Flood Damaged Items

Fines and Fees:

• The Symphony system has been set to see 04/18/2016 as a closed date for fines purposes.  No fines will accrue for those days.
• Fines that accrue for other overdue days are legitimate and should be collected.

Items damaged/lost as a result of the 04/18/2016 flood:

• Check in the item from the customer record.
• Check the item out to your locations 160418FLOOD agency record.
• Dispose of the damaged item.

Accounts in Collection:

• Items reported as flood damaged on accounts In Collection will not be forgiven.
• Charges remain owed on these accounts.
• Refer customers in collection with concerns about flood damaged items on their accounts to Circulation Administration.

Flood Damaged Item Discards:

• Look up your location’s Flood Damaged Item account:
• In Check Out, use the User Search Helper to look up the account using the following name: 160418FLOOD, then select the account with your agency’s acronym (ALI, CEN, BLU, etc.).
• Or look the account up by using the following pattern: 160418FLOOD- followed by the agency acronym, such as 160418FLOOD-ACR.
• Check the flood damaged item out to your location’s Flood Damaged Item account.
• Dispose of the flood damaged item.

Holds:

• Items set to expire from the Holds Shelf on 04/19/2016 will be extended to 04/21.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Circulation Administration at circinfo@hpl.lib.tx.us or at 832-393-2222 (choose option 3).

DC

Books Alive! Contest

7th Annual Children’s Book Celebration Contest

Deadline: Saturday, April 30, 2016
Winners will be notified by Saturday, May 7, 2016.

Me and My (Imaginary) Friend Contest

Open to Children in Grades K - 6

Children in grades K through 6 are invited to submit a photo strip of themselves with their Imaginary Friend inspired by one of the many books written by the award-winning, world-famous author and illustrator Dan Santat!   Imaginary Friends can be created by using any art medium and participants will then take creative photos with their imaginary friend and submit a digital photo strip for consideration. Read  contest rules and submission guidelines below.

Dan Santat has sold more than 11 million books, including Caldecott Award winning The Adventures of Beekle: The  Unimaginary Friend, Are We There Yet? He is also the illustrator for the Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series.

Enter to Win!

Fifty winners and one adult guest with each winner will be treated to a catered lunch 
with author and illustrator Dan Santat and also receive an autographed copy of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is scheduled to take place prior to the kickoff of the 7th Annual BOOKS ALIVE! Children’s Book Celebration on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Here's What You Need To Do!

• Create your very own imaginary friend using any art medium for a unique photo booth experience!
• Strike a pose with your imaginary friend and submit a photo strip using the INSTA BOOTH app!
• Contest is open to children in grades K - 6. Submissions accepted via email.
• Photos will be judged on creativity of poses with your imaginary friend.
• One person per entry and one entry per person.

*INSTA BOOTH is free to download and can be used at home, school or at your HPL Neighoborhood Library.

Submission Guidelines:

• Participants must be children in grades K-6
• Photos of contestant with their imaginary friend should be taken using the Insta Booth free app, using the "original" filter (i.e. no special filter).
• 3 picture vertical photo strip should be used.
• If you do not have access to a smart device, you may have your photos taken at any HPL location. 
• Submissions should be saved or renamed using this format:
  • Child's full name_Child's Grade_Parent's Name_Email or Phone Number
  • Example 1: DonnieGold_1_LeighGold_832-393-1313
  • Example 2: DonnieGold_1_LeighGold_lgold@iluvbooks.com 
• Email submissions to childrensbookcelebration@gmail.com. 
• Submission deadline is Saturday, April 30, 2016. Winners will be notified by Saturday, May 7, 2016.

HAPPY NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK!

"National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries, librarians, library staff, volunteers, and library supporters. It is especially a time to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate." - Celebrate National Library Week -  April 11-13, 2016

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

HAPPY NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK!

Thank you for all you do to provide excellent services and programs

and

to support the Houston Public Library

Best Regards,

Rhea Brown Lawson

Rhea Brown Lawson, PhD, Director

Upgraded software -Telecheck

Hello,

Telecheck has upgraded the software so it will now accept cards as debit cards.  If it prompts you for a pin, you can use the new chip pin pad for the customer to input the pin.  Contact Dimitri with any questions (832-393-1344).

Thanks,

Laurie Covington 

Monthly Safety Tip - Office Ergonomics

Monthly Safety Tip, April 2016 -  Office Ergonomics

https://hplnet.houstonlibrary.org/misc/april-2016-safety.pdf

JH

iPads and Art Contests

Recently all locations were asked to send in iPads so that new apps could be loaded on to them for the annual Children’s Book Celebration (CBC) Art Contest.  Some of you have already received your iPads back, the rest should be getting them soon. Please keep the iPads that were returned to you with the new apps as Staff Only iPads for the duration of the contest.

Promotional materials are still in the works, but here are the Contest Details so that staff can begin familiarizing themselves with the program:

Children in grades K through 6 are invited to submit a photo strip of themselves with their imaginary friend.  Imaginary Friends can be created using any art medium and participants will then take creative photos with their Imaginary Friend and submit a digital photo strip for consideration.

Rules:

      1.       Participants must be children in grades K-6

      2.       Imaginary Friends may be created using any art medium.  Participants will then take pictures with their imaginary friend for contest submission.  Photos will be judged on creativity of poses with your imaginary friend.

      3.       Original art only. Traced or copied artwork or images will not be accepted. Please do not use copyrighted images.

      4.       Photos of contestant with their Imaginary Friend should be taken using the free app Insta Booth using the “Original” filter (i.e. No special filter).  The 3 picture vertical photo strip should be used.  If you do not have access to a smart phone or tablet, you can have your photos taken at any Houston Public Library Neighborhood Library location or Central Library.

       5.       One person per entry and one entry per person.

Prizes:

Fifty winners will be treated to a catered lunch during the seventh annual Children’s Book Celebration, Books Alive!, on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2016. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAY 7, 2016.

What will staff be doing with the iPads?

Children wishing to participate in the CBC Art Contest can take their photostrips at home and send them in (instructions will be on promotional materials) or they may come into HPL locations for their photos to be taken and submitted. This is where the iPads come in.

On Monday, April 4 backdrops will be sent to each location next week.  Please attach these backdrops to a wall (using the approved methods) and use these as the background for CBC Art Contest pictures.  Children will bring in their imaginary friends and pose in front of the backdrop to have their picture taken by library staff. 

iPads that were sent down to Onda at the Help Desk and returned to your location have been uploaded with the necessary apps to take and submit photostrips.  Step by step instructions are attached. PLEASE FOLLOW ATTACHED INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING AND SUBMITTING CONTEST ENTRIES.  These instructions will also be uploaded to the YS Blog.

We will be demonstrating the process at the next YS Meeting on Friday, April 8^th, but please feel free to contact myself, Sara or Kallie if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Rebecca

ALERT from IT!!!

The CyberSecurity Division has been made aware of a scam that affected one of our City employees yesterday. A message was displayed on the user system with a visual warning and repeating audio message that the system was infected. The notification provided a phone number to contact for assistance. The user was unable to perform any activity on the system until a call was placed to the provided telephone number and a code was entered. Investigation into the incident continues.

If you experience a similar event, immediately disconnect your computer from the network and POWER OFF the system (DO NOT Perform a normal shutdown) and contact the HITS Customer Service Center at 832-394-4487 (HITS) for further instruction.

JH