It's almost time for the Winter Reading Program (December 18, 2017 – January 8, 2018). This program is for youth ages 0-18. Participants must read 10 minutes a day for 10 days to earn a prize. Prizes will be awarded January 2-13, 2018. Here's a cheat sheet for Beanstack.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
New Technology @ HPL
The library is advertising new technology that is currently only at a few locations. Please familiarize yourself with the new tech that is out there, since there will probably be questions. The big new thing is Mobile Printing.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
November Meetings Recap
Collected from meetings held 11/2 & 11/9:
Meeting Rooms
The Garden Room is safe to use. The spots on the floor are just from the laminate bubbling.
Collection Maintenance
Please do not lay books flat on the juvenile return carts. If you don’t have time to put them in order, just put them upright on the cart. Also, current Bluebonnets go on the second shelf on the back side of the cart.
Please file newspapers correctly in the cabinet in the work room.
YA nonfiction (including graphic novels) are now completely in call number order. The only exception are a few manga so that the series stay together.
Please put FLIP Kits on the dog house if they come in through delivery with the replenished note on it. Remove the replenished note beforehand, though. It gets confusing when FLIP kits are found on carts. Returned FLIP kits should be checked out to LOO-REFURB and sent to CMH.
Be careful not to overload the hold shelves that are held by metal pegs. GSD is eventually going to put brackets on all shelves.
Databases
Please review Brainfuse. You can access Brainfuse from the Learn and Explore tab on the website. Students can start with Leap Learning to take a diagnostic test and get a customized learning plan. Skills Surfer provides lessons to build skills. There is also a Parent Corner that is available in English and Spanish and that offers advice to parents on how to speak to their children’s teacher, how to create a space for studying, and how to reinforce parenting skills to help children learn. The Language Lab offers help with learning French, Italian, and Spanish. The Writing Lab helps customers with essays, cover letters or resumes. Response time for feedback is usually 24 hours. The Flashbulb section offers flash cards to practice basic skills. Live tutoring is now 24/7 and a student is matched with a tutor by grade level and subject. The Brainfuse tutors all have a 4-year degree and have teaching experience. They have all gone through a background check, and the tutoring sessions are recorded and transcripts are available after each session.
Statistics
Please remember to mark down whenever a customer inquires about citizenship classes, ESL, or language learning.
Sirsi
Please pay attention to pop-up windows in Sirsi. Don’t override without reading the message!
Kronos
http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/2-4.pdf
http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/3-11.pdf
Library Hours
STE is not likely to open until second quarter 2018. Don’t share this with customers, though. All we know for sure is STE will not open this year (2017).
Our hours are also not likely to change until then. Since there is nothing definite, we are taking things month by month. I have adjusted the meeting room calendar open/closed hours through January so far. If customers inquire about when hours are changing, say we don’t have a set date yet.
Meeting Rooms
The Garden Room is safe to use. The spots on the floor are just from the laminate bubbling.
Collection Maintenance
Please do not lay books flat on the juvenile return carts. If you don’t have time to put them in order, just put them upright on the cart. Also, current Bluebonnets go on the second shelf on the back side of the cart.
Please file newspapers correctly in the cabinet in the work room.
YA nonfiction (including graphic novels) are now completely in call number order. The only exception are a few manga so that the series stay together.
Please put FLIP Kits on the dog house if they come in through delivery with the replenished note on it. Remove the replenished note beforehand, though. It gets confusing when FLIP kits are found on carts. Returned FLIP kits should be checked out to LOO-REFURB and sent to CMH.
Be careful not to overload the hold shelves that are held by metal pegs. GSD is eventually going to put brackets on all shelves.
Databases
Please review Brainfuse. You can access Brainfuse from the Learn and Explore tab on the website. Students can start with Leap Learning to take a diagnostic test and get a customized learning plan. Skills Surfer provides lessons to build skills. There is also a Parent Corner that is available in English and Spanish and that offers advice to parents on how to speak to their children’s teacher, how to create a space for studying, and how to reinforce parenting skills to help children learn. The Language Lab offers help with learning French, Italian, and Spanish. The Writing Lab helps customers with essays, cover letters or resumes. Response time for feedback is usually 24 hours. The Flashbulb section offers flash cards to practice basic skills. Live tutoring is now 24/7 and a student is matched with a tutor by grade level and subject. The Brainfuse tutors all have a 4-year degree and have teaching experience. They have all gone through a background check, and the tutoring sessions are recorded and transcripts are available after each session.
Statistics
Please remember to mark down whenever a customer inquires about citizenship classes, ESL, or language learning.
Sirsi
Please pay attention to pop-up windows in Sirsi. Don’t override without reading the message!
Kronos
http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/2-4.pdf
http://www.houstontx.gov/adminpolicies/3-11.pdf
Library Hours
STE is not likely to open until second quarter 2018. Don’t share this with customers, though. All we know for sure is STE will not open this year (2017).
Our hours are also not likely to change until then. Since there is nothing definite, we are taking things month by month. I have adjusted the meeting room calendar open/closed hours through January so far. If customers inquire about when hours are changing, say we don’t have a set date yet.
Updated Library Hours
Operating hours have changed at Alief, Collier, Heights, Jungman and Park Place:
M 12-8; T & W 10-6; TH 10-8; F & SA 10-5; Su closed
Central Library has changed too:
M-TH 9-8; F & SA 10-5; Su closed
M 12-8; T & W 10-6; TH 10-8; F & SA 10-5; Su closed
Central Library has changed too:
M-TH 9-8; F & SA 10-5; Su closed
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
LOO Emails
Use loo.library@houstontx.gov to email customers or receive meeting room request forms.
Use loolibrary@houstonlibrary.net if it asks for an email address when using Microsoft Word, etc., if you are using any of the four service desk computers or the book drop computer. Use loolibrary2@houstonlibrary.net for the delivery/label printer computer.
Use loolibrary@houstonlibrary.net if it asks for an email address when using Microsoft Word, etc., if you are using any of the four service desk computers or the book drop computer. Use loolibrary2@houstonlibrary.net for the delivery/label printer computer.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Axis 360
For a while now we have offered e-books through Axis 360. It is also possible to provide downloadable audiobooks through Axis 360. HPL elected not to do so since we cannot afford a fourth subscription for downloadable audiobooks. However, the vendor, Baker & Taylor, has been generous enough to donate e-book and e-audiobook titles to the collection to assist with our Harvey recovery. Therefore there is now a small collection of audiobooks in the Axis 360 collection. This is to give a heads up in case you are asked about the new audiobooks. Also, we have no plans to add additional titles to the Axis 360 collection for the foreseeable future.
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