Author: Eric Melton

JPL now has mobile printing! Here’s what you need to know: 

•  For patrons printing from our library PC’s, the only difference they might notice is that they no longer need to create a user ID when sending their job to the printer. The system will now take their library card number or the guest pass number that they logged into the computer with and use that to ID their jobs. 
• At the print release station in the library, patrons can now use a card scanner to scan their library card number or their guest pass to bring up their print jobs. Patrons will now only see their own print jobs–not every queud job from all patrons–this is nice because it eliminates people printing jobs that don’t belong to them. 
• When you give patrons a guest pass, it might be useful to tell them that if they plan on printing, they should hang on to their guest pass instead of tossing it in the garbage once they’re logged in.
• Printing costs remain the same–15 cents per side for black and white. 50 Cents per side for color.  
• A patron’s print jobs will now remain on the Print Release Station for 12 hours before being wiped before the next calendar day. 

The new printing system also offers 3 methods of mobile printing. They are as follows: 
 

Please let me or Teresa R. (trotschafer@cityofjohnston.com) know if you’d ike to talk to a counseler about Karen’s passing. You can also contact EAP directly at 800.327.4692.

Eric

As many of you probably have heard, Karen suffered a heart attack today at the library. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where doctors discovered severe blockages around her heart. I am sorry to say that she passed away at the hospital. I will update everyone as her family makes decisions regarding a service. I want to thank Peg for being with her at the hospital. Please keep her family in your thoughts. 

AIB is giving away all the books, magazines, audiotapes and videotapes in its library collection. We have a ton of (mostly older) fiction, nonfiction and reference books. I am running the giveaway and want to invite all Johnston Library employees to come and take anything they want. The library is open this week 7 a.m to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. On Sunday it is open 5  p.m. to 7 p.m. The giveaway ends next week, 7 a.m to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Everything must go before the library closes for good on April 7. Contact me with any questions at brownr@aib.edu.

-Rod Brown

Please place your completed timesheets in the folder outside of Eric’s office by 9 am Thursday, March 31. 

With the holiday closing, make sure that your hours are recorded correctly.  And don’t forget to complete a PAR if you took paid time off this pay period.

Thanks,

Peg

The library board met last Thursday. Some of the items discussed are highlighted below.

• The board approved changes to the Meeting Room Policy that makes prohibition of sales and name collecting more explicit. See the Meeting Room Policy here 
• Molly is looking into power washing services for cleaning water and dirt stains off the building. This spring, we’ll get a quote for painting various metal beams and grids that have begun to chip and rust.
• We have a lot of trouble keeping the carpet clean in our small study rooms. Patrons spill drinks and drop food and dry erase markers. I’ve priced hard flooring and installation for the rooms. The work will be done before summer.
• Our recent pizza dough class and latest Cheap Date event both had great turnout: 26 and 22. The two adult book clubs we run—one the second Thursday of the month at the library, the other the last Thursday of the month at Gusto Pizza—have been consistently well attended. The book club held at the library has about twenty regular attendees.
• Last spring, the Johnston Schools notified us that 2015 would be the last year they would distribute our summer reading materials to school kids. Despite complaints from the public and ourselves they’re sticking to their ban. The city has agreed to allow us to distribute summer reading information—for our adult and children’s programs—via the May water bills. The information will reach about 8,000 Johnston households. 

This morning, an email notice will be sent to all patrons who have an email address on their account and over $5 in overdue fees. The notice reads as follows:

Pay your overdue fees with non-perishable food items during National Library Week (April 10-16).

One food item pays $1 in fees.

Fees for damaged or lost items cannot be paid with food and are not included in the amount listed below.

Your current fees eligible for payment via food for fines: $15.00

Please respond to this message with questions.

Johnston Public Library

515-278-5233

We will be having a Food for Fines Drive during National Library Week, April 10-16. During this week, patrons may bring in 1 non-perishable food item in exchange for $1.00 of library fines. This does not apply to lost or missing items, just late fees. 

More information will be forthecoming from Eric and Molly. 

From The Atlantic March issue

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/03/the-library-card/426888/

I reset the system clock to Daylight Savings Time.  It may take up to 12 hours for the building clocks to reflect the time change.

The City of Johnston is pleased to announce that Dennis W. McDaniel has been selected as the Police Chief. He was selected from a field of 80 applicants.

Chief McDaniel has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Ambrose University. He has 16 years of professional law enforcement experience serving in the communities of Marshalltown, Iowa and Windsor Heights, Iowa. Chief McDaniel currently serves as the Police Chief in Windsor Heights.

“The City is very excited about Chief McDaniel becoming a part of our team. Public safety is the most important responsibility of city government. Chief McDaniel will continue to build on the positive progress our Police Department has made over the past several years,” Mayor Dierenfeld said.

The City and Chief McDaniel are working on the details of his employment contract. The contract will be on the March 21st City Council agenda for consideration.

Former Police Chief Bill Vaughn retired on March 4th after serving 41 years in law enforcement and six years as the Police Chief in Johnston.

At the end of March, Peg will be moving to Public Services as Assistant Librarian. Congrats Peg!

Minutes from the last few staff meetings are now available via the directories linked below…

Some of you already know, but I wanted to let everyone know since it was made official today, I have accepted a full time librarian position at the Des Moines Public Library. I begin work there on March 28th. 

Mohamed Eltahir has been banned from PC use for 30 days. His account has been set to “No Internet”. If you see him in the library or he asks about computer use, please refer him to Molly or Eric.

Just a heads up in case someone identifies themselves as a Safe at Home participant. For Circ Staff, when creating or renewing a library account, we will change the statistical code to Johnston rather than Des Moines.

Information on the program from the SOS

The Secretary of State is launching a new program called Safe at Home. Safe at Home is an address confidentiality program for survivors of violent crimes, such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, and stalking. Safe at Home provides a designated address, mail forwarding and confidential voter registration and absentee voting.

A participant’s address is confidential; however, their participation within the program is not. When using the Safe at Home address participants should present a participation card, and you may ask if they are a participant in the program.

Please see Molly with questions.

If people bring in donations for the sale today between 12:30 – 4 pm, they can drop them at the Lion’s Club if they want. If not, we can put them in the Book Drop room and we will store them for next year.

Don’t forget to complete a PAR for any PTO taken during the pay period!

Thanks,

Peg