June 2017 Staff Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes

Kashmere/Lakewood Grouping

June 26, 2017

In attendance:
Melissa Ryans
Ruby Robinson
Dionne McLaughlin
Juan Lopez
Twanna Wade
Linda Adams
Ann Perry
Karl Beck
Dee Hunter
Alena Lee
Ana Santana

Vacant Position:
Customer Service Clerk, Part-time

Topics:
Managers Meeting
Staff Discussion
Open Discussion

First Topic: Managers Meeting

• Digital Strategies
• Information Security: COH is emphasizing information security, which means that some processes and procedures may change. The biggest challenge in IT/COH is ransomware (it encrypts files and asks people to pay a fee to unencrypt them). This has happened at HPL twice (the G-drive was infected). So please be sure to monitor suspicious emails and sites and do not click on any links or download any attachments that look suspicious. Delete all suspicious emails.
• If you do download an attachment or click on a link, contact the IT Helpdesk ASAP.
• Hotspots: The goal of DS is to hit five community neighborhoods (they have accomplished that). the hotspots are very popular (locations have long waiting lists), and they are working on adding more locations in the next fiscal year. That said, 20-30 hotsopots have been set aside for staff usage at outreaches and conferences. Staff are asked to not check out these hotspots for use by customers. Current rules for checking out hotspots will apply to staff as well (you will be charged fines and fees accordingly). 
• DS is still working to develop a staff lending program.
• Submit a ticked to IT Helpdesk to check out a hotspot
• HPL will not remove filtering software on hotspots
• Pilot program ends on June 30th
• International service is not provided on hotpsots
• There are training guides about hotspots on the Training Portal
• Try to handle customer issues at the branch level. If customer wishes to escalate, contact Emmanuel Merinini 
• In his absence, contact Beatrice (Bee) Duran
• Online Applications: The system uses real-time address verification (US Postal Service Database), and there have been issues with matching information submitted in form to what is in the system (e.g., change of address, name change, etc.). If there are continued issues with the online application (e.g., it will not accept/process application), then staff should process the application at the desk with the old method.
• See if address is in service area (remember all Texas residents can get a free library card)
• Match name and address
• Customers will now be asked to select a branch location if they complete the online form in-house (the location option will not be visible on staff or home computers).
• International Services
• Citizenship Kits: Branches should start receiving citizenship kits for circulation. 
• There are 13 items in the kit but only three are considered ESSENTIAL:
• Flash cards
• Civic lessons book
• Welcome to America book (English-version only)
• Check these kits out like we do flip kits: before checking them out or checking them in, please check and make sure all essential components are in the kit.
• Every item will have the same barcode, so you will only need to scan one item to check out the entire kit
• If an essential item is missing, it is a $7.00 fine for the item. If all three are missing, then it is $21.00 for the item. You would bill the account for all items and would still add on the processing fee ($10.00)
• Citizenship kits labeled are reference should be kept behind the desk.
• All kits will float
• Contact Jessica Stanley if a kit has pieces that need to be replaced/replenished.
• To do this, check the kit out on the branch's REFURB account and send to LMS
• You do not need to check the kit for ALL the items, just the three that are considered essential
• Training Department
• Staff Development Day will be held in April 2018. Might be held every other year rather than every year. 
• This year, Training Department considering doing a staff development week (trainings and other items are held at the branch with manager and staff)
• Remember that any training that costs money MUST be approved by the Training Department. Suzy needs at least two weeks notice about the training
• Pension
• Reform bill passes legislature. 
• Note: if investments perform too low, pension board may cut benefits or increase employee contributions to bring costs in line
• Mayor is seeking to reverse revenue cap
• Twanna and Linda will be attending the Q&A session, so direct any questions to them or a supervisor

Second Topic: Staff Discussion

• Staff Holds: You are required to check out your holds after you remove them from the holds shelf. We are still finding staff names on clear holds lists but the holds are not on the shelf. Remember that holds are automatically cleared by the system, and some items have holds and need to go out.
• Subscription Items (S-Plan Items): Remember that any item with a yellow call label should NEVER be discarded are stamped. You can tell that an item is a subscription item due to the bright yellow call label on the spine and the fact that the item is not stamped HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY at the top of the book.
• This is important: we've been receiving these items for a little over a year, and there have been multiple emails, verbal reminders, and meeting discussions about this.
• These items are leased, meaning that they do not belong to HPL; we lease them from a vendor
• These are not HPL books so do not treat them as such
• If you find a S-Plan item that is damaged, set aside (e.g., place on manager's desk with note) or wrap a float label on it, write a brief description of what is wrong with it, and send it to LMS, ATTN: Sara Karow.
• Volunteer Services: Please remember that HPL does not accept requests for court-ordered volunteering. Check the blog for a list of organizations (or here) that do accept court-ordered volunteers.
• Customer Service: Please be mindful of how you treat customers. You should be addressing customers when they approach the desk. If customers feel as if you are unapproachable, then you are not providing exemplary customer service.
• If you have a line at the desk and the rover is busy, call the workroom to get a coworker to assist you. Remember that servicing customers on the public floor comes first.
• Office 365 (Word, Excel): The main issue is that the licenses do not allow for more than five computers to be signed in under one log-in. Because of this, there are issues with staff assessing any of the Office Suite software while signed in the STAFF profile. 
• IT provided a workaround, but it is not working. DS is working with COH IT and Microsoft to resolve the issue.
• If you need to use an Office product (e.g., Word, Excel): you will have to sign into your desktop profile (remember to sign out of your profile once you finish since your email is also accessible on your personal profile
• Note: In order to open attachments/documents, you will have to download the document, then open the software and open the document from the software. Let me know if you have any issues with this.

Third Topic: Open Discussion

• Meeting Rooms: Do not book meetings back-to-back. Give a buffer of at least 15 meetings between meetings (this allows one group to clear out and clean the room before the other group comes in).
• Also remember that all meetings should end 15 minutes prior to closing. Groups/Persons reserving the room that continuously violate this policy may be banned for reserving the room.
• Applications: Staff are finding too many dupes when checking applications. Remember to check several fields (e.g., name, address, birthdate, alt id). Check to make sure that the customer did not have a youth card. You can do this by checking the account for the parent's name (which can be found in the Extended Info field) and ask the customer about the parent. Explain to customer that a parent/guardian signed for a card in their name and that should discuss any outstanding fines and fees with the person that got them the account.