Author: Eric Melton

Fiscal Year 2017 has come to an end. We should all be proud of our contribution to JPL circulating more materials this past year than ever before; helping more patrons use library computers than ever before; getting teens and adults to attend more programs than ever before; and adding more than 19,000 items to the collection. I’ve included a few charts below.

Shawn has hired a new employee, Lonnie, to take over cleaning most nights. You may still see Brandi occasionally.

A controller for on the building’s air handlers has gone bad and, as you’ve noticed, is affecting the air pressure in the building. The controller will be replaced soon.

Prior to turning in your timesheet, please compare your timesheet to your schedule in When to Work and let your supervisor know if there are discrepancies. 

If you need instruction on how to access and utilize When to Work please speak to your supervisor.

YS is in need of about 30-40 empty toilet paper rolls for a program on Thursday, July 20. If you have any lying around please set them on Megan’s desk!

Thanks!

Hey all,

Our #1 patron and volunteer Erin Gardner is having her 20th birthday this week. Please sign her card in the staff room. She is usually visiting on Thursday mornings, so Thursday morning staff please be sure to give her the card (Gloria has agreed to do this if she sees her then!).

There are 3 heart stickers in the envelope to seal it up! 🙂

Thanks!

A group from New Life church has permission to park their van at the east edge of our lot the next few Saturdays for a church/Sunday-school type event in the grass. Please call me if there are traffic, noise, or other issues. 515-250-5381

Sierra has taken MoeSherb home for end-of-life care. Thank you Sierra!

 I’ve highlighted some of what was discussed at the June board meeting below.

*Unattended Children Policy

Our old Unattended Children Policy was unclear on what age a caregiver needs to be: “Children under the age of nine must be attended by a parent or a responsible child care provider while in the Library.” Megan and her staff in the Youth Services department wanted more clarity as to what age a caregiver must be as well as what actions would be taken when the policy is violated. 

The updated policy specifies that “children younger than 9 must be accompanied and directly supervised by a responsible caregiver

12 years of age or older”

Read the complete policy on the website

*Wages

The board approved wage increases for the fiscal year beginnning 7/1/17.

*Board Officers

Each June, the board elects officers–President, Vice-President, and Secretary–to serve for the coming fiscal year. This year’s officers will be Bob Marvin: President; Megan Tooker: Vice President; Dan Marvin: Secretary

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

A ZTE cricket phone  in a pink fabric protector was found outside the library on 7/2/17.  It will be locked in the back case (where we keep the money at night). 

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey on training topics and methods linked below. This will help us as we complete the Staff Development portion of the library’s strategic plan

https://goo.gl/forms/HXOMtCeGcAc6ZSLg1

I’ve added a link to the City’s Emergency Procedure Manual under Staff Resources. Please take a moment to look it over, and let me know if you have any questions. 

I am doing a 4th of July Storytime this week, so have borrowed the flag from the Archive Room. I will return it immediately following Storytime on Monday.

YS is in need of your help with two of our upcoming programs.

I’m looking for oven mitts or the cheap finger gloves for our Kurious Kids Program on Thursday, July 6 as kids will be making ice cream and the bags get very cold. You will get your oven mitts/ finger gloves at the conclusion of the program!

I’m also looking for empty spice containers and/or parmesan cheese containers to use in a sensory bin on July 21.

Let me know if you can help!

Thanks, 

Megan

The Welcome Brochure that is handed out when patrons register for a library card has been updated to reflect the change in fines for DVDs/Blu-rays. Copies are available at the Circulation Desk.

I will be out of town this weekend so I won’t make the changes needed to implement our increase in fines for DVDs & Blu-Rays until Monday, July 3rd.

This is how it will work:

• Patrons with DVDs & Blu-Rays that are returned overdue after the change takes effect Monday will be charged 30 cents/day in fees no matter when the item was returned or when it was due (there’s no easy way around the inconsistency between what we’ve been telling patrons–that fines increase on 7/1–and how the software works)
• You are encouraged to waive fees on DVDs & Blu-Rays during July if patrons complain that they’re being fined 30 cents/day for days prior to 7/1

Let me know if you have questions.

The Johnston area is under a Tornado Watch until 10:00 pm.  http://www.weather.gov/dmx/

Hey all, 

One of the July displays that is up by Circ closest to the hamsters is called Literary Road Trip: 50 Novels, 50 States. This display features 1 book for each of the states in the US where setting plays a big role in the novel, ex. Iowa’s book is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The novels have little state badges stuck to them with blue painters tape. When a patron brings up one of these books for checkout, please take off the state sticker and put it in the paper basket I have put up at Circ labeled state stickers. If a couple state badges walk out at self-check or get missed during checkout, it’s not a big deal, but if we can reuse the state badges I would like to. 

Thanks! Please ask Beth or Peg if you have questions. 

Maisy and Ramona have joined the library team. They are crazy and fast. You can pet them and hold them within their cage but please do not attempt to take them out of their cage–they are houdini-like in their abliity to escape.