New Positions and Thanks

Greetings,

I just wanted to let everyone know that we should be sharing information about new positions in early February. Interviews are continuing this week. After that, recommendations for new assignments will be made based on full consideration of interviews, essays, resumes, current and past performance, EPE scores, etc. I know that this is an extremely difficult time and uncertainty is no fun for anyone. However, I want to assure everyone we are committed to making this as fair a process as possible and it is extremely important that we take some time in making these important decisions.

Although change and uncertainty is always hard, I know we have talented and committed staff in Neighborhood Libraries who will rise to the challenge of leading staff through these changes. I knew that before this; I am even more certain of it as we continue to work our way through this process. So, thank you all for going through this with positive attitudes and embracing the new opportunities ahead. Speaking for myself, I have been extremely impressed with the maturity and professionalism with which you all have handled this situation. I cannot thank you enough for that.

Thanks again,

Mike VC

Furlough FAQs - UPDATED

Greetings,

Please note that the Involuntary Furlough FAQs from City HR have been updated since they were originally sent on December 30th. Please consult this document and share relevant information with staff. We hope to meet with HR soon to get some clarification on reporting and tracking of furlough days. For now, as Yolanda indicated, please send your tracking spreadsheets to Yolanda Anguiano and Linda Samson.

Thanks,

Mike VC

Furlough Requests

Greetings,

As you consider future furlough dates, I would like to make a request of managers in Neighborhood Libraries. Please consider taking off days that are not adjacent to weekends or holidays in order to give your staff first dibs on these highly sought-after days. As leaders, it is important to lead by example and this gesture can communicate volumes to staff. This is less of an issue if staff are given first selection and they do not opt for these days.

Thanks,

Mike VC

Unified Service Guidelines

Greetings,

The Unified Service document is now posted on this blog. In addition to clicking on the link in the last sentence, you can also locate it by clicking on the "Resources" link above. Once you arrive at that page, it is available on the right-hand side of the screen under the "Unified Service Desk" heading.

Thanks,

Mike VC

Smart Money at Closing

In light of recent break-ins that have resulted in damage to Smart Money drawers, we are asking that all locations please adhere to the following guidelines effective immediately:

When closing for the day, please make certain that you and your team do the following:

Remove the key from the Smart Money drawer; do not leave it dangling in the lock

Leave the drawer open

Please let me know if you have any questions on this.

Thanks,

Mike Van Campen

E Readers

There are many E-readers on the market and they are each unique and access different e-book stores and in some cases the library. In order to make this easier for you, below are suggestions and information we have gathered in order to answer customer questions. If your question is not answered here you may call (832) 393-1313 or fill in our e-mail reference form and we will get back to you with an answer.

Can my e-reader access the library?
The two services provided by the library are Overdrive and NetLibrary. The chart below gives you some of the most popular e-readers and what major services and providers they are compatible with.


Which e-reader should I buy?
Here are some suggested criteria to evaluate them:

1. Do you want to be able to use the library resources?
1. must have a home computer to access these
2. What other books do you usually purchase and are they available for the e-reader you are considering?
3. Do you want to have the ability to see illustrations in color?
1. The Nook Color and the IPad along with various other tablet computers will allow you to see e-books available in color.
4. Do you suffer eyestrain when reading on a backlit screen (Nook Color; IPad)?
5. You may use the library wireless if the device is wireless to download titles from the supported bookstore. If a computer is required, the library computers will not allow you to do this.

What is Adobe Digital Editions? Do I need it?
Adobe Digital Editions allows you to download E-Pub format e-books to your computer, use e-books from the library, and manage an e-reader that uses the E-Pub format.

go to: http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/ to download the software and/or create an account that is required for any E-Pub formatted e-books. The e-mail address and password that you create for this account needs to be consistent across devices or your e-books may not work.

Can I read library e-books on my phone or tablet?
Right now you can read e-books from our Overdrive service on any handheld Apple device such as an I-phone or Android phone or device using the Overdrive App available from the App Store for free.

Those pesky tech words that you may not know the meaning of hopefully explained

E-Ink - a screen that does not use light to display an image. The text and graphics appear as black letters on a light gray background. E-Ink readers can be read in the sunlight but not in the dark without a book light.

Backlit - a screen that looks like a TV or computer screen. A backlit device can do color. Backlit readers can not be read in bright light such as sunshine but can be read in the dark.

E-Pub - an e-book format created by Adobe. Not all E-Pub e-books can be read on every E-Pub device. DRM is set differently by each provider and prevents this.

DRM - Digital Rights Management - The security encoded in the e-book that prevents you from copying the e-book and putting it on the Internet. Each provider has their own.

HPD Presence @ your Neighborhood Library

Greetings,

In an attempt to assist with security concerns at your location, library administration has been working with HPD in order to increase the presence of police officers at libraries. Beginning this coming Monday (possibly sooner), your location should begin seeing HPD officers coming to your locations to work on completing reports and other paperwork. They may come in to the library or may remain in their car. Either way, the hope is that their presence will act as a deterrent to misbehavior. Further, they will be readily available if needed by staff. I ask that you and your staff are welcoming, accommodating, and pleasant as you would be with any partner. They should not require too much access to staff areas other than to perhaps use the kitchen, break room, or rest rooms briefly.

In addition, we ask that you keep a record of frequency, length, and nature of visits (e.g., worked in car, public area, back room, spoke with customers/staff, etc.). This can be done by keeping a notebook at a public desk and just asking staff to note down this information as they observe a visit by HPD. In about two weeks, we will be coming back to you to get feedback on how this program is working and how often you noticed a police presence in your location. We will then share this information with HPD as we assess the usefulness of this partnership.

Because there is the possibility that officers might begin showing up as early as tomorrow, I want to request that you share this information with your staff immediately.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you or your staff has any questions about this.

Thanks,

Mike Van Campen
Chief of Neighborhood Libraries
Houston Public Library
Phone: 832.393.1371
Mobile: 713.303.1974