in-basket exercise ils 565 library management sharon m. foster 18

8/2/2019 In-Basket Exercise ILS 565 Library Management Sharon M. Foster 18 ...

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In-Basket ExerciILS 565 Library Manageme

Sharon M. Fost18 November 200

Overall Approach and RationaleProblems such as non-functioning toilets and computers require immediate attention. The issues being raised byHector--budget, ethics, and safety--are also urgent, but do not immediately impact the daily functioning of the library.Ethics problems should be addressed to the entire staff. From the overall sound of things, it appears that either there

are several policies that are too vague to enforce, or else the staff is not aware of what the policies say. Either somepolicies need to be rewritten, or some staff members need to have the policies brought to their attention, or both.Communication 1: Late EmployeeEmail to Al: Thank you for your email. Its clear from the problems that you describe that the attendance policies needto be reviewed, and possibly need to be clarified or rewritten. We will review the existing policies at the next staffmeeting.Rationale: What exactly does the staff policy on attendance say? If it's that vague, then it's pretty useless. Does everystaff member have a copy, or have access to an electronic copy? Is there a copy posted in the staff room or (better yethe staff wiki? If not, the next staff meeting would be a good time to bring this up. This can wait until the staff meeting.

Communication 2: Financial malfeasanceCall to Hector: Thank you for the heads-up. I have already scheduled a staff meeting for this Wednesday, and we willbe reviewing several topics, including Internet abuse.Rationale: It's too late to prevent any abuses that may have already taken place, I don't know what the scope of apossible audit might be in terms of how far back in time it could reach, and I'm not going to erase or falsify existingrecords. At this point I can only prevent abuses going forward.

Communication 3: The Technical Services positionEmail to Merle and members of the Search & Screen Committee: Thank you very much for your time and efforts in ousearch for a new head of Technical Services. As you know, the town's hiring process has come under close scrutiny inrecent years, and has been updated within the past year. I gave a copy of it to each person on the committee when webegan our search. The job posting was clear and unambiguous about the education and experience required for theposition. We are allowed to consider candidates with less experience, or candidates nearing the completion of theadvanced degree, if they have other abilities and experience that may substitute, and we included Ms. Scronski in thecandidate pool for that reason. However, all other things being equal, we are bound by the hiring process to select thecandidate who meets or exceeds the stated requirements.I will take your recommendation into account when I make my decision, which will be announced by the end of thisweek. I will ask Diane to schedule a wrap-up meeting for us for Thursday.Rationale: I'm sure I was very clear on the role of the Search & Screen Committee. I made sure that each member of

the committee had a copy of the committee's duties and responsibilities. It's very unfortunate that they sent me thismemo, because it's clear from the memo that at least one or more people on the committee are personal friends ofJane Anne or her family. The department head position is full-time and comes with full benefits, and I would be hardpressed to hire Jane Anne now even if I wanted to, for fear that it would give the impression that the library is a placethat hands out patronage jobs to friends and relatives. The S&S committee has really backed me into a corner, and Iwill explain this to them in person on Thursday in an effort to make sure this doesn't happen again. Communication 4: Newspapers and discards

Call Hector: Thank you for the alert about the newspapers. Rest assured that it will be taken care of today. And while have you on the phone, let's talk about scheduling a meeting for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the budget.


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Email to All Staff: Please place discarded newspapers and magazines from the staff room into the appropriaterecycling receptacles.Also add to Staff meeting agenda.Let Diane know when my meeting with Hector is scheduled so that she can schedule Sylvia and Mia around that.

Rationale: The discarded papers and magazines in the hallway could be blocking an emergency escape path and arethemselves a fire hazard. They can and should be dealt with today. If there is no proper place to dispose of theseitems, a place needs to be established. The responsibilities of both the staff members and the custodian with respect discarded papers and magazines need to be clarified, and this is best addressed at a staff meeting. Communication 5: Overflowing toilet

Call Elmo: he probably doesn't have much opportunity to check his email. Let him know that a plumber will besummoned today, and that he should plan on being available to assist the plumber to access any utility closets, etc. Email to Diane: Please call and schedule a plumber to come in TODAY to fix the toilet that has been repeatedly

overflowing. Please let Elmo know when the plumber arrives.

Rationale: Toilets don't get better by themselves, and left unattended could lead to even worse damage in the form ofwalls and ceiling that need to be repaired or replaced.Communication 6: Deadbeats

Email to Merle: Thank you for bringing this problem to my attention. Please do not take any action against this patronat this time. Denying library services to one of our regular patrons is a serious step, and one that I do not wish to takewithout documented evidence that the patron is trying to defraud the library. At the next staff meeting, which will bescheduled for later this week, we will review our present procedures for searching for, fining, and/or billing for missing

and overdue items. If it appears that the procedures are unclear, or not being followed consistently, then you and I wilmeet privately later in the week and decide what needs to be clarified.Rationale: We need to be able to produce documented evidence that we checked the shelves for the item in questionbefore taking the step of denying library services. If there is no such documentation, then a procedure needs to be putinto place to ensure that there will be the next time this happens. It can't take too much staff time, though. We don'twant to end up spending more money preventing possible fraud than if we were to just forgive the fine and move on.How much *does* it cost to do that shelf check?

Communication 7: Pornography (again)

Email to Merle: I appreciate your concern, but as you know, Internet filters are imperfect at best, and are not a realsolution to this problem. I will not take the chance that one of our patrons will be blocked from a legitimate website witinformation on, for example, breast cancer, simply because another patron is abusing his privileges. I prefer that wecontinue to handle this issue on a case by case basis. If a patron complains or if a librarian sees a patron viewinginappropriate materials, then and only then should the patron be put on notice.Rationale: No onepatron or librariancomplained at the time. This is a problem that is better dealt with on a case bcase basis. I will not punish all of our patrons just because one person is abusing his library privileges.Communication 8: Computers on Fritz


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Email to Diane: It sounds to me like these two computers are long overdue to be replaced, and we've already investedtoo much of your time and efforts into getting them repaired. Please contact the town IT department and find out howsoon we can get two new computers, and ask them to find another dealerI dont want to buy any more products frothis guy. Make sure that IT understands that we want this order expedited. Also request that a couple of loaners bebrought over immediately for our use while we wait for the new machines.Rationale: Incompatible software and 50 pound computers that have a problem thats already been fixed once arprobably too old to rely on (even if the 50 pounds is possibly an exaggeration). There has already been enough timeand money wasted on these two machines; more, probably, than two new machines would have cost. Computers arenecessary for the smooth functioning of almost any library, and certainly any mid-sized library. While the staff may be

able to share computers for a few days, Diane has made it clear in her memo that these two computers are essential.

Communication 9: Ad Hoc Task Force of Personnel Recision Memo to Hector: No position on my staff is expendable. But I do have a current list of all the services that our stafffulfills, and what each service costs. I can be prepared to talk about what services we might be able to cut back on oreliminate. Let's get together on Tuesday afternoon to talk.

Rationale: The request for staff cuts would be a shock if I were not prepared for it. But when I started this job I initiateda review of all on-going programs and services that require more than X hours per month, or have expenses of morethan Y dollars per event. And since I initiated a cross-training program, wherein every staff member learns to do atleast one job that is outside their departmental expertise, even if Hector does in the end insist on doing things the old-

fashioned way and laying off a staff member, it will be a painful decision, but at least it won't have as hard an impact othe library operations than if we were still working each in our own little "silo." We'll be able to spread out the extra woover the entire staff, not over just one department.Communication 10: Internet abuse?Email to Al: Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Im putting it on the agenda for the next staff meeting to reviewthe towns policies on the personal use of staff computers.Rationale: This is not enough evidence to issue an explicit warning to Merle. Roll this into the general alert that camefrom Hector regarding financial abuses, and add it to the agenda for the emergency staff meeting on Wednesday.While I would expect a reasonable amount of personal use of the computers, everyone needs to be clear as to what

constitutes abuse under the current policy. As a long-term solution, I would have a computer installed in the staff roomfor use during break times.

Communication 11: from Mia, re Sylvia

Email to Mia: You are quite correct that the town energy conservation policy requires us to keep the thermostat nohigher than 68 in the winter time. As you know, the policy also asks us to refrain from leaving windows and doors openunnecessarily. This is an important subject in these days of rising energy costs, and will top the agenda of the nextstaff meeting.

I would like to speak with you personally about this matter, but I'm afraid I don't have time to do it today. Please makean appointment with Diane for us to meet on Tuesday afternoon.

Rationale: See next communicationCommunication 12: from Sylvia, re MiaEmail to Sylvia: As you know, the town energy conservation policy requires us to keep the thermostat no higher than68 in the winter time. The policy also asks us to refrain from leaving windows and doors open unnecessarily. This is animportant subject in these days of rising energy costs, and will top the agenda of the next staff meeting.

I would like to speak with you personally about this matter, but I'm afraid I don't have time to do it today. I am asking


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Diane to schedule an appointment for us to meet on Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, I am authorizing Diane topurchase a space heater for you, in an effort to alleviate the immediate problem of the temperature in your work spac

Email to Diane, cc Sylvia: Please order a space heater for Sylvia.Rationale: The on-going battle between Sylvia and Mia over the temperature in their workspace sounds like it is reallycover for some deeper conflicts that have probably been going on for a long time, but have surfaced now due to theirlack of a direct supervisor. I will have to make sure that I brief my new Tech Services department head accordingly. Inthe meantime, maybe I can smooth things over a little by meeting with each of them individually and addressing theirdisruptive behaviors and the effect on other staff members. It would be better, of course, if they could come to an

agreement between themselves, but if it looks like that can't happen, then I will step in. Maybe their schedules can bearranged so as to minimize the amount of time they have to be in the same room together. They both need to bereminded of the town's energy conservation policy, and with heating season well underway, it wouldn't hurt to remindthe entire staff, either.

Email to Diane: Please schedule two staff meetings for Wednesday, one during the morning shift and one during theafternoon/evening shift. I want every staff member to attend one meeting or the other, and to swap public deskschedules as necessary to make this happen. If a staff member needs to come in early or stay late in order to attendone of the meetings, the staff member will be paid straight time or can take compensatory time at a later date. Eachmeeting will be no longer than 45 minutes.

The agenda for the meetings is as follows: Distribute copies of the following town and library policies.

Town policy on energy conservation Staff computer use policy Attendance policies Public computer use policies Search/fine/billing procedures for missing and overdue materials

Call for volunteers, no more than two or three per committee, to review each policy and makerecommendations for updating it.

Newspapers, magazines, and other discards and recyclables Questions and Comments

As you know, I will be out of the office until tomorrow afternoon. Please do not hesitate to call and leave a message o

my cell phone if you have any questions about the staff meetings. I will return your calls as soon as I can, but I will bein a workshop all afternoon and tomorrow morning.Thanks, Diane,

MBJ

in-basket exercise ils 565 library management sharon m. foster 18

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