When replacing a card in Symphony, it is important that you use the User Lost Card wizard under the Special wizard group.  The User Lost Card wizard will create a second account for the lost card and assign a Lost Card profile to the account.  Although the lost card number will remain on the borrower account as an active and previous ID, the second account with the Lost Card profile will prevent its use for check out.  Use the following procedures for dealing with lost cards:

When a customer reports a card lost on the phone:

1.       Look up the account in Symphony using the Modify User wizard or the Display User wizard.  If you look it up with the Display User wizard, click on the Modify User helper after the account displays on your screen.

2.       Click on the Privilege tab, and change the Status value to LOST-CARD.  Add a new note in the Extended Info indicating the date and time the card was reported lost.  Let the customer know whether items are checked out and/or fines/fees are owed at the time the account is reported.

3.       When the customer comes into the library to complete a new registration form and replace the card, use the User Lost Card wizard to issue the new card.  (Settle any outstanding fines/fees before extending the expiration date on the account)

4.       After assigning the new barcode, look up the account with the new card number in Modify User or Display User.  If you look it up with the Display User wizard, click on the Modify User helper after the account displays on your screen.

5.       Click on the Privilege tab, and change the Status value from LOST-CARD to BLOCKED, and save.  The system will assign the correct status to the account based on HPL’s policies.  Record a new note in Extended Info indicating the date and time the card is replaced.

6.       Issue the card to the customer.

When a customer comes into the branch to report a card lost:

1.       When the customer comes into the library to report a card lost, have him/her complete a new registration form, and use the User Lost Card wizard to issue the new card.  (Settle any outstanding fines/fee before extending the expiration date on the account)

2.       Record a new note in Extended Info indicating the date and time the card was reported lost and replaced. 

3.       Issue the card to the customer.  Make sure the customer is aware of all current check outs and/or fines/fees owed on the account.

Please do not deviate from this procedure when dealing with lost/stolen cards.  The system will manage blocking the use of lost/stolen cards, as long as the proper procedure us followed.

If you have questions/concerns, please feel free to contact Circulation Administration or your local LA Supervisor.  We’ll be glad to assist you in whatever way we are able.

Fred Schumacher

Circulation Administration Manager

More on Computers

I have had a few questions about the software updates and some of you may have the same questions, so I am sending an email to all NL staff.

 Robert Bliss clarified that after software updates, the computers are rebooted and shut down. All you have to do in the morning is turn the computers back on.

 After all Neighborhood Libraries have been upgraded with new PCs, IT will have them shut down every night after any updates. This will save on electricity, and wear and tear of the computers at night.

 So from this point on, just turn off the monitors, and leave all PCs on, both Public and Staff. 

Please let me know if you have any additional question.

 Thank you, Shammi Gill

Computer Updates

Greetings – IT updates the computer software on different days of the week. Please do not turn off the computers, it is okay to turn the monitors off. On Mondays and Wednesdays IT does office and Windows Update. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, McAfee antivirus updates. And Fridays and Saturdays all the other software updates are done. please leave all the computers both staff and public on after hours for updates. Please let me know if you have any question. Shammi Gill

Important Apple/Overtdrive Issue

Hello: This is important to know because it involves patrons using Apple products to access OverDrive e-books. Hopefully OverDrive will fix the issue soon. Sincerely, Marianne Lorio Houston Public Library We link people to the world. From: OverDrive [mailto:librarypartnerservices@overdrive.com] Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 9:43 AM To: Lorio, Marianne - HPL Subject: Notice regarding OMC and iOS 7 upgrade Dear Library Partner, Apple released iOS 7 yesterday and many of your Apple users may have upgraded their device(s) or will be upgrading in the near future. When an existing OverDrive Media Console (OMC) user upgrades to iOS 7, the app will fail when trying to open a DRM-protected eBook. New or first time users of OMC are unaffected by this issue. We are resolving the issue but in the meantime, here are immediate remedies for users: 1) Re-authenticate the app with their existing or a new Adobe ID. Refer to the iOS section of this Help article for assistance. (Recommended) 2) Uninstall and re-install OMC which will also require the user to re-authorize with Adobe. IMPORTANT NOTE: A re-install will clear a user's bookshelf, history, and app settings. Audiobook users won't notice that anything is different unless they attempt to download parts of audiobooks they already downloaded to OMC before upgrading to iOS 7. A user will receive an error message informing them to download the title again. We encourage you to share this information with your users via email, Facebook or Twitter. Please be sure to follow our Digital Library Blog for the latest updates. We apologize for the inconvenience. Regards, OverDrive's Partner Services

Hello!

Hello everyone! My name is Brandon Pope and I am the new manager for the OAK/ACR team. Today was my first day in the grouping and I spent most of it talking to Pedro and getting oriented to my new situation, but starting tomorrow I will be here and ready to talk to each of you. My plan this week is to meet each of you individually and go over your role and what it is that you do specifically for the two branches. As I think most of you know, our Assistant Manager, Carol Rico, is out this week and most of next week as well. While that means I am the 'go to' person for any policy questions or concerns, I ask that you all bear with me as I get the hang of my new responsibilities. Thanks, and I am looking forward to getting to know each of you, Brandon Pope

Fundraising Event

HPL Team,

You did an awesome job this past Saturday of supporting a successful event at the library.

You were all team players and very present on the day of the event.

Thanks to each of your for using your talents and hard work and dedicated commitment to make things happen for Ms. Diane Shepard and her team.

All went well and I am proud of each of you for support.

Thanks to Dr. Lawson, Roosevelt and Greg for all their support also.

Thanks

Meller

Pedro

Smart Money Info

Concerning Smart Money and Credit Card Machines.

Good day Team,

Here are some remainders from the Financial Services department about Smart Money and the Credit card machines:

1.       In the morning, all locations should reconcile the credit card machine activities with the closing receipt that comes out daily.

2.       Make sure that the receipts total you have on hand for the credit cards and the checks agree with the closing receipt that comes out from the credit card machine daily.

3.       This receipt that you see at the credit card machine in the morning when you come to work is from the bank.

4.       If you don’t see the words “settlement successful” located at the end of the receipt please call 1800-451-5817. Have the merchant number ready and give it to them. (if you don’t know where this is located or cannot find it, please call me as I have this information and can give it to you) They will ask you a series of questions which should help to resolve the situation.

5.       If your location has a glitch with the credit card machine, please call the IT Helpdesk and ask for the rewiring of the credit card machine to have it transferred from Wi-Fi to wired or through the phone line.

6.       After your machine has been rewired, please call the bank at 1800-451-5817 and inform them that the credit card machine has been switched from Wi-Fi to wired line so they can switch the files.

7.       Remember to swipe credit cards on the credit card machine before entering it in Smart Money

8.       Please keep the receipts and send them daily to the Financial Services Department.

9.       Make sure that the credit card machines have the receipt tape in them. It seems that sometimes we run out of the receipt tape and are unable to print a copy of the credit card slip for the patron or for the balancing the deposit information sent to Financial Services.

Pedro

Claims Returns and Missing Items Lists

The Claims Returned Items Lists and Missing Items Lists will be posted to the intranet beginning this week.  You will find the links for each on the Reference page in a box labeled Circulation-Related Lists and Reports.  You will also find the link for Holds Reports and Clean Holds Shelf Reports there beginning today.

Pedro

ASZ Two Way Radios

Good day Team,

We have some Talk about two way radios (walkie talkies) for After School Zones to help ASZ staff communicate with staff at the desk in case they need help or there is a problem. The following locations are receiving them:

PLE

ACR

OAK

KAS

LAK

Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

Take care.

Theodora.

Pedro

Defensive Driving

**This training is provided free of charge. Certificates are valid for three years.  All DDC trainings are posted/credited through the LMS; a copy of your certificate is not needed.

To Register: Please use the LMS online registration process found at http://lms.coh.gov.  Please note that you must access the LMS through a computer connected to the City of Houston network.  It does not work from outside networks.  To help get you started using the LMS, we have prepared a brief 15-minute video introduction to the system, which you can view at your convenience.  You may access the video tutorial at http://www.houstontx.gov/capecenter/LMS/Scott/default.htm

When was the last time you attended a Defensive Driving Course (DDC)?  Can’t remember?  Feel free to email HPL Training for more information.

Pedro

New Library Card Info

From Fred:

Early next week, your unit will receive a box of the new HPL My Link cards Dr. Lawson announced.  Each new card set includes traditional wallet card, as well as a key tag and a re-attachable adhesive barcode label.  The barcode numbers will continue to be 14 digits long, but the 5 digit opening sequence will change from 22477 to 77422. 

You will begin issuing the new cards on 09/12/13.  When the card/key tag set is issued, the staff member will remove the adhesive label from the set and adhere it to the registration form in the space provided for the barcode.  For a preview of the new card/key tag sets and a brief demonstration of how to affix the adhesive barcode label to the registration form, click on the link and watch the video: https://sites.google.com/site/hplstafftraining/new-hpl-library-card

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Circulation Administration Department.  We will be glad to assist you in any way we are able.

Pedro

CPR Training Sessions

There will be a series of training sessions on CPR/AED. We have received a defibrillator at Acres but must be trained in order to use it. It is currently in the storage closet. I will leave pamphlets in the workrooms that everyone must read before the training. You may also Google information on it. I will keep you updated on the details as they come out as to date and time. Gwen Walters is in charge of this training which will be held at OAK and ACR and they will be 4 hrs. long.

Pedro

Laptop Check-in

From Fred:
Please keep in mind that you should use the Discharge wizard in the Common Tasks group to check in laptops and other items returned to the service desk.  The Discharging Bookdrop wizard (under the Special wizard group) is intended to be used for the return of items through the bookdrop, especially when the return needs to be backdated to an earlier time.  If you use the Discharging Bookdrop wizard, the check in time (hour and minute) default to 11:59 pm of the day selected.  The Discharge wizard in the Common Tasks group will check items in at the time and date that appear on the computer used for the transaction.

Pedro