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97-614Council File # � r�C.� Green Sheet # ��� PYeSErit2d Referred To WHEREAS, The Mayor, pursuant to section 10.07.01 of the city charter, does certify that there aze available for appropriation revenues in excess of those estimated in the 1997 budget, and C�N C%� i WHEREAS, 'The Saint Paul Cen$sl-I�Srary needs to replace its phone system and will be using 2 monies available in the salary budget of the Library due to retirements and resignations, and fund s balancei from the Library Special Revenue Fund, and monies from the Contingent Reserve in the a Genera.� Fund, and s e WFiEREAS, The Library will be purchasing ROLM equipment to make the Central Library � compatible with City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County offices in the downtown area, and a 9 io ii 1z 13 aa ls 16 i� is 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2s 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 WHEREAS, the Mayor recommends the following changes to the 1997 budget: GENERAI. FUND - OOY Spending Plan General Government Accounts 09061-0548 Expenditure from Contiagent Fund 09061-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund Publie Libraries Current 250,000 -0- �1 �t � � • Change (42,168) 42,168 03402-0111 Full T'�me Permanent 2,636,238 03402-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund -0- Net Change (50,000) 50,000 Date Amended 207,832 42,168 2,586,238 50,000 2,886,238 -0- 2,886,238 LIBRARY SPECIAL REVENUE FLTND - 349 �7nancfng Plan 33400-9830 Use of fund balance -0- 33400-7299 Transfer from General Fund -0- All Other Financing 252,313 r.5'p@II(jlllg P18II 33400-08$8 Telephone equipment All Other Spending 252,313 -0- 252,313 252,313 2�,000 92,168 -0- 112,168 112,168 -a 112,1b8 20,000 92,168 252,313 364,481 112,168 252,313 252,313 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 sa 53 RESOLVED, That the City Council approves these changes to the 1997 budget. Recommended for Approval YY� `j�Q� D ctor of Financial Services q�'�o�� Requested by Department ot: By: Approved by Mayora Date `-�/ �/5�9 By: Libraries B � GU.f�GC�.�.� Form Approved by City Attorney sy: / �� .r�/ G � 7 .8pp_roved by Mayor for Submission to � � �: � ,��, l�l Adopted by Councils �ate t� � "S Adoption Certified by Council Sec tary .. ��11• Libraries 11 1 GREEN SHEET CITYATTORNEY BUDGET DIflECTORS�{� MAYOR (OR ASSISL TOTAL # OF 51GNATURE PAGES (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE) AEQUESTED: � cm couwa� wmAVOa're � CRY CLERK a FIN. S MG7. SERVIC DIR. 0 GJ� r<� Ac�e,.� fr�,1 Approval of Council Resolution to provide funding to instail a new phone system in the Central Library. RECAMMENDATIONS: Approve (A) or _ PLANNM(�i CAMMI$SIQN _ CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION _ CIB GOMMITTEE _ _ STAFF _ _ DISTRICTCAUFiT _ SUPPORTS WHICM COUNCIL 0&IECTIVE7 PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS MUS7 ANSWER TNE FOl1AWING QUESTIONS: 1. Has this personttirm ever worked under a contrect for this tlepartment? YES NO 2. Nas tFris person/firm ever been a city employee? YES NO 3. DOes Mis personflirm possess a skill not nortnally pp5s953gtl by any Curcent chy empl0yee? YES NO Explein all yas answere o� Seperete aheat antl ptteGh to 9�� 8heet Replace the Central Library's present, antiquated TIE phone system with the ROLM system by tapping into the present ROLM system used by City Hall and Ramsey County offices (downtown.) Treeing of calls to main public service lines. Queuing of callers for reference service. Wireless phone system to keep staff/customer contact while doing reference transac- tion. Statistical capability to improve staffing patterns. Individual phone lines w9th voice mail. ��;�!V�� -- � ����I��C� �vnrv�nvc��rwrrnvvc� y@�� +� � �� IYl � � �t� �3C,���+i � � > �� Monies to replace present phone system would come from General Fund budget. R�C�� IF NOT E�?.��Y 2 � i��7 -" ' � rsgr BU�GfT QFF/�f Customers of SPPL would have to endure the limits the present TIE phone system puts on their need for informational reference seruiEe-.--=•--- -=—�� TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION § � 11 Z 16H COST/REVENUE BUDGE7ED (CIRCLE ONE) YES NO FUNDIWG SOURCE General Fund, Library Special �+w�i�a 09061, 03402, 33400 FINANGIALINFOR(hAT10N.(EXPLAIN) 1' 1' 1. 11 ' I . ' II 1. I 1 II CITY OF SAINT PAUL LIBRARIES TO: 3oe Reid, Budget Director FROM: Carole Williams, Acting Library Director DATE: May 12, 1997 RE: New Phone System for Central Library 7oe, attached please find our justification for this new phone system. As I have explained earlier, the need is urgent. To fund the $112,168 we propose the foilowing: Library $50,000 Deduct from 1997 General Fund - represents known retire- mentlresignation sauings and general salary budget fluctuations. $2Q000 349 Special Funds. These dollars aze available for appropria- tion from fund balance. City: $42,168 We request funding from the City to help us cover the remain- ing cost of this system If you haue any questions, please contact me at 292-6211. I will be out of town on May 9th through May 12th -- you may contact Fran Galt at 292-6408 during this time. CWJsw cc: Eric Willems Fran Galt �b�� SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY MEMO DATE: TO: FROM: RE: March 12,1997 Carole Williams, Acting Director Fran Galt, Support Services Manager �y�t��' Te]ephone system for the Central Library The TIE telephone system in use in our Central Library was insta]led in 1988 as an upgrade to the Library's CENTREX system. Features that are commonplace in modern telephones are not included in the existing TIE system, e.g.: Treeing. In 1992, new phone systems were installed in four of our branch libraries. These systems provide callers the option of selecting an hours recording, connecring with the reference desk, connecting with the circulation desk, or connecting to a specific telephone set within the branch. Since so many ca11s to the library are from people who are interested in knowing the hours of service or in finding out about rnaterials being held for them, this has taken a significant load off the reference staff in those branches, freeing them to provide service more promptly, and with fewer interruprions, to the customers who need reference assistance. Because the Central Library's phone system did not offer this feature, a person had to staff the switchboard at all times the library was open, routing calls to the appropriate departments. With the reorganization of CentraPs adult public service operations in 1996, the switchboard function was essenYially taken over by the library's reference sTaff, putting a lo�ver-level(although vital) responsibility inappropriately upon a higher-level staff and also resniting all too frequently in caller frustrarion because the reference lines were busy. Queuing. Under the current system, there is a specific number of lines (five to the published number), whlch means that callers will get a busy signal if all lines are busy and must continue to redial in hopes of getting through. We know that many of our customers have reacted angrily to this frustration, often caliing a branch library because they've been unable to get through to Central; this not only adds to the workload of the branches but, in some cases, will mean the customer gets a less compiete or immediate response than desired because the resources of the branch �t-�.�uc may not be sufficient to deai with the inquiry that the customer had originally intended to make of Central. Worse, some customers may give up altogether and receive no response to their information need. Modern phone systems can answer and queue cails even beyond the number of lines designated for the function. Even though the caller may have a wait for the connecrion to a staff person, that caller doesn't need to constantly redial and may even be kept informed of where the call is in the queue. Statisticai reports. It would be most helpful for us to receive reports regarding the number of calls, lengths of wait, number of disconnects, etc., broken down by day of the week and hour of the day, even in fifteen-minute increments. These reports would help us to make informed decisions on staffing deployment, hours of service, and need for additionallines. Our e�sring system offers no reports; we have added a call sequencer to our system, but its reports are much less complete and helpful than some of those that are integral to new systems. Voice mail. Voice mail has been added to some of the phone lines in our current system, but, because this is an added feature, there is an additi�nal charge. The voice mail that we do use offers fewer options than that associated with some new systems. There is, for example, no visuai cue on the phone set that a voice-maii message is waiting. Wireless communication. The reference staff would be able to provide much faster service to their callers if they were able to take the telephones with them as they moved throughout this building gathering infarmation. Chstomers wouldn't have to wait on hold while the staffer searched the shelves or electronic data bases but could be immediately consulted as the staffer searched. Because of the high ceilings and thick marble wails of this bu9lding, wireless phone service would require addition of ceiling-mounted electronic booster devices, incompatible with our current system. Computer telephony. Although not a current need, we can anticipate in the coming years acquisition of computer software that wouid interact with the telephone system to provide more information of value to our customers This is a hot new trend in the information business, the topic of large conferences and trade shows. Fortunately, we do have available to us a telephone system equipped to handle all of these desired features. I have been meeting with Ramsey County Telecommunicarions Manager Dan Suess and Irene Trembiay, Enterprise Account Execurive for Norstan Communications, regarding the expansion of the ROLM service to the Central Library. This is the system currenfly in use in most of the City and Counry o�fices in downtown Saint Paul and would be available to us at the discounted rate agreed upon in the County's contract. �-���y The estimated costs Norstan has identified come to $90,480 for equipment, installation, and staff training. Appro�mately $8,600 will be needed for phone sets. Irene called me yesterday with an estimated cost of $12,088 for Norstan to lay and connect cable from the City Hali Annex to the Lihrary. (This is more than $3,000 below the amount in the proposal we had received from People's Electric, which has the C�ty's wiring contract.) Our exisring internal cabling will be usable with the new system, but some additionai cabling will be required for the wireless phone boosters and for any addiriona] locations we may determine to be needed. Irene wiil be on vacarion next week, but we have plans to meet the following week to verify our needs. We'll need to confirm with each department within the Central Library building that the proposal gives them the number of lines and features they need. Once this confirmation is obtained, we'li be able to come up with precise figures. For now, the costs look like this: Equipment, installarion, training $90,480 Handsets c8,600 Cabling to head end 12,088 Internal cabling c1,000 Total $112,168 Our current monthly bill (to US West for basic service and to the Counry far CENTREX service) for all Central Library telephones is approximately $1800. If we end up with the same number of lines, this would increase, under the RQLM system, to $2,395; however, we do know that US West plans to discontinue all CEN'TRONiCENTREX services in 2005 and has a proposal befare the Public Utilities Commission to greafly increase the charges for those services, possibly as early as this year. Council File # � r�C.� Green Sheet # ��� PYeSErit2d Referred To WHEREAS, The Mayor, pursuant to section 10.07.01 of the city charter, does certify that there aze available for appropriation revenues in excess of those estimated in the 1997 budget, and C�N C%� i WHEREAS, 'The Saint Paul Cen$sl-I�Srary needs to replace its phone system and will be using 2 monies available in the salary budget of the Library due to retirements and resignations, and fund s balancei from the Library Special Revenue Fund, and monies from the Contingent Reserve in the a Genera.� Fund, and s e WFiEREAS, The Library will be purchasing ROLM equipment to make the Central Library � compatible with City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County offices in the downtown area, and a 9 io ii 1z 13 aa ls 16 i� is 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2s 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 WHEREAS, the Mayor recommends the following changes to the 1997 budget: GENERAI. FUND - OOY Spending Plan General Government Accounts 09061-0548 Expenditure from Contiagent Fund 09061-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund Publie Libraries Current 250,000 -0- �1 �t � � • Change (42,168) 42,168 03402-0111 Full T'�me Permanent 2,636,238 03402-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund -0- Net Change (50,000) 50,000 Date Amended 207,832 42,168 2,586,238 50,000 2,886,238 -0- 2,886,238 LIBRARY SPECIAL REVENUE FLTND - 349 �7nancfng Plan 33400-9830 Use of fund balance -0- 33400-7299 Transfer from General Fund -0- All Other Financing 252,313 r.5'p@II(jlllg P18II 33400-08$8 Telephone equipment All Other Spending 252,313 -0- 252,313 252,313 2�,000 92,168 -0- 112,168 112,168 -a 112,1b8 20,000 92,168 252,313 364,481 112,168 252,313 252,313 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 sa 53 RESOLVED, That the City Council approves these changes to the 1997 budget. Recommended for Approval YY� `j�Q� D ctor of Financial Services q�'�o�� Requested by Department ot: By: Approved by Mayora Date `-�/ �/5�9 By: Libraries B � GU.f�GC�.�.� Form Approved by City Attorney sy: / �� .r�/ G � 7 .8pp_roved by Mayor for Submission to � � �: � ,��, l�l Adopted by Councils �ate t� � "S Adoption Certified by Council Sec tary .. ��11• Libraries 11 1 GREEN SHEET CITYATTORNEY BUDGET DIflECTORS�{� MAYOR (OR ASSISL TOTAL # OF 51GNATURE PAGES (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE) AEQUESTED: � cm couwa� wmAVOa're � CRY CLERK a FIN. S MG7. SERVIC DIR. 0 GJ� r<� Ac�e,.� fr�,1 Approval of Council Resolution to provide funding to instail a new phone system in the Central Library. RECAMMENDATIONS: Approve (A) or _ PLANNM(�i CAMMI$SIQN _ CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION _ CIB GOMMITTEE _ _ STAFF _ _ DISTRICTCAUFiT _ SUPPORTS WHICM COUNCIL 0&IECTIVE7 PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS MUS7 ANSWER TNE FOl1AWING QUESTIONS: 1. Has this personttirm ever worked under a contrect for this tlepartment? YES NO 2. Nas tFris person/firm ever been a city employee? YES NO 3. DOes Mis personflirm possess a skill not nortnally pp5s953gtl by any Curcent chy empl0yee? YES NO Explein all yas answere o� Seperete aheat antl ptteGh to 9�� 8heet Replace the Central Library's present, antiquated TIE phone system with the ROLM system by tapping into the present ROLM system used by City Hall and Ramsey County offices (downtown.) Treeing of calls to main public service lines. Queuing of callers for reference service. Wireless phone system to keep staff/customer contact while doing reference transac- tion. Statistical capability to improve staffing patterns. Individual phone lines w9th voice mail. ��;�!V�� -- � ����I��C� �vnrv�nvc��rwrrnvvc� y@�� +� � �� IYl � � �t� �3C,���+i � � > �� Monies to replace present phone system would come from General Fund budget. R�C�� IF NOT E�?.��Y 2 � i��7 -" ' � rsgr BU�GfT QFF/�f Customers of SPPL would have to endure the limits the present TIE phone system puts on their need for informational reference seruiEe-.--=•--- -=—�� TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION § � 11 Z 16H COST/REVENUE BUDGE7ED (CIRCLE ONE) YES NO FUNDIWG SOURCE General Fund, Library Special �+w�i�a 09061, 03402, 33400 FINANGIALINFOR(hAT10N.(EXPLAIN) 1' 1' 1. 11 ' I . ' II 1. I 1 II CITY OF SAINT PAUL LIBRARIES TO: 3oe Reid, Budget Director FROM: Carole Williams, Acting Library Director DATE: May 12, 1997 RE: New Phone System for Central Library 7oe, attached please find our justification for this new phone system. As I have explained earlier, the need is urgent. To fund the $112,168 we propose the foilowing: Library $50,000 Deduct from 1997 General Fund - represents known retire- mentlresignation sauings and general salary budget fluctuations. $2Q000 349 Special Funds. These dollars aze available for appropria- tion from fund balance. City: $42,168 We request funding from the City to help us cover the remain- ing cost of this system If you haue any questions, please contact me at 292-6211. I will be out of town on May 9th through May 12th -- you may contact Fran Galt at 292-6408 during this time. CWJsw cc: Eric Willems Fran Galt �b�� SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY MEMO DATE: TO: FROM: RE: March 12,1997 Carole Williams, Acting Director Fran Galt, Support Services Manager �y�t��' Te]ephone system for the Central Library The TIE telephone system in use in our Central Library was insta]led in 1988 as an upgrade to the Library's CENTREX system. Features that are commonplace in modern telephones are not included in the existing TIE system, e.g.: Treeing. In 1992, new phone systems were installed in four of our branch libraries. These systems provide callers the option of selecting an hours recording, connecring with the reference desk, connecting with the circulation desk, or connecting to a specific telephone set within the branch. Since so many ca11s to the library are from people who are interested in knowing the hours of service or in finding out about rnaterials being held for them, this has taken a significant load off the reference staff in those branches, freeing them to provide service more promptly, and with fewer interruprions, to the customers who need reference assistance. Because the Central Library's phone system did not offer this feature, a person had to staff the switchboard at all times the library was open, routing calls to the appropriate departments. With the reorganization of CentraPs adult public service operations in 1996, the switchboard function was essenYially taken over by the library's reference sTaff, putting a lo�ver-level(although vital) responsibility inappropriately upon a higher-level staff and also resniting all too frequently in caller frustrarion because the reference lines were busy. Queuing. Under the current system, there is a specific number of lines (five to the published number), whlch means that callers will get a busy signal if all lines are busy and must continue to redial in hopes of getting through. We know that many of our customers have reacted angrily to this frustration, often caliing a branch library because they've been unable to get through to Central; this not only adds to the workload of the branches but, in some cases, will mean the customer gets a less compiete or immediate response than desired because the resources of the branch �t-�.�uc may not be sufficient to deai with the inquiry that the customer had originally intended to make of Central. Worse, some customers may give up altogether and receive no response to their information need. Modern phone systems can answer and queue cails even beyond the number of lines designated for the function. Even though the caller may have a wait for the connecrion to a staff person, that caller doesn't need to constantly redial and may even be kept informed of where the call is in the queue. Statisticai reports. It would be most helpful for us to receive reports regarding the number of calls, lengths of wait, number of disconnects, etc., broken down by day of the week and hour of the day, even in fifteen-minute increments. These reports would help us to make informed decisions on staffing deployment, hours of service, and need for additionallines. Our e�sring system offers no reports; we have added a call sequencer to our system, but its reports are much less complete and helpful than some of those that are integral to new systems. Voice mail. Voice mail has been added to some of the phone lines in our current system, but, because this is an added feature, there is an additi�nal charge. The voice mail that we do use offers fewer options than that associated with some new systems. There is, for example, no visuai cue on the phone set that a voice-maii message is waiting. Wireless communication. The reference staff would be able to provide much faster service to their callers if they were able to take the telephones with them as they moved throughout this building gathering infarmation. Chstomers wouldn't have to wait on hold while the staffer searched the shelves or electronic data bases but could be immediately consulted as the staffer searched. Because of the high ceilings and thick marble wails of this bu9lding, wireless phone service would require addition of ceiling-mounted electronic booster devices, incompatible with our current system. Computer telephony. Although not a current need, we can anticipate in the coming years acquisition of computer software that wouid interact with the telephone system to provide more information of value to our customers This is a hot new trend in the information business, the topic of large conferences and trade shows. Fortunately, we do have available to us a telephone system equipped to handle all of these desired features. I have been meeting with Ramsey County Telecommunicarions Manager Dan Suess and Irene Trembiay, Enterprise Account Execurive for Norstan Communications, regarding the expansion of the ROLM service to the Central Library. This is the system currenfly in use in most of the City and Counry o�fices in downtown Saint Paul and would be available to us at the discounted rate agreed upon in the County's contract. �-���y The estimated costs Norstan has identified come to $90,480 for equipment, installation, and staff training. Appro�mately $8,600 will be needed for phone sets. Irene called me yesterday with an estimated cost of $12,088 for Norstan to lay and connect cable from the City Hali Annex to the Lihrary. (This is more than $3,000 below the amount in the proposal we had received from People's Electric, which has the C�ty's wiring contract.) Our exisring internal cabling will be usable with the new system, but some additionai cabling will be required for the wireless phone boosters and for any addiriona] locations we may determine to be needed. Irene wiil be on vacarion next week, but we have plans to meet the following week to verify our needs. We'll need to confirm with each department within the Central Library building that the proposal gives them the number of lines and features they need. Once this confirmation is obtained, we'li be able to come up with precise figures. For now, the costs look like this: Equipment, installarion, training $90,480 Handsets c8,600 Cabling to head end 12,088 Internal cabling c1,000 Total $112,168 Our current monthly bill (to US West for basic service and to the Counry far CENTREX service) for all Central Library telephones is approximately $1800. If we end up with the same number of lines, this would increase, under the RQLM system, to $2,395; however, we do know that US West plans to discontinue all CEN'TRONiCENTREX services in 2005 and has a proposal befare the Public Utilities Commission to greafly increase the charges for those services, possibly as early as this year. Council File # � r�C.� Green Sheet # ��� PYeSErit2d Referred To WHEREAS, The Mayor, pursuant to section 10.07.01 of the city charter, does certify that there aze available for appropriation revenues in excess of those estimated in the 1997 budget, and C�N C%� i WHEREAS, 'The Saint Paul Cen$sl-I�Srary needs to replace its phone system and will be using 2 monies available in the salary budget of the Library due to retirements and resignations, and fund s balancei from the Library Special Revenue Fund, and monies from the Contingent Reserve in the a Genera.� Fund, and s e WFiEREAS, The Library will be purchasing ROLM equipment to make the Central Library � compatible with City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County offices in the downtown area, and a 9 io ii 1z 13 aa ls 16 i� is 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2s 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 WHEREAS, the Mayor recommends the following changes to the 1997 budget: GENERAI. FUND - OOY Spending Plan General Government Accounts 09061-0548 Expenditure from Contiagent Fund 09061-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund Publie Libraries Current 250,000 -0- �1 �t � � • Change (42,168) 42,168 03402-0111 Full T'�me Permanent 2,636,238 03402-0558 Transfer to Special Revenue Fund -0- Net Change (50,000) 50,000 Date Amended 207,832 42,168 2,586,238 50,000 2,886,238 -0- 2,886,238 LIBRARY SPECIAL REVENUE FLTND - 349 �7nancfng Plan 33400-9830 Use of fund balance -0- 33400-7299 Transfer from General Fund -0- All Other Financing 252,313 r.5'p@II(jlllg P18II 33400-08$8 Telephone equipment All Other Spending 252,313 -0- 252,313 252,313 2�,000 92,168 -0- 112,168 112,168 -a 112,1b8 20,000 92,168 252,313 364,481 112,168 252,313 252,313 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 sa 53 RESOLVED, That the City Council approves these changes to the 1997 budget. Recommended for Approval YY� `j�Q� D ctor of Financial Services q�'�o�� Requested by Department ot: By: Approved by Mayora Date `-�/ �/5�9 By: Libraries B � GU.f�GC�.�.� Form Approved by City Attorney sy: / �� .r�/ G � 7 .8pp_roved by Mayor for Submission to � � �: � ,��, l�l Adopted by Councils �ate t� � "S Adoption Certified by Council Sec tary .. ��11• Libraries 11 1 GREEN SHEET CITYATTORNEY BUDGET DIflECTORS�{� MAYOR (OR ASSISL TOTAL # OF 51GNATURE PAGES (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE) AEQUESTED: � cm couwa� wmAVOa're � CRY CLERK a FIN. S MG7. SERVIC DIR. 0 GJ� r<� Ac�e,.� fr�,1 Approval of Council Resolution to provide funding to instail a new phone system in the Central Library. RECAMMENDATIONS: Approve (A) or _ PLANNM(�i CAMMI$SIQN _ CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION _ CIB GOMMITTEE _ _ STAFF _ _ DISTRICTCAUFiT _ SUPPORTS WHICM COUNCIL 0&IECTIVE7 PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS MUS7 ANSWER TNE FOl1AWING QUESTIONS: 1. Has this personttirm ever worked under a contrect for this tlepartment? YES NO 2. Nas tFris person/firm ever been a city employee? YES NO 3. DOes Mis personflirm possess a skill not nortnally pp5s953gtl by any Curcent chy empl0yee? YES NO Explein all yas answere o� Seperete aheat antl ptteGh to 9�� 8heet Replace the Central Library's present, antiquated TIE phone system with the ROLM system by tapping into the present ROLM system used by City Hall and Ramsey County offices (downtown.) Treeing of calls to main public service lines. Queuing of callers for reference service. Wireless phone system to keep staff/customer contact while doing reference transac- tion. Statistical capability to improve staffing patterns. Individual phone lines w9th voice mail. ��;�!V�� -- � ����I��C� �vnrv�nvc��rwrrnvvc� y@�� +� � �� IYl � � �t� �3C,���+i � � > �� Monies to replace present phone system would come from General Fund budget. R�C�� IF NOT E�?.��Y 2 � i��7 -" ' � rsgr BU�GfT QFF/�f Customers of SPPL would have to endure the limits the present TIE phone system puts on their need for informational reference seruiEe-.--=•--- -=—�� TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION § � 11 Z 16H COST/REVENUE BUDGE7ED (CIRCLE ONE) YES NO FUNDIWG SOURCE General Fund, Library Special �+w�i�a 09061, 03402, 33400 FINANGIALINFOR(hAT10N.(EXPLAIN) 1' 1' 1. 11 ' I . ' II 1. I 1 II CITY OF SAINT PAUL LIBRARIES TO: 3oe Reid, Budget Director FROM: Carole Williams, Acting Library Director DATE: May 12, 1997 RE: New Phone System for Central Library 7oe, attached please find our justification for this new phone system. As I have explained earlier, the need is urgent. To fund the $112,168 we propose the foilowing: Library $50,000 Deduct from 1997 General Fund - represents known retire- mentlresignation sauings and general salary budget fluctuations. $2Q000 349 Special Funds. These dollars aze available for appropria- tion from fund balance. City: $42,168 We request funding from the City to help us cover the remain- ing cost of this system If you haue any questions, please contact me at 292-6211. I will be out of town on May 9th through May 12th -- you may contact Fran Galt at 292-6408 during this time. CWJsw cc: Eric Willems Fran Galt �b�� SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY MEMO DATE: TO: FROM: RE: March 12,1997 Carole Williams, Acting Director Fran Galt, Support Services Manager �y�t��' Te]ephone system for the Central Library The TIE telephone system in use in our Central Library was insta]led in 1988 as an upgrade to the Library's CENTREX system. Features that are commonplace in modern telephones are not included in the existing TIE system, e.g.: Treeing. In 1992, new phone systems were installed in four of our branch libraries. These systems provide callers the option of selecting an hours recording, connecring with the reference desk, connecting with the circulation desk, or connecting to a specific telephone set within the branch. Since so many ca11s to the library are from people who are interested in knowing the hours of service or in finding out about rnaterials being held for them, this has taken a significant load off the reference staff in those branches, freeing them to provide service more promptly, and with fewer interruprions, to the customers who need reference assistance. Because the Central Library's phone system did not offer this feature, a person had to staff the switchboard at all times the library was open, routing calls to the appropriate departments. With the reorganization of CentraPs adult public service operations in 1996, the switchboard function was essenYially taken over by the library's reference sTaff, putting a lo�ver-level(although vital) responsibility inappropriately upon a higher-level staff and also resniting all too frequently in caller frustrarion because the reference lines were busy. Queuing. Under the current system, there is a specific number of lines (five to the published number), whlch means that callers will get a busy signal if all lines are busy and must continue to redial in hopes of getting through. We know that many of our customers have reacted angrily to this frustration, often caliing a branch library because they've been unable to get through to Central; this not only adds to the workload of the branches but, in some cases, will mean the customer gets a less compiete or immediate response than desired because the resources of the branch �t-�.�uc may not be sufficient to deai with the inquiry that the customer had originally intended to make of Central. Worse, some customers may give up altogether and receive no response to their information need. Modern phone systems can answer and queue cails even beyond the number of lines designated for the function. Even though the caller may have a wait for the connecrion to a staff person, that caller doesn't need to constantly redial and may even be kept informed of where the call is in the queue. Statisticai reports. It would be most helpful for us to receive reports regarding the number of calls, lengths of wait, number of disconnects, etc., broken down by day of the week and hour of the day, even in fifteen-minute increments. These reports would help us to make informed decisions on staffing deployment, hours of service, and need for additionallines. Our e�sring system offers no reports; we have added a call sequencer to our system, but its reports are much less complete and helpful than some of those that are integral to new systems. Voice mail. Voice mail has been added to some of the phone lines in our current system, but, because this is an added feature, there is an additi�nal charge. The voice mail that we do use offers fewer options than that associated with some new systems. There is, for example, no visuai cue on the phone set that a voice-maii message is waiting. Wireless communication. The reference staff would be able to provide much faster service to their callers if they were able to take the telephones with them as they moved throughout this building gathering infarmation. Chstomers wouldn't have to wait on hold while the staffer searched the shelves or electronic data bases but could be immediately consulted as the staffer searched. Because of the high ceilings and thick marble wails of this bu9lding, wireless phone service would require addition of ceiling-mounted electronic booster devices, incompatible with our current system. Computer telephony. Although not a current need, we can anticipate in the coming years acquisition of computer software that wouid interact with the telephone system to provide more information of value to our customers This is a hot new trend in the information business, the topic of large conferences and trade shows. Fortunately, we do have available to us a telephone system equipped to handle all of these desired features. I have been meeting with Ramsey County Telecommunicarions Manager Dan Suess and Irene Trembiay, Enterprise Account Execurive for Norstan Communications, regarding the expansion of the ROLM service to the Central Library. This is the system currenfly in use in most of the City and Counry o�fices in downtown Saint Paul and would be available to us at the discounted rate agreed upon in the County's contract. �-���y The estimated costs Norstan has identified come to $90,480 for equipment, installation, and staff training. Appro�mately $8,600 will be needed for phone sets. Irene called me yesterday with an estimated cost of $12,088 for Norstan to lay and connect cable from the City Hali Annex to the Lihrary. (This is more than $3,000 below the amount in the proposal we had received from People's Electric, which has the C�ty's wiring contract.) Our exisring internal cabling will be usable with the new system, but some additionai cabling will be required for the wireless phone boosters and for any addiriona] locations we may determine to be needed. Irene wiil be on vacarion next week, but we have plans to meet the following week to verify our needs. We'll need to confirm with each department within the Central Library building that the proposal gives them the number of lines and features they need. Once this confirmation is obtained, we'li be able to come up with precise figures. For now, the costs look like this: Equipment, installarion, training $90,480 Handsets c8,600 Cabling to head end 12,088 Internal cabling c1,000 Total $112,168 Our current monthly bill (to US West for basic service and to the Counry far CENTREX service) for all Central Library telephones is approximately $1800. If we end up with the same number of lines, this would increase, under the RQLM system, to $2,395; however, we do know that US West plans to discontinue all CEN'TRONiCENTREX services in 2005 and has a proposal befare the Public Utilities Commission to greafly increase the charges for those services, possibly as early as this year.