Author: Eric Melton

Sometime on Monday, March 2nd, a storage pod will be delivered near the dumpster. Please don’t park in the three spots west of the dumpster.

Please register here > https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=35066

Computer assistants, such as Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa, and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs are becoming commonplace. If you need directions, want to buy groceries, or are looking for suggestions for a new wardrobe, technological help is just a request away. There is no doubt that computerized assistants and Artificial Intelligence are impacting every facet of society, including our economies, cultures and public institutions such as schools and libraries, and that this impact will only grow stronger.

As we as a society try to manage this new technology, many people are calling on the library community to lead the way. Libraries are increasingly supporting patrons in understanding AI as well as implementing AI technology to improve processes and provide a better, more personalized patron experience.

Librarians will also be needed to educate people about AI, helping them understand how to use it in order to enhance daily life and develop their career, while learning of potential pitfalls and how to protect personal data online.

This webinar will discuss the use of AI in public libraries and provide advice on how your library can ensure it is not only prepared for the changes AI will bring, but that it is positioned to shape and then lead the world that AI is helping to create. Featuring presentations from the New Orleans Public Library, King County Library System and collectionHQ, the webinar will share specific examples of how AI is being used to inform the selection of pre-published titles based on predictive algorithms, and how voice-assisted technology can be used to connect patrons to library resources.

The 8mm film scanner is fixed. I have notified the three people waiting. If you’re uncomfortable with the 8mm scanner, please let me know when you see Tech Lab reservations from patrons requesting to use it.

The skating rink is currently being disassembled for the season.

Book sale volunteers will be coming off-and-on throughout the week. I’ve told them to notify staff at the circulation desk. Please lead them to or point them in the direction of the meeting room via the staff door.

The Tech Lab’s 8mm film scanner is out of order. I’ve contacted the company for advice and will keep you posted. Until we get it fixed, those reserving the Tech Lab for 8mm or Super 8 film scanning should be told that we’re working on a fix and that we’ll notify them when it’s available.

8 portable USB chargers are now available for checkout at the Public Services desk. Each charger comes with a cable for iPhones and Androids. They’re for in-library use only. Each one is barcoded and can be checked out via Polaris as you would any other item. The patron’s account must be in good standing and must be an account-type that allows checkouts–i.e. the chargers cannot be checked out to Computers Only or Provisional cardholders.

We have a new batch of welcome brochures that need folded as you have time at the checkout desk. They’re on the ledge behind the desk.

We’re getting new counters, stalls, and tile in the public restrooms. The project begins March 2nd. Here’s what to expect.

Restrooms will be closed beginning March 2nd.  Three portable toilets (one handicap accessible) will be delivered outside the Commons doors. Plumbers will remove the sinks and toilets. Two private diaper changing stations will be setup: one in the Commons and the other near the Youth Computer Lounge.

Tile tear-out and installation will begin the week of March 9th and extend to March 30th or April 6th.

Once the tile is done, toilets and sinks will be be put back, and new stall doors and counters will be installed.

Everything should be done by the second week of April.

The staff restroom will be open throughout.

UPDATE: This issue seems to be resolved at least for most email recipients. Hold notices have just been run so we’re all caught up.

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Some outgoing email messages from @johnstonlibrary.com email addresses are being blocked again due to a city virus issue. The process that sends hold notices has been turned off for now. Patrons whose holds notices were blocked this morning have been notified of their hold via a library gmail account.

For now, circulation staff can process holds as normal including placing holds on the pick-up shelf. Once the email issue is fixed, I’ll re-enable hold notices and extend patrons’ pick-up dates.

We had to send hold notices via one of the library’s gmail accounts. The “reply-to” address for this account is the library’s info email address. If you receive a reply from a patron regarding their hold notice, please forward it to notices@johnstonlibrary.com

Staff is going around trying to clean up entrances and put salt down near doorways and along sidewalks leading to the entrance.  I have instructed them to not take off the thin layer of snow in the parking lots at this time.  There is a layer of ice below the snow and it will be polished up if we try to take the snow off.  It is currently too cold to get much salt activation going, so we would be stuck with ice rinks…I think the layer of snow is currently giving some traction.  We will evaluate throughout the day to see if conditions improve.  If they don’t improve today, we will take the layer off tomorrow morning and salt the entire lot at that point.  Tomorrow’s temperatures look much better than today.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks,

John

We have new AV controls in the large meeting room. I’ve provided a summary below but I strongly encourage you to spend twenty minutes practicing routing video and audio on your own with a laptop and the microphones—ask YS or someone at Circ. to cover PS if you need to or come in a few minutes before your shift.

• All AV equipment in the east and west rooms (minus the screens) can be controlled from the touch panels on the north wall. This includes selecting which mics are active, controlling the volume, and powering on and off the projectors.
• Input (whether via HDMI or VGA) into any of the wall plates can be routed to any or all of the projectors. This is new. On the west panel, for example, selecting the north panel as the source will route the input to any of the west projectors that are powered on.
• Microphones are still kept in the east closet but we’ll likely be splitting them and the AV cables between the east and west coat closets.
• The three hard-wired microphone jacks on the north and west walls are now live. If it were me using it, I’d prefer a wired handheld mic over the wireless for sound quality and volume.
• The panel in the east room only controls AV in the east.
• The panel in the west room is the “master”. It controls all AV in the west and, if the rooms are “combined” (using the “combine rooms” button on the west panel), it can also control the AV in the east. Combining rooms is the only way to get speakers in both rooms to project the same sound and to have the projectors in both rooms show the same thing.
• the west projector (the one that projects to the west wall) is stubborn about turning on. Most times, it’s taken me a couple of cycles of turning it on and off to get it to work. I will contact the company about it.
• The headphone ports on the wall plates only work when there’s a computer connected to the plate via vga. It’s purpose is to allow vga PCs to project their audio. VGA PCs can be connected to the headphone jack (also called a 3.5mm jack) by connecting it’s headphone port to the wall plate via the male-to-male (that’s what it’s called) headphone cable. (We have a cable/adaptor ordered that will allow us to connect audio ports—in phones, computers, etc.—to the in-wall mic jacks to route audio to the overhead speakers via those devices without using the projectors.)

The second to last Commons exit door is stuck. Someone from Walsh will be coming to look at it. They typically don’t give us notice before they come. If Molly or I are not available, please point them to the Commons.

I will be doing a training session on the “Website” portion of our all-desk services trainings this Friday at 1pm in the West Meeting Room. It should take 30-45 minutes. No registration required.

Please register here > https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=34880

Do you have a go-to strategy for helping historical fiction readers? Whether your readers are fans of family sagas or shady ladies, let NoveList and LibraryReads break down the best historical fiction has to offer your readers — from Biblical fiction to World War II and everything in between.

Join us as they cover:

-Why readers love historical fiction and how libraries can ramp up their collections
-How historical fiction developed, including classics, newcomers, and awards to know
-Subgenres and trends
-NoveList insider information on genre headings, appeal terms, and more

The exterior cameras have been installed. They offer a much better view of parking lot, food pantry, and bike racks. Please take a look when you have time.

A couple more things:

• the west projector (the one that projects to the west wall) is stubborn about turning on. Most times, it’s taken me a couple of cycles of turning it on and off to get it to work. I will contact the company about it.
• The headphone ports on the wall plates only work when there’s a computer connected to the plate via vga. It’s purpose is to allow vga PCs to project their audio. VGA PCs can be connected to the headphone jack (also called a 3.5mm jack) by connecting it’s headphone port to the wall plate via the male-to-male (that’s what it’s called) headphone cable. (We have a cable/adaptor ordered that will allow us to connect audio ports—in phones, computers, etc.—to the in-wall mic jacks to route audio to the overhead speakers via those devices without using the projectors.)
• Beth and Peg can meet with you to answer questions should you have them.

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We have new AV controls in the large meeting room. I’ve provided a summary below but I strongly encourage you to spend twenty minutes practicing routing video and audio on your own with a laptop and the microphones—ask YS or someone at Circ. to cover PS if you need to or come in a few minutes before your shift.

• All AV equipment in the east and west rooms (minus the screens) can be controlled from the touch panels on the north wall. This includes selecting which mics are active, controlling the volume, and powering on and off the projectors.
• Input (whether via HDMI or VGA) into any of the wall plates can be routed to any or all of the projectors. This is new. On the west panel, for example, selecting the north panel as the source will route the input to any of the west projectors that are powered on.
• Microphones are still kept in the east closet but we’ll likely be splitting them and the AV cables between the east and west coat closets.
• The three hard-wired microphone jacks on the north and west walls are now live. If it were me using it, I’d prefer a wired handheld mic over the wireless for sound quality and volume.
• The panel in the east room only controls AV in the east.
• The panel in the west room is the “master”. It controls all AV in the west and, if the rooms are “combined” (using the “combine rooms” button on the west panel), it can also control the AV in the east. Combining rooms is the only way to get speakers in both rooms to project the same sound and to have the projectors in both rooms show the same thing.

The public desk PCs have new software for viewing our new security cameras. The software is called “XProtect Smart Client”. When you login to the software for the first time, you’ll need to change the computer and authentication settings to match those shown below. The username is “staff”. The password is “staff2020”. Once you’re logged in, you can select from the various camera angles listed under the “Library All” folder. The installers are working on the outdoor cameras this week and we are still waiting for two additional cameras to cover the southeast corner and study rooms 3 and 4.

City/library email is back. Circ., PS, and other department’s tasks that were affected can be performed as usual.