March 2017 Staff Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes

Kashmere/Lakewood Grouping

March 30, 2017

In attendance:
Melissa Ryans (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)
Alena Lee (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)
Ana Santana (Customer Service Clerk, Part-time)

Vacant Position(s):
Assistant Manager (Librarian II)
Customer Service Clerk (CSC, Part-time)

Topics:
Team Building Exercise
Managers Meeting
Staff Discussion
Open Discussion

First Topic: Team Building Exercise 
Starting this month, team building exercises will consist of the following: 1) the staff person with a birthday this month will present to the group 5-10 questions that the group has to answer, 2) each person writes the answer on an index card, 3) the person who answers the most questions wins a prize selected by the birthday person. Purpose of exercise is giving rather than receiving.

Second Topic: Managers Meeting

• Closings/Openings: 
• SCE is now closed. Holds are being routed to LAK. Follow procedures for checking in SCE holds. Remember that you must first change the pick up location before checking the item in through receive transit. Checking in the item without changing the pick up location will send a notification to the customer stating that the pick up location is SCE rather than LAK.
• Brittany Moore will begin working in our grouping until SCE reopens.
• COL had a soft reopening on 3/27 and will have a larger opening celebration on 04/22
• BLU is scheduled to open on 5/13
• DIX will be closing in May for renovations
• Staffing Updates:
• Laura Montegrande is now Manager at VIN
• John Hog has been hired as Manager at COL
• Applying for Jobs: Remember to submit a resume with an application that is completely filled out. Do not remove other job experience from resume/application. (Remember that a part-time hour is half a full-time hour, so if a position requires one year of library experience, and you only put your part-time experience on there, you would not meet the qualification if you were a part-timer for only a year (it would count as 6 months of library experience).
• Same is true for customer service experience, so make sure to include all customer service experience, not just those at HPL.
• Youth Services
• SRP registration opens May 1st and is open to all schools
• Promotional materials should be arriving mid-April
• Get with Dionne and Twanna regarding any additional log books that might be needed (they will then get in contact with the appropriate persons)
• International Services
• HPL Policy & Procedure 1-9: Confidentiality of Records and Compliance with Law Enforcement
• Link to policy
• Link to procedure
• Main points highlighted in meeting:
• Subpoenas: not executed immediately; do not provide information to LEO; contact CE Administration immediately
• Search Warrants: executed immediately; cooperate with LEO and provide only those documents/information outlined in search warrant
• All Search Warrants come with a gag order (staff/institution cannot discuss contents of search warrants)
• Contact CE Administration immediately
• Reminder: This topic was covered a bit more in-depth in our October 2016 meeting. Review those notes as well
• The Living Room @ HPL: new program being piloted at ALI and JUN
• Purpose: facilitate discussion of topics to customers over coffee/tea; initiate communication and camaraderie
• Part of civic engagement: building bonds and social engagement in communities, particularly immigrant communities
• All members of the community can participate; participants offer shared experiences, languages,etc.; exchange of cultural ideas/activities
• Citizenship Tooklits: Branches will receive 1 reference toolkit; 75 toolkits will go into circulation across the system
• Toolkits contain 13 items, but we are only checking for three (similar to what we do with flip kits currently - some items are more important than others)
1. Workbook (it is okay if the CD is missing)
2. Welcome Guide (it is okay if the Spanish edition is missing)
3. Flash cards (these will be on a ring)
• Extra flash cards will be given as reference item at select locations (these will be in a box rather than a ring, so remember that box = reference; ring = circulation/kit)
• All locations will receive International Services binders with documents in several languages
• Website for immigrants: http://citizenshipcorner.org
• Digital Strategies
• Online library card registration form is online. Process will be piloted at JUN and CEN
• Some things of note:
• There is built-in address verification but you might have to verify it the traditional way
• Form will recognize duplicates
• Youth registrations will be conducted in-house rather than online (form is for adult cards only)
• Check with customer to see if they are using Overdrive; if so, merge accounts
• Staff will go into Sirsi and modify the account the following way:
• Search by name
• Replace temporary account number with library card number
• Change library from HOU-ONLINE to customer's preferred location
• Change profile name from PUBLIC to whichever applies to customer
• Change History Rule: Checkout history (change from CIRCRULE to ALL CHARGES); customer must then opt in when they get home by logging into their accounts
• If customer agrees with device checkout policy, change user cat 2 to LAPTOP-YES
• Still verify identity with ID
• For more information, check out the following links:
• Post on CE Blog
• FAQ on Staff Training Portal
• Other Messages:
• Incident Reports
• Be sure to write in third person (do not use "she" or "he).
• Describe customer as best as you can
• Be sure to always note what actions you took
• If police are called, be sure to get officer name and badge number (do the same for EMTs)
• Refer to guide.
• Report all illegal issues to HPD (call non-emergency), even if a customer states not to call or you did not witness to incident (mainly to protect staff and library)
• Be sure to get as much information from customers/participants as possible
• Remember that all parties have to submit an incident report (even if it is one sentence)
• Try to get another staff member as witness (especially for illegal/violent matters)
• Be sure to always follow naming conventions and other details (see guide for more information)
• As always, in the absence of a supervisor, have another coworker read over the incident report. Make sure it is giving a clear story (e.g., "And then what happened?")
• If customer leaves library/property, state that clearly in the report
• Reports should have a conclusion
• Anything that happens off property is not our concern (e.g., homeless customers sleeping at Metro bus stop - provide phone so customer can call Metro Police/HPD)
• Reminders:
• We cannot ban customers from library without a witness (he said/she said), but we still should call HPD Non-Emergency to make the report (provides documentation in case another incident happens and supports future allegations)
• Get statement/information from customers
• Cannot make customers stay; put in incident report if the customer leaves
• Do not follow any customers outside the library
• For children that are suspended: be sure to document the behavior (e.g., running, eating, fighting, etc.) in detail and let kids know that they are suspended. If you speak to a parent, let them know about the suspension as well. 
• Document all suspensions in incident reports.
• Use telephone greeting consistently, even if it is an in-house call or you recognize the number

Third Topic: Staff Discussion

• "Email" will now be added to the schedule. Emails regarding Kronos issues have not been arriving in a timely manner. Please use "Email" time to check and respond to emails and to check Kronos and email supervisor regarding any timecard issues.
• If you attend an off-site training on your off day, please send email the following day.
• Reminder: do not wait until the building opens to be on the floor. You should be on the floor about five minutes prior to opening.
• Reminder: please be sure to be at the desk at your scheduled time.
• Cleaning House: Please do not take for granted the housekeeping certain people on the team does. Be courteous and practice good internal customer service by putting your things where they belong. Again, think about how you're utilizing your time and make sure to give yourself enough time to clean up either before you go on the desk or after you are off.
• Sprockets: If you submit a Sprocket, remember to place your name on the form. Email staff/manager about issue so that all will know.
• Reminder: monitor conversations/volume at desk; staff should not be the loudest people in the building
• Open enrollment ends April 7th. Be sure to  have all changes entered into ESS by the deadline.
• Notary Survey: Staff seem to overwhelmingly agree that notary services are not working at KAS NL for the following reasons:
• Cannot notarize most documents brought to location (wrong kind or lacking notarial certificate)
• Has made customers extremely frustrated with staff/branch
• Everyone is required to view the Pronunciator webinar (staff has been assigned this task)
• Please do not send all change down with the deposit (remember that it will more than likely be your coworker going to get change).
• Please minimize pointing to customers. You should always get up and, if not necessarily walk them to the collection then walk with them in the general direction.
• This is especially true when customers are looking for books. Escort them to the section. Do not give directions.
• Question: What happens if staff is busy at the desk and a customer gets impatient waiting?
• Answer: Call for assistance from the back. Remember that serving customers on the public floor comes first, so people in the back are expected to help out up front if needed.
• Triage and use judgment: if it is something minor that can be resolved, see if the customer you are assisting is willing to wait while you direct the other customer; if it is more time-consuming, ask the customer to wait or get another staff person to assist him/her.
• Stuck between a rock and a hard place, but use your best judgment: assess the situation and determine the best course of action to take.
• Weeding at KAS: Be sure that before shelving you are reviewing each book for condition and removing ones that are in poor condition. If you are unsure, put to the side and place a note on it and I will review it later.
• Be sure to use weeding time/discard time to complete tasks. We have about 2-3 weeks left (goal: have all sections weeded by condition by April 15th)
• KAS will delay opening on April 24th - April 27th. Staff will be aiding with this project
• Goal is to get all tagging done within that four-day period, so we need to remove as much junk from the collection before it begins
• I-Team system will be upgraded on April 3rd, so we should be able to batch print guest passes after the update.
• Reminder: do not store non-HPL items. Be sure to enter item information in the Orphan Book Log and send item to ILL (attach a note so ILL know it is an orphan book).

Fourth Topic: Open Discussion

• Question regarding printing jobs for customers that do not have dollar bills/change;
1. If you provide a free print the job from Coin Copier machine, do not accept any monies. Accept monies only if you print from CSD.
2. Use your judgment: customers should go get change in order to print items out (good practice: ask customers if they intend to print prior to them getting a guest pass/computer card and let them know what is required).
1. Remember the service priorities: work- and school-related tasks should always be a concern
2. Remember those with disabilities and other limitations
3. Make sure you emphasize that it is a one-time courtesy
4. Do not make it a habit of providing free print jobs. You should always see if it is possible for customer to get change
• Question regarding staff providing change (e.g., giving a dollar in exchange for four quarters)
1. Not really recommended because customers have begun expecting all staff to provide change - it has gone from being something staff do out of the kindness of their hearts to being an expectation demanded from customers. Staff are not required nor mandated to provide change.
• Question regarding letting customers use flash drive unattended
1. Use best judgment but remember that there is a chance you or the customer might forget the flash drive. We do not want our flash drives to walk off
2. Please do not leave applications in drawers at CSD; do not take to desk.
• Place the application in the application bin but place a note on it so that the checkers know that you need to review before they look over it
• Children printing items in computer lab that are not homework related
• Children are no longer allowed to sit at the last two computers in the lab. Will be reserved for staff/volunteers/students doing homework or research