Author: Eric Melton

The JPL Foundation met this morning and approved a change in book sale pricing: all paperbacks are now $1. Signage has been updated.

The travel backpacks have been pulled from the stacks due to lack of circulation. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6lTezDMYi83d3FMRWwzRkdHQmc/view?usp=sharing

We will continue to accept book sale donations through out the week. If it is a large donation on Wednesday, let me know and we can get them over to the Lion’s Club and included in this year’s sale. After Wednesday, we will probably just stick em in the book sale room and store them for next year or sell them in the commons. We don’t ever officially stop accepting books. 

Let me know if you have questions!

The license will be kept with the cash register drawer.

There is a new counter in the East Meeting Room. The installation crew said not to touch for the rest of the day. 

The Library Board met last Thursday. I’ve highlighted some of what was discussed below.

*Minors and the Internet

The Library Board approved a revision to the library’s Internet Policy that means the library will no longer restrict Internet access for minors at the request of a parent or guardian. A notice will be sent soon to parents with children affected by the change. Once the letters are sent, we will change related settings in our PC management software and Polaris. I’ll make an announcement when that happens.

*Purchases

The Board approved several purchases (projects totaling $2500 or more need board approval) including a credit card machine for the printer/copier; painting that will be completed this spring; and some awesome new lounge furniture for the youth services area (see http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/board/2017-02/2017-02%20Board%20Discussion.pdf for a draft design).

For more details, remember that current and past board agendas and documents are located in the Staff Resources. 

For those of you who have children in elementary and middle school, your kids may have told you about Des Moines Symphony Youth Concerts.  If they are scheduled to attend on March 7th and/or 8th, let them know that Andrew Holm will be playing the cello in the orchestra then.  Can’t wait to have them in the audience, and we will be doing some movements of Mussorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, a concerto movement with a competition winner as the soloist, and the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. 

Beginning March 20, English as a Second Language classes will be taught at JPL by a group of community volunteers. Classes will be held each Monday and Wednesday from 10 am – 11 am in the West Meeting Room. The session will last six weeks and end on April 26.

Prospective students are being asked to complete a paper registration form and return this form to JPL. Please place forms in my mailbox. 

JPL is excited to partner with this group of passionate community members.

Peg

We send all withdrawn materials (unless they’re damaged) to Better World Books.  They supply the boxes and pay to have the materials picked up.  There is no cost to us.  This website shows Better World Books commitment to literacy, education, and the power of knowledge.

After a short hospice stay in the loving care of our shelver, Rachel, and her sister, Sherb has crossed the rainbow bridge.  He will be missed by many!  Thank you, Rachel, for giving him the best week of his short little life.

Hey all, 

An LG phone was found by the PAC computers by PS today (Monday, Feb. 13th).  It is locked up in the grey cabinet. 

Building relationships with our patrons is an important step in developing trust. And with that in mind, Eric has given me the green-light to ask JPL staff to complete a short questionnarie that will be used to introduce staff to the public. I plan to use the information for a short post on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and it may also be used on the JPL website.

Click on this link, https://goo.gl/forms/MFSzpPw6fHiEmEIC3, to access the questionnaire.  I do ask that all staff complete the questionnaire by Friday, February 17.  

Oh yeah, I’d also like to include a photo with your post. You’ll see a selection of dates from which you can choose your preferred date for a photo shoot. 

Hey all, 

In honor of Valentines day, two of the displays by Circ feature mystery items wrapped (beautifully, I might add, by Erika and Allison) in brown paper. 

We have expanded our options for love this year. Patrons can check out mystery movies from the Fling with a Flick display or mystery books from the Blind Date with a Book display. 

Once the books are gone, they’re gone. They are about a dozen dvd’s to replenish the Fling with a Flick display directly behind the Circ window. 

Here are the basics you need to know: 

* Patrons are asked to wait till they get home to unwrap their item–it might be love at first sight or a dud destined for the return shelf. 

* All items have been chosen with adults in mind, but most of them fall into the fairly clean category–no one should be shocked by the item they end up taking home. 

* When you scan the barcode on the front of the wrapping to check it out for a patron, it may or may not work. We have noticed there seems to be some issue going on with the barcode duplicator. If you receive an error message when you scan the item that there is not an item attached to the barcode, simply type in the barcode number instead, and it should work. 

Please ask Beth if you have any questions. 

Sherb has gone to hospice at Rachel’s house. I will keep everyone posted on his condition.

Each public desk now has a small white emergency button. Once installation is complete sometime today or tomorrow, pressing this button for 1-2 seconds will notify the police department that help is needed. Ask coworkers or your supervisor if you need help finding the button.

I will provide more information once the  buttons become active.

Hey all, 

PS is jumping on the Circ bandwagon and will now also utilize the sub request bulletin board for employees to request time off. Public Services subbing request forms are blue, as opposed to Circ’s Orange. We will also be following the same time-off request checklist that Molly uses, just substitute the word Beth for Molly in the sub request checklist process. 😉

Circ people who, at this time, are eligable to pick up subbing shifts for PS include Lori E., Lori F., Rod, Deepa, Valerie, Erika and Alex. All of these people have been grandfathered in to inter-departmental subbing because they have had some amount of training at PS, including things like faxing and printer basics. Before any subbing position, Beth will spend some time walking Circ people through things that may arise on the given PS shift that is being filled. 

Thanks! Please ask Beth if you have any questions. 

We have new photographs in the galley by Deana Schuplin. Deana uses her phone to take photos, then digitally manipulates them with apps on her phone.

Check them out!

The Library Board met Thursday, January 19th. I’ve highlighted some of what was discussed below.

• The board approved a change to the section of the meeting room policy related to sales as detailed below: 

Old Wording: Sales, solicitation of later sales, order placement, or fundraising in the Library’s meeting rooms are prohibited except for events that benefit the Library.

New Wording: Meetings that charge admission or attendance fees or that in any way promote sales, solicitation of later sales, order placement, or fundraising are prohibited except for events that benefit the Library. Charges to recoup actual cost of food and materials are acceptable on a case by case basis as authorized in advance by library staff.

• This past fall, the board approved a special funding request to make our part-time teen librarian position a full time position. The request is now before the city council who has asked that departments propose cuts  in spending or new revenue to help offset the cost of special requests like ours. The board approved an increase of Blu-Ray/DVD fines: from 15 cents/day to 30 cents/day. If our funding request is approved, this increase would take effect July 1, 2017. We will know in the next few weeks whether the position will be approved. I’ll keep everyone posted. 
• A plan to replace the library tile, which is nasty, has been postponed due to the expense.  

Pops 3 is Saturday February 24th at 7:30 PM at the Civic Center.