Category: All-Library News

The library will remain closed today, January 9. Stay safe!

The library will open at 12 pm today.

Stay safe!

Today and tomorrow significant snowfall is expected. Please see report from Polk County Emergency Management linked below.

Library staff are not tasked with snow removal at the library. The Parks Department is in charge of clearing the library’s walkways and parking lot. They technically come out when there is two or more inches of snow, but they usually are out sooner than that.

If we have more than an inch or two of snow on the ground that Parks staff have not yet come to remove – and patrons complain about ice- a staff member should carefully clear the walkway in front of the handicapped parking stalls as well as a path from the lot to the main entrance. While anyone can do this, the Librarian in Charge will take care of it if no one else volunteers. There is salt in a yellow bin by the staff entrance and a shovel by the staff lockers.

NWSDesMoines – DssPacket – Mon, Jan 8 452 AM

There are now forms at all three desks for verifying online library card registrations. When someone comes in and says he or she registered for a card online, please pull up the account on Polaris, fill out a form, and complete the staff verification steps. When you are finished, please place the form in the new library card application tray like you would if you had made a new card for someone.

If you have any questions, please ask Molly or Mary. Thank you!

Timesheets will be submitted to City Hall earlier than usual this coming pay period because of a software migration, so can you pleases make sure that you get your timesheet in on time or early.

Peg will be reviewing timesheets on Thursday, January 11th and I will be turning them in to City Hall on January 12th for the pay period December 31 – January 13.

If there are changes after they are submitted on January 12, I will submit them individually to the city for updates before paychecks are cut.

Thanks for your help!

Part one of the library shirts have arrived. I put them in peoples lockers. If you have a locker mate, please make sure you grab the shirt and size you ordered. Ask me if you have questions about what you ordered.

After handing out what felt like a million grey cardigans, the mom in me is wondering if it wouldn’t be wise to write you name on the tag in sharpie.

The t-shirts have not been ordered yet. I hope to get those ordered this month.

Thanks for representing JPL 🙂

Molly

2024 Ultimate Reading Challenge Book logs are now available. Paper logs are at both the ref desk and the circ desk. No sign-up is necessary–people can just take a challenge log. All directions are on the book log. As you have time, take a chance to read through the 2024 Reading Challenge so you can answer questions.  If people want to print their own log, directions and a PDF for Ultimate Reading Log are on the website under events. Ultimate Reading Challenge 2024 can also be accessed on the website by clicking on the the image slider link on the homepage.

Additionally, we are going to give people a week grace period to turn in their 2023 Reading Logs. I am here for a program on Saturday, January 6th and will take the 2023 prize material down then. Thanks for all your help handing out prizes and taking pics. Much appreciated. Ask Beth if you have any questions.

2024 State of Iowa Withholding Changes

The library is no longer subscribing to LinkedIn Learning due to a very low benefit (usage) to cost ratio. The link has been removed from the library’s website and PowerPAC.

Please let me know if you have questions. Thank you!

Our VHS player in the Tech Lab is temporarily out of commission while we wait for a VHS cleaning head tape to be delivered. It should arrive next week on Dec 28th. Peg will be checking Tech Lab reservations as they come in next week and will check in with anyone if they are coming in for this service. The 4 other types of video tape digitization are still functioning (VHS-C, Video 8/ HI8, Digital 8, and Mini DV).
There are no upcoming appointments for VHS digitization at this time.

Andrew is a cellist in the Des Moines Symphony, and will be performing at the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix shows in February.  Tickets are selling fast, and here is a link to purchase them:

https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/

I hope you can enjoy a movie with the symphony!

Andrew is a cellist in the Des Moines Symphony, and will be performing at the New Year’s Eve Pops on December 31st at 8 PM at the Civic Center in downtown Des Moines.  Cirque de la Symphonie is joining us, and there will be dancers doing ballet-like performances on stage.  Here is a link to purchase tickets:

https://my.desmoinesperformingarts.org/0/7672

Hope you all can spend the last few hours of 2023 with the orchestra!

If patrons had lists in their account, not holds, but lists – these will not transfer over to the PowerPAC.

If patrons come in and would like access to their lists from the old website, please get their name, library card number and email (or phone). Send this info to Dreama via email deskins@johnstonlibrary.com

Dreama can export their list(s) and send it to them.

Leave accrual was doubled for some employees this pay period. So your PTO totals on your paystub you received yesterday may not have been correct.

The City is working with the payroll software vendor to get the problem corrected. They will let us know when it has been addressed. At that time, we will get you accurate PTO totals.

Thursday, December 21, 2023 we will go live with a new CivicPlus website and Polaris PowerPAC catalog. Previously, these two important features of our online presence have been integrated into one site. After tomorrow, they will be two separate sites that link back and forth to each other. This is the case for the vast majority of public libraries, so it should be something that most of our patrons are familiar with. We are considering tomorrow a soft opening for the new catalog and website and will not be doing a lot of publicizing for these new sites until after the holidays. This will give us a chance to refine items if needed.

Below are some talking points to use should you have patrons comment on the new catalog or website. In addition to these scripts, be aware that our own mindset is going to go a long way to helping patrons digest change. While assisting patrons as they figure out the new sites, we will project a relaxed and positive attitude and convey that we’re all learning the new system together.

When I’m working with patrons at a public desk, I always think of myself as a partner/guide helping a person get what they need out of a system (and as we all know, systems and bureaucracies can be confusing).

When you are attempting to show a patron how to navigate our new site or PowerPAC, turn your screen around and work through it together. Be upfront about the fact that we have just switched to new sites to better serve our patrons. We’re still learning the new system too, but together, we’ll figure it out. 

 Below are some talking points to use should you have patrons comment on the new catalog or website. 

• The new website prioritizes ADA compliance, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can easily access and utilize the library’s services.
• The new catalog features improved search functionality, including quick access to new and on-order items and improved read-alike suggestions.
• Library services, resources and access to materials have not changed. All the same JPL services and materials you love are still available. 

As you have time, please check out the following documents to familiarize yourself with our new website and PowerPAC Catalog.

How to Navigate Our New Civic Plus Website

How to Navigate the PowerPAC

Repost of Megan’s PowerPAC Training Doc:  https://tinyurl.com/2s3dw9vk

We have started a new channel on Slack called Website/PowerPAC feedback. Please feel encouraged to leave comments or feedback from patrons as well as things you notice that might need to be fixed or refined. Thanks!

Library Director Search Update

A timeline for for the library director search has been established.

January 2-February 11 –  The position will be posted and applications will be accepted.

March 5 & 6 – Semi-finalist interviews will be be conducted via Zoom with the Search Committee.

April 10 & 11 –  Final interviews will be conducted in person at the library. The library board will conduct the interviews and staff will have the opportunity to greet the candidates.

End of April/Beginning of May – The library board will announce the next director.

June 2024 –The library director will begin work at JPL.

Building Updates – Peterson Painting will have a crew here on December 22 and December 27-29 working on drywall repair and painting. I will put in meeting room / study room reservations where possible. They are willing to work around the reservations we have already. The crew will be back the middle of January to finish up the painting. So there will be a few weeks where we will have patches of drywall with mud but no paint.

New Website and PowerPAC

Thursday we are scheduled to move to our new website and PowerPAC. You should have all had the opportunity to look at the PowerPAC. If you haven’t, please do take a look. https://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/polaris/

Here is the link to the website we will be transitioning to later this week. Feel free to take a look! https://www.cityofjohnston.com/1300/Johnston-Public-Library

Thanks to Beth, Megan, Dreama, Erik (our IT consultant) and Janet from the Communications Department for all their work on this project!

Please remember to unplug the lights on the book tree at night. This is officially a public services desk duty, but feel free to help out by unplugging them if you notice they are still on at closing time.

Thank you!

I am working on a project to organize all the library’s procedural documentation. I have removed all the files that were viewable under the Documentation tab on the Intranet. Most of them were out of date.

Stay tuned for where you will eventually be able to access documentation files. I think you’re going to like the change!