Hi-Tech & GSD: Security Procedure Update

Greetings - Please review this important email below from Wendy and share with staff on the After-Hours call list. Please comment on this post or call your Team Leader/Extended Hours Coordinator if you have any question.

Thanks,

Shammi

Mike,

I talked with GSD Security, and I think we have found a procedure that will benefit Managers as well as GSD Security.

· When Hi-Tech calls and says there’s an alarm, they typically ask if they (Hi-Tech) should call HPD. The Manager should answer, “No. I will arrange for private security to investigate.” (HPD will always need the Manager to come out, and they charge the City for their visit.)

· Then hang up and call the GSD Security 24/7 line, 832-316-1944, to reach the Investigator-On-Call.

· The Investigator-On-Call will either investigate or contact the City’s security company on contract, Blackhawk, to drive out to the site and investigate.

· The Blackhawk person will then follow up with GSD Security regarding their findings. If something needs to be locked, GSD Security can lock it.

· If there appears to have been an actual break-in (a small percentage of the time), the Manager will get a call from GSD Security (NOT Hi-Tech) to come out and look to see if anything inside is disturbed/stolen. Either the Blackhawk contractor or the GSD Investigator-On-Call will remain on the site during all of this. The Manager will never be asked to be out there alone.

· If Hi-Tech calls again, tell them again that you’ve contacted the City’s security personnel and please do not send out HPD.

Wendy

Wendy Heger, AIA

Assistant Director for Planning & Facilities

Houston Public Library

(832) 393-1681

(281) 217-7960 mobile

Literacy - ESL

Hi,

In a meeting with Literacy Advance of Houston today, they suggested routing literacy related referrals, such as ESL and ABE classes, through United Way's 2-1-1 helpline. If you are assisting a customer in placing a call from a Cisco IP phone, please dial 713.957.4357. Their 24/7 helpline is free and assistance is offered in many languages.

Thanks!
Mary Wagoner

CIGNA Wellness

Hi!

If you have not completed your CIGNA health coaching by telephone or online, here is an easy way to keep $25 per month in your pocket! For step-by-step instructions on how to complete the online health coaching, please go to http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/wellness/files/Online%20step-by-step.pdf. After reading the three health coaching articles, you should receive a notification that you have met the health coaching requirement to save $25 per month .

Please share this information with your co-workers. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor, Team Leader or Extended Hours Coordinator. Thanks!

Mary Wagoner

Free Tax Services offered at the Central Library

Are your patrons in need of a place to get their taxes done for free? Is your location/locations being bombarded with questions and people with desperate need of help? If so, please send them to the Central Library to get help with tax preparation. If your location is one of the sites where AARP offer their service, and you are overwhelmed with people who need tax help, please send them to Central as an alternative. AARP provides preparation of Individual and Joint tax returns for moderate to low income taxpayers and are happy to assist your customers. Their hours of operation at Central is Mondays 2-6, Tuesdays 2-6, Thursdays 2-6, and Saturdays 10-2.

Please call 832-393-1313 for more information and details.

Have a wonderful day.

Theodora.

Cigna Wellness Engagement Reminder

By now you will have seen the email reminder from Dr. Lawson stressing to us that the deadline is almost here for the Cigna Wellness Engagement. As a follow up to that email, we are asking you to do the following two things:

1) Please follow up with your employees and strongly encourage them to take the time to read the three health related articles - it is a little bit of time for such a big savings (less time than Super Coupon Clipping, I guarantee it). Remember to print the email and have them sign it.

2) Be prepared to sign the email yourself at this month's manager's meeting for your Team Leader or Coordinator. If you are not going to be able to make it to that meeting, please print, sign and send it right away to your Team Leader or Coordinator.

Thanks everyone!

Heidi

Power and Utility Outages

We frequently experience short and long term power or utility outages at Neighborhood Libraries. The length of the outage is determined by what happened to interrupt the service to the building and what needs to be done to need to restore utility service.

Temporary power outages: These are usually short and weather related.

• If the lights go out temporarily during a thunderstorm, make announcements to customers and try to gather people near any available lights. Use flashlights if available.It is not a good idea to force customers to leave the building during a heavy downpour. Wait a few minutes before moving towards the Long Term Power Outages instructions.
• Once lights come back on, phones, computers, and servers may need to be reset. Burglar and fire alarms may also need to be reset.
• Call the GSD Security On-Call number (832-316-1942) or Mark Enax (832-335-0837) to check out the alarm system, card access, and security cameras.
• Continue with normal operations.

Long-term Power outages may require closing the building. These can be weather related or due to utility work in the area.

• Contact the GSD Call Center to report the outage--Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:30pm call 832.393.8400.
• For after-hours (4:30pm-7:30am) or weekends call 713-213-8776. It can be helpful to program these numbers into your cell phone so that you have them readily available when the power is out.
• Inform your immediate supervisor and the Neighborhood Library office (832-393-2707) about the outage.
• The Neighborhood Library Office will notify 311 and other libraries that the building is closed due to power outage.
• Start making announcements to customers that the library is closing due to the outage. If the length of the outage is known, give approximate length of time. Once the building is cleared, lock the doors and post signs.

For AC/Heating outages, if the temperature according to the digital thermometer is above 76 degrees or below 72 degrees contact Johnson Controls. During regular office hours use Sprocket. For after hours or weekends call 866.635.1395.

• If the temperature is below 60 or above 80 degrees and Johnson Controls is not already in the building working on the system or will not be able to come into the building in a timely manner, the building should be closed.
• If Johnson Controls is currently working on the air conditioner and thinks that it can be resolved soon, the building can remain open.
  Contact immediate supervisor or Neighborhood Libraries Office for assistance.

For water outages: A building must have working restrooms to remain open.
If outage is due to a water main break in the surrounding area,
Call 311 to report it and for information.

• Contact your immediate supervisor and the Neighborhood Libraries Office
  If outage is due to an emergency (plumbing problem or broken pipes)
• Contact GSD through Sprocket or contact the GSD Call center to report the outage--Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:30pm call 832.393.8400.
• For after-hours (4:30pm-7:30am) or weekends call 713-213-8776.
• Contact your immediate supervisor and the Neighborhood Libraries Office.

If the water outage occurs due to planned utility work

• Contact your immediate supervisor and Neighborhood Libraries Office.
• If there is enough advance notice, NL Office will contact Communications so a sign can be prepared and website updated.
  

Staff deployment during utility outages:

• If a building will be without power, AC, or water for extended periods of time, then staff will usually be deployed to nearby locations. NL Office and Team Leaders will provide information about deployment.
• If the outage will be short-term, staff may remain in the building.

It may be good to print this out and have it on hand for the next time the power is out. Here is a handy PDF version of the above informaiton:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6pUcgF0fjLbenoyNnJaSGxRRWFwU19FVlBvUGgtQQ

Thanks,

Laurie

Texas Voter Registration Applications

Greetings - A complaint dealing with the Voter Registration Applications prompted me to write this blog post. Some of you may have been asked this question as well so I thought I will share this information with all.

The office of Voter Registration has new applications and the only difference is that updated application has the City and Zip Code filled out. I called their office yesterday and was told that it is okay to use the Voter Registration applications that we have in stock as they are still valid.

I have informed Belinda Cox about the new applications and she has a good stock right now and will request the new ones once she runs out of the current stock. You can also request Voter Registration Applications in Spanish from the Supply Room. Belinda told me that they do stock applications in Spanish and they can also be requested.

Please do not hesitate to call me or your Team Leader or Extended Hour Coordinator if you have any further question or need clarification.

Thank you,

Shammi