Category: Uncategorized

Lisa Cooper, an active Friend of the library and a Foundation board member recently lost her mother. Karla has put a card in the break room for those who wish to sign it.

Eric

Materials that go out of the building on the book bike will be shown as available in the PAC but will have a location of “Book Bike”. This location is temporary and will be reset once the books return–either on the bike or via the patron who checked them out. 

The Commons exit doors are sticking and being blown open by the building’s air pressure. They will be serviced soon. Until then, please pull on the doors at close to ensure they’re latched. 

Julie and Rachel put everything away today! Thanks to everyone for the amazing shelving this summer!

A number of employees are receiving letters today from IPERS.  Here’s the information from Ann:

In July, there were 3 pay periods. IPERS was paid on the second pay period, and then again with an adjustment report on the third, totaling all employee’s wages for the month of July.

Anytime there is an adjustment made, IPERS is required to send out the letters to all employees that were reported. Our IPERS balance is at $0.00, so we do not owe anything further until August reporting.

Please tell all employees to disregard the letter that is sent to them from IPERS regarding contributions due. All employee contributions are paid up for the month of July.

Thanks,

Ann Wanders 

Payroll Accounting Clerk

Next week will be the last week for Kate and Michelle. They are both off to school around August 15th. Kate’s last day is Friday the 12th and Michelle’s last day will be Wednesday the 10th. We will miss them, but I know they are off to do great things! Wish them well if you get the chance!

Woot woot–Adult Summer Reading is O-V-E-R. 

Prizes have been drawn and winners have been called. The three grand prize winners’ gifts are in Beth’s office–their names are attached to the prizes and the smaller gift cards are locked up in the red folder behind the Reference desk in the drawer labeled Proctored Files. 

The key for this locked drawer is in the drawer to the right of the Ref computer labeled “Reference.” 

For any prize winners, please mark off their name on the sheet in the red folder when prizes are picked up.

Thanks! 

The trial/grace period for the Conduct in the Library Policy, which will be voted on by the Library Board in August, will begin today. Laminated copies are at the public services and youth services desks. Additional copies can be printed from the “Printables” menu on the intranet. 

During this trial/grace period, staff will provide a copy of the document to offenders and briefly explain the policy and the consequences that will follow, including caregiver notification if applicable.

Circulation staff: If you witness behavior that needs staff intervention, please notify public or youth services staff.

Sheila sent me this amazing video of older adults trying out the virtual reality headset we recently purchased that will soon be available for patrons to try inside the library. The participants’ reactions are great and the settings/games shown are truly unbelievable. I can’t wait for us to offer this to Johnston residents! 

Note: Some of the language is not safe for work (but is hilarious).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFsMYRsWglA

Art In the Barn tickets are now available for purchase from the black binder at the circ. desk or online at art.johnstonlibrary.com Tickets are $20 each. Art In the Barn is Friday, September 23rd, 5:30pm-8:30pm. Details at http://foundation.johnstonlibrary.com/?page=art-in-the-barn

We had too many exciting things to talk about at today’s all-staff meeting. The items listed below got squeezed out but please read through them and take a look at the links.

WHOTV will stop by the library this morning to film a story about the library’s new book bike that will air sometime tonight. 

Please do not get into the display cases and add items, move items etc. unless you have permission from the person who is displaying in the case.

The items in the cases are very valuable to the owners, and I always tell them that once the items are locked in the cases only the owner of the collection or I get inside the cases.

Thank you,

Karla

Question to all – would I really rock your world if I were to alphabetize the staff mailboxes?  If not, would you prefer by first name or last name?  Stop by the Ref Desk or send me an email to let me know your vote.

Thanks,

Peg

We checked out over 91,000 items to non-residents in FY16. The chart below shows the top 20 communities.

This morning a brown wallet was in the drop box. It had Andrew Vanderkrol’s ID in it. I wasn’t able to find contact informtion for him, so Eric has taken it to the Police Department.

Lori F. and I revised a few of the cashier assignments to make room for new Circulation employees.  If you don’t work in Circ (and you’re not Eric), you should use 17 (Not Circ) when you open the cash register.  Here’s the complete list:

The Book Bike is here! You’ll likely get inquiries about it so here’s some information.

We’d hoped to hire summer help this summer to take the bike to parks, grocery stores, the movie theatre, soccer games, etc. but the project took a little longer than anticipated. It’s a little late to hire summer help. For the rest of the summer and fall I’ll be taking it to a handful of locations around town: the farmer’s market, Hy-Vee, etc.

Deepa is currently researching summer camps, child care facilities, neighborhood associations, concerts, sporting events, and other events and institutions in Johnston. We’ll reach out early spring 2017 to gauge their interest in hosting a book bike stop. We’ll hire a book bike driver in 2017 to make stops May-August. At each stop, patrons will be able to checkout and return materials, sign up for library cards, and use the bike’s Internet hotspot.

The book bike is a Workman Cycles “Mover” industrial trike that, without the added boxes, looks like the one shown below. The box and trailer were custom built by Mike Gustafson owner of Nestcraft Studio in Des Moines. To save the rider from hernias, the bike has been outfitted with an electric front hub capable of pulling up to 600lbs. Although several libraries around the country—including Denver, Rochester, and Seattle—have book bikes, we are, as far as I know, the first library in the state with one.