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5.
PERSONNEL
SECTION
1: THE DIRECTOR
The
Director is the administrator, technical advisor
and executive officer of the board of trustee
to whom is delegated the duty of carrying out
board policies. All the work of the library
shall be under the administration of the director
who is directly responsible for the efficient
and effective operation of the library and its
service to the users of the library.
SECTION
2: RECUITMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROBATION
The
Director shall be employed and terminated by
the library board. All other appointments to
positions at the Poplar Bluff Public Library
shall be made at the recommendation of the library
director and the approval of the board. Appointment
of members of the immediate families of board
members is prohibited by state law. Persons
in the immediate family of present staff members
shall not be employed in the library except
by specific permission in each case by the board.
Applicants
for all nonprofessional positions must have
a high school diploma, have passed a GED test
or be a student in good standing at the senior
high school level. All applicants must be 16
years old.
Applicants
for maintenance positions must have required
skills. No age limit or special educational
requirements apply for these positions.
All
staff members, other than professionals, are
hired for a probationary period of 90 days.
Professional employees are considered as on
probation for a period of one year. At the end
of the probationary period the library will
be free to release any employee whose work or
attitudes fail to measure up to the standards
of the institution. Any employee may be released
at any time during his probationary period,
after being given two weeks notice.
SECTION
3: SALARIES
Salaries
and salary increases are set by city ordinance.
Information regarding salaries and salary Increases
may be found in the current ANNUAL BUDGET OF
THE CITY OF POPLAR BLUFF Under "Personnel Development
Schedule."
SECTION
4: TENURE AND DISMISSAL
The library director has the right and the authority
to recommend to the board the dismissal from
the staff any employee whose attitude, professional
ethics and conduct, or performance of duties
warrant such action. In every case, the employee
shall have the right to a hearing both from
the library director and the board.
SECTION
5: VACATION AND EXTENDED LEAVE
Vacation
leave of full-time nonprofessional employees
shall be based upon years of service as follows:
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YEARS
OF SERVICE
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LEAVE
ACCUMULATED
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1 - 3
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5 days
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3 - 5
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10 days
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5 - 10
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15 days
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Said
employee shall accumulate an additional one
(1) day of leave with pay for each year of service
after ten (10) years of service up to twenty
(20) days for (15) years of service. At the
beginning of the employee's twentieth (20th)
anniversary year, the employee will receive
an additional five (5) days of vacation, for
a maximum of twenty-five (25) days.
Vacation
leave for professional employees other than
the library director shall be 5 days at the
end of one year of service. An additional day
of vacation leave shall be granted for each
additional year of service, but in no event
to exceed a maximum of 25 days.
The
vacation leave of the library director shall
be set by agreement between the library board
of trustees and said director.
In
no event shall the amount of leave taken by
any employee at one time exceed 10 consecutive
working days without special permission of the
library board of trustees.
SECTION
6: SICK LEAVE
Sick
leave may be granted to an employee if he shall
be absent from work due to any of the following:
sickness, bodily injury, quarantine, required
physical or dental examinations or treatment,
exposure to a contagious disease when continued
work might jeopardize the health of others.
Claiming
sick leave under false pretense to obtain a
day off with pay shall be grounds for immediate
dismissal from work for cause.
All
full-time employees shall accrue leave at the
rate of 12 hours sick leave for every calendar
month worked. Sick leave may be accumulated
to a maximum of 900 hours. An employee shall
be eligible for sick leave after 90 days of
service; however, sick leave benefits will begin
accruing from the date of employment. Sick leave
must be earned and credited to an employee's
account before sick leave benefits will be paid.
No sick leave benefits will be paid in advance.
An
employee who has accumulated the maximum number
of sick leave days, and who subsequently exhausts
all of those sick leave days as a result of
a serious illness or injury, shall, upon return
to work for 90 uninterrupted working days, be
credited for sick leave on a 3 for 2 basis until
said employee again accumulates the maximum
number of sick leave days. Any employee who
has used no sick leave days for a preceding
quarter shall have added to his/her accumulated
vacation days one-half day for each such quarter.
A one-half day earned in the last quarter of
the calendar year shall be carried forward and
available to said employee for vacation the
following calendar year. No employee off work
due to illness or disability who has exhausted
his accrued personal sick leave shall be entitled
to holiday pay.
SECTION
7: EMERGENCY LEAVE
A
leave of absence with pay of reasonable duration,
not to exceed five (5) days will be allowed
when an employee's spouse, son, daughter, father
or mother dies. Four (4) days of absence with
pay will be allowed when an employee's sister
or brother dies. Three (3) days of absence with
pay will be allowed to attend the funeral or
a father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law,
sister-in-law, grandparents or grandchildren.
If longer absence is needed it will be deducted
from vacation time.
SECTION
8: WORK WEEK
Full-time
members of the library staff work a 35-hour
week schedule. The work schedule for all employees
is the responsibility of the director.
SECTION
9: HOLIDAYS
The
Poplar Bluff Public Library observes the same
holiday as the City of Poplar bluff. Full-time
staff members shall be paid for the following
holidays or days legally observed:
Employee's
Birthday
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King's Birthday, the 3rd Monday
of Jan
Washington's Birthday, the 3rd Monday of Feb
Good Friday
Memorial Day, the last Monday of May
Independence Day, July 4th
Labor Day, the 1st Monday of September
Thanksgiving Day, the 4th Thursday of November
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve, December 24th
Christmas, December 25th
When
December 24 falls on a Saturday, the preceding
Friday shall be granted as a paid holiday. When
any holiday falls on a Sunday, the following
day (Monday) shall be designated as the legal
holiday. (For more detailed information regarding
regulations and benefits refer to Chapter 26
of the CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF POPLAR
BLUFF).
SECTION
10: EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
It is the desire of the Poplar Bluff Public
Library to provide a safe, attractive, atmosphere
both for the benefit of the library employees
and for users of the library.
Fire
In
the event of a fire in the building, patrons
should be advised to leave the premises immediately
and the fire department notified (785-4666).
Notify people on all levels of the building
of the problem.
If
the fire can be readily contained with a fire
extinguisher obtain one-(ON THE WALL JUST
TO THE RIGHT OF THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, ON THE
WALL IN THE EMPLOYEE LOUNGE, ON THE COUNTER
BEHIND THE CHILDREN'S CIRCULATION DESK)
and attempt to put out the fire.
Tornadoes
In the event of severe weather conditions keep
an eye and ear out for the need to take action.
If the siren for a tornado-ONE CONTINUOUS
SOUNDING OF THE ALARM-is heard, have the
patrons to immediately take the nearest exit
to the basement.
Earthquakes
In
the event of an earthquake urge everyone in
the library to get under a table if at all possible.
If this isn't possible encourage them to get
in a doorway.
Behavioral
Problems
Problem
behavior is any behavior, which either consciously
or unconsciously violates or restricts the rights
of others to use the library.
Because
of the uniqueness of each situation, common
sense should play a large part in any encounter
with a problem. Whatever the case, handling
problem patrons should be a team procedure by
calling on other staff members as necessary.
The
team approach to problem behavior provides the
staff with security and self-confidence, both
of which are necessary to deal effectively with
problem patrons. However, in order for the team
approach to work, all members of the staff must
know what their responsibilities are when a
problem situation arises. The following guidelines
will help staff to know what is expected of
them.
GENERAL
ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES
A. A staff member who observes someone causing
a disturbance should take the following action:
- Approach
the individual in question and explain the
appropriate regulation of the library, which
is being violated.
B.
If a staff member judges a disturbance too serious
to handle alone, call for back up from co-workers.
C.
If an individual does not stop the improper
behavior, or does not leave the building when
instructed, the staff member in charge should
call the police immediately
(785-5776).
- Tell
the police you are calling from the Library.
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Give the police your name and your location
in the Library.
- Briefly
describe the incident and emphasize that help
is needed.
-
Get the police officer's name and record the
time of the telephone call.
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When the police arrive, the staff member who
called the police and those who witnessed
the incident should answer any questions for
the police.
- For
a serious or dangerous confrontation, do not
hesitate to follow through. Any person who
witnesses the offense can act as a complainant
for the Library in a criminal prosecution.
- As
soon as the incident is over, the staff member
who is in charge should complete the Accident
Disturbance, Vandalism Report," and file the
report with the Director's Office as soon
as possible.
EXCEPTION
TO ABOVE PROCEDURES
In
an emergency situation any staff member should
call the police from the nearest telephone immediately
(785-5776).
SECTION
11: PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
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The library is a public institution supported
by taxation and thus it belongs to the people.
Therefore, the first duty of the library staff
is service to the public. Each patron should
be given friendly, courteous and prompt service.
No matter what his request may be, it should
be treated as important.
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Staff members are required to deal with all
kinds of people on all kinds of days and to
show proper conduct and tact at all times.
In the interest of the library an employee
is trusted to minimize any difficult situations
that occur, and to maintain goodwill when
differences or irritations arise.
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No staff member should ever be so engrossed
in mechanical or other work duties that a
patron is given only superficial attention.
The staff members should remain constantly
observant of the area and of incoming and
current patrons.
- Patrons
should be served in order in which they arrive
at the desk, insofar as this can be observed.
A quick glance and a smile may help to reassure
those who are waiting. A patron should have
the friendly assurance that he/she can be
helped with what the patron wants to know
with no implication of superiority on the
part of the staff member.
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When answering the telephone, the staff member
should speak in a pleasant, friendly voice.
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To his co-workers, the staff member owes at
all times courtesy and a willingness to share
disagreeable assignments. Apparent mistakes
of others should not be made obvious to users
of the library, but corrected as quietly as
possible.
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Business-like conduct is presupposed at all
times. No public service desk is to be left
alone or in charge of an irresponsible person
at any time.
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Visiting with friends and acquaintances and
discussion of personal affairs are unprofessional
and breaches of good taste.
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Chewing gum while on duty and eating in sight
of the public are forbidden.
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Personal business is not to be transacted
on library time. Agents who attempt to talk
business must be told that such action is
prohibited.
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Promptness in coming to work is required.
Employees should be at their posts ready for
work at the designated time and not merely
in the building. When tardiness is unavoidable,
the cause for delay should be reported immediately
upon arrival. When absence from work is necessary,
a staff member should contact the director
immediately.
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Smoking is prohibited in the library.
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The use of cell phones in the library is restricted
and where prohibited signs are posted to that
effect.
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Criticism of the library and of administrative
policies should be brought to the attention
of the library director or the board of trustees,
not to the general public.
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Staff members are expected to dress in a manner
that accords with the dignity of the library.
Good taste and good judgment are expected
at all times.
SECTION
12: LIBRARY HOURS
The
Poplar Bluff Public Library maintains the following
hours:
Monday
- Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.**
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.*
*
Adopted by Library Board, May 6, 2002.
** Adopted by Library Board, September 2004.
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