Category: Circulation News

Hi All,

I won’t be in until a little later today. Here is the daily desk schedule. Please call, text or email me if you have any questions.

A few quick notes:

As curbside began, we started applying the actual due dates to items loaned which means we have items that have come due since June 9th. Please remember to backdate at check-in. 

There is a digital card application for residents of Johnston and rural Polk County only. The digital card can be used to borrow physical and digital materials during our phased re-opening. More information can be found at https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/services/digital-card/

Items borrowed before we closed in March have due dates staggered throughout the month of July to avoid a glut of returns on July 1.

First of all – You guys –  thank you so much for being so amazing in the last few weeks. You have displayed so much flexibility and willingness to do what is needed to make the changes to our service model successful. I am beyond grateful for all your hard work and amazing attitudes. This has far exceeded my expectations. I can’t thank you enough.

Okay…onto the business stuff:

I’ll be putting out a Daily Desk Schedule to assign tasks and work stations. Look for a print copy at the workstations each day and let me know if you have any questions.

We are getting caught up with check-in. Please remember we are quarantining items for 72 hours. If you have trouble doing the math to figure how far back that is, here is a website https://online-calculator.org/what-time-was-it-72-hours-ago

I’ll be touching base with you each as the week progresses to see how things are going.

During Phases 2 and 3, the Hot Picks collection is not available to patrons to browse. Therefore, we’re temporarily changing the collection to be Holdable so that patrons may place holds and pick them up curbside.

For now, Hot Picks books will check out for 3 weeks, be renewable, and be holdable just like other books. Hot Picks DVDs will check out for 1 week, be renewable, and be holdable just like other DVDs.

The labeling will remain unchanged.

We’ll return these circulation elements to their normal values when we reach Phase 4.

Hey All! I’m excited to learn more about Summer Reading this year. If you can, please try to attend the Zoom meeting tonight or watch the recording later when it is posted. Here is the original message from Megan with the meeting info:

Beth, Jessica, and Megan will be hosting a Summer Reading overview to talk about how Summer Reading is being run this summer and the programs we will be hosting throughout the summer.  We will be hosting a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30PM. The meeting will be recorded and will be made accessible if you are not able to join us live.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84079439301?pw…

Meeting ID: 840 7943 9301
Password: 937650

Hi All,

As you have seen, we are considering opening our book returns in the next couple weeks, and I would like to get together with you in small groups, three or less, to discuss new circulation procedures like Check-In and Curbside, review safety measures and answer any questions you might have.

Please check When to Work to see when you are on the schedule. If you are not on the schedule, check your email and let me know your availability.

If you have any questions, please email, call or text me 515-210-4441.

Thanks!

Hi All!

So, so sorry for last night’s missed meeting! I was suddenly in a black hole with one-bar extended network phone service and no internet…everyone’s quarantine nightmare!

Although Ivan’s Friendly IT Co. has assured me that our internet woes are over, I’m at the library ready to meet with those who can at 10 a.m. See you soon!

1. Meeting ID 988-6863-6595
2. Meeting Password  390078

Molly

Molly is currently having internet trouble at home and can’t make the Zoom meeting.

Hi All! How is it going. Here is the plan for this week if you have time. This is optional:

• If you have not done so already, get signed up for Lynda.com and watch the following videos courses
  2. https://www.lynda.com/Business-tutorials/Empathy-Customer-Service-Professionals/2825032-2.html
  3. https://www.lynda.com/course-tutorials/Customer-Service-Mastery-Delight-Every-Customer/5040391-2.html
     1. This course is two hours. Just start with watching the third part titled “Ways to Generate Ideas, Part 2”
     2. Look at this Customer Service Self-Audit

• Attend one of these Zoom meetings if you can. We will chat about the trainings in relationship to our work. I’m also going to review the selection process and the purchase request process.
  1. 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23^rd
     1. Meeting ID978-3991-6904
     2. Meeting Password 410991
  2. 10 a.m. Friday, April 24^th
     1. Meeting ID988-6863-6595
     2. Meeting Password 390078

• If you are interested in taking home some Circ related projects, please email or text me. I have some projects that I am ready to box up and that you could pick up at the library. I have a few tasks that are just things you could work on from a computer and a few tasks that would require picking up a box of materials at the library. If you are interested in one of these jobs, please email or text me 515-210-4441.

I hope everyone is staying healthy and sane. Take care. I hope to see some of your later this week on Zoom.

Hello!

A few of you had mentioned that you don’t have the intranet bookmarked at home

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/wordpress-staff/

We talked about the Lynda tutorial Customer Service Foundations and the personal customer service vision exercise and Lori E. recommends Empathy for Customer Service Professionals  (only 20 minutes) so I’m excited to view it.

There was a great question about where Niche Academy Tutorials are located on the website. I’ll paste a picture below:

I have scheduled two meetings for next week. If you haven’t done the Doodle Poll, please attend either meeting if you are able. I did split into groups so that we have a few people at each meeting because, as much as I know you would love a one-on-one with me , I thought the learning might be richer if there were a few people in each group.

Again, if you have anything you’d like to discuss, feel free to bring it to the meeting or send it to me ahead of time.

See you soon.

Meeting One – Tues. April 7th 1 – 2 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/640233393?pwd=SWpSOVl4Z2RHVjQyTkdEcDIvZ1pEQT09

Meeting ID 640-233-393  Password 254145

Sarah G., Gloria, Sue, Laura R., Meetu, Andrew, and Melodee

Meeting Two – Thur. April 9th 7 – 8 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/431700152?pwd=TDN1Y1pPdmVjLytlTktPcW5ieEg5QT09

Meeting ID 431-700-152 Password 081806

Carolyn, Laura A., Denise, Lori E.

Hi All.

How were the Niche Academy tutorials? Did you learn some new things? I certainly have as I reviewed them.

I also set my kid up for an RB Digital account and learned that you can now create your account through the app. Before you had to create the account online and then download the app. Now it is seamless and you can do it all through the app.

I was also reminded of how much is offered through BrainFuse. I remember learning about it when we first got the database, but they have a lot of resources.

I would strongly suggest spending a bit of time creating a BrainFuse account and looking at some of the resources available.

Okay. Next week, I’d like to offer an optional, Circ training opportunity via Zoom. I’ll be going over some more complicated Circ processes, the most frequently asked questions and anything else we want to cover. If you have things you like to share at the training or ideas that you think I should share, let me know!

Here is a Doodle Poll. Please select all the times you are available so we can get as many there as possible.

https://doodle.com/poll/eg4wc8kwuyudd5gy

I hope everyone is well! If you need anything or have any questions during the closure, please don’t hesitate to email, call or text me 515-210-4441.

Take care, and I hope to see you soon.

How are you guys holdoing up this week? I moved my “office” to the laundry room, but suddenly the laundry room has become a very popular place 🙂

Many of you have reached out to me to ask about possible work from home ideas. For today, my suggestions are:

Take a Lynda.com course. My list is growing but I’ve Customer Service Foundations, Communication Foundations, Time Management, Time Management: Working from Home (HELP, PLEASE, HELP), Teamwork Foundations, Effective Listening, Agile Foundations, Building a Better To-do List, Photoshop on my radar.

If you think one is particularly helpful to us in Circ, please let me know. I could add it to the standard Circ Staff Training arsenal.

I would also love to have you watch ALL the Niche Academy tutorials available to the public at johnstonlibrary.com or https://my.nicheacademy.com/johnstonlibrary so you have a sense of what help is available for you and for patrons when working with our resources.

I have been adding a few staff picks, here and there, on the webiste. You just log into the website with your personal account and search for a title that you love at johnstonlibrary.com. Click on the “add to staff picks” link under the title.

At the library, we have been shelf reading, repairing books and DVDs and creating digital cards among other things.

Please send me an email if you have any questions, and keep in touch. Talk to you all soon!

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/quarantine-tips-from-my-cat

Digital Cards

An email will be printed.

1. Check to see if they already have a card. If they do, renew for three months, if necessary skip to number 5.

2. Enter the information into Polaris creating a card using the regular procedure Except enter digital in the Driver’s License field.

3. Double-check their address in the County Assessor’s website to verify the statistical class:

http://web.assess.co.polk.ia.us/cgi-bin/web/tt/infoqry.cgi?tt=home/index

When you locate the address, look at the Jurisdiction Box. If it lists Johnston use Johnston in the STATISTICAL menu. If it lists any other city, select that city from the STATISTICAL menu. If it lists any township, select Polk County (rural). If you can’t find the address in the website, select the city listed in the address from the STATISTICAL menu.

4. Press Save to complete the card. You will get an error message because there is more than one card with digital for the driver’s license. Click continue to save the card.

5. Clip the card to the email application and write the card number on top of the email. Date and initial the email. Place it in the fold labeled Digital Cards.

6. Email the patron with their library card number and PIN using the Send an Email function on the Intranet.  Copy and Paste the following text and insert their library card number and PIN.

Thank you for applying for a digital card at Johnston Public Library. Your library card number is BJOH0000XXXXXX and your PIN is DDMMYYYY

Please visit us at www.johnstonlibrary.com to get access to the library’s e-books & e-audiobooks, streaming movies & TV, and other online resources. Staff will be available to help you get started 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. Contact us by phone at 515-278-5233 (select option 3) or via email.

Your card will expire in 90 days. After that, you’ll need to come to the library with a photo ID and proof of your address to get a physical card which will let you borrow books and other materials from the library’s physical collection and will provide continued access to our online resources.

We are happy to offer the digital card during our closure, and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen.

Best Wishes,

Johnston Public Library Staff

From the State Library – March 19, 2020

Dr. Caitlin Pedati, medical director and state epidemiologist at the IDPH, issued the following message on the handling of library materials:

The COVID-19 virus is typically transmitted via droplets after an infected individual coughs or sneezes. It is unlikely that someone could become infected by COVID-19 by handling a library book. Libraries should continue to clean acetate books covers and CD/DVD covers; and frequently touched environmental surfaces like door handles, computers, and restroom surfaces with an EPA registered disinfectant. Use all products according to the directions on the label. 

I’ve created a Facebook post asking for donations of used J and YA books to give away at outreach events this summer. Until further notice, please put donations of books for kids and teens in the box marked for them next to the food donation bin.

Hi All,

As we open, please wipe down the Circ Desk and Self-Check area with either disinfectant wipes or Lysol. This includes the entire counter (staff and patron sides) and the keyboards, touchscreens, mice, keyboards and phones.

There will be hand sanitizer throughout the department.

If you are unwell,  please call or text me at 515-210-4441 to let me know you will not be at your scheduled shift as soon as possible. Emailing alone is not an acceptable method of sharing last-minute absences because I check it less frequently and the notifications are less obvious on my phone.

Hi All,

Megan has requested that you stop putting books on top of each other in Youth Services.

As you were trained, if a section is too tight to fit the books where they belong, please return the books to the pre-shelving area and leave me a note or send me an email.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks for your help!

Recently, we have had more people requesting that staff microwave food and drink. I’m going to let you use your best judgment on this. If you feel that you have time to quickly visit the breakroom and microwave a cup of soup or coffee, and you feel comfortable doing so, I’m okay with that choice. It would be wise to warn the patrons that most of the time library staff will not be able to microwave for them and they should plan to bring food that does not require warming in the future. Also make sure that the desk is covered when you pop back to the break room and please do not bring the patrons back to the break room with you J

If you don’t have time, you don’t know how long to microwave it, it involves complicated preparation or you simply feel uncomfortable handling other people’s food, please let them know that you are working on a library-related task and are unable to microwave for them and in the future, they should plan on bringing food to the library that doesn’t require heating.

The common message for patrons here is that, in general, library patrons should not plan on having a microwave available at the library and they should plan accordingly with their meal/snack planning. We should be educating them, very politely, in either case.

The common message for library staff is to feel empowered to say no to microwaving for library users.