Manager of Library Operations Meeting Minutes for October 2005

Date: October 19, 2005

Location:  Village Library

Present: Denyvetta Davis, Kay Bauman, Barbara Beasley, Mary Patton, Karen Bays, Ann Aliotta, LaVetta Dent, Rosemary Czarski, Katrina Prince, Priscilla Doss, Debbie Robertus, Jack Kinzie, Randy Wayland, Phil Tolbert, Deborah Willis

Guest: Stacy Schrank

The meeting was called to order at 1:30 PM.

1. Open Discussion
   The Records Management Survey is due November 12. This was a request made by an administrative committee including Jim Welch on October 11. The request was for information or records on file in various locations within the library system. Kay explained that the intent is to identify who is keeping what items and consolidate terminology, etc. for consistency within the library system.
   Kay also discussed visiting each library within the next 6 months. The intent is to interact with people (staff and customers). She wants to make 2 visits each month to a different library (all on Thursday’s).

   Kay addressed computer use suggestions as per recent survey of computer needs. She clarified issues for further understanding. She stated that the addition of more computers is not an immediate thing. Also, computers within the children’s area will be part of a central signup, and anyone will be eligible to use them in that area. The same is true for the YA areas. All will be part of a central sign-up process. Technicalities will be issues for IT to resolve. The Gates computers will be updated to also work in this multi-use process.

2. Sharing
   Kudos: Denyvetta shared that the Midwest City and Southern Oaks libraries received 100% in accuracy and appearance of shelves during recent site visits. She also acknowledged Phil Tolbert for recent efforts to work with the Chance to Change organization. Names were also drawn for prizes: Lavetta received a copy of “Dewey or Don’t We Cook,” (cookbook written by a Librarian that is arranged by Dewey) and Katrina received a coupon book from Central State Beauty Academy. We then read “Healing” cards passed out by Denyvetta.
• Library Service Plans: Service Plans were reviewed by all managers, and featured methods of reducing work loads, or other new ideas.
• Bethany – Redo the restrooms, add computers, Barbara-attend more city council meetings.
• Warr Acres – Streamlining page duties including system reserves. Also making a few rearrangements within the library as well as the workload.
• Edmond – Change method of handling system reserves, and spreading out programming assignments for librarians.
• Village – Streamlined workload and differentiated between computer work and reference work.
• Choctaw – Reserves handled by pages. They can clean computers while pulling reserves. Also removed tables no longer needed.
• Del City – Toddler times combined with Story times, as well as some rearranging of the library.
• Belle Isle – Pages added to handle the mail. Also, shelves and other materials were shifted.
• Southern Oaks – Staffing changes and duties. New collection development ideas including reduction of the printed collection.
• Capitol Hill – Streamlining reserves process for pages, eliminating the Primavera Festival in the spring and the Information Festival in the fall.
• Midwest City – Staffing issues including shifting of page duties, and reassigning reserves duties.
• FOCUS, Training Updates, etc. – Stacy Schrank Stacy discussed the availability of sweatshirts that were given away during FOCUS. The name of the company is IPGI (IMAGEnation Promotional Group, Inc.) near NW 27th and May Ave. near Taft School. Blue shirts can be purchased for $17.00 and Sweatshirts for $15.00. We may deal directly with them as individuals rather than going thru Marketing.  The company has a website www.ipgi.com. Select “showrooms” from the menu, scroll down to Metropolitan Library System, and enter the password, which is READ. Shirts
  may then be selected.  There was a lot of good feedback regarding this years FOCUS. There was less grumbling about being there, no gag gifts, or funny skits, more topics were considered appropriate.  The flow within the facility was better, and many especially enjoyed the session on parks in Oklahoma and the session on “Pickles.” For many, it even seemed that the day ended a little early. The overall registration process utilizing the computer was well received, and suggestions were made to better streamline the handing out of packets, and possibly relocate the event at a location further east.
• Charla Long will generate a report that will be distributed to all staff. Stacy expressed appreciation for all our assistance. Kay addressed the need for all supervisors to help monitor the behavior of those few staff that prefer not to be there. In future events all supervisors will be asked to help monitor this issue.
• Other discussion ensued regarding the redesigning the training notebook for new employees. The checklist for new hires needs to be updated, and Stacy will send an email requesting suggestions for the checklist, which could include uploading the checklist in some format on the Intranet. There was also discussion about the need for an enrollment process for system workshops, etc. that would require enrollments to be filtered thru managers who would then submit the registration to the Planning office.
• There is also a need for historical information via computer regarding previous training records. No such system currently exists so the best thing to do is contact Planning for previous records.
• Announcements/Reminders
  Kay asked about the impact of DVD’s. Many are checked out or on reserve throughout the library system. She also asked about customer complaints regarding the new limit on System Reserves. No complaints so far.
  The results of the Summer Reading survey are almost completed. LaVetta Dent, Heidi Daniel-Morgan, Kay Bauman, Karen Marriott, and Dana Morrow have formed a committee to review the data supplied by staff. There is a definite interest in retaining the computerized training process.
• Barbara Beasley will join the committee as a manager/trainer, Kim Terry will represent Marketing needs, and Stacy Schrank will represent the training aspect. They will meet next week and be under way for next year by December.
• Kay mentioned that the Room Manager data is bad. People are not recording attendance. We all need a method of inputting data as soon as possible. Monthly should be the maximum time to get info entered. We need to enter things more accurately. There will be a cheat sheet created to assist in this process.
• Kay also mentioned the Ad Hoc Committee of the commission meeting next week (October 27, 2005) to address the restrictions of materials recently approved by the commission. One possibility would be to enhance the PPO (Parental Preference Option) to allow parents to restrict what their individual children can check out. Jim Welch has created an addition to the PPO system that allows added limitations by subject heading and reading level.
• Reminders
• Return to work after Illness: Denyvetta reminded us that staff on sick leave more than 40 consecutive working hours must provide a doctor’s statement upon returning to work.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at approx. 4:15 PM.
The next meeting is scheduled at the Choctaw Library on November 16.