The next step in development of the park behind the library is construction of a shelter with restrooms. For those curious what it will look like, the rendering linked below will be presented at Monday’s city council meeting.

https://go.boarddocs.com/ia/cojia/Board.nsf/files/CDVV947F97B2/$file/Renderings.pdf

Just a reminder that we are waiting on parts to repair our cooling system. Until they arrive, which should be next week, our air conditioning will not work. Tomorrow, like today, will likely be stuffy inside the library. The 7 day forecast from Sunday is cooler.

When Amazon, FedEx, etc. deliver packages via the main entrance, you may place them on the bottom shelf of the Holds cart behind the Circ Desk. If they’re too large or too heavy to fit, you can place them on the floor beside the cart.

Lori Elrick will retrieve the packages once per day, Monday-Friday.

Technical Services has a process for checking in materials that staff order, so it’s important to allow TS to go through that process. Even if a package is addressed to a particular staff member, all packages need to go through TS.

If you are a staff member expecting a package, and you don’t want to wait for TS to check it in, it’s acceptable to take your package and send Lori E. a note that you’ve retrieved it yourself. You can send this message by e-mail or use the #Deliveries-from-UPS-et-al channel on Slack.

If you let a delivery person in through the staff entrance, continue to place items on the workroom counter. You’re also welcome to place any other packages on the workroom counter if that’s more convenient.

TS would still appreciate it if you’d post a quick message to #Deliveries-from-UPS-et-al channel on Slack when you receive a package regardless of whether you put it on the bottom shelf of the holds cart or on the workroom counter.

We appreciate all your help receiving packages!

Each patron who applied for cards online and still have “Digital” in their driver’s license number field now have a blocking note on their account instructing staff to add a driver’s license number to their account.  In addition, those who haven’t used their card since we reopened the building last January have been sent an email stating that their card will expire in 90 days. The email includes information about visiting the library to verify their identity and contact information in order to renew their account.

The Lions Club now has an outdoor eyeglass drop-off. We will no longer be collecting eyeglasses. Instead, let donors know that they can drop their glasses anytime at the the Lions Club at 6501 Merle Hay Rd.

Staff Laptop 2021 is now available for use. It is in the storage cabinet.

We are no longer going to scan items found on the black carts or left out on tables or in study rooms using the In House Mode screen of the Check In window.

When you are collecting items that have been left out by library users, please just scan them in the Check In window to make certain the circulation status is In and to verify the shelf location of the item. Then you can put the item in the correct recently returned or pre-shelving area.

Please let your supervisor know if you have any questions.

Parts of the HVAC systems on the roof of the building were damaged by hail last year. Those parts were replaced a couple of weeks ago but the workers found other things that need replaced before our air conditioning can be turned back on. I’m hoping that the repairs can be completed before it gets too warm outside–the forecast for the next two weeks looks promising.

I am replacing our oldest hotspots with new devices. The new devices will be setup without a password and each will show on a user’s device as “JPL Hotspot”. The other circulating hotspots will be setup in the same way over the coming weeks.

The library is closed this Sunday for Easter. Easter is NOT a paid holiday. If you would normally be scheduled to work Sunday and would like to make up your hours, talk to your supervisor to arrange it.

UPDATE:

From KCCI:

• Severe weather potential increasing across much of Iowa for Tuesday evening into Tuesday night.
• Tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds all possible!
• Prolonged period of gusty winds likely Tuesday through Thursday. Strongest winds Thursday, especially north.

Please review the tornado and wind warning procedure included below.

Tornado Warning and Wind Warning

A tornado WARNING is declared when a tornado had been sighted in the area.  The city’s tornado sirens will be activated.  A Straight Line Wind WARNING is declared when wind speeds reach 70 m.p.h.

Sirens will sound for approximately 3 minutes followed by a 2- to 3-minute silence and then sound again for another 3 minutes. This cycle will repeat until the threat has passed.

When the siren sounds:

• Announce the fact that we are under a Tornado Warning or Straight Line Wind Warning to staff and patrons and that they should move to the designated tornado shelter area (the men’s and women’s restrooms) or leave the library IMMEDIATELY.
• Public Services staff will gather patrons from the east half of the Library.
• Youth Services staff will gather patrons from the YS area including the Story Time room and YS restroom.
• One Circulation staff member will gather patrons from the Commons, Art Gallery, and Large Meeting Room
• The rest of the Circulation staff will lock the front door, put up the weather closure sign, and guide patrons to the restrooms
• A staff member from each department should grab the flashlights/lanterns from the emergency bucket behind their desk.
• If people come to the Commons doors seeking shelter, let them in.

The Johnston Public Library Board of Trustees has two openings for six-year terms that begin July 1st, 2022. The library board serves as the administrative board for the library and meets the third Thursday of each month at 5:30pm. Trustees must be Johnston residents over 18 years of age. Applications are available via the “Printables” menu on the intranet. Staff can print applications for interested parties at no charge.

Some libraries, like the Library of Congress, lend materials with the restriction that our patrons can only use them in our library. Our patrons can make copies of any relevant pages.

Unlike ILL materials that go home with patrons, these in-house use materials can be checked out / checked in an unlimited number of times to allow patrons to return to the library throughout the lending period to read the materials.

When a patron approaches the Circ Desk, please retrieve the item from behind the desk and check it out to the patron. There is a 4-hour limit on each check-out, but this time limit is not enforced. The patron can stay as long as the library remains open to read the material.

When the patron leaves, the patron is to return the item to the desk and let you know whether s/he is ready to have the item returned to the lender or if the patron intends to come back another day to continue reading the material. Either way, please check in the item. If the patron is finished, place the item on the TS shelf. If the patron plans to return, place the item back on the ILL shelf.

If you have any questions about in-house interlibrary loan, please ask Dreama or Lori Elrick.

There’s a basket behind the circulation desk self-check for collecting used softball equipment for Johnston softball.

The playground behind the library is open. The property surrounding the library–including the barn, the historical building, and the new playground–is city property but library staff are not responsible for policing/enforcing the rules there. Each city park has a sign like the one pictured below that lists the rules and who to call with problems. As JPL staff, you’ll undoubtedly have visitors report playground issues to you.  If it’s a non-emergency maintenance issue, leave me a note and I’ll contact the Parks Department. For damage to the playground that might cause injury, call the Parks Department at 515-727-8091 or the police at 515-278-2345. If the patron is reporting a park patron in violation of the law or park rules, explain that the police are in charge of enforcing park rules and ask them if they’d like you to call the police.

I’ve been aware for several years that some neighboring libraries pay their part time staff more than we do here at JPL.  To try to narrow the gap, for the past several years JPL’s part-time staff have received wage increases that are 1.5% to 2% higher than other city employees have received. In order to speed up this process, we requested and were approved for the following part-time wage increases for FY23 (which begins July 1, 2022):

• $2.00/hour increase for part-time Assistant Librarians
• $1.85/hour increase for Library Associates
• $2.50/hour increase for library clerks
• 3% increase for Shelvers

Similar increases are planned for FY24 but won’t be voted on until the next budget.

Good morning! Patrons who requested to pick up their card-crafting kit from the Sunday Card Crafting Program on Sunday, April 3 will find their packaged card kit on the hold shelf, labeled alphabetically by their last name.
The card kits are in small manila envelopes.