Wednesday, February 21, 2018

February 21st 2018 Staff Meeting


Collier Regional Library Staff Meeting 02/21/18

In attendance: Angela Barratt, Melinda Campbell, Teresa Eshleman, Richard Ford, Djuina Hammett , Leona Hoesgberg, John Hong, Nichole Lewis, Eric Marques, Edith Partida, Britney Scott.

We are recognizing Leona’s Birthday today as it will be next Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1.       Heart Party update: It’s next Wednesday! Thanks to Edith, we have an instructor from YMCA to facilitate our fitness program for the evening. We have volunteers from the branch, inside HPL and community volunteers for the evening.

2.       Heart Party update: Saturday March 31st,  11-1 pm (John’s weekend.) We will have 32-3 Lion dancers and a Martial Arts demonstration. Any invitation, craft and decoration ideas from staff would be appreciated. We could have the Lion Dancers in the foyer, Martial Arts and food in the Meeting room. Check dragon kite in loft for condition, ask whether we can borrow kite from Children’s Festival. Staff are being asked to volunteer 2 hours to work that day and can take the time in the following week.

3.       Sample Ballot Votes are on the front grey cabinet, earl voting commenced yesterday. Voter’s registration cards can update for the May runoff.

4.       Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation will have a large box to gather for their book drive. It will be placed in the foyer area of the library.

5.       HPD patrol has been called in for the person who is sleeping and leaving alcohol bottles outside the passport office.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Feb 14th 2018 Collier Staff Meeting


Staff Meeting Notes: February 14th, 2018.

In attendance: John Hong, Kameshia Smith, Alisa Baker, Richard Ford, Eric Marques, Nicole Lewis, Angela Barratt, Cyrano Machey, Djuina Hammet, Russ Wagner, Britney Scott, Edith Partida, Teresa Eshelman, Melinda Campbell, Leona Hoegsburg.

1.       Laptop carts- Laptops are to be locked up in both carts and secured. The PP laptop needs to be plugged in and charging for the next day. No laptops are to be left out at night. Public laptops are to be shut down properly for the cleaning software to kick in and erase all users’ internet activity, passwords, emails, and any saved programs to the hard drive.

2.       Clock in work- Once you are clocked in, the individual is to focus on work tasks. No eating breakfast, putting on makeup, etc. Collier also is the learning lab; we should set a good example for new employees in training. We don’t want to encourage bad habits. This also goes for the fifteen minutes at the end of the day as well. Clock in, get to work. Do not waste time. With the city budget as is now, we cannot afford any reduction in personnel if budget cuts are to be made.


3.       Collier Programs-
a.        AA films on Feb 3rd and Feb 10th were good. We had excellent attendance for the second film.
b.      Heart Party- If you wish to help, see Angela. Any extra help is welcome. We also should promote this party.
c.       Living Room- scheduled for March 31st, 11am-1pm.  Any input is welcome, refer to John. Staff will be assigned to help with crafts, other activities. Volunteers would be welcome to assist as well. Djuina notes that Park Place, Alief, Looscan, and Walter have done these before. Ask Managers of these locations for any advice. The theme is Vietnamese culture and food.

4.       Open Discussion-
a.       Public Computers- Users should be logged out by 5 minutes before closing. Example: 5:55 when we close at 6pm. We should also encouraging users to get their tasks done and be prepared to leave before 5 minutes at closing.

b.      Leaving at closing- all staff should be standing inside the door frame near the exit, past the bathrooms and near the kitchen. This will keep the alarm sensors from acting up at closing.


c.       Cyrano- Cyrano is assigned to stats now, stats sheets are entered on the Google sheets under appropriate dates at the bottom left hand corner. Programs will be entered; simply fill in the numbers of attendance.  Cyrano will remind anyone who forgets.

d.      Djuina- likes line dancing classes at Blue Ridge. It was very good and entertaining, she’d like to see it happen at Collier as well. Adults and kids can participate.
e.      Angela- We missed Edith’s birthday last week. Cake and cookies were served at meeting.

f.        Kameshia- new volunteer Sam, has Aspergers, will volunteer on Fridays.


g.       Angela was able to see the Techlink rooms on the 6th floor.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

02/07 Meeting Notes

Weekly Staff Meeting

●       Welcome Britney Scott
○     Britney is here to specialize in outreach. If there are any ideas on the subject, please give them to her
●       Shelving
○     There will be a roaming hour to follow two hours on the desk. During this time you will shelve the items that you checked in during your desk hours.
○     The times of day will be altered during different parts of the the day so that all staff will roam during parts of the day
○     If you have lunch after your two hours of desk time, you will roam after lunch
●       Laptop Usage
○     Only those doing programs will use the laptops
○     Be sure to lock laptops in the cabinet at the close of business
●       Anti-clutter of desks
○     Any non-program materials should be removed from the tops of the cabinets connected to the cubicles
●       Staff Appreciation Fund
○     The Staff Appreciation Fund is an amount of money given to each location to appreciate the staff
○     We have approximately $160 to spend, so any suggestions on how to spend it are welcomed
○     We do have a few months to spend, but we should not wait until the last minute
●       TMS Courses
○     Any classes that are free, you’re welcome to register for
○     Classes that have a price attached to them should seek supervisor permission and approval
■     Then, the supervisor will see if there is any money to allocate it
●       Learning Link Card
○     New Learning Link Cards are available. The cards are for HISD students. There is a place on the cards for the student’s name and school ID
○     We are still waiting on official word if these particular cards are just for elementary students
○     There is a possibility of us attaching barcodes to the cards so that students can use the Express Check machines
●       Heart Party
○     The Heart Party will take place on February 28
○     Let Angela know if you would like to volunteer to work this event
○     Angela is happy to take to anyone inquiring about the Heart Party
●       Open Discussion
○     Talking Points from Cyrano
■     Please remember to log meeting room usage
■     Please remember to log program stats
■     When getting the gate number at the end of the day, be sure it is the =p number
■     Please remember to log notary services
■     When we pull holds for customer, place a hold on the item and place it on the hold shelf instead of placing it on the laptop cabinet
●     You will need the customers library card number do this
●     Cyrano offered to show anyone how to place holds through Sirsi
○     AARP
■     AARP will be at OAK, HEI, and HIL. You can find specifics on the AARP website or on the HPL website under the “tax help” section
○     Talking Point from Kameshia
■     If customers are here on the recommendation from another passport facility and they were given wrong information, please let Kameshia know so that she can call the facility to give them updated information
○     POPS went to Angela, Alissa, and Edith. Edith received two POPS

○     Collier Kudos went to Teresa, Leona, Cyrano, Russell, and two to Kameshia

Monday, February 5, 2018



Staff meeting 01/31/2018

In attendance:

Alisa Baker, Melinda Campbell, Richard Ford, Djuina Hammett, Leona Hoesgsberg, John Hong, Nichole Lewis, Eric Marques, Edith Partida, Kameshia Smith,

1.       Knowing who you are:  New staff training due to popular demand
March 7, 2018 from 9am – 4pm and March 8, 2018 from 9am – 4pm (must register for both days). If anyone is interested please check with John and sign up for the two day program.
We serve our diverse community well but we can always improve our commitment to them.
Our different cultures within our staff members: Korean Thanksgiving, they have a sweet dumpling that are made and eaten together.
Southern: Black Debutante Ball
Cultural differences between California and the southern States .

2.       Brainstorming FY19 goals: Think about our goals for the upcoming year to discuss at our next meeting.

3.       February Programs: Two films:  “King” February 3rd 1-4 pm and “I am not your Negro” February 10 1-2:30 pm.

4.       Notary Services: Please notate the notary services that were not accepted into the “no” questionnaire that we have on the blog.

5.       Lift-Off Houston staff training at COL on Monday, February 26th 9:30-11:30 am.

6.       Heart Party volunteers needed for February 28th 6-8:15 pm. No circulation nor computers accessible at this time. Please notify John/ Melinda to let them know if you would like to volunteer 11:15-8:15 pm.



Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Staff Meeting Notes Jan 24 2018

Staff Meeting Notes January 24th 2018

In Attendance: John Hong, Cyrano Machey, Eric Marques, Russ Wagner, Alisa Baker, Nicole Lewis, Richard Ford, Angela Barratt, Kameshia Smith, Leona Hoegsburg, and Teresa Eshelman.

1.       Calling in/ Private Line-  When you call the private line, you need to speak to a manager. The line is 832-393-1752. This line has been down lately, but is now working correctly. Speak to Melinda, John, Or Angela, because they have to rewrite the schedule. Texting is okay, but you must get a response. Sometimes they cannot check their phones. This is for when you’re going to be late. If you’re just a few minutes late then it is not necessary.

Ideally call the private line and speak to a manager.

2.       Coit Cleaning Schedule- Collier will be closed on February 2nd, the vendors will clean the upholstery.  You are to report to a branch of your choice. Give John a heads up for which branch you’ll work.  Pick a branch close to your home or wherever you want.

3.       Collection Shift- We have shifted the adult non-fiction on last Friday. Initially we were to shift the top shelves. We will shift towards the 900’s, leaving an empty aisle open on line 20. If anyone wants to help shift, this is fine to do during their roaming hours.  The open gap currently where we left off is on #23. The adult fiction on 19 where then be on aisle 20. LMS will come to remove duplicate items to move towards Melcher later.

4.       Open Discussion-

-           New Intranet access is still a work in progress. Staff can logon on desktops, wireless access is still up in the air by Saima and IT. Staff Ipad should work, Russ will check it later.

-          Paper usage is to be reduced.
-          Angela will be moving the 2018 and 2019 Bluebonnets should be moved to the kids’ area regardless of Juv or Teen. Older ones should be moved back to where they belong.
-          Kameshia and her volunteers are finding many items in the comics section that misshelved. If you need help shelving, just ask Kameshia. She will also offer to show proper shelving procedures for the Comics’ sections if needed.
-          Please let PP office due their own copies, Richard and Nicole are responsible for restocking and supplying the forms.
-          Kameshia will be accepting more volunteers soon.
For items returned incomplete, the customer’s name, phone, and address should be placed on the outside of the item and be contacted. Follow up is the issue. Do not charge customers’ account if item is returned in bookdrop immediately, give them a chance to return the item first. Alisa has volunteered to work on this issue.

-          Do not replace the Kids’ and Teens’ new book displays; Kameshia will do this. 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Staff Meeting Wednesday, January 10th 2018

In attendance: John Hong, Teresa Eshelman, Kameshia Smith, Jonathan Portillo, Edith Partida, Djuina Hammet, Richard Ford, Cyrano Machey, Nicole Lewis, Eric Marques, Russ Wagner, Melinda Campbell, Leona Hoegsburg.

Recognized Jonathan, this is his last day. He will be going to Central for onboarding soon.

1.       Art out Loud- Starts today, it’s a partnership between Clifton, MFAH, and ALA. It’s about art lessons for children, free of charge, from 4-5:30pm. The kids will be transported to Collier with the school officials. We don’t have to worry about it. School officials will observe. 25 students.

Meeting room reserved for them every Wednesday at this time. We need to find a place to display and store their art materials, John is taking suggestions.

2.       EDP Renewables- Coming to library on Jan 19th from 9-12pm. They are going to clean and organize the library. John wants to give them a worthwhile project, but not too bad. Edith wants a different place for the delivery materials, as it encroaches on her work area. We will shift Adult non-fiction and make more space for the Adult fiction.  It will be around 19 people, similar to last year. John thanks Kameshia for being the go between and helping to organize their coming. She asks if we have any ideas for them to clean. Djuina mentioned dusting.  We will make a list for them beforehand.

3.       Beautifying Workspace- essentially decluttering. Includes the public and private workspaces. If you need help, Djuina is happy to offer her assistance. We have many employees here, and space is limited, but still want to make a good impression.

Imagine a dirty grocery store. Would you want to shop there? Decluttering is all about organization as well, so we can find everything. John wants decluttering to also be part of the Closing Procedures.

Ideas? Kitchen, for one. Keep the refrigerator clean; GSD doesn’t clean it. Includes the microwave as well. Talk to Kameshia, she is happy to declutter. Space? Where can we keep things? We sent some carts to CEN to Sara Karow. But staff area is difficult to clean and organize. Discards also take up space, and need to be picked up. Keep numbers updated in GDrive for discards so the warehouse will pick them up. Let Teresa know if you do discards so she can enter the numbers, and ensure the discard numbers are kept truck of properly.

4.       Open Discussion-

Collier Kudos-

Cyrano, for helping with the New Year’s Eve Bash fantastic.
Russ, for helping a confused patron order mattresses and making an email account, and for organizing and updating the blog.
Edith, for helping with the New Year’s Bash.
Leona, for helping with the New Year’s Eve Bash.
Kameshia, for providing new hires with training for paging and delivery.

When we say “No”- this is a google form on the blog to record all the times we have to say ‘No, I’m sorry.
Send Bluebonnets into Kids’ section, regardless whether they say ‘Juv’ or ‘YA or Teen.’

We are also getting mobile printing eventually, which will solve a lot of problems. 

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Staff Meeting January 3rd, 2018

In attendance: Melinda Campbell, Leona Hoegsburg, Russ Wagner, Eric Marques, Cyrano Machey, Nichole Lewis, Richard Ford, Kameshia Smith, Teresa Eshelman, Edith Partida, Alisa Baker, Jonathan Portillo, Mary Stevenson, Crystal Shiver.

1.       Phones- problem with phones. #1752 is not working, going strait to voicemail. Call instead #1751. When you call in sick to make sure that you either speak or text a manager.

2.       Fire Warden Visit- Friday we will have our fire warden’s tour, to make sure Collier is safe. Make sure things around doorways, like gray buckets or bins or totes (in Australia). TVs in store room may be a problem. Make sure that things are picked up around doorways. We don’t have to take the tour with GSD.

           Take NBC webinar by Jan 31st. It’s about half an hour. Poor quality video, just do the best you can.

3.       Programs- new programs. Two new programs; English conversation and Citizenship classes. We need to help promote these two new classes. Any ideas please submit to management. Also, we have two new programs for Black history month; these are movies. One is on the Feb 17th about Malcolm X and MLK.

4.       In house Check-In. Any items we have found to be lying on tables or shelves, we are to bring them to the desk and check them into Sirsi’s ‘Mark Item Used’ under the Special Tab. This is make sure we are keeping track of any books in Collier that customers are reading but not actually checking out of the building.

We do find a lot of Central items on the music shelf. Alisa volunteered to go through some of that music.


5.       Open Discussion-  

Hold shelves looking a bit of raggedly, said Cyrano.  Talk to Cyrano for more clarification on how these should be organized. Yellow stickers should be one inch high, above the call number. Also, fiction labelled mysteries should be in the mystery shelves, along with large print books shelved in the Large print section. When shelving, let the books breathe a bit, not so tight. Allow a little bit of movement, this is to protect the books’ spines.  Feel free to see Cyrano for more info. Kameshia also finds misplaced comics with her volunteers frequently in the Teen and Kids’ sections. Teen and Kids’ books get mixed in incorrectly often.

Passports- when people call for Passports, give them more information than they need. They are not asking the right of questions, and so do not bring all the documents they require to get PPs. Two forms of payment, valid ID, birth certificate.

Remember when scanning books to watch the screen to make sure they are getting discharged correctly. Siris has frequent pop up windows that must be cleared before items are properly discharged.

Remember to place mouse antennas back in wireless mouse slots, and laptops returned to Russ. If you want to keep a laptop on your desk, that is fine. Many of you have done that already, and it’s fine because we have many laptops that rarely get checked out by customers.


Melinda thanks all involved in the New Year Bash, it was a great success, particularly Cyrano’s dancing with the kids.