Public Services Managers Minutes - August 01, 2019

Public Services Department Managers’ Meeting

Facilitator: Mark Schuster

Minutes: Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins

Reviewer: Tim Spindle

The meeting was called to order by Mark Schuster.  Mark welcomed everyone and explained that the agenda is intended to be somewhat fluid so that it can develop to meet departments’ needs.

Mark asked each person to share a recent micro victory, a work or personal experience which lead to a moment of feeling happiness.  He encouraged attendees to consider taking time at the end of the day to think of three micro victories during the day, and to think about the role that the individual and others had in creating each one.

Mark described the structure of the group and the meetings.  Currently, plans are for PDSM meetings to take place on the first Thursday of each month.  Since Public Services Managers’ meetings have become so large, the focus of the meeting and the information conveyed was primarily focused on libraries.  This meeting is intended to focus more on departments, to share information that needs to be shared and ask questions that need to be asked.

Attendees shared their ideas about what the PSDM meetings can be.  Suggestions included:

Departments serve as support staff for libraries.  In this meeting, departments can have conversations about how they can support libraries.

PSDM can allow departments to talk about library goals and how they can impact departments, in order to avoid problems further on.  It can also give departments an opportunity to come up with ideas of how they can support library goals.

Attendees are asked to give feedback as this or future meetings progress.

Chris Kennedy shared some purposes for the PSDM meetings.  The meetings should be considered a means of communication, not just an opportunity for a meeting.  Face to face communication is most effective, but administration wants to be respectful of staff’s time.

Quarterly Facility Checklist Reminders – Mark Schuster

At Downtown, the library completes a Quarterly Facility Checklist, but only for areas of the building relating to the library.

Each department should complete a checklist each quarter for the areas housing the department.  Not all the checklist items will apply; if not, simply check not applicable.

There is still time to complete a third quarter checklist for July-September 2019.

Risa mentioned that there is a folder on the Public Services Managers’ SharePoint designated for quarterly checklists, and asked if everyone has access to it.  She will make sure that those who do not have access are given access.

Each department manager is responsible for keeping track and completing a checklist each quarter.

If there are issues, put in work order for MTC to get addressed

Shadowing Updates and Feedback – Mark Schuster

Several departments have hosted library staff for shadowing; some, like CIS, are asked to do so more frequently than others.

Shadowing in a department can help department staff to learn about how staff in libraries work as well as those staff learning how a department works.

Some departments lend themselves more easily to being shadowed, as it only takes an hour or two to learn the basics of department operation.   For other departments, more time, even a half or full day, is most beneficial.

Should department staff shadow in libraries?

Department staff are welcome to shadow in other departments.  Some would also like to shadow in a library setting.  There was some discussion of how shadowing in a library might work.

The group agreed that it would be helpful to create a document about shadowing in each department.  The document could include how long a department likes people to shadow, what days/times work best, who to contact, how to make arrangements, etc.

A question was raised about frontline staff who want to shadow other frontline staff, such as Access staff shadowing Engagement staff.  This might be done in the same library or at a different one.

Another idea is a staff exchange among public service staff.  This would need to be a one to one exchange, same positions, same number of hours, etc.  It would be an immersion experience, probably for a week or more.  It would allow staff from a large library to experience a smaller one, and vice versa.  Similar things have been done in the past, as when assistant library managers rotated among locations.  At times, onboarding public service staff have done something similar as well.

Some of the Leadership Team are currently doing shelving training in a library and are enjoying it; library staff are enjoying having them.  The Regional Directors are scheduling times to assist in Technical Processing to learn more about how materials get to libraries.

Intacct Tips/Reminders – Risa Sargent

       If an RTO or RTP has been declined or completed in Intacct, you can copy it and edit to resubmit.

To do so, click the More Actions drop-down menu at the upper right of the transaction, then select the location for the copied version (RTO, RTP, etc.).  All boxes will be filled with the information on the original transaction, and can be edited, then submitted.

You can also set default values to be used every time that you create an RTO or RTP.

To do so, click the Show Defaults link at the left directly above the grid.  You can select values for Program, Fund, Budget Year, Department, Location, etc.  When you finish, click the Apply Defaults button, and the values will be inserted.  Once you have established the defaults, the same information will be inserted each time you add a line to the grid.

Department Managers are encouraged to share this information with inputters in their departments.

HUM Hiring Process Update – LaVetta Dent

Based on feedback at all levels, each new open position is being assigned to Elizabeth Kessler or Greg

Open positions are being assigned to Elizabeth or Greg Keenon in Human Resources.  Elizabeth or Greg will reach out to the hiring manager to communicate after the position is assigned, and will provide updates during the hiring process.

Updated PS Org Charts – Risa Sargent

Risa has created a new Excel organization chart for Public Services.  The file contains basic information on all PS departments and libraries.  It can be found on the PSM SharePoint, under Documents; there is a folder named Org Charts.

Each region, library, or department is listed on a separate tab; the first tab is for PS Administration.  Managers’ names are already in the file.

Managers are asked to fill out the appropriate chart with names and position titles for all staff within 7 days; and to continue to update as staff changes.  Please try not to edit other managers’ org charts.

The chart will automatically calculate FTEs.  As positions change, it is okay to add or delete cells as needed.

Managers are to let Risa know if they have questions.

Staff Association Representation – Erin Bedford

The Staff Association has reached out to Julie about the lack of participation/representation in the organization.

Ideally, each library should have an SA representative.  Each department cannot realistically have one, but there should at least be one for the departments housed at DN and one for those housed at the Service Center.

Participation is voluntary, but all staff are to be made aware that the option of participating is available.  If a representative is scheduled to work during a Staff Association meeting, the meeting is considered paid time.  If the individual is not scheduled to work, time is not paid.  Staff are not paid mileage for attending Staff Association meetings.

Department Ideas/Innovation Sharing

Attendees were asked to share not only about what a department is doing, but about ideas department staff have, things they would like to try, plans they have, etc.  Sharing thoughts about projects that departments are collaborating with others on is encouraged.

Access – Tricia Andrews

Access priorities went live on August 1 at all libraries.

Tricia plans to attend the EPS cabinet meeting to hear feedback and follow up from the April meeting.

Tricia is working to share information about the TLC upgrade with all staff.  She has created some videos and is revising them.

The system’s floating ASII started work on July 29.  She will be training at MC for two weeks, then at DN for 8 weeks.  The goal is for her to begin floating around October 1.  Guidelines for requesting assistance from the floating ASII can be shared with staff at any time.  The request form is a Microsoft form and scheduling will be on a biweekly basis.  Current plans are for the ASII to work Tuesday through Saturday, including one evening per week; and to try to schedule for one location each day to help keep mileage down.  Same day requests may be considered.

Access workshops are now available and staff are encouraged to enroll.  Tricia asked what departments need to know about CarlX as well.

The access work group is working on an access manual to be added to the Access Managers’ SharePoint.  It will include information about how processes vary at the local level.  The workgroup is to complete work by October 1.

Tricia will be on temporary leave beginning August 19; Risa will handle scheduling for the floating ASII, as well as other Access issues, until Tricia returns.

Risa will be handling scheduling while Tricia is out

Central Information Services -- Tim Spindle

CIS will take over CT’s phones on August 12, and DC’s two weeks later.

They are working with library managers to make sure that they cover location specific needs, such as CT’s hold list for hotspots or DC’s special phone number to book study rooms.

Working with managers to make sure cover location specific needs, like CToll

Tim met with Kristine Magers and Victoria Stephens to talk about the change from Lynda.com to Linked In Learning.  Linked In Learning will require each user to have a Linked In account, which has raised some privacy concerns.  Time, Kristine, and Victoria are developing a communication strategy; how to maintain privacy between LI account and library account; how to keep account non searchable

Collection Services & Development

Collection Development – Janeal Walker

CD has made a hiring recommendation for the CD Supervisor position, and hopes to make an announcement soon

Janeal is making plans for the transition to Above the Treeline’s Edelweiss product for collection management.  She has offered to assist any library with August weeding; so far, one library manager has requested assistance.  Janeal asked the RDs to check in with their libraries to determine if help is needed.

CD is working on revamping the Collection training; L&D helped Janeal create survey to find ways to improve the course’s content.  The training is available on EduBrite.  Janeal asked that RDs make sure that new managers enroll in it.

The OverDrive Lucky Day collection is upcoming.  Users can browse in a “room” to see available titles; the title is suppressed when the lucky day copy is checked out.

The first Automatically Yours (copies of high demand titles that arrive shelf ready) order card was received on July 31.  The items will arrive in January 2020.

As Tim mentioned, CD is working on the transition from Lynda.com to Linked In Learning.  CD looked for alternative products, but none provides the same resources; they will keep looking.  Some libraries have chosen to drop the product instead of transitioning, and customers at libraries that dropped it are very unhappy!  MLS will use the transition as an educational opportunity.

Cataloging, Interlibrary Loan, and Technical Processing -- Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins

The hiring process for managers in these departments is moving along.

Pauline is working with Jennifer Livingstone and Vicki Thompson on their delivery study.  This should reduce the amount of time required for holds to arrive at libraries and the number of misrouted items.  More information will be coming shortly.

Plans have been made to dispose of microfilm and microfiche that have been withdrawn from DN.

Technical Processing staff are making progress toward completing the backlog of items to be processed.  It took time for the backlog to form and will require time to finish it.  The RDs are volunteering to assist with processing, along with staff from other Service Center departments.

Engagement & Program Services

       Adult Services – Kellie Delaney

There were 30,015 Summer Reading signups, not quite reaching the goal of 31,000, but 3,000 more than last year and more than in any previous year.  Summer Reading participants logged over 24 million minutes read.

Kellie is working with Buddy on archives website that should be launching soon.

First round project teams will be presenting reports at their reports at Cabinet and Programmers meetings.

The round 2 project teams have been selected.

Children’s Services – Kristin Williamson

EPS is planning a soft launch for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten project.

They will be meeting with library media specialists from Oklahoma City Public Schools to reestablish and continue connections.  Tim offered to share a guide for parents to be used at the session.

Teen Services – Emily Williams

The Summer Reading Steering Committee is working on a survey to get feedback on this year’s program.  All feedback has been relatively positive.  Most people felt that tracking only minutes read was easier.

The teen volunteer recognition event will be held on Friday, August 2, at DN after closing.

Emily is working with Engagement staff on systemwide outcomes, community needs assessment, etc.  She is meeting with Engagement staff at libraries to go over what EPS does, what they can do, strategies, etc.

 Outreach -- LaVetta Dent

OUT events have been added in Library Market as private events so that staff can sign up to participate through Sign Up Genius.

SeptemberFest has been cancelled this year.  However, OUT is participating in Wiggle Out Loud and the Oklahoma Book Festival in September.

There are many events planned for October that will provide opportunities for staff to volunteer.

MLS may have a table at the Musical Swings event without being required to monitor the swings.

Scissortail Park has asked for help with their storytimes.

Special Collections & Research – Buddy Johnson

SCR is just past the test mode on the new website.  Old databases have been migrated to the new site.

Buddy collaborated with a local software designer to create an inventory control system for special collections, and it works well.

Several grants in works: A historic preservation grant to digitize architectural plans and provide augmented reality for old OKC buildings; ALA Holocaust grant in conjunction  with EPS.

SCR is collaborating with BI to offer an event for people to come and record memories of the existing library, bring photos, etc; They will visit the Holocaust Resource Center at BI to work on getting better returns for that collection, which circulates a lot but is not browsed.  This could be a pilot for the library system.

They are collaborating with OCU to have interns come in and help digitize; with the Arts Council on oral history; with the Oklahoma City Parks Dept on histories of parks and storytelling; with Urban Renewal to determine what has been destroyed on east side and how to bring back neighborhoods after doing oral histories in the area a few years ago; and with the 45th Infantry Museum, which has a historical component and is working to  digitize it.

Public Services – Chris Kennedy

The Community Libraries budget has changed so that staff at all Community Libraries are considered CL staff instead of individual library staff.  There are several reasons for this; it allows staff to move more easily between libraries.  Travel and similar items are now part of the general CL budget.

Regions are not changing and Regional Directors are not changing regions .  If there is a change, it would happen after the appraisal period.  No change is anticipated at this time, even after appraisals.

Chris has been attending some staff meetings and is interested in attending more; Julie Ballou is also interested in attending.  Managers should invite Julie if there is a topic she would like to hear about or something she can share info about.  Julie wants to make this a priority, so it is okay to invite her even if she has something else on her schedule at that time.

Capital Project Updates

BI – MLS has been working with the architectural firm ADG, and have seen some renderings of possible results.  They are thinking of expanding north and south and adding parking.  MLS must move out of the current site by the end of 2019.  We have  identified a possible temporary location at and are waiting to find out if the owner will agree to our offer to lease it.  The temporary location is about 10,000 square feet, which is smaller than the current space.  Julie asked Buddy to research how this compares with the sizes of other temporary sites in the past, and it is more in line with what has been done in past.  MLS was lucky to get a larger space for BE temporarily, but this is not common.  We cannot move all of the collection; programming will be done mostly offsite, although we may try to do children’s programs onsite.  We expect to be in the temporary location about 2 years.  The new BI is projected to be about 30,000 square feet, hopefully all on one floor.  Chris is not sure how big the current location is, but any square footage would include both floors.  ADG is still thinking about how to arrange entry from the north side of the building.

ED – Will be closed for 3 months starting in December 2019 for HVAC and other improvements.  The library will be closing completely and reassigning staff to other locations.  No temporary site is planned.  MLS is hoping to find place to offer basic services like hold pickup and return, and is looking at possible locations for presenting programs.

BE – May possibly open in October at last word.

DC – The new building is on a fast track.  The city of Del City wants to hold a groundbreaking this fall.  MLS is also working with ADG on this project.  No closing will be necessary because the existing building will not be vacated until the new one is ready.  The new site will be about 15,000 square feet and the timeline for construction is likely 2 years.  The city just wants people to see progress happening.

Emily mentioned that she and Kristin have experience with children’s and teen’s areas.  The areas are already identified, but perhaps they can contribute to how the areas are arranged.

The meeting was adjourned.