Author: Eric Melton

Hey y’all, 

Peg, Eric and I consolidated holiday party ideas. Please take a second to vote on the activity or activities you are most interested in. After the restaurant/activity is chosen, we’ll decide upon dates. Most likely, JPL Holiday gathering will happen after the New Year. FYI, Felix and Oscars Trivia Night is a Friday Night only activity, if this would impact your decision. 

Please vote on this activity doodle poll by Friday, December 15. 

Thanks!

JPL Holiday Party Activity Poll

As you know, patrons sometimes don’t receive email notices–reminder notices, overdue notices, hold notices, etc.–as expected.

There are several reasons this could happen:

• The notice went to the patron’s spam/junk folder. Have the patron look there and add “notices@johnstonlibrary.com” to their contacts.
• The notice was blocked by the city’s spam filter because the title includes a word it finds distasteful. One patron got hit hard by the spam filter this week with her two holds: “The Naked Roommate” and “Homo Deus” .  (I am working on fixing this)
• We have an incorrect email address on the patron’s account
• The Polaris server, where the email notices originate, had an issue that prevented notices from being sent.

Please continue to notify Molly or myself when patrons complain of not getting notices.

You may have heard that Saturday’s Holidays In Johnston was the biggest ever: we had about 600 attendees. Thanks to Jessica, Megan, Lynne, Molly, Deepa, Beth, and everyone else who helped prep for and run for the event. 

Register for one or both of the Overdrive webinar’s below to learn more about our e-books and downloadable audiobooks. 

These will be shown in Study Room 3.

Space is limited.

Overdrive: The User Experience – 45 minutes

Register: https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=27736

Overdrive Help Resources – 30 minutes

Register: https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=27737

The gingerbread house prizes are on the counter behind circ desk for winners to pick up.

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to let you know that the Mayor is starting another year in her New Year’s Eve Run for Food! Donations will be accepted from now through December 30 at City Hall, the Library and the Partnership. Volunteers from the Partnership will come pick up our items every week. Would love your help spreading the word to friends, neighbors and city staff.

Mayor Paula Dierenfeld is at it again! She has issued another challenge to Johnston residents this holiday season. The Mayor will run one mile (beginning on New Year’s Eve) for every bag of food, personal items, or $10 donated to the Johnston Partnership December 1 through 30. The community delivered in a tremendous fashion last year, and the Mayor ended up running 316 miles. Thank you so much for your generosity. Let’s see if we can top 316 bags this year!  If you wish to make a monetary donation, they can be made right online at johnstonpartnership.org.

Suggested Donation Items: 
Personal Items – Toilet paper, laundry detergent, Kleenex, deodorant, shampoo and diapers.

Food Items – Fresh, nutritious produce, and healthy, non-perishable, unexpired food items.

Monetary donations are always welcome, as the food pantry is able to purchase needed items in bulk and cheaper than the rest of the public can buy the same items. Your dollar is stretched further when given to the Johnston Partnership.

The Mayor has created a video and you can find it here! It is also on our Facebook and Twitter page, so feel free to share it. Throughout the month, new videos of her will be posted too.

Thank you,
Janet

At yesterday’s staff meeting, Abbi showed us photos.johnstonlibrary.com where she’s been uploading and cataloging photos of JPL events, staff, and facilities. Take a look at this great resource that will serve as a searchable repository for JPL images and videos.

Please take a few minutes during your shift to read through the strategic plan presented at today’s meeting. 

I’ve also linked to the slideshow and the spreadsheet of projects.

Strategic Plan:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GQKbQVkxACsrshAK0F2aQC08XDRqQvdDbiUi1kABJDI/edit?usp=sharing

Strategic Plan Project/Obectives Spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SQGcOtiC04-1EhW_sodSVyekqo0D1CtksxgGI_EiT2c/edit?usp=sharing

Strategic Plan Presentation Slides:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aH_Mugr58YeA28aD74sLe9QaCjP0IIkpe0vSWN5T53w/edit?usp=sharing

They are on the table in the lounge. 

If someone knows where the big ziploc bag that had the cookies I left on Sunday is, please put it in my mailbox. 

Here is the recipe for the cookies:

1 devil’s food cake mix

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

3 TBSP. water

1 10 oz package dark chocolate and mint morsels (or chopped Andes mints)

Mix first four ingredients together.  Add chips and stir well.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. 

The dark chocolate and mint morsels are from Nestle’s and are available only during the holiday season.  I found mine at Hy-Vee. 

Chocolate Mint Brownie cookies in the freezer in lounge for all in ziploc bag.  Take one when you get a chance!

 I’ve highlighted some of what was discussed at the November board meeting last week below.

*Staff Area Offices

Dreama, Beth, and Missy have been working with a couple of office furniture companies to design new office spaces with more storage and privacy. This project will be completed sometime after carpet is installed this winter.

*New Learning Tools

We’ve added a few new items to the Learning Tools collection:

1. Electromagnetic Frequency Meter: Measures electro-magnetic field and ambient temperature. Used for detection of paranormal activity

2. Dowsing Rods: Solid copper dowsing rods for ghost hunting, divining water, finding gold, and more

3. Graphing Calculator

4. Radon Detector (coming soon)

For more details, remember that current and past board agendas and documents are located under Staff Resources or at http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/board/

Our subscriptions to LJ, SLJ, and Horn Book include online access.  Use the link under Staff Resources to read current and back issues from a staff PC.

The Johnston Police Department appreciates the community’s support throughout the year. And as a police department, we are always looking for ways to give back to those we serve and protect every day. As the holidays draw near and winter weather is upon us, we have joined forces with the Johnston Partnership to provide a clothing option that will demonstrate your support for JPD while benefiting those in need. We hope you will consider purchasing one of these shirts or sweatshirts from the online apparel store below to show your support of the Johnston Police Department and how proud you are to be associated with us. The proceeds for the sales of these clothing items will be given to the Johnston Partnership to aid in their ongoing mission (visit johnstonpartnership.org). The Partnership is a vital part of our community as they help those in need of food and clothing, so we hope you can help support them by purchasing something for yourself or your family!

Please feel free to share this message and the link with anyone you believe might be interested. This announcement is also available to share from our JPD Facebook page.

Community Site: http://pmapparel.com/jpd-community This site will close December 8.

Thank you for your consideration and Happy Holidays,

Dennis W. McDaniel

Chief of Police 

Johnston Police Department

6373 Merle Hay Road

Johnston, IA 50131

515.278.2345 office

515.278.8239 fax

www.cityofjohnston.com

Y’all. It’s that time of the year again. Time to decide how we want to socialize with each other during the holiday season. I have put two sign-up sheets in the staff break room. Please write down your ideas for restaurans and/or activities for our get-together. After we brainstorm ideas, a doodle poll will be sent around to decide on final location/activity and date. Remember, there are no bad ideas. Ok, there are bad ideas. A staff holiday swimming party is a bad idea. 

A signup sheet for a holiday potlick at city hall is in the breakroom. If you’d like to attend, please sign up to bring something by December 3rd.

The library will close early on Wednesday, November 22 and be closed on November 23 and 24.

Please plan ahead to complete your timesheets and PARS (if necessary) and turn them in before your last day at the library this pay period. Reminder: if you take PTO, a completed PAR should accompany your time sheet.

I will be double-checking timesheets on Saturday, November 25 so just make sure they are in the green folder by then.

Thanks,

Peg

Rod is currently shifting Adult Nonfiction to make more room for adult audiobooks.

Once he’s done:

• Adult audiobooks will have space to spread into one side of another range of shelving
• Adult Biographies will move to the front of Adult Nonfiction
• YA Fiction will be spread forward into the space previously occupied by Adult Biographies