Maintaining your 3M Gate

Hello,

Here is the video that I mentioned in the managers' meeting. 
https://hplnet.hpl.lib.tx.us/your-library.html

It shows you how to maintain and clean the older model of 3M Gates.  Let me know if you have tricks or tips for the newer gates.

Thanks,

Laurie

Door Count Starts October 19th!

Greetings HPL Managers,

Sunday, October19^th begins our fall door count week, which will run through Saturday, October 25^th.  Supplemental instructions are attached to this email, along with a sign that may be used to alert customers about in-house materials use.

Your staff’s awareness of the process will help ensure that an accurate count is taken at your library. So, between now and then, please speak with them about the process and its importance to the system. Also, be sure to review the template with all staff responsible for inputting counts.

Key talking points for discussions with your staff include:

Door count is a process where we count two things: 1. Visitors on an hourly basis and 2, All In-house reference and circulating materials use on a daily basis.

Door Count is important because the results show us when our libraries are used the most and this information is used to help in decision making about services, staffing, and capital improvements. Thus, accurate door count information is vital!

As usual, templates for each location are available in the Statistics folder on the G drive, under Door Count. *Note: Do not email the final template. We will access it from the G drive once it is complete.

Locations without automated gate counts will need to make arrangements for staff or volunteers to do a manual count. Speak with Volunteer Coordinator, Andrea Lawrence or your team leaders to ensure you have the help you need.

If you have questions about the process, please contact me.

Thank you,

Steve Hill

Planning and Evaluation Coordinator

Civic Engagement

Hello,

Here is Stephen Klineberg's presentation about the Changing Face of Houston.

Feel free to share the link with your community leaders.  Notes (courtesy of Marcos Martinez) from the September 23rd event include:

• Houston demographics will be model for rest of America as it also transitions to majority non-white.
  4 minorities: Asians (7%), Latino (40%), Anglo (38%), Black (19%)
• Each City Council district in Houston has been appropriated $1 million
• Panelist: student must have food/shelter in order to proceed and focus on education. (ex. Library user can fully utilize the resources the Library provides only if basic needs have been met)

Share any other notes that you have with me and I will add them here.

Thanks,

Laurie

New COH Policies

Hello,

There have been several new policies approved in the last few weeks.  All staff should have received emails about them.  Here are the links.

E.O. 1-12, Controlled Substance and Alcohol Abuse
A.P. 8-7, Open Data
A.P. 3-21, Violence in the Workplace

Thanks,

Laurie

Amnesty Ends Friday 9/26/2014

Hello all.

This is just a reminder that amnesty ends tomorrow (Friday, 09/26/14), and the system will resume assessing fines and fees on overdue materials on Saturday (09/27/14).  Items returned via the book drop on Friday evening can be checked in using Fine Free Discharge when the book drop is cleared on Saturday morning.  Each HPL location will have a special login set up just for this purpose (listed below).  Please follow the procedure outlined below to check in items from the book drop on the morning of Saturday, 09/27/14:

•  Clear the book drop of all items returned up to opening time on Saturday, 09/27/14.
• Using your unit login from the list in the email, log on to the Workflows client.
• Click on Fine Free Discharge under the Common Tasks wizard group.
• Discharge (check in) each item returned through the book drop before opening time 09/27/14.
• Close the Workflows session and log back in using your normal login credentials.

This process will ensure that any overdue items returned on the 26^th after closing are treated properly.  Fine Free Discharge should only be used for items received prior to opening on 09/27.  Items returned through the book drop following opening should be checked in using your usual procedure.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Circulation Administration at 832-393-2222 (choose option 3).

Thanks.

Fred Schumacher

Circulation Administration Manager