February 2016 Staff Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes

Kashmere/Lakewood NL Grouping

February 01, 2016

In attendance:

Melissa Ryans (Manager)

Jose Santoyo (Assistant Manager)
Dionne McLaughlin (Senior Library Service Specialist)

Juan Lopez (Senior Customer Service Clerk)

Twanna Wade (Senior Customer Service Clerk)

Linda Adams (Customer Service Clerk)

Ann Perry (Customer Service Clerk)

Karl Beck (Library Assistant)

Dee Hunter (Library Assistant)

Joseph Asberry (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Alena Lee (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Ana Santana (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Topics of Interest:

Introduction of New Staff

Icebreaker

Managers Meeting Notes

Staff Discussion

Open Discussion

First Topic: Introduction of New Staff

• Alena Lee, the new part-time CSC, introduced herself and thanked the staff for making her feel welcomed.

Second Topic: Icebreaker (Year of the Coin)

• J. Santoyo distributed pennies to all staff. Staff had to look at the year on the coin and answer three questions:
• 1) Where were you that year?
• 2) What were you doing or what do you remember the most about that year?
• 3) If you could change anything about that year, what would it be?
• Once again, the staff enjoyed the icebreaker, and they learned a little bit more about each other.

Third Topic: Managers Meeting Notes

• Link to January 2016 Manager Meeting Notes 
• COH / Mayoral Updates: No budget updates, but one of Mayor Turner's goals is to close the budget shortfall. He expects that doing so will be a "shared sacrifice" amongst all COH departments. This does not mean or imply layoffs. There is a "hiring frost" at the moment, and departments are being asked to fill only those critical positions. Some positions are taking as long as three months to fill.
• ConnectED: Dr. Lawson went to Washington, D.C., for a conference about how the library plays a vital role in children's literacy and to promote and grow our relationship with HISD.
• Foundation Director: Sally Swanson is the new Foundation Director.
• Digital Strategies Updates: IT is working to launch a new Computer Reservation system. The contract Coin Copiers expired, so they are going to start researching new proposals for printing services.
• Please start filling out the surveys IT sends you after a ticket has been closed. They help with customer service training and provides feedback about services.
• Please do not duplicate calls. You may call for an update, but if an issue has been reported, please do not report it again.
• Arts and Crafts Room @ CEN: There is a dedicated area for staff needed supplies and space to do any arts and crafts projects such as displays. Another purpose of the room is to engage volunteers and have them help make premade things that are needed.
• The space is located in room 455 (on the 4th floor) and has some supplies already stocked that staff might need (e.g., workspace, butcher paper, die-cut machines).
• There is no set schedule to use the room.
• There will be ready-made kits available.
• If you wish to take a trip to Central to look at the space or utilize it, please let M. Ryans or J. Santoyo know so that we can work the request into the schedule.
• You will have to be swiped in to get into the room, but the staff in the Kid's Room are there if you need entrance.
• Outcome-Based Programs: As a system, administration will be establishing goals for some (not all) library programs and examining the impact or outcomes of these programs. It's not about quantity but quality of the programs (e.g., How do our customers benefit from storytimes?).
• This will be a centralized process moving forward, and one of the first programs being analyzed is the Very Ready Reader Program.
• Process will require surveys to be distributed before and after programs or sessions to measure outcomes.
• If a customer speaks to you about a positive outcome (e.g., someone got a job because of Open Job Lab), please don't keep it to yourself. See if they would be willing to "go on the record" with their compliment, and if so, take down their name and number. Those stories should not stop with you.
• Link to handouts: Outcome Measurement Presentation
• Link to handouts: Outcome Measurement
• Financial Services: There are still issues with the Telecheck machine at both locations. IT and Dimitri Revada in Financial Services are aware of the issue.
• Please run the credit card and/or check transaction first before doing the transaction in Smart Money.
• If there are any issues with a machine not doing a close out batch at night, we can force one by pressing CREDIT -- MORE -- CLOSE or CHECK -- CLOSE.

Staff Discussion

• Time and Attendance Guidelines:
• During the benefit year (Sep. 01 - Aug. 31), any sick hours used over the allotted 64 requires a doctor's note.
• Wellness hours cannot be used to treat an ongoing illness or injury. If you use wellness hours, a doctor's note is needed to show proof of how time was used. This is needed in case of an audit.
• Remember that you must call in to the branch and/or supervisor no later than 30 minutes after the start of your shift.
• Everyone should be calling the branch first to alert staff or PIC of your situation. Everyone should have the private lines - not public lines - saved in their phones.
• Policy also dictates that employees cannot make up more than 4 hours in a given week. Again, there are always special circumstances, and each individual situation will be taken into account when determining the amount of time you are able to make up.
• Relevant documents:
• Notification of Tardiness or Absence
• Hours, Time, and Attendance
• Shelving Issues:
• Do not shelve items based on how a book looks (where you think it should go). You should shelve items as required by the call number (as everyone has been trained).
• If you think a book is mislabeled, communicate your concerns to a supervisor. They will look into the issue and report any concerns to LMS.
• At Kashmere, DVDs and CDs have been found in the cases on the shelf. The procedure is to place the discs in an envelope and file them in the filing boxes by the number on the card and shelve the case.
• The non-fiction DVDs at Kashmere will be interfiled so that they can be properly shelved and paged. This will be different from the previous arrangement, wherein the items were shelved based on category (e.g., National Geographic, History Channel, etc.)
• Link to the appropriate blog posting on change: Change in DVD Arrangement at KAS
• Supplies: If you use the last of something, please let Twanna or Dee know so that they can order more of it. We should not be running out of something just because there was a lack of communication.
• Delivery: If you a "time sensitive" envelope, please open it and place out flyers. If the flyers have a paper that says, "Please discard previous flyers," please remove the old flyers (recycle them) and replace them with the reprints. Do not leave both versions on the desk.
• The only items that should go on the managerial desk are any items addressed to manager, supervisor, or person-in-charge.
• Important to make sure the appropriate items are being placed out on the floor since some of them are time-sensitive.
• Remember that you should be completing all tasks related to delivery when scheduled for delivery. This includes putting up the bins (taking them to the front in some cases), putting all holds on the hold shelf, distributing items addressed to the appropriate persons.
• Supplies should be set aside. Please let Twanna or Dee know when supplies have arrived so that they can verify items and follow through regarding any issues.

Open Discussion

• Mark Item Used: 
• We will be creating a workflow to be used by the system, not just ours, so we need to think of how this would work in all locations.
• Staff settled on having a dedicated area for items picked up around the branch. Staff will be scheduled time on schedule to scan items under the Mark Item Used function. Items will be shelved and/or placed on shelving cart.
• Staff will do pick ups during their scheduled roving times.
• M. Ryans distributed a how-to-guide for the process. 
• Staff should watch the screen for any pop-ups because scanning the items in the function does not activate holds, discharge items, etc.
• Anything removed from the shelves are to be counted, even those items used for programs.
• Brainstormed workflow. Agreement that items would be placed on cart behind CSD at Kashmere and in a bin at Lakewood NL. Items will be processed as scheduled and shelved (if time allows) or placed on carts to be shelved at a later time.
• Link to Handout: Using the Mark Item Used Function
• Monies for Staff: Consensus from staff was to use it to go out for dinner or do an activity after hours. More discussion to follow and a decision to be made later.
• Meeting Rooms: Be sure to initial the form and the entries on the calendar. Linda is checking reservations to ensure that there are no double-bookings or other issues, but we need to know who took the reservation, and the way to do so is by having the person receiving the application initial and date.\
• Wellness: The deadline is March 12, 2016, for completing the other requirements needed to get the discount on next year's medical benefit. The posting is on the blog for the requirements. COH Wellness has also been emailing employees. You can check mycigna.com to see how much of the requirement you have completed.
• Staff Workstations/Desks: Some workstations are assigned, and as such items on them need to be respected and left alone. Do not move things from desks and certainly do not throw them away.
• J. Santoyo introduced a new way to celebrate birthdates: staff will get to choose between cake and drinks or a gift card, which will be presented to the staff member during one of the staff meetings.