kashmere is not being charged. Staff should make sure that they are placing the head set correctly on the charging station. A green blinking light will come on if the ear piece is correctly on the station.

Third Topic: Clayton Special Collections Library

·         Clayton is one of the ten best genealogical libraries in the nation and is a part of HPL’s Special Collection libraries

·         The staff at Clayton teaches genealogy to the public; they do not do it. Staff provides resources to the public and shows them how to access digital materials

·         Staff should always conduct a reference interview to see how best to meet customers’ needs. If someone is looking for obituaries in the newspaper (e.g., Houston Chronicle), refer to CEN. If they are looking for Houston/Texas records, neighborhoods, houses, etc., refer to HMRC. Refer to Clayton if the information can be placed at a person-level: keywords include birth, marriage, death, land records, church records, cemetery

·         If they are looking for family histories, refer to Clayton

·         Staff can show customers Clayton Library’s website and highlight the in-depth staff assistance and specialty.

·         Staff can refer customers to genealogy databases (Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest)

·         Staff can also call Clayton while the customer is there and have the customer speak with staff over the phone. Staff can also provide Clayton’s phone number so that customers can call. Do not send customers blindly to Clayton. This frustrates the customer and staff.

Fourth Topic: Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

·         EAP is no longer at a designated building. Staff should call 1-855-378-7485 or go online to guidanceresources.com. You will be referred to local resources.

·         P. Fonseca distributed handouts at meeting.

Fifth Topic: Managers’ Meeting Information

·         Staff should submit incident reports for bodily fluids found in the library and/or on library premises. Please indicate where the bodily fluids were found. NL Administration wants to keep track of things like this for security reasons.

·         If it is in the restroom, staff does not have to do one if it looks like an accident (e.g., someone missed the toilet), but if it looks like vandalism (e.g., stuff smeared on walls or floor), then submit incident report. Pictures are helpful.

·         There are sanitizers and Clorox wipes available for locations that need them. Should be on supply list.

·         If you have taken the health assessment but do not see your points in ESS, please know that Cigna is aware of the issue and is working on transporting that information into ESS. Staff is encouraged to print out health assessment as backup.

·         Library Card Campaign: Continue promoting new card. Let customers know that the old cards (22477…) will expire. At this time, there is no set date on which the cards will expire. Still, just let the customers know the old cards will expire “sometime in the near future” and encourage them to update their cards. Customers will have to fill out an application to get new cards.

Sixth Topic: Open Discussion

·         P. Fonseca discussed having Project Grad at Kashmere and Lakewood NL. Staff interested in having it at the branch. P. Fonseca will see about getting it at Kashmere NL. Concerns about having it at Lakewood due to spacing limitations.

·         L. Chase asked that when doing applications staff search three fields to make sure that customers do not have any prior accounts: name, birth date, and alt ID. In some occasions, searching for the address will pull up an old account. She is finding a lot of duplicate accounts when processing applications.

·         Staff holiday party (for the group) will take place between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays (sometime in December).

·         Staff decided to do a potluck. Will distribute sign-up list in November.

·         Staff decided to do Secret Santa. J. Thomas recommended that staff lists four-five things they would want on the name slip so that their giver knows what to get them. Gift cards are an option; just state the store/restaurant you would like a gift card for.

·         Price range of gifts: $10-$20, but this is still be debated