Q & A July 30, 2020

How are things going at the branches with new hours and curbside?

From all we have heard, things are going smoothly and the expanded hours have been kind of a non-event. We expect that these hours will be in place for some time. Branches are definitely seeing less activity after 7 p.m.  Curbside is integrated and pickups are spread throughout the week. We continue to get positive feedback from patrons who are grateful for our open hours, our precautions and protocols, and curbside service. Our next big adventure will be when kids return to school on August 13. Please see Anna’s blog post for more information on how the new school year will impact FCPL.

 

How are the branches tracking the number of people in the building?

It is an informal process and varies by branch. Because the branches are not extremely busy, it is easy for staff to track by walking around and monitoring congested areas.

 

Have we noticed any trends in patrons using self-check-out versus coming to the desk?

Not really. Staff are encouraging patrons to use self-check and removing barriers to make the one-stops easier for patrons to use. There are times when patrons need to come to the desk for assistance as well.

 

Holly shared with the group that the website rollout has been a success, with a clean, fresh online presence for FCPL. We are getting positive feedback from staff and patrons.

Steve gave a shout-out to HR for doing such an incredible job filling open positions. They have been screening, skills testing, and interviewing non-stop and have some great candidates lined up. Way to go!

Jeff shared information about the RBdigital/Overdrive transition happening on August 12. Paula and Angela are working on promotional materials and press releases informing the public of the upcoming change. For detailed information about the migration, see Jeff’s post on the staff blog.

 

The following questions came via email but were not discussed in the live session.

 

If a staff member is COVID positive, symptomatic, or quarantined because of exposure, waiting for test results, are staff who worked with them notified?   Are patrons notified? 

We are finding that each scenario has its own individual set of circumstances that requires somewhat customized protocols. The COVID manual outlines different several different scenarios and steps to be taken by staff and FCPL. Here is a link to the most current version.

On Thursday, August 6 at the 9:00 a.m. Q & A, Aimee Brown will discuss FCPL procedures for the different scenarios and answer any questions you may have. The session will be recorded and posted on SharePoint and the staff blog for those who cannot attend.

In regards to patron notification, we are not notifying patrons if a staff member tests positive.

 

Who or what department is in charge of staff safety?  We had some committees during the shelter in place.  Do we still have them?  Can we start a safety committee if we don’t?

In the grand scheme, particularly in this situation, safety is everyone’s job. We are all responsible for cleaning our work areas, we each take shifts wiping down high-touch areas for patrons and staff, we practice social distancing, we wear masks, and we wash our hands often. The COVID team (Anna, Steve, Nikki, and Sarah) are continuously monitoring recommended protocols.  Additionally, we are in the process of formalizing the FCPL Safety Committee, with Nikki and Holly leading the team. We will share more information as it becomes available.