Manager of Library Operations Meeting Minutes for October 2007

Date:  October 24, 2007

Location:  Village Library

Attending: Denyvetta Davis, Kay Bauman, Karen Bays, Barbara Beasley, Rosemary Czarski, LaVetta Dent, Priscilla Doss, Mary Patton, Katrina Prince, Phil Tolbert, Randy Wayland, Melissa Weathers & Deb Willis.

Guest: Mike James, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co.; Roy Ballou, HUM; Anne Fischer, IT and Kim Terry, MaC.

Meeting called to order at 1:30p.m., by Denyvetta Davis, Director of Library Operations.

1. Special Guest: Mike James, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company
1. Hiring Practices/Customer Service
• Denyvetta introduced Mike James of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and invited everyone to introduce themselves to Mike.
• Mike James stated he was proud to have the opportunity to speak with MLS managers. He gave a brief history of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and indicated they started a customer service scoring program about eight years ago.
• Enterprise hired an outside company out of St. Louis, MO., to randomly contact customers and inquire how satisfied they were with the service received from Enterprise, what the company can do to better serve the customer and if the customer prefers a followup call from a representative of the company.
• Mike shared that Enterprise has what they call a topbox mentality, meaning the only thing that counts is for customers to be completely  satisfied. Enterprise has a service quality index of 97% in customer service.
• He distributed to the managers, binders containing customer service objectives on how to “Wow” customers. The customer service objectives  included information on defining today’s customers, building effective relationships with customers, office etiquette to ensure good customer  service and knowing the difference between good and bad service.
• Mike discussed identifying what customers want and learning ways to keep them. Good behavior of a team creates better customer service and  ill give customers a reason to return. He stated we must be careful of the ways we use jargons with our customers and invited everyone to  share this information with their staff.
2. Open Discussion
1. Schoolbased cards (requirements)
• Kay reminded managers that for customers to obtain teacher issued schoolbased cards, documentation must be shown proving they are  teaching in our service area.
• She indicated the original intent for obtaining schoolbased cards were for preschool and elementary school teachers who often use the library  to check out books to take back into the classrooms for students to enjoy. Those who teach in the MLS service area but live outside the service area.
• Denyvetta asked that managers review the schoolbased card policy on the webpage.
2. Other topics
• The managers briefly discussed an email sent by Melissa, DC, regarding missing magazines being taken from their original binders. A few  managers responded to where magazines are located at their libraries. Some managers ask customers for identification in order to view the  magazines that are located behind the circulation desk.
• LaVetta, VI, advised the managers that a circulation clerk has noticed quite a few CD’s that come with books that are missing and are coming  from reserves. She asked managers to remind staff to always check items that are being returned.
• Mary, DN, is concerned about customers sleeping on the furniture in the library. She frequently walks the library to observe customers that are  sleeping and will wake them up and inform her staff when she has awakened customers within three feet of their desk.
• Mary’s policy is to awaken the customer twice and on the third occasion ask the customer to leave the library. She stated that the behavior of  customers sleeping in the library discourages other customers. Kay stated that the issue is not the behavior of sleeping, but the fact that some  customers are sleeping for three or more hours taking up space that other customers could be occupying. She indicated that no where in the  policy does it states, sleeping is prohibited, and that alone could not be supported. She advised there would need to be some other unacceptable behavior showing what the customer has done.
3. Kudos & Misc. – Denyvetta Davis, Director of Library Operations
1. Kudos
• Denyvetta shared an article from Metro Oklahoma featuring a photo of members of the Choctaw Guild. She also shared thank you notes received from customers from several libraries.
• Mary, DN gave kudos to Buddy Johnson whose photo was featured in the Oct. 3 issue of the Gazette.
• LaVetta, VI shared that Julianna attended and enjoyed the USA Reference Conference in Omaha, NE. The trip was paid through Reference USA.
• Katrina, BE stated, Fox News attended and recorded Alfalfa Bill portrayed by John Hinkle.
• Denyvetta shared a request from Karen Calmens, Reference Librarian at OCU School of Law to complete her practicum at MLS during spring 2008.
• Karen is a student at the University of Missouri Columbia, School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Denyvetta passed around the Practicum Guide and Syllabus for managers to view the requirements.
4. MLS News/Updates – Kay Bauman, Deputy Executive Director of Library Operations Ad Team Update
• Kay stated the new computer rules have been in place for a little over a week and asked if everything was going well. Overall, it’s going pretty  well with the exception of a few computers not shutting down five minutes before closing time and IT has been notified of the situation.
• Kay has read all of the service plans submitted and she will be giving feedback on them and invited the managers to forward their suggestions  to her.
• The performance appraisals began on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. Right Management is assisting in the process of MLS performance  appraisals. Randy, Barbara, Mary and LaVetta are the managers who are representing all of the managers for Right Management.
• Right Management has read all of the standards and will be visiting a couple of libraries represented by size and busyness. Over the next few  days, they will be conducting visits to different offices speaking with different staff members.
• LU was visited the morning of October 24 and Tech Processing in the afternoon. BI and DN will be visited on October 25 and CH on October  26.
• Kim, MaC is working on the annual report.
• Scott Turow is now the current Literary Voices author.
• Heidi Port, Dev, discussed the volunteer visitors with the AdTeam. United Way contacted Donna and voiced how impressed they are with MLS  in raising donations. Donna expressed the importance for MLS to participate in volunteer services so we are heard and noticed in this  community.
• Opening House is scheduled during business hours DN on December 4. Candace will be contacting the managers for participation.
• The NW Community meeting took place on October 16. The presentation and photos are posted on the website.  Any feedback and/or  comments are welcomed and will be forwarded to Donna.
• Not all libraries will be hosting a commission meeting in 2008 such as, BE, CH, CT and WA. This information can be found in the commission  packet.
• The new Friends Coordinator, Carol Gilbert was in attendance at the AdTeam meeting. She began her new position on October 22, 2007.
• WA sign was destroyed by a vehicle a while back and they will be receiving a new sign in the future. VI will first receive their sign and WA will  follow. There has been some discussion of a temporary measure for vinyl signs to place on the buildings.
• Barbara, WA, stated the wall itself has been repaired but the lettering has not been added. The lettering still appears in good condition and may work as a temporary measure. She forwarded a note to Frank and Patrick.
• Karen, MSL reported that three leadership members attended the last Materials Services Division meeting and two members may attend the  next meeting. One leadership member attended the Tech Support meeting on October 23.
• The leadership members are attending other meetings beyond the AdTeam meetings to get an idea of the other meetings that are taking place  at MLS. Kay shared it’s working out very well. Kay and Stacy are the coordinators for MLS Leadership.
• Lisa Wood, OUT, received a grant to purchase a portable family place with a collection of toys that can be transported in her vehicle to various locations in the community.
• The committee for summer at the library 2008 will be meeting soon.
• Todd indicated the revenue collected from the sale of the old DN building will be received sometime in December 2007. It will be used for the repairing the doors at the new DN Library and help with renovations at RE.
• Staff Recognition Dinner is on November 10.
• IT received the first shipment of RFID tags this week. Jimmy and Anne were able to tag one shelf of items at the DN location. Tagging will  begin at SO, they have tables with electrical outlets for the portability needed.
5. Resource Sharing Recognizing Conflict – Melissa Weathers, DC Melissa distributed notes regarding staff conflicts and briefly discussed with the managers to be sure to recognize staff conflicts while they’re still in the early stages.  Melissa stated the three principals to resolving conflicts are:
• Acknowledge the problem.
• Speak with each individual separately to get facts.
• Discuss the problem with the individuals together.  Ask each individual what they think would be a reasonable solution in resolving conflicts, to stick with the issues and not the individuals and their emotions, and hold each individual accountable.
• Phil Tolbert, CH will facilitate resource sharing next month.
• Tech Support Report – Deb Willis, MC Deb forwarded her Tech Support notes to the managers.
6. MLS Partners – Information/Updates
• HR Posters – Roy Ballou, HUM
• Roy advised the managers that the required compliance posters have all been made into one big poster and will need to be posted in a public area for employees and the public to view. Posters were distributed to all managers at the meeting.
• HUM is now required to use the Department of Homeland Security’s website along with the Department of Human Services website to verify social security numbers for applicants hired, and to ensure that they are authorized to work in the United States.
• All new employees must report DN on their first work day to allow HUM to create identification badges and to complete the necessary paperwork needed. This will prevent the possibility of confidential paperwork being lost or misrouted.
• Book Bags – Kim Terry, MaC
• Kim indicated this past August, BO ran an analysis on book bags that were purchased and how much was made from the sale of bags and stated, the numbers are not quite adding up. According to the BO numbers, we should have sold $17,500 worth of $5 bags and another $9,000 for a total of $26,500. According to the report, we sold about $21,000 worth of bags, a shortage of about $6,500. Kim stated this could be that some libraries may have several boxes stored. If additional bags are requested and the MaC office is out of boxes, she has to order additional bags from their promotional vendor, regardless of how many boxes some libraries may have stored.
• Kim shared that originally, the $5 bags were at a cost to MLS of $4.21, making a profit of .79 cents per bag and the $1 bags cost $1.33, losing .33 cents per bag. The manufacturing price of the bags has been raised and the $1 bags are now $1.73. Because the $5 bags are not selling as quickly as the $1 bags, Kim suggested the cost of the $1 bags be raised to $2 per bag to offset the numbers. She will design a sign so customers are aware of the price change and the signs will be forwarded to the managers for posting by next week.
• Deb Willis, shared that MC children’s librarian, Kristen Williamson, worked with MaC on designing reusable signs for many of the programs they provide on a regular basis. Rick, MaC, designed great posters with date and time changeability.
• Laptop Computers – Anne Fischer, IT
• Anne indicated that ED and DN already have laptops that will need to be updated. IT technicians will transport laptops to the remaining libraries in the next two days and will be available to demonstrate how the laptops and scanners connect. Each laptop comes with a wireless bar code scanner which will need to be connected to the laptop.
• Anne stated while not in use, the wireless barcode scanners should be connected and plugged into the USB port of another computer for  charging and gave a demonstration on securing the locks/alarms that were purchased for the laptops. She advised that the laptops are set up to  work on the staff side of the network and asked that managers be careful to secure the computers when out on the floor. If the laptops get into  the wrong hands it could compromise the security of our network. So that staff has an understanding, a notice will be drafted by Anne stating  why laptop computers should not be loaned to the public. The laptop for CT was given to Rosemary during the meeting.
• The first 30,000 RFIP tags were received on Monday. IT has been practicing at the DN location, testing on the best way to set up and how the  process will go. They tagged about 300 items on Wednesday. For testing purposes, an electric shelf reader with flexible
  paddles was purchased. SO will be the first library to be tagged, followed by the libraries that are open seven days a week. Anne shared that money was requested to hire extra parttime help. She suggested when IT arrives at the libraries to set up and if there are pages that would like extra hours, they will be paid from the requested monies.  IT will try to mount antennas under the counters.

Next meeting date scheduled November 14, 2007 Midwest
City Library at 1:30p.m.