Summer Reading!

Hi everyone,

I'm pleased to inform you that we now have our SRP calendars! Yay! Please note there are 2 calendars: 1 for adults and 1 for kids. They look different (the adult calendar looks like the standard calendar we have every month, and the kids calendar is on yellow paper). I've put a stack of the SRP calendars on the desk in front of the bag sign.

We are now letting kids do their rocket for SRP! When you sign up a child for SRP, let them select a rocket from the small basket at the desk. There are markers for them to write their name on the rocket, and they can decorate it if they wish. Place a small bit of sticky tack (also in the basket) on the back of the rocket, and direct the child to place it on the window that says "Start!" They will move their rocket along the windows as they read this summer. If it isn't busy, please walk them to the window to stick up their rockets.

Reminder-Summer Reading actually starts June 1st, even though we are signing up kids now. That means you should not be logging books for anyone until June 1st.

If you have any questions about SRP, please ask me!

Thanks!

Sara

Collier Staff Meeting Notes

Present: D. Hammett, S. Pope, J. Bradley, C. Machey, T. Eshelman, A. McClendon, J. Diederich, I.     Veloz

Not Present: R. Siegel

·         Customer Warnings

1.      When doing customer warning, just warn them. We will hold off on suspension.

2.      Any questions about suspension and banning please see Policies and Procedures>Planning and Facilities> 2.30 Library Security.  Here is the link https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/polandpro/pol-2_3.pdf

·         Displays

1.      Thanks to Julia and Sara for the wonderful displays that can be seen throughout the building.

2.      Any ideas or suggestions, please speak up!

·         MyLink Stories

1.      Let’s get customer to give their stories on how that have benefited from the use of library resources (book clubs, geology, etc.).

2.      Let customers know that they can be featured on a poster to have their story shared.

3.      If you do not want to interview them yourself, let them know that someone from communications will contact them.

4.      Be sure to get their current contact information

5.      Lastly, all entries must be submitted by June 5.

·         Holds\Bins

1.      There are two new labels on the wall. One is titled Central, and the other is titled Holds

a.       The Central bin will just be for items that are returning to the shelves at Central library.

b.      The bin labeled Holds will be for all items that are in transit for holds for customers at branches as well as at Central.

·         Open Discussion

1.       When supplies are delivered, please let Theresa know. If she is absent, place them by     her desk

2.      Kids Shifting

a.       Graphic Novels have been shifted to be between fiction and non-fiction

b.      The empty shelf close to encyclopedias have been designated for new non-fiction items

3.      SRP

a.       To help the SRP signup go faster, we have a clipboard to write down information

b.      Books cannot be logged nor can prizes be claimed until June 1.

c.       There will be additional prizes for kids that attend five or more programs

d.      Camp Wonderopolos can substitute for program attendance.

e.       There are two SRP calendars; one for children and one for adults

4.      There will be Cam Wonderpolos on Thursdays

5.      Camp Stream will take place here August 3-August 7

6.      Summer Food Program will begin June 1

7.      Tea Time Tournament will be held every other Saturday. It is basically a game night that will serve tea.

8.      Customer Service Clerk (FT) position will post soon.

9.      Customer Service Supervisor Position will also post soon.

Collier Staff Meeting 4/29/2015

Present: Djuina Hammett, Julia Bradley, Rose Siegal, Teresa Eshelman, James Diederich, Amanda McClendon

1. Staff Development Day

Options for parking are: 1. Discovery Green (carpool only; you had to request a parking pass); 2. Lot H (you had to request a parking pass); 3. Central Library (if you did not request a parking pass and need to park, you should plan to arrive here very early since parking is first come, first served.

2. Training

a. The new training portal is up; please visit it if you haven’t already.

b. Just for clarification, formal training includes trainings such as Defensive Driving, NEO, and webinars. The training department keeps track of these hours and gives official training credit. Informal training is training that is done internally; it’s up to the manager to keep track of these trainings, since the training department does not. You can still receive training hours for your HEAR plan, at your manager’s discretion.

c. There will be a training called “Hispanics in the Library” on Thursday, May 21^st. It will be held at Central, but you can also view the archived webinar at a later date. Let Djuina know if you’d like to receive that training and she’ll put it on the schedule.

3. Beautifying Our Work Space

a. We really need to keep things neat in our workroom, especially since we will be having guests. We can do very simple things, like closing cabinets, that will dramatically improve the workroom’s appearance. Other efforts include picking up things we drop, lining up carts, and keeping the area near the paper cutter uncluttered. Let us also try to bring organization to our own personal spaces as well.

b. Once a week or so, enter the library from the public entrance and see how things look from that vantage point.

4. Customer Service

We received a great compliment for our customer service from one of our patrons yesterday.

5. Updates

a. Our new part-time employee, Isabel Veloz, will start at Collier on May 11^th. She will work every Saturday from 10:15-5:15.

b. We will host a new trainee, an Assistant Manager at Frank/Meyer,
next week.

c. The man who broke into some of the HPL branches and stole
computers has been caught.

d. In the ongoing effort to streamline NL procedures, Administration is looking for volunteers to identify processes (such as opening and closing procedures). This is a task that can be done remotely. Let Djuina know if you’d like to help out.

e. As part of the movement to de-cluster NLs, Johnson and Mancuso are officially no longer grouped.

f. Financial Services will be at Collier to provide trainings on SMM on Friday, June 5^th. The training will cover how to accept credit cards, checks, and will provide hands-on practice.

g. On this note, if there is an issue with money at the end of the evening that you are unable to solve, please make a very detailed note of it so Opening staff can call Financial Services.

h. Summer reading registration begins on Friday, May 1^st. If you’ve never registered participants for Summer Reading before or have questions, please ask Sara—it’s pretty simple. In the past we’ve had lots of registrants at Collier, so we are looking forward to a busy SRP.

i. We’ve gotten many donations for the Book Sale recently. If anyone would like to assist in organizing these, please let Rose know.

j. Walter is doing a weeding project this coming Monday, 5/4. If anyone would like to help out, let Djuina know.

6. Open Discussion

Julia: If a patron is checking out at Self-Check and needs an item tagged, after we are done tagging, let’s make sure the patron checks it out before leaving the building; sometimes they assume that you took the item from them in order to check it out at the desk.

James: When we’re wrapping holds for patrons with long last names, sometimes all the information cannot fit along the spine and the Hold expiration date gets wrapped beneath the item, making it harder to identify Holds that need to be cleared. Rather than obscuring the expiration date, we can instead fold over the top part that says “Houston Public Library.”

Amanda: There’s some shifting going on in the Kids section. Fiction will eventually have more space in the Kids area. Sara: Thanks to Amanda for taking on a lot of shifting projects. Graphic Novels will eventually be located between Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Sara: Please encourage children to produce art entries for the Children’s Book Celebration. Age limits are grades K-6. The deadline is currently May 1^st, but we will likely extend it another week or so. There are materials in the Kids section for this purpose, and if a child wants to make an entry, we can provide additional art supplies. Winners go to lunch with Jon Scieszka!

Teresa: Carts are often left in the workroom without labels. It would be great if we could go back to labeling them so we can either process or shelve them more efficiently.

Teresa: Please email Teresa if you need to order any more supplies.