Restoration of Library Hours - HPL

_____________________________________________
From: Lawson, Rhea - HPL
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 2:36 PM
To: HPL - All Employees
Subject: Restoration of Library Hours - HPL
Importance: High

 

Good afternoon HPL,

The most frequent request the library department receives from citizens is to restore library hours on weekends so more families can have access to our services. While we have done our best to respond to citizen’s requests to open more locations on Saturdays, we have been unable to so…until now.

I have great news! I am very pleased to inform you that the Mayor has approved a plan for the Houston Public Library to restore Saturday service hours at 14 locations, bringing the total number of libraries open on Saturdays to 41. This means that neighborhood libraries, special collection libraries, and the Central library will be open on Saturdays.

Additionally, the plan will allow for the restoration of service hours at the Central Library on Fridays and Sundays, returning the Central Library to seven day a week service between now and the end of this fiscal year (June 30^th). The Mayor will announce the plan to restore library hours during her press conference after City Council meeting tomorrow.

To restore hours we will be hiring additional staff. The first group of postings for these positions will appear on the City’s website (http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm), tomorrow, Wednesday, February 6, 2013. These positions will be open to all who wish to apply, and include promotional opportunities for current staff. 

Regarding our postings, as you are very aware, this is a time of great change and such an exciting time for libraries. We are especially looking forward to adding members to our team who are excited about providing great customer service who are tech savvy, and who are excited about helping to take library services to the next level.  So, we are seeking new HPL team members who...

• Specialize in smiles and have a great attitude!   
• Enjoy interacting with people from all backgrounds       
• Are passionate about providing excellent customer service
• Are creative and innovative   
• Have strong computer skills, and      
• Can adapt easily to change 

Obviously, this process is moving very quickly. I am grateful for the support of the teams in Customer Experience, Human Resources, Administration, Financial Services, and Communications who are working with me to finalize the overall plan.

The message I have heard from you most often HPL, especially in my monthly Director Chats, is that we need more staff. That is a message that I have passed on to the Mayor.  I am happy to say that she agrees. She asked that we use the additional staff to provide expanded service. The best way for us to serve our City is by being open for service when the members of our communities most need us.  As always, I am proud and honored to work with you.  Stay tuned for more information.

 

Best Regards,

Rhea Brown Lawson, PhD, Director