A Sample of HPL's Elevator Speech

This was shared with the Team Leaders by Greg Simpson about a year ago.I was looking through my notes for a piece of information and ran across this!

We serve 20,000 people every day through 42 locations and online - helping them enhance their skills, succeed in school, find the joy in reading and connect with the world through technology.

I look forward to reading your elevator speech that is specific to your neighborhood library. We have to be the ambassadors of our libraries as you know we are in competition with a lot of competing interests. We have to build relationships, networks and make people take notice of us. An elevator speech is a good weapon to have in your arsenal.

Some I read and liked start like this -

We help kids & families unpack their curiosity at the library...
Libraries provide expert guidance & their resources are in essence free - you have already paid for the resources and services through your taxes......
Library provides equal access for enrichment....
Librarians will save you time in your research.....
We have resources/programs/computer classes tailored to your needs...

Thank you,

Shammi

Tech Tools

Hi,

We have renamed the BTOP-TEAL page of the NL Blog to include some of the great resources for Tech staff.  Please take a look when you get a chance!

Thanks,

Laurie

A/C Issues

Now that the temperatures are getting warmer, our HVAC systems are getting tested again.

As a reminder, once the temperature is over 76 degrees, you can put in a Sprocket for the temperature being Too Hot.  Please include the temperature (according to the digital thermometer) and the time it was recorded.  If more than an hour goes by and you do not hear from Johnson Controls, please contact the NL Office at 3-2707 so we can see if Karrington can get an update.

Once the temperature is 80 degrees or higher, please contact NL Office at 3-2707 again so the Team Leaders can make a decision on closing the building.

If you do not have a digital thermometer, please let Elva Alvarez know.  They are expensive items, so staff need to keep track of them.

Thanks,

Laurie

Outside Employment Policy and Form

Hello,

As we learned in the Ethics Training on March 6th, there is a policy and form for anyone with a second job.  Here is the policy and form:  http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/3-10.pdf 

If you have staff member with second jobs, please have them complete the form and submit it to the Team Leader.

Thanks,

Laurie

Technology Specialist Meeting Overview

Hello,

The Technology Specialists met again last week.  Here is the summary from Jessica Stanley:

We just wanted to send a review of what we accomplished in last Friday’s tech specialists meeting. Thanks for all who attended and for those who did not-we hope you will be present in May’s specialist meeting.

Summary

-We met new techies and shared stories about tips, tools, and trainings.

- We reviewed all of the new tech class curriculum and materials

-We toured the tech blog at http://hplibtech.com/

-We signed up to the tech forum and started to communicate about ideas

-We brainstormed ways to improve our classes and to improve our skills as instructors

-We evaluated our skills with a tech challenge

-We discussed the results of the Community Tech Needs Survey

Reminders and Action Points

***Please remember to email the Central Tech team with all of the materials and handouts that you are using in your classes that you have created. We are making sure that we are properly citing resources and getting approval through our Communications department.

***Please notify techies and instructors who were not in attendance that we need to add them to the tech specialists email list so that they can be invited to the next meeting and receive important updates.

***We will be publicly launching new class materials over the next several months. We will be releasing 5 classes at a time-So look forward to those on the website! Remember that at this time you are able to use the class materials on the tech blog but they have not been officially approved by communications until they are released to the public.

Thanks for being part of the team-You all are incredible!

-Jessica Stanley

Human Resources: Information Update Request

Good afternoon Supervisors/Managers,

Please request that each of your employees review their Personal and Emergency Contact Information in the Employee Self Service system to verify that it is accurate and up to date.  The ESS link may be accessed on the home page of the Library’s Intranet website or click on  https://cohapp.cityofhouston.gov/ESS/login.aspx.  The employee may make any necessary changes here which will update immediately.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that, in the event of an emergency, valid information will be available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 832-393-1351 or Chanta George at 832-393-1337.

Regards,

Sharon Alvarez--832-393-1351

Pop Up Library in Your Neighborhood

Hi, Team,

Pop Up Library Program Manager Kapila Sankaran is currently booking Pop Up events at locations that attract low income families with young children, such as WIC Centers, Hermann Park Zoo, Multi-Service Centers and more. 

Please share with Kapila the name and contact information for any organization, church or apartments in your  library service area where we can present the program to entire families.  We are not interested in sites, such as schools, with only children in attendance.

• When we visit a venue that is in your service area this summer, we will distribute a location guide with your neighborhood library circled.
• We will promote your upcoming Summer Reading Program events. 
• We will distribute library card applications that will be stamped; or marked Pop Up Library or PUL.  We ask that you track the number submitted at your neighborhood library for us.
• We will create flyers to announce Pop Up events and request that you distribute them.

Once again, please send your recommendations to kapila.sanskaran@houstontx.gov. Your support in making this program a success is very appreciated.  Thank you.

Best regards,

Mary Wagoner