Category: All-Library News
Security Alarm Beep in Commons and by Staff Door
The security system, the small boxes by the staff door and by the light switches in the Commons, are alerting us every time a door opens with a small, quiet beep and a message saying which entrance opened. I am awaiting a call back from a second technician, but I’m not hopeful it will be before the weekend.
The fire alarms and security systems are still functioning.
JPL’s Holiday Party
Deepa and I are currently planning this year’s Holiday Get Together. I have put together a survey to see which date works best for everyone. Please fill out the survey by Friday, January 3rd so we can secure the event space!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DJ6GFYK
The holiday party will be at the Bricktowne Apartments – Johnston Community Room. We will provide a hot chocolate bar and will have a sign-up sheet for those that would like to bring something to share (we are thinking finger foods/appetizers/desserts).
More info will be released when a date is selected!
Megan & Deepa
West Des Moines Library situation
I don’t know if any of you besides me have been to the West Des Moines Library or any city facility since last Monday, but I am writing this in case none of you have. There was a network problem that was detected last Monday afternoon, and there has been no internet (including wi-fi) available at the library or any city building since. This means that the public catalog has been inaccessible, no self check-outs have been available, and that staff has had to print or post certain things differently. I found out yesterday that public computers will not be available until sometime after New Year’s.
The WDM Library will be closed from Christmas Eve through January 2 due to shifting of items to the other side of the upper level.
Book Tape vs. Packing Tape
TS stocks both packing tape (under the workroom counter) and book tape (in the processing supplies cupboard). When you’re considering which tape to use, keep in mind the cost of book tape ($.63 per yard) vs. packing tape ($.05 per yard).
Book tape
is thick and acid-free. It’s a good choice for mending library materials as it won’t yellow over time.
Packing tape isn’t quite as thick, but it’s the right choice for packing boxes and your other wide-tape adhesive needs.
Departmental News on Intranet
A couple of changes to notification of new intranet news:
- If you want all staff to be notified of your news, you must select the “All-Library News” category. You can also add additional categories.
- News assigned to the “YS News” or “Circulation News” categories (and not also assigned to the “All-Library News” category) will only be sent to staff in those departments and will not be listed on the intranet home page. Instead, these news items will be accessible via the links in the “Departmental News” menu on the right side of the page.
Casual for a Cause
Thank you to all that donated to Casual for a Cause. We raised $196! With that money we were able to purchase gifts for 3 Star Card Recipients. We had money leftover so we were also able to purchase a gas gift card for the Genesis Foundation.
Items Purchased:
Toddler: Hot Wheels Track and Cars, 3 long sleeve shirts, and a pair of joggers
7 year old boy: Blokus (board game), LEGO Set, and a pair of jeans
10 year old boy: LEGOs, 2 LEGO sets, and a pair of joggers
Earlier post and Harry Potter
For those of you that saw a New Year’s Eve Pops post, that was actually posted by me, NOT Eric! NYE pops with the symphony is always exciting and sells out, so get your tickets now. https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/cirque-at-the-symphony/
Also, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is coming in February, so get your tickets for that as well! https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/
WDM Library closure
As you probably know, the West Des Moines Public Library is being remodeled, and part of the upper level is closed. Between Christmas Eve and January 2nd, this library will be completely closed to the public so staff can move materials to the other side in order for renovation to continue.
The renovation will continue until summer reading, and will have a hiatus when it arrives. Construction will resume afterward.
Old Intranet
If you need access to the old intranet while the new one gets up to speed visit the link below.
Ice Rink
The ice rink will be installed this week or early next week between the library and the Simpson house/Johnston Historical Society. The rink will not have a cooling mechanism so the condition of the ice will be dependent on the temperature.
Time Sheets Due Early this Pay Period
New Intranet
Rather than continue to delay the launch of the new intranet and have the news there get more out of date, I’ve decided to make the switch now. Your links to the old intranet should now redirect to the new one. As I mentioned, the new intranet is accessible from anywhere but you’ll need to login if you’re outside the library. I’m still in the process of getting things organized including the navigation, some of which has moved to the header on the top of the page. If you have suggestions on navigation or anything else as I continue to work on it please let me know.
Concrete
Due to the cold temps, the concrete work is being postponed until the spring.
Overdrive Hold Redelivery
Hold Redelivery
Coming Soon!(OverDrive blog post – Dec. 4, 2019) The struggle is real. I’m a fast reader, but not fast enough to get through all of my books, including the one I was in the middle of when all of my holds came in. Then some books come in when I have zero time to spare to read or am just not in the mood for, like a horror novel in the middle of summer. Shortly after I started working here, I learned OverDrive has a feature that allows me to suspend a hold and keep my place in line until I’m ready, but honestly, sometimes I forget to suspend a hold (or all of my holds) and am inundated with all of these books. Sure, I could just wistfully return them without reading them, but what if it’s a book I spent months waiting for and don’t want to have to go back to the bottom of the wait list? Understanding these challenges, we’re excited to introduce a new feature to delight more readers while also helping your wait lists move more efficiently. This new feature, called hold redelivery, will soon replace auto-checkout. WHAT IS HOLD REDELIVERY?Hold redelivery will allow users to suspend a hold even after it’s made available to them while maintaining their place on the wait list. By enabling users to pass books they don’t have time to read on to the next person in line, hold redelivery will help your library connect more readers to the right book, at the right time. HOW WILL IT WORK?Libby notifications (coming soon) will alert users when their holds become available. We’ll also add a “Notifications” section to your OverDrive website and the OverDrive app. After receiving notification that a hold is available, users can:
If the user takes no action, their hold will automatically be suspended one time for seven days. If no action is taken a second time, the hold will be canceled automatically. With the removal of auto-checkout, you may see a slight decrease in circulations. We expect this to level off over time as users adjust to the new functionality. Hthroughout OverDrive Marketplace. Suspended holds are excluded from holds ratio calculations, and you can choose whether they’re included in Holds Manager plans.
Hold Redelivery will be coming in early 2020 and we’ll follow up in the new year once we have confirmation of timing. In the meantime, you’re encouraged to reach out to your Account Manager with any questions. |
Gingerbread House Prizes
Winners of this year’s gingerbread house competition have been notified. The prizes are on the ledge behind the circulation desk.
Lydia has Accepted a Part-Time Job with PS
I am happy to announce that Lydia has accepted a part-time position with the PS dept here at JPL. She will be taking over Abbi’s hours on Mon, Tues, and Thurs evenings. Welcome to the Ref Desk, Lydia!
Abbi Has Accepted a New Job
Bittersweet news: Abbi has accepted a position as an adjunct librarian at DMACC and will be leaving her responsibilities at the PS desk. Her last day with PS will be January 9th, but we will still get to see her around because she will continue some hours with the TS dept here at JPL. Please join me in congratulating her on her new job.
New Year’s Eve Pops
Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for this year’s New Year’s Eve pops on NYE at 8 PM at the Civic Center! Cirque at the Symphony is this year’s program, and here is the link with information: https://dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/cirque-at-the-symphony/.
Gingerbread Judging
I will judge the gingerbread houses on Tuesday. The winners will be notified by the end of the day.
Art Drop-Off
Deb Beenken will be in this week or next to drop off her artwork. When she comes up to the circ desk please let her use the grey cart to carry her artwork. It can go in my office.