HPL Security Update

Greetings HPL Staff.

This afternoon members of the Executive Leadership Team met with representatives from the Mayor’s Office and the City of Houston’s General Services Division to discuss the recent rash of burglaries in our libraries. We know you are all concerned about these recent break-ins, and we can assure you we are just as concerned, as well as committed to finding a solution.  We are working with our partners, including the COH Police Department, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

One thing we had done recently that we hope will eliminate any future break-ins is to remove all keys from the 911 boxes that are located on the outside perimeters of all 42 of our libraries.   Additionally, today we agreed to a number of confidential security measures that we believe will enhance the security of our facilities. Also, in the coming days you should notice GSD staff or contractors addressing any security related Sprocket orders that you have placed,  and we have placed a priority on repairing or replacing all damaged or non-functioning laptop carts, that you’ve submitted.

On December 12th an email was sent asking that ALL interior lights be left on overnight when you and your colleagues secure the building for the evening. Today we're asking you to continue leaving all lights on at night for the foreseeable future. If your lights are on an automatic timer, please submit a Sprocket work order to have the motion sensors overridden for the foreseeable future.  You can choose the “Electrical Other” option as the Sprocket category and include what you need done in the comments section.  When you have your work order number, please email it to Karrington Burnett in SPACES with the subject line of LIGHTS OVERRIDE @ your location.

Additionally, please continue to secure all Library assets (including laptops) before closing for the night in a location that is not visible from the outside.  Ideally, this will be in a locked closet.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact either of us, if you have any questions.

Michele Gorman & John Middleton

RFID Tags for DVD's

Good Afternoon,

 

Please make sure when converting RFID tags for the DVD’s that you use the CD/CD ROM setting on the conversion station.

If you use the video setting, it will tag them in a way that will make it difficult to be checked out on the automated checkout machines.

If you feel as though you have some on the shelves that may have been tagged incorrectly, please go through and check them with the conversion station software.

Let staff know so that they will tag them correctly moving forward.

 

Thank you.

 

Patrick Atkins

Senior Manager

Neighborhood Libraries

281-901-4805

Intranet

Hi, Team,

HALAN staff asked that I share a gentle reminder about using the new link - https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/ to access the intranet, blog pages and circulation related lists and reports.  Please add it to your toolbar. The old link no longer works. Thanks!

Best regards,

Mary Wagoner, M.L.I.S.

Sr. Manager, Special Projects

Houston Public Library

New email: mary.wagoner@houstontx.gov

832-393-2711(office)

713-447-1545 (cell)

832-393-1462 (FAX)

Setting Alternate Greetings

Hello,

I am re-sending out instructions for setting up alternate greetings. 

     1.  You must first call the greetings administrator at 832-395-1299.
         2.  When prompted for the ID, enter "2580".

3. When prompted for the password, enter "0852".
4. When prompted for the extension of the call handler, enter 1 and the 10 digit number of the branches main phone number (for example 18323931810).
5. Listen to the prompts, they will let you activate/deactivate/record an alternate greeting among other things.  The alternate greeting should be used on holidays.  To use it, record a greeting for it, and then activate it.  While the alternate greeting is active, all other greetings and busy/closed behavior are ignored.  Deactivate the alternate greeting when the holiday is over. 

A typical alternate greeting is: 

1.    Thank the caller and follow with the name of the branch/unit and the library system.

Thank you for calling the Alief Regional Library, part of the Houston Public Library System.

2.    State that the library will be closed for the named holiday, the dates it will be closed and when it will next be open.

The library will be closed for the Christmas holidays on Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25^th.  We will resume normal hours of operation at 1pm. on Friday, December 26th.

 

Thanks to Jennifer Myers at HEI for the information about using the 1 and the number.  J

Let me know if you have any questions.

Laurie Covington

Senior Manager of Customer Experience Administration

Houston Public Library

500 McKinney

Houston, TX  77002

832-393-1367

Unsolicted gift - "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China"

Good afternoon,

Several locations have reported receiving in the mail a copy of the book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China".

This is a 500-page collection of translations of recent speeches made by Xi Jinping, who is General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, the President of the People's Republic of China, and the Chairman of the Central Military. 

As such, it well beyond the scope of our collection.  Any copies received can go to units’ inhouse book sales or be sent to Friends (when the moratorium is lifted, that is).

Please share this information with any staff who may not be on this email distribution list and whoever handles incoming mail in your unit.

 

~Sara

 

Sara Karow

Adult Specialist

Collection Development Office

Houston Public Library

500 McKinney St.

Houston, TX 77002

Ph. 832-393-1480

sara.karow@houstontx.gov

RE: SPACES NOTICE: JHJ/JIB HVAC Maintenance

Hi there:

As a reminder the HALAN Helpdesk will be relocated to the Carnegie Neighborhood Library on December 26th and 27th and will be available via the normal Helpdesk number: 832-393-1570. This reminder is also posted on the Neighborhood Libraries Blog located at http://hplnl.blogspot.com/

Also remember you can call 832-393-2707 at any time during the closure if you need something. The number has been transferred to the appropriate on call Senior Manager.

Have a blessed and safe holiday.

Thanks.

Cheers,
Liz Sargent

How to know when a picture book is actually a picture book graphic novel

There have been a lot of questions about picture book graphic novels.  The subject tracings for picture book graphic novels include:  “Comic books, strips, etc.”, “Cartoons and comics” and “Graphic novels”. That’s your clue that it is a picture book graphic novel.  These picture book graphic novels can be displayed or shelved in picture books.

Below the catalog entry is a list of the current picture book graphic novel series (21 series so far).

Title:

My Little Pony 2: Friendship Is Magic

Author(s):

Nuhfer, Heather,

ISBN/ISSN:

9781613777602

 

1613777604

Abstract:

"Welcome to Ponyville, home of Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and all your other favorite Ponies! Something's not right in the town though, as some of the inhabitants are acting very, very strange! It's up to the ponies to find the source of the weirdness before it's too late!" -- p. [4] of cover.

Subject Term:

Ponies -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Friendship -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Comic books, strips, etc. -- United States.

Unicorns -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Ponies -- Fiction.

Unicorns -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Fantasy.

Ponies -- Cartoons and comics.

Friendship -- Cartoons and comics.

Cartoons and comics.

Genre:

Fantasy comic books, strips, etc.

Graphic novels.

Comic books, strips, etc.

Added Author:

Mebberson, Amy,

Holds: 0

Available:1

Library	Audience	Genre	Home Location	Material Type	Language	Shelf Number	Current Location
Meyer - Houston Public Library	Kid/Juvenile		Picture books	Kids book		E NUHFE	Due 1/2/15
Ring - Houston Public Library	Kid/Juvenile		Picture books	Kids book		E NUHFE	Picture books

 

Approved Picture Book Graphic Novel Series (as of today)

                Cartoon Classics

                DC Comics:  Batman:  Li’l Gotham

                DC Comics:  DC Super Friends

                DC Super Friends Graphic Novels

                DC Super Heroes

                Extraordinary Warren

                Graphic Universe

                Hello Kitty

                Icky Ricky

                Joey and Jet

                Jump-Into-Chapters

                Kirby

                Let’s Find Pokemon

                Man of Steel

                Martha Speaks:  Canine Comics

                Misadventures of Salem Hyde

                My Little Pony

                Peanuts

                Rio Graphic Novels

                Salty Splashes Collection

                Smurfs

If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the youth team in Collection Development (Sara (Sally) Bates, Brinda Brantley or me).

Thanks!

Mary Stanton

Juvenile Specialist

Houston Public Library

Collection Development

500 McKinney| Houston, Texas  77002

Office: 832-393-1478

Main Line:  832-393-1469

Mary.Stanton@houstontx.gov

Reporting Missing Houston Chronicle Issues

Please call the Chronicle at 713-220-7211 to report the missing Houston Chronicle. Please remain on the line without pressing any prompts to wait for the next available representative. Give the account number for your location and the address. If you call before 9:00 am you may be able to request redelivery of the missing paper. If redelivery is not possible they will credit the account for the missing paper. All other papers must be claimed by Central Serials. Please let us know when you have not received papers so we may process the claim.  We may also occasionally have additional copies we can send to your location.

 

Gail Ibarra

832-393-1610

Gail.ibarra@houstontx.gov

Ethel Holcombe

832-393-1604

Ethel.holcombe@houstontx.gov

Rachel Zamora

832-393-1593

Rachel.zamora@houstontx.gov

Pat Ogea

832-393-1608

Pat.ogea@houstontx.gov

 

Laurie Covington

Senior Manager of Customer Experience Administration

Houston Public Library

500 McKinney

Houston, TX  77002

832-393-1367

Updates

I am pushing out public updates for all Laptops and Training computers.

So if you can get out a few laptops at a time and turn them on for around an hour, this will update them.

Also if you can turn on all training computers at your branch, in the morning and turn off at the end of the day. That will update them.

You can do this starting today, or after the Christmas break.

 

Thanks for your help in this matter,

Robert Bliss

Technical Hardware Analyst 1

City of Houston Library / IT Dept.

Work  8323931406

Fax  8323931427

Robert.Bliss@houstontx.gov

FW: SPACES NOTICE: JHJ/JIB HVAC Maintenance

Team –

 

Please note that the Central Library and JIB Complex will be closed to all staff during this time. There will be no FID deliveries on Friday and all deliveries will resume on Monday, December 29, 2014. Digital Strategies (IT) will be embedded in NLs on Friday and can be reached via our helpdesk – 832-393-1570. If there are any services that you need, please don’t hesitate to give John Middleton (713-256-2750) or me (713-515-2582) a call. For city services, please follow the normal process or procedure.

 

Regards

Roosevelt Weeks

Deputy Director of Library Administration

Houston Public Library - We link people to the world

832-393-1327

 

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Sir Winston Churchill

SPACES NOTICE: JHJ/JIB HVAC Maintenance

SPACES NOTICE

JHJ/JIB: HVAC Maintenance

23 December 2014

  

Central Library Complex (Jones and JIB) will be closed for HVAC maintenance on Friday, December 26 through Sunday, December 28, 2014.  There will be no environmental controls during those days, so all areas in the buildings will be affected.  

 

This is not a system-wide closure and staff at the Central Library complex have already been informed and made appropriate work arrangements with their supervisors.  This work is necessary for the maintenance of our HVAC systems in the two buildings. 

 

Please communicate this information as usual and as necessary. 

 

Thanks for your cooperation,

Jason Stephens

Administrative Specialist

Houston Public Library | SPACES

500 McKinney | Houston, TX  77002

Office: 832-393-1366 | Email: jason.stephens@houstontx.gov 

Crime Stoppers segment that aired on Channel 2 on 12/12 about recent thefts at HPL locations

Hi guys. Here is the link to the Crime Stoppers segment that aired on Channel 2 on Friday, December 12 about the recent rash of thefts at libraries around the city:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/laptops-stolen-from-houston-libraries/30208178

As a reminder, please be sure and secure all of your location’s valuables/assets before closing up for the night.  Also, check one last time before you head out the door to ensure your safe is locked, all doors that open to the outside are closed and locked and the alarm has been set.

 

If you have any barriers to securing your location’s assets/valuables (broken laptop cart, missing lock on door or cart, no space to put locked cart in staff closet), please email this info to Laurie Covington ASAP.

Thanks,

Michele

Michele Gorman

Deputy Director of Customer Experience

Houston Public Library - We link people to the world.

500 McKinney | Houston, TX  77002

832-393-1329

Michele.Gorman@houstontx.gov

Sirsi Override

Good Morning,

 

If you have not already, please have staff start using their own Sirsi password as their override in Workflows.  They should no longer be using “super” according to Erin Cody.

 

Thank you.

 

Patrick Atkins

Senior Manager

Neighborhood Libraries

Preparing for end of business - a manager's role and responsibility for securing property

Hi guys. As most of you are aware we’ve had a rash of break-ins at our neighborhood libraries during the last month or two.  We are working to solve this, and to that end I need your help with some basic things over the next 30 days.  At the end of business today, and for the next month, 4 things need to happen each and every night, whether you are there to manage the close of the building, or not:

 

1. ALL lights inside the library need to be kept ON when you lock up for the evening
2.  ALL blinds in your library need to left in the OPEN position when you lock up for the evening
3. All Library assets, including laptop computers, iPads, iPad minis, digital cameras, and anything else of value, need to be locked in a storage closet in the staff area. If your laptop cart locks, please ensure that it is locked once you have stored all of the laptops for the day before rolling it into the storage closet as an additional safety measure.   If your laptop cart(s) are lockable, but you do not have the necessary equipment to lock IT, or you some other issue with your laptop cart that keeps you from being able to secure the laptops in the cart, email Laurie Covington and let her know what the problems is so we can hopefully come up with a timely solution so you can better secure your branch laptops and other valuables
4.  Do a final walk-through of your building at end of business – checking all doors to be sure they’re safely latched (including safety doors) and just keeping an eye out for anything that looks unusual

 After 30 days we will begin shutting off all the lights at end of business, but #2, #3, and #4 should be standard operating procedure from here on out.  

 As the Location Manager or Assistant Manager, and therefore usually the person in charge, you are responsible for ensuring that these things happen nightly. If you will not be the person in charge on any given night, please be sure your senior staff member knows and understands what needs to happen at end of business.  If something does happen at your location, inform your senior manager, take pictures and submit an incident report immediately. If you suspect that anything at your library has been tampered with, such as a window, a door, an alarm box, or if anything that just doesn’t feel right – let the people in the “Cc:” box know because I’d rather be too cautious than not cautious enough. 

 

Thanks, and as always – please let me know if you have any questions.

Michele

Michele Gorman

Deputy Director of Customer Experience

Houston Public Library - We link people to the world.

500 McKinney | Houston, TX  77002

832-393-1329

Michele.Gorman@houstontx.gov

 

The Houston Public Library is a vital member of a dynamic and diverse local, national, and global community.

 

I have MY Link.  Do you have yours? http://www.houstonlibrary.org/mylink

 

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