Circulation Forum Minutes - May 2014

Date:  May 7, 2014
Location: Northwest Library

Attendees:  Jennifer Adkisson - NW, Kay Bauman - LO, Van Bielstein - VI, Janet Bowen - BE, Mariah Box - MC, David Calhoun - BE, Natasha Earle - AL, Jef Fredericks - ED, Jaime Hackworth - MC, Chelsi House - DN, Melody Kellogg - ED, Cheryl Mann – CC, Mark Marshall - VI, Lawana Morgan - RE, Judi Newberry – NW, Patricia Ortiz – SO, Aleisha Phillips – NW, Dianna L. Rupp – BE, Denise D. Ryan – BO, Julie Schofield – SO, Kevin Sendall – LO, Jeremy Titsworth – NW, Rebecca West – WA, Sharon Young – ED

Software and System Updates – Kay Bauman

Kay gave a brief history of the Circulation Forum and its purposes. The group first met in November 2009. Their stated goals/purposes are as follows: 

• Improve consistency of policy and procedural adherence amongst MLS locations.
• To provide a system-wide venue of communication for circulation clerks.
• Platform for sharing ideas.
• To put circulation clerks in position to where they can hear information first-hand.

Kay then shared a framework and a timeline for all of the recent and upcoming changes.

• June 2012: Employees were notified that we would be changing to a new ILS. We have been working since then to prepare for Labor Day 2014, the projected date to go live with the new system. Note: Many things we use currently are not part of the new ILS. Meeting room booking and time sheets are two examples.
• August 2013: The decision was made to grow our Summer Reading program. Administration recognized that the program could not be grown without making changes. The software by Evanced gave us the opportunity to grow by having online registration. Pre-registration for 2014 Summer Reading starts May 15.
• June 2014: Administration identified other programs offered by Evanced that MLS wants and needs. We gain functionality by using the same vendor. Spaces is the software to book meeting rooms. As of June 1, 2014, the meeting room policies will change. Some groups currently using library rooms free of charge will no longer be free. A small team is working with Evanced to get the system ready for MLS to use by that time. Customers will be able to submit a reservation request online or in person. Four MLS employees will be primarily responsible for reviewing and responding to those requesting a reservation: Headquarters Manager, Conference Services Technician, Virtual Librarian & Northwest Library Events Coordinator.
• SignUp will replace mlsEvents which is what is used to generate the information for our online calendar and Info magazine. Only those who enter events will be using SignUp.
• July and August 2014: ILS training will be conducted in phases through July and August: Train the Trainer and staff training.
• September 2014: When we come to work September 2, nothing will be the same. We must be ready. Attitude wise, we must be ready. We need to play around with the new software enough that we are comfortable and know how to find the answers to any possible questions customers will have. Remember the instructions when flying with a child and the air masks drop: put your own mask on first THEN help your child put theirs on. The same holds true with learning and adjusting to the new software. People learn differently. It is up to each of us to recognize what kind of learner we are - visual, audio, kinesthetic, etc. – and to be assertive in making sure we get the training we need. It is acceptable and even recommended to ask co-workers for help in learning these programs.
• November 2014: Donna Morris, Executive Director, is retiring effective November 30.

These changes are being made to provide better service to our customers. We will benefit, too. Every Library Operations employee will notice these changes. The question is not whether or not the change will affect each one of us. The question is, how will this affect me?

TLC Teams

• Cataloging
• Circulation Policy Team
• Serials
• Outreach BBM, BCtrs
• Acquisitions

The Circulation Policies Group, comprised of Kay Bauman - LO, Anne Fischer - IT, Cheryl Mann - CC, Kevin Sendall - LO, Sharon Thompson - DN, and Jennifer Adkisson - NW, has been working with TLC. The functionality of the software requires a different perception, a different view. Our paradigms – the set of assumptions we’ve been working with – will need to shift. Our paradigms shape our actions. Paradigm shifts move us from our way of seeing the world to another.

Some of the members of the Incentive to Read Committee (ITR) – Jana - CH, Kay Bauman - LO, Julie Ballou - DN, Kim Terry - MAC, Stacy Schrank – PLA worked out the details regarding the fine waivers. Every piece of Summer Reading is designed to be streamlined and simple. Essentially, the fine waiver is for $6.00 and can only be used one time for one customer, not multiple customers in the same family. If a customer’s fines are $6.00 or less, staff can .00 the fine out in the “Pay Fine” tab. To use it on multiple fines for the same customer, staff must go to “Pay Partial” tab and .00 the fines out one at a time to the total of $6.00. The fine waivers are to be collected and sent with library card applications with the participant’s name, card number, and amount of fines waived written on the back of the card. All waivers expire August 31.

Frustrations over the Summer Reading assessment were discussed. The purpose of the scenarios was to provide library operations staff with hands on experience. It was designed to help staff identify for themselves how well they understood Summer Reader. Kay recommended all staff read Judy Walden’s MLS philosophy and always assume good intentions of your co-workers and other departments. There was no intent to be tricky or cause people undue stress. Feeling irritated or frustrated is okay. Acting on that and taking it out on the customer is NOT okay.

Announcements:

• Cheryl Mann distributed an updated copy of, “Procedures on how to handle a missing part of an audiovisual” (attached). The most important thing to remember is: If only the CD or DVD case comes in without the item DO NOT CODE IT AS DAMAGED. The item is still out and is overdue, not damaged. You may call or send a letter to the customer letting them know the item was not in the case that they had returned. If you place a damaged on an item that is not returned and the customer pays for that item the customer will not receive a refund if it is returned within six months. If you leave it as overdue and they pay for it everything will be automatically done within the six month time frame.
• Denise Ryan reminded the circulation clerks to roll all coin and to put the name of the library on the routing envelope.