Category: All-Library News

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.

Be sure to purchase your tickets for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban, February 21 at 7:30 PM, and February 22 at 1:30 PM at the Civic Center.  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/

Masterworks 4 also in February:  https://dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/2020-02-08/

The library’s current notaries are:

• Beth
• Peg
• Stephanie
• Erin
• Abbi

Lydia will be a notary by March. If none of these staff members are working, notary services are not available.

We all know about the weather expected this afternoon and into the weekend. I generally don’t like to close the library early or open late unless 1) it’s obvious to me that the weather is going to be bad enough that anyone driving will be unsafe or 2)  enough staff tell me they feel like it will be unsafe for them  to get to or from work. During a weather event, if you’re at work and feel like you should leave or if you’re at home and can’t make it in please let your supervisor or myself know—in-person or via phone or text.

Eric

515-250-5381

We were contacted by a representative from the Animal rescue Craft Guild to see if our Saturday Morning Knitting Group wanted to help knit mittens, pouches, nests and jumpers for animals who have been displaced in Australia due to the wild fire. I spoke to Erica, our crafting person, and she liked the idea. After Saturday Morning Knitting is over on 1/11, there will be a basket on the green cart behind the ref desk with the ARCCG logo in case anyone wants to drop off knitted items. These items will be collected by the group and shipped to animals in need. Should anyone want a copy of the patterns, the links are below. Thanks! Ask beth if you have questions.

Knit-ARCCG Micro pouches Knit-ARCCG nest kitten jumper knitted-four sizes (1) knitted joey pouches-revision 1 Loom Knitting-ARCCG Nests Sew-ARCCG Micropouch liners for knitted-crochet pouches What Yarn What Item copy

Exam Cram: After Hours, originally scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10 from 6:00 – 10:00 pm, has been cancelled due to impending bad weather. The online calendar has been updated and signs have been posted on the front doors.

I received the following information from the IRS:

Tax Forms Outlet Program (TFOP) Partners

“We expect the shipping of Form 1040 and Instruction 1040 will begin by January 21.  Once the shipping process begins, it will take up to three weeks to complete.  Products may arrive separately and not on the same day. “

-Peg

Ann is having some health issues again. If you’d like to feed her, sign up for a week via the link below. Food can be left in the staff fridge.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EzxGTWPhQgae3anS2dDjXRXNhqh5445PlUywcftHmj0/edit?usp=sharing

Living History Farms has dropped out of the Adventure Pass program. I believe they’re closed for the season so we may not get questions about it until the spring.

Update: The Polaris upgrade has been completed. Please use the icon for Polaris 6.3 to log in to your PC. If you do not yet have 6.3, please let Dreama or Lori F. know.

We’re upgrading from Polaris 5.6 to 6.3 this morning. Please do not use the Polaris client software until the upgrade is complete. Circ 1, Circ 2, YS Desk, and Ref Desk may use offline circ to check-out only. Do not check in materials until Polaris is back online.

Thank you.

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.

The vendor for our Adventure Pass website has removed the print button from the confirmation page. To print from the kiosk at the checkout desk, patrons will need to click the printer icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

Our banks–both the Foundation’s and the city’s–won’t accept Canadian coins. Please don’t accept them from patrons.

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

Kate’s last day at JPL will be Sunday, January 12. Please join me in wishing her the best. Hopefully, she and Shawn will still join us at the JPL Holiday Gathering (no pressure, Kate). A clerk position has been posted.

With holidays the past two weeks, please take a few extra minutes to make sure that your time sheet is correct and matches WTW. If not, please speak to your supervisor. This pay period begins on Sunday, December 22 and ends Saturday, January 4. If you are eligible for PTO and you took any, make sure a PAR is attached to your time sheet. Thanks!

Library closed: Tuesday, December 24, Wednesday December 25, Wednesday January 1.

Library close early on Tuesday December 31.

I’d like to invite all staff to attend (on the clock of course)  the Innovative Libraries Online Conference on Thursday, January 16th, 9am – 4pm in the Archive Room.

The conference has several sessions some of which may not be of interest to you given your particular role at JPL. Please take a look at the schedule and attend those you’re most interested in.

Please register via the link below:

https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/events/?event_page=registration&did=34474

The website is fixed. I apologize to everyone for whom it caused more work today. Merry Christmas!

Hello All, Particularly PS People:

The security certificate issue also seems to be affecting meeting room reservations. I have one reservation waiting to be approved that made it through the system, but where I wasn’t able to see that any specific room was checked. Until the website is back in good working order, probably will be the 27th or 28th when Eric gets back, I would not approve any meeting room reservations. Shouldn’t be a big deal, we’re closed for a good chunk of that time. Thanks! Text or call beth if you have any questions

Our website’s SSL certificate has expired just in time for my vacation. Patrons are going to receive a message that the site is not secure. They will need to click “advanced” or “show details” in order to get the site to work. I’ve tried to fix this remotely but it’s not something I can handle without being at work.