Victor: Agenda for the 1:30pm. August 20, 2008 Meeting :
Victor: Agenda Item 1:Decide on Alternate meeting place for October 15, 2008 if meeting not conducted by chat. Item 2: Melanie Egovt.
Victor: Item3:Rules for use of Computers by Age categories- YA, Children's, Adult- is it possible to have the same set of Age category rules for all 8 libraries?
Janita W: Were we going to have an alternate meeting place because of the driving distance to Selby? I can't remember why we were doing this...
Melanie: I was wondering the same thing. It's too far for some people and not that far for others no matter where you go.
Victor: an alternate to chatting- if we had enuf agenda items warranting/wanting face to face
Melanie: I see.
Sara: One thing we have never explored is having these meetings by conference call -- the north county people could all go to 1 north library, the south county people could all go to 1 south library. then the driving distance would be reasonable for all of us. what do you think?
Victor: That was explored at the last meet -but we decided to go for chatzy-
Victor: there are other chat programs that allow headphones and whiteboards- for example wiziq.com
sbirkett from x.x.x.66 joined the chat 88 minutes ago
Sara: but as another alternative? could we at least try it once? it's not just the cost of gas, it's the time away from the library that we can't spare here...
Victor: (and microphones)- so you wouldn't have to drive anywhere
Sara: well that would be even better. is it free? cheap?
Victor: it is free and as long as you have microphone and headphone- i would suggest/agree to it (wiziq.com)
Melanie: I think that would be worth checking out. I agree with Sara. Is the price right?
sbirkett: Do we all have microphones?
Victor: I tried it first with a fellow librarian between two computers in the same building...
Sara: h'm, not sure we have computer microphones, but whatever they cost, seems cheaper than travel and as i mentioned we can't afford the time away from lib here...
Melanie: I think we would have to use our computer lab, and not schedule a class in there that day. There is a microphone in there. Only question I have is does it work, because I have not used it.
sbirkett: I dont think GGB has microphones at this time..
Victor: That's why I suggest each refrep first try it at their library... see if they have the eqpt- are able to use it...
Melanie: Okay, sounds like a plan to me. Now which site would we use? wizq.com?
sbirkett: Sounds good.
Sara: gotta put that second 'i' in, miz mel
Victor: I suggest wiziq.com, I tried a few others- dimdim, gottomeeting...and so far its the best that is free
Sara: or who knows, maybe we'll love chatzy so much we'll never want to meet in person again!
Sara: so to complete this agenda item, can we just say that we are either going to use chatzy again or if everybody can get the equip, try wiziq?
Janita W: ok
Melanie: Well, I think we are a pretty dyamic group and there may be a time or two when only in person will do, but certainly this seems to work wells so far today and everyone can use it. I would say let's try wizq and see how it works between now and the next meeting.
Victor: Yes, sounds good. next- Where to meet IF we choose to physically meet rather than Wiziq/ chatzy any suggestions?
sbirkett: I'd think we might want to look into seeing if we can get the equipment too. Not sure how pricey microphones are.
Victor: You can use any mike that plugs into your computer...
Melanie: Would have to consult the calendar to see what is going on around here that day.
Sara: is there a central location somewhere? to spend an hour enroute each way is too time-consuming...
sbirkett: I can check our meeting room calendar at ggb
Victor: and I can email/ call Valerie about Fruitville availability...
Melanie: Okay, Shirley, let's you and I do that and get back to the group later today or first thing tomorrow. Sounds like Miss Valerie can do the same.
Victor: are we ready for Egovt (Melanie)?
sbirkett: OK.
Sara: yep
Janita W: ok
Melanie: Well, I suppose so. As I said if I put myself on there I don't remember so I don't have much prepared right now, but here goes.
Melanie: Our group had a session with Mike Day from Sarasota DCF and he shared the newly redesigned florida access website with us. As a result of that, we started working on a brochure that highlights how it works and what you can do on it. Such as apply for uemployment, Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
sbirkett: Brochure sounds good.
Melanie: The above brochure has to be approved by a few folks up the food chain and I don't know how far that has gotten.
Janita W: has the final version of the brochure been approved?
Melanie: As I said I don't know. I believe either Tamar or Susan Mason would have a better answer to that question right now.
Janita W: sorry, this is the weird thing about chatzy, you anticipated my question before I asked it!
Janita W: What about the FL Transportation brochure--does that one still need to approved as well?
Sara: miz mel has always been known for her clairvoyance
Melanie: Oh, gee there goes my good old ESP. Now we also worked on a DMV brochure that gives basic info on driver's license applications, tests, etc. and I think that one is stlill being looked at as well. We would like to speak with someone from the Immigration Service about their procedures Susan M. has contacted someone but we have not met with that person yet. Stay tuned.
Victor: Wish 'they'd' print the SCat scheds...update the website (make it useable)
Janita W: I wish Immigration could do a class for us that would just teach us about the different kinds of forms.
Melanie: Ditto on both counts. Don't you hate those new SCAT schedules?
Janita W: Since I am complaining, I will contact Immigration and ask them if they have any written material on determining the correct form, and/or instruction
Sara: it was always our understanding at SPL that we weren't allowed to offer advice on which forms to use...just provide access to the forms notebook -- just like we do with IRS...
sbirkett: That might help. We do not get many questions on Immigration though here..
Janita W: Right, except the patrons never know the # of the form. You know how the IRS has that cute poster that goes through scenarios for the different 1040 forms? If they had some posters like that it might help.
Melanie: Sounds good Janita. We get a few now and then, and I think the idea is not to be giving advice but to show people how to find the answer.
sbirkett: Right, just have a bit more info on hand.
Melanie: Yes, I think that would be the best way because those forms are very complicated, and the web site goes on forever!
Melanie: The group is also putting together a web site list on different egovernment sites, and it is still in the beginning stages.
Janita W: state and federal?
Melanie: Yes, state and federal.
Janita W: can't wait to see it! That might become our most popular library brochure.
Victor: Does the egovt. group have an e-site?
Melanie: We are also going to be meeting sometime to plan some kind of session for Staff Development Day. What that will consist of I don't know. Right now we don't have an egovt. e-site.
Sara: looking forward to the SDD presentation...
Melanie: Thanks, we'll have to figure out just what it is we can do and what it is we are being asked to do. So, as I said earlier, stay tuned.
sbirkett: Thanks Melanie.
Victor: Anything else, Melanie, about EGovt? (Thanks!)
Melanie: You are welcome Shirley. I think that is about all I can cover today, unless someone has a question.
sbirkett: I don
sbirkett: Sorrry I hit Enter by mistake. I don't have a question. You covered the info very well.
Victor: (if there are no qs) Item3:Rules for use of Computers by Age categories- YA, Children's, Adult- is it possible to have the same set of Age category rules for all 8 libraries?
Sara: i think i've already said this in an e-mail, but i think it is unlikely. it all depends on each libraries' number of computers, location of computers adn demographics....
Melanie: I think we probably all could, except I understand with Jacaranda's YA area that has a computer, that could get complicated for them.
sbirkett: Possibly. I think some of us already do use the same rules..
Victor: at EQ we let kids down to 13 on the adult comps- as there are only two Youth comps...
Sara: we have are YAs in with adults, based on card category. we only 3 functioning computers in the youth area and it was too tough on the little ones to have the YAs in there with them...
Melanie: We use the ptype 51 as the determining factor for young people using our adult area computers. We only have 4 in our youth area and they do fill up quickly especially now that school has started again and again.
Janita W: I thought that he reason why the YA category was created for library card registration was to make sure that teens could use "adult stations" but not children's stations.
Sara: so again, an overlap -- NSL and EQ seem to be the same...
sbirkett: Maybe we do have a couple of special cases, where a few of the libs don;'t have the same setup.
Victor: (youth= children's comps- = or adults accompanied with kids)
Sara: so i wonder who still lets the YAs in with the Juveniles? maybe we ARE all the same?
Janita W: at npl you must be 13 or older to use adult stations
Victor: so, 13 year olds aren't allowed on Adult comps at which libs?
Janita W: at npl 12 and younger must use children's stations
Sara: sounds like our 5 libraries are on the same page...
Melanie: Venice 12 and under must use children's computers as well.
sbirkett: At most of the libs it just goes according to what PC res allows your card to sign up for
Sara: i think it was ann h who raised this issue, wasn't it? i she mentioned a specific scenario -- does anyone recall which library it was?
Melanie: Right, which is why we decided on the ptype 13 and over (51) for our adult machines. Ann is not here today, so I don't know what she came up with. The only place I know of is Jacaranda with their YA area and computer strictly for the YA group that might be the complicated one.
Melanie: Our youth staff has rules about no one except kids 12 and under doing homework using ours between 2 and 4 on weekdays during school.
Victor: does each lib allow adults accompanied by kids on the kid computers?
Melanie: We do except for the above hours.
Janita W: npl does
sbirkett: We do. Also we let kids on PCs by parent if the parent requests it.
Sara: i found ann's message and tried to cut and paste, but it won't paste...her survey was sent on 7/16...
Victor: the survey was completed and ann sent a message with the results on 7/16-
Melanie: I think we are all sort of on the same page so to speak with some minor exceptions.We do encourage parents accompanied by children to use the children's computers during the times of day when they are available.
Melanie: Oops, what were the results?
Victor: North Port: 1-12 youth department
Victor: North Sarasota 1-12 youth department
Victor: Elsie Quirk up to 17 youth department
Sara: eq: up to 17 on youth computers; spl: up to 15 on youth computers seemed to be the only exceptions...
Victor: Jacaranda 1-12 youth
Victor: 13-15 YA area
Victor: 16 and up adult
sbirkett: GGB 1--12 in Youth dept.
Victor: Selby 1-15 youth
Victor: 16 and up adult
Victor: Venice 1-12 youth
Victor: 13-15 youth or adult (if they have the patron codes of 51 or 52)
Victor: 16 and up adult
Victor: Fruitville 1-12 youth
Victor: 13 and up adult (if they are listed as 51sor 52s)
Victor: Gulf Gate No restrictions it appears.(AH)
Sara: ann's survey does not seem to always agree with what reps have said here today...
sbirkett: That was corrected....We do it as Venice & Fville. I wasn't sure why it said No restrictions.
Victor: so some alllow up to 12 on children's and some to 15 or 17
Victor: and some are down to 13 in adult, and some only down to 16
Victor: and jac has the only YA specific comps
Sara: do we really think it's necessary to do this the same in all libraries? i think there are always going to be situations where we feel we need to be different...e.g., doesn't vpl still limit sessions to a half hour as opposed to an hour?
Melanie: Okay, so it sounds like EQ is the most restrictive with Selby and Jacaranda somewhere in the middle. We decided here on the KISS approach of the ptype 51, 17, etc. using the adult computers and juvenile in the youth area.
Melanie: We limit our adult computers to 1/2 hour because we only have 13. Sessions are extended in 15 minute intervals if no one makes a reservation.
Janita W: we also have 1/2 hour sessions in North Port
Sara: and that works for you, whereas 1-hour sessions work for nsl and spl...so why feel we have to be the same?
sbirkett: I don't think we have to do things exactly the same in all the libs on this. It appear we do have some special situations where it works to have a different set up.
sbirkett: Right Sara. I thought SPL allowed an hr. becasue they had enough PCs to do so. But at GGB we only have 11 public ones so we liminted it to a half hour.
Janita W: i agree that making a local decision is a good thing. but I have had patrons complain to me about our 1/2 hour sessions because they had visited other libraries and found their situation different.
Sara: right. and ditto nsl...
Sara: i meant ditto for nsl that the 1-hour sessions work for nsl...the overlap t'ing again...
Melanie: Actually I should have said 9 1/2 hour ones. The other 3 are express. It would be nice to be as consistent with age restrictions as we can because people do sometimes go to more that one library. But, I do think if trying to undo a special situation is too difficult we could keep some of the exceptions.
sbirkett: Yes, when patrons tell me they did something different in another lib, which isn't very often, I tell them why it's different here. I tell them we limit to a half hr becasue we don't have very many computers.
Sara: i think patrons are going to have to get over expecting everything to be the same in every library...our hours are different, our collections are different, we offere different programs, etc. i would think reasonable patrons would be able to adjust to these computer-access differences as well...
Victor: So, we agree in princliple to have things as similar as possible- but in thie case it doe not seem realistic...posible. to have the same age rules, nor time limits
Sara: yeah, that's what i think. i also think it is harder on patrons to change policies that are already in effect...
Victor: until we are all similarly equipped...
sbirkett: I do too. Especially since there are real reasons why we are doing it the way we are now. Many things are the same too, such as the computer sign up---we all use PCRes.
Sara: which i doubt will ever happen, given our differenct sizes...
Melanie: Yes, our supply and therefore time is limited as well. So, are we going to leave it as is? I do think EQ is the most restrictive in terms of age. You must have some special concerns there.
sbirkett: Maybe the important thing is there are valid reasons why a few libs have things a little different.
Sara: and don't your YAs torture you little kids? that's what was happening here...
Janita W: Unless we are missing some important point, I think we should let things as they are
Janita W: Before we had PC Res our little ones were definitely pushed out by older children
sbirkett: Me too.
Victor: Seems we are on the same page about keeping the rules individualized at each lib.
sbirkett: Right Victor.
Melanie: Could be. Perhaps if we could be sure we explain our rules to anyone who asks and why we do things this way it would make it easier on all concerned.
Sara: yep.
Victor: any other issues, qs, comments?
Sara: looks like we made it through our agenda in less than an hour and a half and I think it went really well -- what do you all think?
sbirkett: Right. I don't have a problem explaining it to patrons. Then they understand.
Janita W: this is a good way to conduct a meeting! I like it.
Melanie: Once you tell people why most of them understand. For one thing as several of you pointed out, we are all different sizes and it is hard to standardize everything. There is always going to be someone who doesn't like it.
sbirkett: It did go pretty well. But I do think at times we should be face to face. There are advantages to that too.
Sara: the overlap (in chatzy) is not really any different from what it is like in an in-person meeting--people interrupt, we backtract, etc.
Sara: yes, i think occasionally in person, but it would not be necessary to do that very often...
Melanie: Yes, I agree Shirley, but this was not bad, and I think whenever we can conduct our business this way we should. With short staffs, hours etc. it sure is nice not to have to go driving somwhere every time.
Sara: thanks so much victor for setting this up for us...
Victor: you're all welcome.
Janita W: Yes, thanks, Victor You have made it so easy!
Melanie: Yes, kudos to our high tech guru!
Sara: ...and overal mensch...
sbirkett: Yes, thank you Victor. You are so good at this kind of thing.
Victor: I think you will also like wiziq.com---if someone is short a mike or headphone- we can probably send/share
Melanie: So, are we doing wizq next time?
Sara: i think it would be worth trying...seeing if we like it as well...
Victor: (and remember to turn the mics off-in case of battery burn out...
Melanie: Okay, Nancy can be the guinea pig next time around.
Victor: First, I think to let everyone try to get on wiziq,com and if everyone agrees by email...then we can try it as early as next meet...
Sara: wimp!
Sara: I meant mel was the wimp, not you v!
Melanie: Okay, we can do that.
Janita W: ok, first we try it "at home" and report back our success or failure to the group?
Melanie: Sounds like a good idea.
Victor: sounds good!
Sara: works for me
Sara: r we dun here?
Victor: i'm done
Janita W: yes
Melanie: I'm done.
Sara: shirl?
sbirkett: Sorry, yes Im done. thanks
Sara: adieu mes amis!
Victor: bye, thanks all! (Victor left the chat)
Janita W: bye!
Sara: oops! one more thing victor -- will this chat 'stay' somewhere so we can all refer to it again?
Victor: Sorry S- will email my answer P.S. to leave the chat in Chatzy type /bye and hit the enter key or /leave and hit enter.
The chat stays in Chatzy until we/someone pressess the Clear room button-
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