2017 ACE Scholarship Award Program

From Andrea Lawrence:

Greeting HPL Team,

Announcing the 2017 HPL Academic and Continuing Education (ACE) Scholarship Program

The HPL ACE Scholarship Program provides financial support for Houston Public Library employees to further their education. 

Scholarships are available for continuing education workshops or for regular course work as part of a degree plan. Eligible applicants are full-time and part-time employees, in good standing, with one or more years of continuous employment with the library.

Full-time employees may be awarded up to $1000.00

Part-time employees may be awarded up to $500.00

Applications are available on the intranet at 

https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/personal.html

Application Deadline:

Friday, March 31, 2017

How To Submit Your Application:

1. Click on Open Form. Save the electronic form to your computer.

2. Fill out form electronically.

3. Attach completed form to an email and send to:

HPL ACE Scholarship Program Administrator

andrea.lawrence@houstontx.gov

MR

iPad Standard Operating Procedures and FAQ

Hello,

Please review the following document for the standard operating procedures for the iPads on the Crayola Kiosk as well as a brief FAQ:

Mandatory: iPads for Kids Crayola Kiosk Standard Operation Procedures

Mandatory: iPads for Kids Crayola Kiosk FAQ

Optional: List of Apps on iPads at Kiosk

You are ultimately responsible for reviewing the mandatory documents above regarding the iPad kiosks. The opening/closing procedures for the iPads will be added to our list of opening and closing procedures. Due to several additions to both procedures over the last few months, updated guides will be posted on the blog for reference.

Finally, please remember to check on the iPad kiosk throughout the day when you are scheduled to rove and report any issues you find to your supervisor and IT.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks,

MR

SECURITY: On-Call Investigator

Hello,

Please be advised of the following:

If you forget your alarm code or re-enter the building after setting the alarm, please call the on-call Investigator immediately at 832-393-8478. You might be unaware that a false alarm has been activated (even after you've re-set the alarm), so it is imperative to let security know so that the appropriate steps may be taken.

That said, I am strongly encouraging all of us to be diligent in regards to making sure we have what we need prior to exiting and securing the building(s) at the end of the day.

Also, please store this phone number in your phone so that you may have ready access to it if necessary. This number is posted on the blog under the Phone Contacts list (it has been highlighted as well).

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you,

MR

Mayor Turner's Statement on Immigration

Hello,

As discussed in the staff meeting, I am linking you to Mayor Turner's media release statement on immigration.

Media Release

Mayor's Office Press Release

I am also posting a link to the statements that can be found the webpage on the City of Houston website. The webpage has posted translations of the statement in the following languages:

Arabic
French
Mandarin
Spanish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Please feel free to share his statement with customers that are looking for information regarding the Mayor's any comments he has made about immigration. Best practice would be to print out the statement in the language most comfortable to them.

I have transcribed the statement below:

"I know there are a lot of families and children who are afraid and worried right now about what might happen to them. I want them to know that Houston is, and always has been, a welcoming city, where we value and appreciate diversity. HPD is not the Immigration and Naturalization Service. We don't profile, and we are not going to start profiling people to determine whether they are here illegally. It hasn't happened under previous mayors, and it will not happen under my administration."

MR

UPDATE: Terry McMillan Viewing Parties

Hello,

Kashmere NL was selected as one of the locations that will be holding a Terry McMillan Viewing Party. The event will be held on Monday, February 6, 2017. As previously discussed, the HPLQ event will be live-streamed to an audience. Refreshments will be provided for staff and guests. Doors will open at 6:45PM, and staff should be out no later than 9:30PM (the event is from 7:30AM-9:00PM).

Advertising for the event has gone live on the website, and registration is required (though we can accept and seat walk-ins on the day of the event provided we have the room). Customers on the wait list have been told to contact the viewing locations to be added to the sign-up sheet; customers that see the event listed on the website - as well as customers visiting the library - can sign-up to attend the event.

A sign-up sheet has been placed at the CSD at Kashmere. Currently, we are aiming to accommodate 20 people. You may also promote the event to customers in the local communities; they will have to sign-up as well.

Remember that no library services (e.g., circulating items) will be available during this time. Only those customers arriving for the viewing party (wait list or walk-ins) will be allowed inside the building during the time of the event.

In addition to Kashmere NL, the following locations have been chosen to host a viewing party:

Central
Acres Homes NL
Frank NL
Young NL

Customers can also watch the event online or on television.

For more information, please refer to the webpage for this event.

Thank you for volunteering to assist with hosting this event! If you have any questions at all, please let me know.

Thanks,

MR

NOTICE: Gray Delivery Bins

Hello,

Please be advised that FIDS is requesting that staff use cardboard boxes rather than the gray delivery bins to store items, including FLOAT materials, so please do not maintain gray delivery boxes for any reasons at the locations. All delivery bins not in usage should be set out for delivery to pick up.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,

MR

Tax Information

Hello,

As we are all aware, tax season is here, so there will be an increase in the number of calls/questions regarding tax forms, tax help, and other services. HPL has created a Tax Resources page on its website that is extremely useful in answering some of those questions. The link is below:

Tax Resources

The Tax Resources page on the website lists the locations that are providing tax help as well as those that will have certain tax forms available for use. Remember that not all HPL locations have tax forms, so if a customer is unwilling to go to a location that has the form he or she needs, you do have the option of 1) assisting the customer with registering for a computer and printing out the form from the IRS website or 2) print out 1-2 courtesy copies at the desk and explain that the customer could use the copier to make additional copies if needed. Below is the website for the Forms & Publications section on the IRS website:

Forms & Publications

(From this section of the website, you can also print out forms from previous tax years.)

The IRS website also provides links to websites that allow persons making a certain income to prepare and file their federal (and sometimes state) individual income tax returns for free using tax preparation and filing software. A link to that section of the website is below:

Free File

Finally, please remember that under no circumstances are we to fill out a customer's tax forms for them. If a customer needs assistance with filling out any tax documents, please refer them to a location that is providing free tax assistance.

All of the above links will be posted on the blog under its own section for easy access.

NOTE: Remember that starting this year, the IRS is holding refunds for anyone claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit and will not release them until February 15, 2017. For more information regarding this change (in case a customer asks), please click here.

MR