So hard to believe that it’s almost December, especially with the weather we’ve been so lucky to have!

If you are in Des Moines and enjoy listening to Frank Sinatra and/or jazz bands, the Des Moines Symphony is presenting music of Frank Sinatra on December 31st at the Civic Center at 8 PM.  Here is a link with some information:  https://dmsymphony.org/events/new-years-eve-pops-sinatra-at-100-and-beyond/.

Tickets for this event do sell out regularly, so be sure to order your tickets soon!

Holidays in Johnston is this Saturday at 2:30. Here’s what to expect:

• Santa will arrive via firetruck (what!?) at 2:30pm. He will go to the glass tower area east of the public services desk to sit on a chair and let kids sit on him and ask for stuff. (Is this a weird holiday or what?)
• Youth Services staff and several volunteers will be running crafts, cookie decorating, and stories in the large meeting room.
• We hope to have some live music in front of the book tree but we may end up with some holiday Muzak™
• Expect large crowds, average circulation, and possibly greater than average new card applicants.

For those of you who did not sign up for this kind of craziness but are scheduled to work anyway, thank you! 

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

• As most of you have seen, the tile in the library is not non-porous—i.e. it absorbs dirt and other materials— and has become more and more stained over time, particularly in the men’s restroom and the Commons. The board indicated support for a project, the cost of which would be shared with the Foundation, that would replace all of the ceramic tile in the library. Stay tuned.
• The board has begun work on a new, 5 year strategic plan. Part of the process is developing a new mission statement. At Thursday’s meeting, the board developed the mission statement shown below. We’ll talk more about the statement and the strategic plan after the turn of the year.

“Promoting discovery. Inspiring creativity. Engaging community.”

• At their latest meeting, the Foundation approved a budget for 2017. Details are included in the document linked below. 

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/board/2016-11/7A%20Foundation%20and%20Friends%20Budget%20Narrative%202017.pdf

These will be in the Archive Room. Please register using the links provided.

Food Programs in Iowa Libraries

Tuesday, November 29th, 10am

Join us for a conversation with a panel of Iowa librarians and learn about food programs offered in their libraries. Mara Strickler (Algona Public Library), Betty Collins (Musser Public Library in Muscatine), and Jackie Jordan (Marengo Public Library) will share the needs they identified in their communities, the partnerships they developed to meet those needs at the library, and the outcomes of their programs.

http://events.johnstonlibrary.com/index.php?page=registration&did=24498

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Signals for the Libraries of the Future: Learning with ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries

Thursday, December 8th, 10am

How can foresight and trend scanning help us envision the libraries of the future? How can all of us become better skilled at thinking about and talking with our communities about the signals for the libraries of the future? This session will draw on some of the lessons learned by the American Library Association’s Center for the Future of Libraries, the trend scanning that they are promoting, and some of the connections that can be made from futuring to innovation for better libraries.

The Center for the Future of Libraries works to:

–Identify emerging trends relevant to libraries and the communities they serve

–Promote futuring and innovation techniques to help librarians and library professionals shape their future

–Build connections with experts and innovative thinkers to help libraries address emerging issues

http://events.johnstonlibrary.com/index.php?page=registration&did=24497

Overdrive, the vendor behind our ebook and downloadable audiobook offerings at Bridges, will be going live with a new site design on December 1st. Please take a look at the preview as well as the document linked below for details. 

http://www.johnstonlibrary.com/wp_pac/full/docs/NewODWebsite.pdf

Johnston Community Education will deliver Project Share Star Cards to the library today.  Project Share has been implementing a holiday giving program for 22 years. 

I have placed the cards in the Foundation Supplies drawer. 

Cards for BOYS are in an ORANGE file folder. 

Cards for GIRLS are in a YELLOW file folder. 

RECEIPTS for cards taken should be placed in the GREEN file folder.

When a patron requests a card or cards, please offer them the folders.  Once the cards are selected, ask the patron to fill out the bottom of the blue sheet and return it to you.  Cut off the bottom of the blue sheet, place it in the RECEIPTS folder; hand the rest of the blue sheet to the patron to take with him or her. 

If you or a patron has questions, please refer them to Johnston Community Education 278-0552.

For those of you unable to make it to today’s staff meeting, Jim Sanders, the city administrator, presented on employee donations to United Way. If you’d like to donate part of your earnings to United Way, complete one of the forms by the mailboxes and leave it in the basket on my desk before next Wednesday.

If patrons experience problems finding the Hot Spot wifi address and password, tell them to power on the device (press and hold power button for up to 10 seconds) and then to read the LCD screen.  Using the power button to toggle between menu options on the screen will eventually display the address and the password.

With next week’s holiday closings and the end of a pay period it may be easy to forget to complete and turn in your timesheets.  

So, this is just a friendly reminder to stay on top of filling out your timesheet.  Please make sure you sign it; it makes me uncomfortable to have to sign it on your behalf or worse yet, not submit it. 

I’ll be taking a look at timesheets on Tuesday and then double-checking them on Saturday.

Thanks!

I hope you all get a chance to get outside today and tomorrow!  It is supposed to feel more like November on Friday. 

Des Moines Symphony on Saturday night at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2:30.  Russian music that will make you feel good!

Des Moines Symphony open rehearsal this Friday at 7 PM at the Civic Center in downtown Des Moines.  Please let me know by Friday at noon if you would like to attend.  My e-mail is cellistandrew@gmail.com, or by phone or text at 402-730-7668.  Please let me know all the names of people interested in going. 

Now that the dust is somewhat settled on the move to our new website I’d like to mention a few things about it.

As you know, our web presence used to be divided into several components: 

1. our part of the city’s website
2. our online catalog
3. our events calendar and meeting room reservation site

These are now integrated into our website. It no longer makes sense, for example, to refer patrons to either our “catalog”, our “calendar”, or our “website”–simply refer patrons looking for how to search the collection, how to find Consumer Reports, how to sign up for a library event, or anything else to our website johnstonlibrary.com.

Please take a few moments when you need a breather to get more familar with the website. If you don’t find something where you think it should be, if the site is missing information you think should be there, or if something looks or acts weird please let me know.

If you’re having trouble accesing the new website from iside the library, use www.johnstonlibrary.com (not johnstonlibrary.com)

The new site is now accessible at johnstonlibrary.com or www.johnstonlibrary.com from staff PCs. The old catalog will remain for a while but please update your PAC/website bookmarks to http://johnstonlibrary.com

I’ve restored access to the old catalog until we get the new website accessible internally. It should be mostly functional. I apologize for the delay.

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/

We are now live with our new website. There are several kinks left to be worked out including making the site accessible from inside our firewall (i.e. from library staff PCs). 

Holidays In Johnston, the city’s/library’s annual holiday event, will be held Saturday, December 3rd, 2:30-4:30. The event includes a visit by Santa, music, cookie decorating, and crafts. 

We will also be judging a gingerbread contest that day. Entry forms are above the inside book drop and here. Entries can be delivered to the library beginning Saturday, November 26. Entries can be placed on the ledge behind the checkout desk.

Please let me know if you have questions.