Craig Bertuglia sent this via email:
In the past week I had two separate telephone complaints routed to me about tutors not being available on Tutor.com. Here is the response I got from the company, in case you experience similar complaints:
The way our system works is to take the total number of sessions purchased by the library and spread them out (by the hour) across the full year. So, for hours when there is higher demand than session availability, the patrons may receive the “busy message.” This does not mean that all of the sessions for the year are used, but only for that one particular hour. The system then resets every hour, making more sessions available.
I suggest for patrons that have received the message that they search through the SkillsCenter Resource Library to see if they can find a helpful instructional video or information website to use. If they are still in need of assistance from a tutor, logging in at the beginning of each hour may help.
Sincerely,
Craig Bertuglia
Central Teen Room
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Printers in the building
The Printers in the building are for work related printing only. Please do not print personal items.
The printer at the reference desk has a very short life for the cartridge and it is difficult to get replacement cartridges so this is very important.
The printer at the reference desk has a very short life for the cartridge and it is difficult to get replacement cartridges so this is very important.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
FLIP kits
The new FLIP(Family Literacy Involvement Program)kits have arrived with a brand new kiosk. The kits contain books and a related activity for children and parents to do together. The kits are not to be opened or used in the library as some contain glue/paint.
Important Points:
FLIP kits are like library books and may be checked out for two weeks at a time and may be renewed online
All kits returned by customers go to CMH to be "refurbished" via delivery.
If the book is missing from the kit when it is returned by a customer, then it is put on the patrons record and they must pay for it just like a regular library book.
Kits that come in delivery must have a "refurbished" note on it. This means that all of the other materials in the bag have been replenished.
Important Points:
FLIP kits are like library books and may be checked out for two weeks at a time and may be renewed online
All kits returned by customers go to CMH to be "refurbished" via delivery.
If the book is missing from the kit when it is returned by a customer, then it is put on the patrons record and they must pay for it just like a regular library book.
Kits that come in delivery must have a "refurbished" note on it. This means that all of the other materials in the bag have been replenished.
Monday, August 16, 2010
English Groups and Classes at HPL
We occasionally receive requests for information about the classes and groups HPL offers to people who want to learn English. Here at Collier, we offer an English Conversation Group every other Saturday (3-4:30pm). Our group is mainly an opportunity for customers to practice conversing in English. I facilitate discussion questions, we do some role-playing exercises, and I include a bit of basic English instruction as well.
Central Library also offers a conversational English group which meets every Saturday from 11am to 12pm. It is also mainly a group for customers to practice speaking English.
Freed-Montrose has ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (1-4pm each day). These free intermediate English classes are offered by Houston Community College to customers age 18 to adult. Registration is required and takes place September 7-9 (1-4pm).
And finally, Stanaker library offers beginning basic English instruction to ESOL customers Tuesdays (4-6pm) and Thursdays (5-7pm). Classes are taught by a rotating group of volunteers from the Church of Latter Day Saints.
Apparently, plans are in the works for English instruction classes to be offered at more branches of the Houston Public Library starting in 2011.
-Krista Lewis Abedrabbo
Central Library also offers a conversational English group which meets every Saturday from 11am to 12pm. It is also mainly a group for customers to practice speaking English.
Freed-Montrose has ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (1-4pm each day). These free intermediate English classes are offered by Houston Community College to customers age 18 to adult. Registration is required and takes place September 7-9 (1-4pm).
And finally, Stanaker library offers beginning basic English instruction to ESOL customers Tuesdays (4-6pm) and Thursdays (5-7pm). Classes are taught by a rotating group of volunteers from the Church of Latter Day Saints.
Apparently, plans are in the works for English instruction classes to be offered at more branches of the Houston Public Library starting in 2011.
-Krista Lewis Abedrabbo
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Youth Services All Star Team Quarterly Award
Michelle, Debbie, Sydney and Krista would like to thank Jane Hensley for taking the time to submit the nomination for this award. We would also like to thank the rest of the staff here at Collier. We could not do the things that we do without their cooperation and support. The award money will be used to pay for a staff "end of summer reading" luncheon as well as our annual staff Christmas celebration. This was a big honor, and again, we thank you for the recognition.
-Collier Regional Library Youth Services Team
-Collier Regional Library Youth Services Team
Monday, June 21, 2010
Neighborhood Libraries Blog
Mike VanCampen sent this out:
NL administration would like to encourage managers and their staffs to start checking the Neighborhood Libraries blog on a regular basis. It is a valuable tool for sharing important information with staff (similar to the Central Staff Blog). As a reminder, the blog is located at the following address:
http://hplnl.blogspot.com/
NL administration would like to encourage managers and their staffs to start checking the Neighborhood Libraries blog on a regular basis. It is a valuable tool for sharing important information with staff (similar to the Central Staff Blog). As a reminder, the blog is located at the following address:
http://hplnl.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Group Registration for SRP
Heidi Daniel posted this:
It has come to our attention that this year we already have identified at least a handful or more of potentially fraudulent groups who are registering under various names and collecting large amounts of prizes, but whose information can not be verified.
To keep this from occurring, we are now asking that groups (specifically those over 10 kids) that register must show/ provide one of the following to collect their prizes:
State Daycare Registration/ License Number (if they don’t have an official paper with the license number you can look them up here
501 c.3 status (You can search here if they don’t have proof http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/forwardToSearch.do
If it is a school then they can show a current School ID and list their Principal and a contact number for the school. We will send you a form to assist with this later today
If they do not have any of these items, but you feel or know that they are valid, just try to get them to show you something that is valid, even if it is just google searching their name and address to verify. For example, one of the possible fraudulent groups used a real group’s name, but we can call the real group and find out if they actually signed up for the program.
If they are a group that says they are a large family or something similar then they should have all the kids register individually with their parent or caregiver, and they should not register as a group
If you need assistance with this, please let us know. We are not trying to make the summer more difficult, but we are trying to make the program one that rewards kids for reading and not rewarding people who just want to get the prizes. As you all know, our prize numbers are low this year, and we need to make things stretch as much as possible. We have also had issues with this in the past, where “groups” actually got the prizes and scalped them for profit.
Heidi x31448
Micheala x32028
Jane x32027
It has come to our attention that this year we already have identified at least a handful or more of potentially fraudulent groups who are registering under various names and collecting large amounts of prizes, but whose information can not be verified.
To keep this from occurring, we are now asking that groups (specifically those over 10 kids) that register must show/ provide one of the following to collect their prizes:
State Daycare Registration/ License Number (if they don’t have an official paper with the license number you can look them up here
501 c.3 status (You can search here if they don’t have proof http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/forwardToSearch.do
If it is a school then they can show a current School ID and list their Principal and a contact number for the school. We will send you a form to assist with this later today
If they do not have any of these items, but you feel or know that they are valid, just try to get them to show you something that is valid, even if it is just google searching their name and address to verify. For example, one of the possible fraudulent groups used a real group’s name, but we can call the real group and find out if they actually signed up for the program.
If they are a group that says they are a large family or something similar then they should have all the kids register individually with their parent or caregiver, and they should not register as a group
If you need assistance with this, please let us know. We are not trying to make the summer more difficult, but we are trying to make the program one that rewards kids for reading and not rewarding people who just want to get the prizes. As you all know, our prize numbers are low this year, and we need to make things stretch as much as possible. We have also had issues with this in the past, where “groups” actually got the prizes and scalped them for profit.
Heidi x31448
Micheala x32028
Jane x32027
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