What You Should Do This Week

Hi, Everybody! Hope everyone's still feeling well and suffering from nothing but cabin fever!

We survived our first week working remotely, and I want to cheer you on for continued good work in week #2 with a reminder that summer will soon be here. We accomplished 94 hours of training together so far this month and I know we're going to push that number sky high in the coming week.
Hopefully we're halfway through our time at home and will soon be back together so much smarter and more accomplished than ever before, delighting the community with fantastic library service!

Our leadership team is doing a terrific job providing you with options for training, project work, and keeping you all connected.
So this week, I want to give a shout out to Stephanie, Jennifer, Shannon, Linda, Dan, Rob, Heather, and Marcia for navigating this very difficult way to lead.
And a big shout out to Sandy, Jeremy, Dan, Jason, Scott, Jeff, Rob, and Linda who have come into work when necessary to process bills, get mail, check on the buildings, meet with architects and contractors, and lend our patron computers to KFD for training.
You are all Bright Spots!

Here's one more useful article for your home life to help you manage the virus on delivered packages and groceries. Bottom line, it fades pretty quickly without a human host. Leave your packages in the corner or your food in the fridge or cupboard for a couple hours, wash your hands while you wait, and you should be ok.

Miss your smiling faces!
Stay well!
Barb

Working From Home- Directions for Staff

Dear KPL Staff

This morning our Governor directed that everyone should stay at home with few exceptions until April 24th. I know that for the vast majority of you, this message evokes mixed emotions. On the one hand, we know that it is our civic duty to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and closing the library wasn’t just the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do.  On the other hand, we know how important we are to our community and how much they miss us right now. And face it. You miss them, too. For some of us, we feel the impact of our work so deeply that disconnecting our services from the community feels shameful. It’s not like we’ve taken a vacation and someone else is carrying on in our place. We’re all gone.

Heather sent out an article earlier today that talked about grief in the time of the Coronavirus. It’s only one week since we shut our doors to the public. It’s only one day since we stopped seeing them at our curbside pickup. Already we’re grieving. Think what we’ll be feeling in a month.

Our friends in city emergency services and at hospitals and clinics in our county are grieving for a different reason. They are witnessing the fear and sickness brought on by this terrible pathogen at a caseload barely manageable. The 2-1-1 call center is currently handling 700-1000 calls per day according to the Kenosha County Health Department. If you’ve ever worked a crisis hotline, you can imagine the stress of answering that many calls from anxious people looking for help.

Our friends in the City Clerk’s office are scrambling to keep up with an election that has suddenly become vote-by-mail. With only 2 weeks to go, and very few staff, they have no answers from the state about in-person elections. Will they be postponed? If they are held, will their poll workers, mostly elderly, be willing to work? Should they risk their health to do so?

In the days and weeks ahead, we may be called on as city employees to help other departments that had no choice to close. I hope you’ll answer that call if called upon. In the meantime, as you wait at home, I hope you think of all the people who continue to work hard. Their wages are the same. Their workload is overwhelming. They deserve our admiration and appreciation and help if they make the call.

We Midwesterners pride ourselves on our work ethic. We don’t believe in taking something for nothing. We shouldn’t sit at home in good health and expect a paycheck for nothing. Now is the time to demonstrate our pride and appreciation for our good work and the wages that come with it. The Governor has ordered us to be home, but he didn’t order us to abandon our responsibilities. It is our responsibility to be well trained and to provide outstanding library services to our community. When we return to our library buildings, we should be closer than ever to those goals. 

If you are a part time employee, and you are feeling well, connect every day you would normally work. Take online training, contribute to a project, clean out your work email, or ask your supervisor how else you can help. It doesn’t matter what position you hold, there are ways for you to contribute to our work from where you are.

If you are a full time employee and you are feeling well, you should connect five times a week with your supervisor to keep on track with assignments. They have pulled together an impressive list of opportunities with choices for how to contribute.

Let’s show the Library Board and the City Administration that KPL staff are worth the safety net that’s been provided to us. If you’re well, do the work. Show your pride and live your values.

I wish you and your family continued good health. 

Barb

Community Library Closing Tuesday

The library will have staff at Twin Lakes and Salem for the remainder of the week. Delivery will proceed as normal.

Message from Staff at SHARE about delivery

"We are switching everything to local holds only, which should taper delivery volume everywhere else in share pretty dramatically by end of week. However long this week you can stick things out would be great. Guessing we will all be shut down delivery wise by the end of the week."

Staff Work While We're Closed to Public

STAFF ASSIGNED PROJECTS DURING SHUTDOWN

Department Heads should create specific lists for their departments

NORTHSIDE

• Delivery service will continue to NS as scheduled. Accept courier deliveries and process. 
• Cleaning 
• Shelf reading
• Clean all items returned.
• Process holds, transfer all available holds to SW for curbside pickup 
• Scheduled Building maintenance plus additional checklist from Dan
• Empty book drops twice per day. 
• Hold all items in transit to UPT and SI until 2 days before reopening to public. 
• Contact meeting room reservations 
• Reschedule large events
• Exterior facade work done?
• Organizing/going through cluttered areas

SOUTHWEST

• Delivery service will continue to SW and NS as scheduled. Accept courier deliveries and process. 
• All returns in UPT and SI book drops will be transferred to SW for processing. Hold all items in transit to UPT and SI until 2 days before reopening to public. 
• Accept processed holds from other locations and change the pickup location to SW. 
• Answer phones and provide phone reference 
• Cleaning staff areas
• Shelf reading
• Clean all returned items
• Building maintenance
• Empty book drops twice per day
• Contact meeting room reservations 
• Reschedule large events
• Finish  collection weeding in advance of  shift 
• Move collections to accommodate new Activities Room
• Conduct curbside pickup of holds week 1. Call all patrons with available holds and arrange for a curbside pickup time. Check the item out to the patron before pickup and deliver item to car window.

UPTOWN WILL CLOSE BEGINNING MONDAY MARCH  16 AND REMAIN UNSTAFFED UNTIL TWO DAYS BEFORE OPENING TO PUBLIC

On Monday March 16:

• Empty bookdrops and transfer contents to SW for processing (Maintenance will transfer)
• Meet delivery driver and transfer totes to SW (Maintenance will transfer)

While closed, Maintenance staff will:

• Clean building thoroughly
• Continue to clean Literacy areas daily
• Empty book drops once per day and deliver the contents to SW
• Manage construction of exterior stairs

Mail will be held while building is unstaffed.

Stephanie will be in communication with KLC 

UPTOWN PROJECTS AS TIME ALLOWS PRIOR TO REOPENING TO PUBLIC 

• Shelf reading
• Re-organize in staff areas to prepare for new conference room
• Accept deliveries of returned materials and shelve. 
• YFS collection maintenance processing if time allows
• Adult collection maintenance processing if time allows

SIMMONS WILL CLOSE BEGINNING TUESDAY  MARCH 17 AND REMAIN UNSTAFFED UNTIL TWO DAYS BEFORE REOPENING TO PUBLIC

While closed, Maintenance staff will:

• Clean building thoroughly
• Empty book drops once per day and deliver the contents to SW

Mail will be held while building is unstaffed.

Monday March 16th

• Thoroughly clean staff areas
• Shelf reading
• Transfer all available holds to SW 
• Process and clean returned/ delivery items

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AS TIME ALLOWS

• Inventory of unused/damaged items in lower level storage
• Archiving historical items (processing, finding aids, preservation/scanning)
• Staff training

CCB

• Carry on normal collection and administrative functions
• Prepare for staff relocation
• Discard items you won’t need to move
• Box records to move
• Scan records for archiving, discard originals if allowable

YFS

• Librarians to work on collection management at all locations
• Create YA shelf talkers, book lists, and book recommendation videos 
• Prepare curriculum for April-August programs 
• Create visual catalog of all items in Developmental Collection
• Create a photo inventory sheet for each toy that goes out on the floor so that it is easier for parents and staff to know what toys go where
• Develop ideas for passive program boxes with Lisa Rivers
• Create instructional videos for kids/teens/families to try at home (e.g. science experiments, arts and crafts, early literacy tips, no cook snacks, etc)
• Create summer reading promo videos
• Create virtual storytime bundles and videos for website 
• Reorganize SW workroom and storage closet
• Disinfect all toys 
• Start planning Fall program schedule 

OUTREACH 

• Contact all home delivery patrons
• Hold home delivery items until we reopen
• Send all holds to SW for curbside pickup
• Clean & Shelf read collection (Sue lead, teach others how to shelf read)
• Weed J & Easies based on condition. I’ve noticed some very tattered books. 
• Reset BKT with “kids” collection- Marcia has diagram 
• Reset BKM- Marcia has diagram 
• Send an OSS to CS to assist processing Board Book deposit collection and Barbershop Books
• Assign an OSS/COS volunteer to help Lisa finish her toy inventory (if needed)
• BKM repair? Assign a driver to transport BKM for repair at authorized Cat dealer

LIBRARY CLOSING MARCH 16-APRIL 6

Hello, KPL Staff

By now everyone knows that KUSD has announced it is closing March 16 to April 6th. KPL will follow suit and close to the public beginning Monday. Below are staff reporting assignments. 

There is much work to be done within our buildings even if we're closed. If you are well and have not been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, please report as usual the first week. You may also elect to use your allotted paid time off. 

Those of you reporting to work may be reassigned to a different location where there is more workload. Your supervisor may assign you to work activities you do not normally perform such as shifting collections or cleaning. Please pitch in where you can. 

During this first week closed to the public, our library board will convene to discuss modifications to our personnel policies under this emergency.I will keep you informed about any changes going forward. Please know that your benefits will NOT BE REDUCED. You will continue to have access to any paid time off you have accrued for the year.

LIBRARY CLOSED TO PUBLIC MARCH 16-APRIL 6

Essential staff will report to work or conduct work activities remotely until further notice.

.

These staff include:

• Library Director
• Division Head Public Services
• Division Head Support Services
• Head of Administrative Services
• Accounting Assistant
• Administrative Assistant
• Communications Specialist
• Maintenance Superintendent
• Maintenance staff
• Department Heads
• Branch Managers
• Cleaning staff
• Circulation Team Leaders

Week One

March 16-20

Non-essential exempt full time staff may elect to:

• Report to work between 8am and 4:30pm at a location assigned to them. 
• Use paid leave 

Full time non-exempt staff may elect to

• Report to work between 8am and 4:30pm at a branch assigned to them. 
• Use paid leave 

Part time staff may elect to

• Report to work between 8am and 4:30pm  for their assigned PCF at a branch assigned to them. 
• Use paid leave 

March 21-April 5 

Library closed to the public.

Staff needs re-evaluated.

Library board will consider modifications to the paid leave structure.

As always, please talk with your supervisor should you have any questions. 

Stay well!

Barb

Food Pantries and Free Meals During Pandemic

Your quarantine rights in Wisconsin

There's a lot of interest surrounding individual rights vs. the rights of the government in the U.S. when it comes to forcing someone to be isolated or quarantined because of exposure to disease. It's generally a state decision, with federal authority kicking in if the state does nothing.

Thought you'd be interested to know what your rights will be if the county insists you move to a quarantine situation.
May we all stay healthy!

What Will We Do When the Corona Virus Comes to Town?

Hello, Everyone
Last week I a shared a draft of our Pandemic Preparedness Plan. As plans are shared among libraries and cities across the country, and as more staff contribute their ideas, we continue to enhance and refine our plan for service to our community under a COVID-19 outbreak.
This link will always take you to the latest update of our plan. If you ever feel the need to check back, just remember to return to this blog post.

And now a word about working together as we face this challenge.

Remember that we have almost 100 different personalities on staff, and everyone will approach this collective challenge a little differently. Some may imagine symptoms where there are none, others will "tough it out" as they have all their lives and risk infecting everyone else, thinking they are doing the right thing. 

We are facing this virus epidemic together. In order to protect ourselves and the public, we must all focus on the common good. We will all clean tables and doorknobs and whatever else we need to do. "I don't clean" is not acceptable. And we need to stay home when we're sick, even if that means staffing is short that day.

Please support each other and reach out to me anytime. 

Barb

SW Activities Room Will Remain Available for Voting

Unfortunately, someone on staff has relayed the wrong information about the availability of library space for the 2020 election. Please be sure you attend staff meetings, read the staff blog, and ask your supervisor for any clarifications you might need. It's important we all know what's going on so the right information reaches the public.

As you know, we are planning to begin construction of the new Activities Room at SW in a few months. That room will be constructed in the middle of the library, in the current teen space. This in no way impacts the use of the current Activities Room for voting. The current  SW Activities Room will host all 2020 election events as usual. 

Kenosha Expo Stars!

This year we were able to drive the book truck right into the Kenosha Expo hall and it really jazzed up our presence. Here's an Expo Report from Brandi:

Patrons of all ages were excited to get to see inside the book truck - many sharing that they had always seen it in the community and wondered what it looked like or that they hadn't been on a bookmobile since they were very young. We received a lot of amazing feedback about the accessibility of the book truck, the wide selection of stops and materials, and the beauty of the wrap. In fact, one family came back to find me to let me know just how impressed they were with our depiction of families of color on the book truck wrap. They returned on Sunday with their young children just to show them the book truck and the young boy exclaimed: "that looks like us with Papa and Mimi". 

Vendors also made great use of the vehicle, checking out books to keep them occupied during lulls in their day and renewing their cards and materials. 

We couldn't have pulled it off without Brent & Max making sure our internet was up and running for smooth checkouts and registration, the teams working the table and answering the public's many questions (Michelle, Tessa, Linda, Zander, Lisa L., Jonathan, Susannah, Rob, Martha, and Marcia) and Dale - who went to great lengths to make sure I had everything I needed for a successful weekend and put in some extra elbow grease making sure the book truck was looking it's best!

By my count we had 1,853 engagements with the community - that doesn't include many of the organizations that came over to find out how to work with us for future events. 

Thanks to everyone who worked this event and made us proud!