Category: All-Library News

I worked on the YS Tablets today. I have removed SureLock and replaced it with a restricted access user account. All 3 tablets have identical apps.

If for some reason a tablet gets locked, the password is 1310.

Let me know if you encounter any problems with the restricted user accounts or apps.

Thanks!

To better reflect our All Services Desk model, I am changing the following positions labels:

Circ Backup to Desk-Backup

PS Backup to Desk-Backup

YS Backup to Desk-Backup

Hopefully this will be a visual reminder that anyone assigned to this position can assist at any of the service desks. If you have question, just let me know.

The Self Checkout Station is out of order. I have shut it down and placed a sign in front of it directing patrons to the circulation desk.

A message from Employee and Family Resources:

Everyone has days when they could use a listening ear or a kind word. Half the population will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime. Yet many remain silent because of the stigma that surrounds mental health.

This World Mental Health Day it is time to break down barriers and speak up. Togetherall is a place to find support, voice your feelings, and take control of your well-being. Offered through Employee and Family Resources, Togetherall is a place to find peer and professional support and 24/7 access to empowering resources. Employees of the City of Johnston and family members of employees are eligible to use Togetherall.

You can find out more information about Togetherall here.

Last week my newsfeed was filled with information about intellectual freedom in celebration of Banned Books Week.

This document has been put together by the State Law Library regarding the role of the public library and intellectual freedom. I have printed a copy for each desk so you can read it as you have some downtime.

Just a quick reminder that if you are emptying the drive-up book drop, you need to check under the cart for books and other items.  The book drop has a space along the edges that allows thin items to fall below. Sometimes these items are caught along the bottom edge of the cart that you can’t see.  Recently we found five items that were stuck.  Two of the books were already coded lost and another had been coded claimed returned.  You can lay the cart on it’s side(ask someone for help if you need it); you can use a cell phone light to look underneath; or use your hand to carefully check if something is stuck underneath.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Melodee

Polk County Health will be at JPL tomorrow 10/4 from 5pm to 7:30pm to administer flu shots. Details including insurance information, payment info, and registration info is available here: https://johnston.librarycalendar.com/event/get-flu-shot-polk-county-health-department
No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.

Pre-registration for the JPL Flu Shot Clinic is highly recommended. Look for the JPL Flu Shot Clinic at immunizepolk.com or use this link to go directly to the JPL clinic page: immunizepolk.com. Appointment times are very flexible–as long as you have an appointment spot and can make it to JPL between 5:00pm and 7:30pm on October 4, Polk County Health nurses will be able to accommodate you.

I will set up laptops and iPads outside the Archive Room tomorrow afternoon for people to register who have not pre-registered.

Thanks! Ask Beth if you have questions.

Hello All,
Art in the Barn 2023 Artist Registration is full. Should you receive phone calls or emails about exhibiting artists who are interested in participating, please let them know that we have reached capacity for artist registration this year.
If artists are interested in participating in future years, I can add their email to a list that will be sent out for the artist call in future years. If an artist is interested in potentially exhibiting in coming years, please take their name and email, and send it to me at stevens@johnstonlibrary.com.

Tickets are absolutely still available for individuals who would like to come to Art in the Barn as an attendee. Tickets for attendees are available in person at JPL, online at https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/art-in-the-barn/, or at the door on the night of the event (October 20, 2023).
Thanks! Ask Beth if you have questions.

I’ve posted an updated weekend schedule outside the director’s office that reflects our new staff hires. Hopefully, I didn’t mess up anything, but please take a look and make sure your personal schedule is correct.

Thanks.

Ugh, yes. Once again I need to ask you to submit your time sheets early. I’m traveling out of town to attend a funeral and would like to get as many done before I leave as possible. With the addition of the WTW boxes at the bottom of our new time sheets, verifying time sheets has become much easier. Thank you for taking the time to double-check your own before submitting. And I appreciate when you bring errors or inconsistencies to my attention as they arrive!

As some of you may have noticed, there is now a Weekly Volunteer Schedule posted next to the Weekly Circ Jobs schedule in the workroom. The volunteer schedule lists the volunteers scheduled each day, the approximate times they will be here, and what job they are assigned (pick list or shelving). It also tells what materials volunteers are able to shelve if you want to make carts for them ahead of time. The reason for this change is to avoid me having to input volunteers on W-to-W every week. If you learn that a volunteer isn’t able to come that week, please make note of it on the schedule and initial it. For example, if Sarah calls and says she isn’t coming in, please cross her off the list and initial it.

Also, there are copies of both schedule sheets in a folder on top of the cabinet where they are posted in case anyone else needs to post them for a week. There is also a folder in the same spot with updated directions for printing notices, calling holds using Polaris, and doing unclaimed materials if you ever want/need them. You can make a copy of any or all of them for personal reference if you’d like.

If you have any questions about anything, please ask. Thanks!

The process of integrating the YA CD books into the Adult CD book collection has begun!  This will take some time to complete, and in the meantime, may be a bit confusing.  As I am relabeling and updating cases, the status will be “Unavailable.”  Then I will change the status back to “In” as I reshelve them in their new home.

I have updated the call numbers for the entire YA CD book collection ( CD BOOK-F-AUTHOR-YA).  So if you are looking for a specific CD Book, you may have to look in both locations ( or check the history [red/yellow arrow icons] on Item record page. Those that were previously unavailable and are now “IN”  will now be shelved with the Adult CD Books.

Confused? Questions?  Come and see me!

Thanks!

Please join us this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. to dedicate the Musical Garden in honor of Kinney Carnahan. We will meet by the Musical Garden and enjoy treats and memories. This is a family-friendly event. Please feel free to share the invitation.

April Sigmund has decided to take advantage of the travel opportunities with her full-time work (which is remote) and has resigned from JPL.

Meredith has accepted a full-time job which will limit her availability at JPL, and she will be reducing her hours to Monday evenings and one Saturday a month.

We will miss them both, but I know these are exciting opportunities for them.

The library will be bringing on several new library clerks in the next weeks. First to start will be Kris Whetstone. Kris is a library user and we are excited to have her begin. Kris will begin this coming Wednesday, and I know we will all welcome her!

PSA Announcement from PS Staff:

When you use meeting room technology like HDMI cords, VGA cords, or the gig boxes we have with dongles, please use the equipment meant for each room and please put them back where they belong. We have meeting room tech for each room and it’s best if the cords for that room stay where they belong.

Archive Room Tech is in the cabinet behind ref desk where we keep laptops and iPads. This includes HDMI cords and a gig box with dongles.

East Meeting Room locked closet has an HDMI cord, VGA cord, gig box with dongles, a power strip and an ethernet cord.

West Meeting Room locked closet has an HDMI. cord, VGA cord, gig box with dongles, a power strip, and an ethernet cord.

Master Key opens the locked closets in the Large Meeting Rooms. Thank you! Ask Beth or Peg if you have any questions.

I apologize for not posting this sooner, I meant to. 🙁

If this early due date is inconvenient for you, please send me an email.

Andrew will be playing the cello in the first masterworks set of the Des Moines Symphony’s 2023-24 season, and there will be a lot of Mexican music being played.  Some Spanish and French as well, and here is a website with more information:

https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/symphony-discover-fandango/

https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/symphony-discover-fandango/

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will join us.

To all municipal employees of the City of Johnston,

Yesterday, at approximately 4:10 p.m., the City of Johnston received an email from Community State Bank. This communication informed us that the ACH payroll deposit was currently in ‘draft’ mode and will not be processed before the cutoff for that day, Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Community State Bank has provided assurance that the payroll deposit is scheduled for processing on Friday, September 15, 2023, and should be reflected in your accounts by the afternoon.

Hi All!

The Library Board very kindly approved an early closing to allow staff to attend the Employee Appreciation Event. I have heard from a couple of attendees, and I am so happy the food was tasty and the games were fun. If you attended, please share your impressions with Molly or me so that we can let the Library Board know how you felt. Thank you for those who have already shared your impressions.