Author: Eric Melton

Take Apart Tuesday on Tuesday, June 18th has been cancelled. If patons call wanting to sign up, please let them know that it is cancelled and the program will resume on Tuesday, June 25th. They will be able to register beginning on Wednesday, June 19th. 

Thanks!

I’ve started work on creating a new staff Intranet and would like some feedback. Please take a couple minutes to complete the 4 question survey linked below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X63MVLD

Erin Tijerino’s son misplaced his old iphone, maybe while here on Sunday 6/9. It’s an older iphone with a green & black case. It doesn’t have service, but he uses it for games. If anyone finds it, please call her at 447-1369.

Whoa, I am SO late on reminding all of you about time sheets this week. Sorry about that. 

Please have your time sheets in the green folder outside Eric’s office by 8 am Saturday – I’m going to swing in early on Saturday and double-check them.

Thanks!

Peg

If a patron is looking for another patron–a child, an adult, or whatever–and requests that staff announce his/her name over the loudspeaker, it’s ok to do it. This happens so rarely that I can’t figure out a reason we wouldn’t try to help in this way. 

If someone says they’re looking for “Jaques Strap“, “Al Caholic”, or “Oliver Clothesoff”, use your best judgement. 

[UPDATE]

Some staff have raised some questions on this topic so I’ll try to provide some more detail. The issue gets muddled with privacy concerns but, as I mentioned in a post last week, it’s difficult to imagine–practically or legally–that it’s reasonable for someone to expect not to be seen in a public space.  Knowledge of a person’s presence in a space is different than knowledge of what that person is reading or doing in that space. ALA says, “A library cannot be responsible for someone being seen or recognized in a library but should take steps to protect user privacy whenever possible. That is, in a library, a user’s face may be recognized, but that does not mean that the subject of the user’s interest must also be known.” 

If someone comes into the building looking for someone else, the preferable way for them to locate them is to walk around and look. If they can’t walk around or the situation seems urgent–e.g. a lost child–announce the person’s first name and last initial and ask them to come to wherever the person is. 

If someone calls and asks if someone is in the library, tell the person that our procedure is to take the name and description of the person being looked for and the phone number of the caller. Tell the caller that we’re a little busy right now but that we can try to locate the person and have them return the call (using our public phone if needed). 

We are taking the summer off of pets. I may bring in some sea monkeys to tide people over.

Thanks one & all for the cardboard tubes. I think we have enough for now – but I’d still be glad to accept your egg cartons!

All Staff Meeting 5/23/19

• TS/IT

  • Dreama talked about the Library of Congress (LOC) as lender of last resort for ILL–i.e. where we borrow titles that no one else has or that no one else will lend. LOC titles cannot leave the building. They should be checked out to the patron for in-house use then checked back in when they’re done. This process can be repeated until the item’s due date. See her presentation for more information.

• Youth Services

  • Summer Reading

    • Kids

      • Check out the Kids Summer Reading webpage for information

    • Teens

      • Check out the Teen Summer Reading webpage for information

      • Teen-created summer reading video>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvi4h_3iwEo

• Public Services

  • Adult Summer Reading

    • Check out the Adult Summer Reading webpage for information

  • Community Read

    • PS and YS have organized our first community read. The selected title is Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. More information about the book and the celebration to be held in August can be found on our website.

• Molly

  • New Staff

• Eric

  • Adventure Pass change

    • Adventure passes are now limited to Johnston residents only

  • Teacher Services webpage

    • A new webpage the includes information on services to teachers has been added to our site. The page includes links to two new forms for teachers:

      • One for requesting that we create an online list of materials that teachers can share with students and parents

      • Another for requesting that we pull books for them to pickup or for us to keep at the YS desk for their students to pick up

  • Book return at Beaver Creek

    • A remote materials return has been ordered and will be installed sometime this summer at Beaver Creek. We are looking for staff willing to use their personal vehicle to help empty the drop

    • Return

    • Location

  • City News

    • City Hall and Town Center

      • The city is moving forward with plans for a new city hall to be located in a “town center” which will occupy the current city hall plot as well as several surrounding plots.

    • Annexations

      • The city has annexed property on the NW side of Johnston. Links to maps and more info are included below.

      • Complete

      • Proposed

        • Schuling

        • Reichenbach

    • Food truck Wednesdays at Terra

  • Jeans!

    • It’ summer. That means every day is jeans day through August.

The Community Reads books will be on display in front of the Circ Desk.

1. Each copy will be stuffed with a small flyer about the program.

2. At check-in, the books will be put on the PS Display shelf near the Check-in Desk, where we put other Display items, and YS/PS staff will fill the display and replenish the inserts..

3. Please remind people that these items only checkout for two weeks. This is not listed on the book, so a reminder will be nice.

4. We can forgive fines if anyone is really caught off guard or upset by the abbreviated loan period.

I listened to an excellent interview yesterday with sociologist Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People, about “social infrastructure” and its value in improving the lives of communities and individuals. Much of the interview focuses on public libraries–how they’ve adapted and how they’re one of the few spaces left that are truly open to everyone.

https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-people/

“Social infrastructure is the glue that binds communities together, and it is just as real as the infrastructure for water, power, or communications, although it’s often harder to see. But Eric Klinenberg says that when we invest in social infrastructures such as libraries, parks, or schools, we reap all kinds of benefits. We become more likely to interact with people around us, and connect to the broader public. If we neglect social infrastructure, we tend to grow more isolated, which can have serious consequences.”

City will soon to start sending pay stubs via email. If you’d like yours sent to an address different from what’s shown below let me know.

We found Tyler Vopava’s Social Security Card in the copier.  We don’t have contact information for him.  We will put it in the locked money cabinet for two weeks.

Several metro libraries have banded together to purchase a license for “The Public“

Staff are welcome to attend the showing at the Urbandale Public Library Sunday, July 14th at 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm)

In “The Public” an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, some homeless patrons turn the building into a shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.

Please register here > https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=32697

Public libraries are the heart of open access to information and entertainment resources in their communities. They take as their mission to serve citizens from all corners of a community, and as institutions, they are more than just a building with dedicated people. Finding creative ways to reach citizens who are not aware of what the library has to offer, or who may be unable to access the programing and resources at a physical location, is an increasing challenge for modern librarians.

In this webinar, you’ll hear from a diverse group of enterprising librarians who will discuss some of their strategies for reaching community members outside the library, including populations who are often disadvantaged and underserved. From programs at county jails, to housing offices and local businesses, learn from our panel of librarians about how they are collaborating with nontraditional community partners to bring access to all. 

At this time, the library does not anticipate the need for additional volunteers during Summer Reading Program. The library always accepts applications, but we will not be reaching out to new applicants until late July at the earliest.

Corey and Robert will be in sometime this weekend to pick up their art. Robert’s things are on the ledge behind the checkout desk and in my office. Corey’s stuff is by the first desk in the staff area.

Our Megan S. was on TV today talking about reading over the summer!

https://www.weareiowa.com/news/local-news/johnston-public-library-hosting-reading-programs-throughout-the-summer/2036547744

I brought some bagels and chive and onion cream cheese to the staff meeting last week, and more are in the freezer.  Please feel free to help yourself!

Don’t forget and the symphony and Star Wars!  https://dmsymphony.org/events/star-wars-a-new-hope-in-concert/.  This could be a one-time event!

When signing kids up for the Mix-It Up Program, please make sure to sign up the child for the correct time and age group. Kids going into Kindergarten-2nd grade are welcome to attend the 10AM session and kids going into 3rd-5th grade are welcome to attended the 1PM session. Please tell the parent/guardian that we request that everyone comes 15 minutes early to check-in and to allow us to start on-time. This information is in the description, but a reminder is always helpful! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask or send registrations over to YS. 

From the City Clerk:

There has been some recent information circulating among state HR folks that there have been First Amendment Auditors working in the state – there has been no mention of their presence in the metro, but I thought a heads up may be warranted.  For those who may be unaware, this is a social movement that tests the right to photograph and video record in public spaces. These are individuals who typically travel to areas considered public property such as sidewalks, post office or government buildings and openly record those spaces and persons in their view.  They make the point that their movement promotes transparency and open government, but often times these interactions result in confrontations which are filmed and then uploaded to various social media platforms. 

If you haven’t had discussions with your staff about the proper methods to handle these audits, please take time to do so.  The bottom line for most of us (PD has additional considerations) is that as long as the ‘auditors’ are in public areas, are not putting themselves or others in danger, are not interfering with business, or persons doing business they have a right to film, record, or photograph.  The best practice is to ignore them and allow them to be there so long as they are not putting anyone in danger or interfering with business.

Beth asked, “I need clarification: do individuals who wish to photograph or video in public spots have a right to do so to other members of the public within the building, without their permission? I was working under the assumption that they could film employees but not other members of the public without their permission. Is this correct?”

My response: “While we’ve inferred from our policies that patrons have the right to not be recorded by other patrons I don’t think that would stand up legally given that patrons can’t have an expectation of privacy when they’re in a public space. When the sole purpose of the person doing the recording is to catch public employees violating first amendment law, it’s probably wise to err on the side of leniency.”