Author: Megan Sockness

Reminder:

Meeting room doors should be locked following programs and meetings. These doors should also be checked at close to make sure they are locked.

Thank you!

Hi Everyone! Beth and I hosted an in-person All-Desk training that focused on Behavior Management & De-escalation Techniques. For those of you who were not able to make it, we did record the training.

When time allows, please watch the training to fulfill this piece of All-Desk Training.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e8LNA9rvQvd1p1uW5TAgUZHGb2demvO8/view?usp=sharing

Thanks! Megan & Beth

Headphone adapters for both iPhones and C-USB (most android phones) are now available for in-library use at the PS Desk and in the Teen Space.

Please use the “Phone Charger Sign-Out” form to check out the adapters to patrons.

If you have any questions, please let Beth or Megan know.

JPL will be purchasing one t-shirt for each staff member for Summer Reading 2022. Please fill out the form below by Monday, November 15th, orders will be placed by December 1 and will arrive in Mid-March. Any questions? Ask Megan 🙂

https://forms.gle/BsanKsV6unxHupfeA

The YS Department will be hosting a Ride with DART program tomorrow morning.

Please do not park in the spots next to the garbage cans on the West Side of the parking lot. I am saving that spot for the DART bus to park to make is safe and accessible for families to get to from the Storytime Room. I will place cones to block off those spots in the morning.

Thank you,

Megan

The Teen Space is officially open!

Teen Space Hours:
Monday-Thursday 3-6pm
Friday 3-5:30pm

Rules:

• Respect yourself. Respect others. Respect the space.
• Please don’t swear or use harmful language.
• Snacks and covered drinks are welcome. 
• The Teen Space is a cuddle-free zone. 
• Play fighting is never permitted.
• For teens in 6th grade-12th grade.

The Teen Space will be staffed during open hours, and will be locked when the space is closed.

Furniture, laptops, and other pieces of equipment are delayed, but will be added when items arrive.

It hurts me to write this post, but Brittany will be leaving us later this month. She has accepted a Children’s Librarian position at the Ankeny Library. However, she assured me she will still be using JPL as her home library!

We will be posting the open position on the city’s website later this afternoon. The position is a full-time Assistant Youth Services Librarian position.

Beth and I are so excited to be welcoming the newest members of the JPL Staff.

Laurie (goes by Lolo) Balduchi & Christine Kane-Finn

They both are starting this afternoon and will be working in YS & PS as Library Guides. If you see them, please introduce yourself and welcome them to JPL!

YS and a student from Summit Middle School have teamed up to collect donations of new and gently used Kid’s and Young Adult materials. Please place any kid or young adult donations in the WEST meeting room to keep them separate from all other donations.

Information is below:

Drop off new or gently used children’s and Young Adult books at the Johnston Public Library or Summit Middle School. Items collected will be used for summer programming at the library and various Outreach Initiatives.

Can’t make it to the library? Leave your books near your mailbox on the following dates and volunteers associated with the Extended Learning Program at Summit Middle School will swing by and pick them up!
April 24th – Green Meadows North
May 1st – Green Meadows West

Please let me know if you have any questions! Questions from patrons can be directed to Megan.

The time is finally here! YS, TS, and members of circulation have begun the re-labeling and categorizing of the picture book collection!

It has been a long term goal of mine to categorize picture books to make the collection more browsable and user friendly. After 4.5 years of waiting, the project has begun!

Many hours of research, discussions, and design went into this project and many more hours will go into this project to get the picture books categorized and re-labeled. I want to thank everyone for being a part of this project and open to the change that this will bring to so many of our processes.

I have included a link to my Picture Book Project presentation that I presented at the All-Staff Meeting. If you have any questions about this project, feel free to reach out to me!

Picture Book Project

Thanks again for all of your hard work!

Megan

Please do not park in the first row of parking spots near the library’s dumpsters, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10. We will be hosting a Drive-In Storytime and are reserving those spots for the attendees!

Beginning today (9/10), individuals can request to add a 1,000 Activities Before Kindergarten folder to their curbside holds pick-up bag (much like we did for summer reading). Folders will be stored on the low part of the circulation counter. Megan will keep an eye on the stock and re-stock the folders when needed.

If people have questions about 1,000 Activities Before Kindergarten please direct them to a YS person or to our website that has information about the program.

This program is designed to encourage parents and children to sing, talk, read, write and play together to build early literacy skills.  This program is for children ages birth-preschool.

Jessica, Beth, and I hosted a Summer Reading Overview via Zoom last night. If you missed it and would like more information about Summer Reading here is the recorded Zoom meeting:

Please feel free to reach out to any of us if you have any questions!

Beth, Jessica, and Megan will be hosting a Summer Reading overview to talk about how Summer Reading is being run this summer and the programs we will be hosting throughout the summer.  We will be hosting a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30PM. The meeting will be recorded and will be made accessible if you are not able to join us live.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84079439301?pwd=b3pNUkFqUEhXMlRoZVNJTUQ1M09UQT09

Meeting ID: 840 7943 9301
Password: 937650

I will be conducting a Behavior Management Training on Sunday, March 29 from 11am-12pm in the Archive Room. I will review behavior management best practices, de-escalation techniques, and  go over “scripts” for our most common interactions. If you would like to attend, please register so I have a rough idea of how many people will be there. This fulfills the Behavior Management Training for our All-Desk Training.

Registration Link:

https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=34982

Hi All,

I’ve shared this with some of you, but wanted to get the word out to everyone. I purchased an Instant Pot and Cookbook for Lynne for her retirement. If you would like to chip in, great, if not that’s okay too! I will also be circulating a retirement card beginning on Tuesday. You are all invited to stop by the YS Workroom anytime between 9-5 on Thursday to bid her farewell.

Anime & Manga Club as well as Teen Tabletop Gaming have been cancelled today (Tuesday, January 14). Jessica is home with a sick kiddo and husband. If there are questions from patrons, please direct them to Youth Services.

Just a reminder, tomorrow is JPL’s Holiday Party. Feel free to bring a drink of your choice if hot chocolate (with optional alcohol add-ins) or water is not for you.

Please enter the building through the door that says “Community Room & Fitness Center”. The door does requires a code to enter and the code is #3114 I will try to have the door propped.

If the party needs to be postponed or cancelled I will update everyone via the Intranet & a group text message. If you have any questions between now and then feel free to call/text/email. Cell 651-999-9013.

We went through the entries for the 3 candy jars and have contacted those that guessed correctly. Winners can pick up their jar of candy at the YS Desk during open hours. Winners are listed below.

Anna – Candy Cane Winner

Patrice – Candy Winner

Ava – Candy Corn Winner