Access Services Minutes - October 17, 2023

Welcome: Tricia called the meeting to order.

Learn: CARL.Connect Training (Tricia Andrews): Tricia provided an overview of the CARL.Connect Test environment and recommended practicing functionality in CARL.Connect Test. The last data refresh was October 25, 2022, so newer employees will not have a login. However, Tricia can provide generic logins for them upon request. Highlights from the training included the use of item grid, holds expired, and account management.

Discuss: CARL.Connect Brainstorming In breakout sessions, participants discussed and recorded the following:

• How we want to conduct CARL.Connect training (e.g., online, in-person, blended, local vs. system).
• What content specific training is needed.
• What additional functionality we need in CARL.Connect to fully transition.
• How we reduce barriers for staff and managers to use CARL.Connect more often.

Learn: Aspen Overview (Tricia Andrews): Tricia provided an Aspen demo, including linked accounts, events, lists, reading history, saved searches, blank searches, predictive text, filtering, kid’s catalog, and masquerade. Fines/fees are not currently working. Guests can update their phone number and email, but not their address online. If guests do not receive texts after changing theirs online, staff may need to update the carrier in CARL.X.   

Discuss: Supervising Access Tasks Participants discussed and shared feedback on a new one-page guiding document for managers supervising Access staff.

System Updates (Mark Schuster, GSA): Mark shared system updates.

• Calibration is in progress with feedback and updates coming soon. We can now un-finalize reviews, make changes, and re-finalize with a due date of October 29. Give staff a day or two to read their annual review before meeting with them. The first paycheck in December will reflect merit increases.
• A salary study is underway to help improve compensation particularly in the lower grades. We are looking at a 5% increase, but the full 5% may not apply equally to all positions across the board.  
• The new Almonte location is coming together well and is slated for early January completion.
• Metro will have a large presence at the 2024 OLA Conference. There may be a call for volunteers to help staff MLS booths. Staff do not necessarily need to be registered for the conference to help promote Metro at the booths.

Next Meeting: December 19, 2023 via Zoom / Next Notetaker: Northwest