Category: All-Library News

The Johnston Public Library is partnering with Polk County Health and the Talk It Up, Lock It Up Gun Safety Campaign.

Did you know that in Polk County:

• Gun injuries are one of the leading causes of death for children and young adults
• One in three homes has a gun
• 45% of gun-related deaths occurred at home
• 66% of suicides are attributed to gun injuries
  • Youth and young adults in Polk County are suffering from higher rates of depression and anxiety  – putting them at a higher risk of suicide.
• Talking with friends and family members about storing guns locked and unloaded at home and in vehicles helps prevent gun-related injuries and deaths.

Free gun locks are available for pick up at the Polk County Health Department, Johnston Police Department, and the Johnston Public Library.

*Our location has been advertised as a pickup site, so patrons may ask for a free gun lock. Please distribute them as requested by patrons. Gun locks are available behind the Circulation Desk, on top of the shred bin, in the cardboard box labeled with a Gun Safety flyer. If we run out, please let Molly know*

We’re separating YA Manga from YA Graphic Novels. Manga are graphic novels or comics originating from Japan. They are typically read from right to left.

The call numbers for these new collections will be YA MANGA CUTTER and YA GN CUTTER. The cutter portion will just be the first three letters of the author’s last name or the first three letters of the first word (skipping A, An, The) of the series title.

TS staff will re-catalog and update the item records with the new collection and call number. Circ Repair staff will add an orange (YA GN) or green (YA MANGA) label to cover over GRAPHIC NOVEL on the spine.

Shelvers will interfile the YA MANGA with the YA GN. Shelvers will separate the GRAPHIC NOVEL on the shelving on the north wall of the library where YA CD Books used to live.

We will also be discontinuing adding a red or yellow Graphic Novel label to the front cover of YA and J graphic novels.

If you have any questions about these changes, please ask your supervisor or anyone in Technical Services.

Staff are often asked about the classes for English Speakers of Other Languages that we offer at JPL. The basics are easy-just grab one of our flyers. The details are sometimes harder.

I’ve created a short document that explains the focus of each class and the level of student that benefit from what we offer.

You may find the document on the Intranet under Documentation>Patron Services and Behavior Management>Definition of Classes Offered at JPL.

Hey All – It seems fitting after our staff celebration this afternoon that I pass along a message to library staff.

This morning I was in a meeting with Mayor Dierenfeld and Council Members Rhonda Martin and Jim Evans.  They each took time from the meeting to recognize the work of library staff and thank you for all your hard work during this transition period. Library staff were completely singled out as top performers.

Mayor Dierenfeld,  and Council Members Evans and Martin were very direct in their praise of your (yes you!) hard work and dedication to the community. On behalf of Mayor Dierenfeld and Councilmembers Jim Evans and Rhonda Martin – Thank you for what you are doing for the City of Johnston.

As for me, I want to echo what Dreama wrote earlier this week: We have gone through many changes in the last few months and we still have work ahead of us, but we are accomplishing so much. It is not going unseen.

You know you have a great job with great coworkers when you are excited to come home from a trip and get back to work. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart.

Molly will return from vacation on Thursday, and I know we’ll all be happy to welcome her back. Many of us have a new appreciation for all that she’s been doing during her time as Interim Library Director!

I want to congratulate you all for doing such a great job of making my time as “Librarian in Charge of Escalations” go so smoothly. It has been gratifying to see you going about your daily assignments, working independently and helping your co-workers, as needed.

These past few months have been a time of change, and we’re still a distance away from our goals. Still, these past two weeks you’ve demonstrated a mastery of the new processes you’ve been learning. You passed the end-of-summer exam with flying colors.

Let’s look forward with gratitude to an autumn full of blessings – work that is both challenging and satisfying, co-workers who make us smile, and patrons who let us know every day just how much they appreciate all that we do for them.

The library will close at 12 pm on Friday, September 8, 2023 to allow staff working to attend this event without worrying about desk coverage. This event will be paid for staff that are regularly scheduled during the event. Everyone is encouraged to come have fun. Staff that are regularly scheduled on that Friday will be asked to return to the library to work until the end of their shift or they are welcome to speak with Molly and Peg about using PTO or taking unpaid time if they prefer to leave after the social event winds down.

Molly

The Employee Committee is excited that the library will be closing at noon in order to allow our staff to attend this year! They are looking forward to seeing everyone.

The Library Board would like to hear our opinions about the event. Please share your impressions with your supervisor or Lori F.

Thanks!

Remember we had a holiday this pay period. And the City employee event is on Friday. A couple unique things that may change up your time sheet.

Andrew will be playing in the Des Moines Symphony’s Water Works Pops concerts at Water Works Park in Des Moines tonight at 7:30 (music of ABBA), and tomorrow night at 7:30 (Heroes and Legends).  Both are free and please check the Des Moines Symphony website for more information!

If you are regularly scheduled to work on Friday, September 8, from 12pm or later, please let me know your plans for that day so that we can insure WTW and your Time Sheet reflect the correct hours you should be paid.

Note that Saturday the 9th is the end of the pay period, so if we can think about this prior to the 6th, it should eliminate last minute questions when I’m verifying time sheets.

Thanks!

Drum roll please……

I am excited to announce that Sheila Olson has accepted the Youth Services Assistant Librarian position! Sheila comes to us from the Altoona Public Library where she was the Children’s Librarian. Prior to that she worked at JPL as an Associate in the Youth Services Department and worked at the Grimes Public Library as an Assistant Youth Services Librarian.

Sheila will begin on Monday, September 11.

Megan

Every day I feel like we’re getting better at using WTW to manage shifts and positions, I hope you agree. I have published all weekend shifts through the end of 2023. And we have some open shifts currently available.

If you’re interested in picking up open shifts, here’s one way to find out what is available by using the WTW app:

• Click on the “Trades/Available Shifts” option
• Click on “All Available Shifts,” and a calendar should display
• A dot on a calendar day tells you that there are shifts available on that day
• Click on a date with a dot and all open shifts for that day, for which you’re eligible to work, will be displayed
• Click on a shift to see more detail; if you see the letters TO behind a staff person’s name that means that staff has requested Time Off
• If you’d like to offer to pick-up a “TO” shift, click on the pick-up “thumbs up” icon

If you have questions just send me an email or catch me in the library.

Pagliai’s doesn’t have a working air conditioner in their party room, so Well Red Book Club will meet at the library this evening. We’ll meet from 6:45-7:45 in the East Meeting Room.

I’ve sent an e-mail to participants, and I’ve changed the location in the event calendar.

Hey all,
Justin Young will be coming to pick up his art from the glass display case right by the Reference Desk tomorrow or Thursday (8/30 or 8/31).

The key for the display case is in the plexiglass case in the locked Foundation drawer behind Circ. Thank you!

Click on link for Libby Announcement regarding enhancement to how users discover and enjoy magazines.

Peg

Today marks the first day of the 6 Minute Reading Challenge at the YS Desk. There are timers and a box of snacks at the YS Desk. Additional snacks are located in the cabinet behind Megan’s Desk.

Kids can participate in the 6 Minute Reading Challenge 1 time per day.

When kids come to the desk, get their first name and send a slack out on the 6 Minute Challenge channel, so others are aware of who has participated.

Start their timer when they begin reading, we ask that they sit at the round tables near the YS Desk, when possible.

When their time is up, they can choose 1 snack from the snack box.

For kiddos that do not have a library card, but wish to read the same book each day, you can check out the book to our storytime account, by searching by Name: Last, First – Storytime, Megan and then place the book on the shelving behind the YS Desk. There are bookmarks in the top right drawer of the desk 🙂

I will try to touch base with people that are working at the YS Desk in the afternoons/evenings.

Thanks for your help!

Hello All,

September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America network’s annual nationwide campaign designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness about food insecurity. I have program handouts and calendar events calling out Hunger Action Month encouraging people to donate food to JPL. The paper handouts have a most-needed at the Johnston Partnership shopping list that includes the following:
dried or canned beans, soup, canned pineapple in juice, canned mandarin oranges, brown rice, diapers size 6 and 7 and pullups, toilet paper, bar soap or body wash, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dish soap, laundry detergent and cleaning products.
When people bring in food or personal health items, please put them in the plastic bin under the Circ Desk behind self-checkout where we normally put donated food items. I will keep my eye on the bin and will run items to the Partnership when needed. Please ask me if you have questions. Thanks!

FedEx pickup needed. Please send the FedEx driver to Technical Services. There is a package labelled and ready for pickup on the floor at the SW corner of the processing count in TS.

UPS package ready for pickup. There is a package labelled and ready for pickup on the floor at the SW corner of the processing count in TS. Thanks!

The Ref Desk is getting a new Windows 11 PC. Up until now, we’ve been staying with Windows 10. Windows 11 will change the way we log into the staff network — whether we use Windows 10 or Windows 11 PCs.

Up until now, when you log in, the server assigns the Public (shared) drive to the letter P:. For some staff, it also assigns your private folder to the letter H:. These drives will no longer automatically be assigned. Your login may remember them (even though it’s no longer being prompted) or you may have to map the drives one time on each PC you use.

Here’s the procedure for mapping a network drive. If you need help, you can ask your supervisor, Dreama, or Lori French.

Megan has a post out on social media right now asking for donations of snack food items for the 6-minute reading challenge. When people bring in donations for this purpose, donated items can be put on the big white table in the middle of the YS workroom.

If people ask for guidance on types on snacks, Megan has said single serving, non-refrigerated, peanut free snacks are preferred.

Thanks!

Don’t freak out, but I just edited position names in When to Work in an effort to all have the service desks next to each other when viewing by position.

Circ Desk is now Desk-Circulation

PS On Desk is now Desk-Public Services

YS On Desk is now Desk-Youth Services

YS Teen Space is now Desk-Teen Space

Other position names may change slightly. I’m tweaking position names so when viewed positions makes more sense.