Category: Uncategorized

We’ve hired two new circulation clerks -Amy McDowell and Sierra Stukenholtz. Sierra, of course, has been a shelver here at the library since March. Amy currently works part time at the Des Moines Public Library.  They will be trained sometime in the first few weeks of the new year. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Eric

Johnston Partnership for a Healthy Community will be here on either Jan. 3 or Jan. 4 to pick up the donations that are by the tree.

I’m printing a few more shopping lists….don’t be bashful about pointing them out to people 🙂  Please.

Thanks!

Cheryl

Just a quick reminder that AARP WILL NOT be here this year for free tax assistance.  At this time, I don’t have locations of where AARP will be offering tax assistance.  I’ll keep checking with them periodically to see if we can locate a list of other sites.

Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks,

Cheryl

The first group of TV Series DVDs are now available for checkout by patrons.  A few are already on HOLD and have been routed accordingly.  Those without Holds are now on the DVD/BLU-ray shelving where patrons can browse for items to check out. They are actually located right after the Blu-ray movies.

Here are a few things to remember about the TV Series items.

* They checkout for a 2-week period.

* Each case holds 1 season. (please be sure to check the number of discs a case should have when checking in.)

* There are a couple of titles that have volumes, instead of seasons.  Such as Foyle’s War and Prime Suspect.    Each physical case/volume checks out for 2 weeks.

* Each item can be renewed up to 2 times, if there are no holds.

* Limit as to number of TV Series item format that can be checked out is 20, just like the DVD format has a limit of 20.  (DVDs, Blu-Rays, and DVD-TV-Series all count toward the checkout limit of 20 videos at a time.)

Please let me know if you have questions.

Jo

Hello everyone,

It’s staff picks time! Please send me your fiction and/or nonfiction picks to be used on signage on the endcaps in the Adult Fiction and Nonfiction stacks. These can be titles that you have read and enjoyed, or books that looked interesting as they crossed your path. The only qualification is that we own the title. Your name will not be attached to your choice, so feel free to recommend with wild abandon! Multiple titles are welcome. I will also add these staff picks to the Staff Picks link on our catalog.  

I appreciate everyone’s participation. Please have your choices to me by Monday, December 30^th.

 Beth

Hello everyone,

It’s staff picks time! Please send me your fiction and/or nonfiction picks to be used on signage on the endcaps in the Adult Fiction and Nonfiction stacks. These can be titles that you have read and enjoyed, or books that looked interesting as they crossed your path. The only qualification is that we own the title. Your name will not be attached to your choice, so feel free to recommend with wild abandon! Multiple titles are welcome. I will also add these staff picks to the Staff Picks link on our catalog.  

I appreciate everyone’s participation. Please have your choices to me by Monday, December 30^th.

 Beth

At tonight’s meeting, the library board approved a dress policy for the library. The policy includes three casual days each week -Friday, Saturday, and Sunday- when employees can wear jeans. Please refer to the full text of the policy (linked below) for details. Casual days will begin Friday 12/27.

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/staff/drupal/index.php?q=content/dress-policy

For those of you who could not make it to the staff meeting, the library now has a new iPad Air and Kindle Fire HDX. Both of these tablets have records in Polaris and can be put on hold like any other item. If you have not signed up to check out one of the devices, please put yourself on hold for one or both of them. When it’s your turn to check out a tablet, simply open a checkout screen and check the device out to yourself (JPLIPAD is the barcode to use for the ipad, JPLFIRE is the barcode to use for the Fire). The devices will check out for a week. You’re free to take them home. While you have a device checked out, please compete the accompanying ‘homework’ either at home or in the library.

I realize it feels as though you just submitted timesheets (because you did), however, next week will be tricky so I am sending you a heads up.  Timesheets will be due next Thursday, December 26…however, the sooner the better!  Please make sure that you have written in your holiday pay for the 24th and 25th (if you receive it), as well as any PTO you may be taking next week.  If you will be off much of next week, please make sure to get your timesheet in before your holiday begins.  I will only have Friday to work on them and may not see you to double check your schedule, so please take your time filling it out and remember to turn it in.  Thanks for your help!

Happy Holiday!

Missy

The 2014 Holidays and Closing schedule has been posted by the staffing schedule and is also linked in the Staff Resources & Training menu on the left-hand side of the intranet homepage.

I’ve created a post on Facebook asking for donations of old electronics (VCRs, DVD players, etc.) for use in a program I’ll start sometime this summer. Please put donated items in the box behind the desk.

We have a staff meeting this Thursday at 8am. For the first hour, Emily Price will be presenting the city’s new communications policy. The mayor and a city council member will be in attendance for this part of the meeting so be on your best behavior .

Eric

Please play with the SIBR (series information, bestsellers, and reviews) Spot at the north end of the circ. desk. It can be used to find and print  series lists via a search or via scanning an item’s ISBN or library barcode; to view and print bestsellers; and to view lexile numbers, summaries, and reviews. I’ll leave it there for a week or more so staff can get familiar with it before it goes somewhere publicly accessible.

Our potluck to wish Pally a happy retirement will be held in the east meeting room from 11:30-1:00 on Tuesday, December 17.  Tableware and beverages will be supplied.

While I am truly excited to  begin my new position on Monday, I also appreciate the bind and strain this has put on the
current staff to fill my now vacated hours.  I was hoping (if, and) when I finally did find a new job, that I would be able to
give the library more notice – especially with all of the current staff leaving.  However, my new employers are extremely
busy, and anxious for me to begin full time ASAP – in fact they wanted me to start on Wednesday (the day after my acceptance
of their offer).

So, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation first to Eric, Maurine and Rita for understanding my situation and the “demanding” circumstances and time frame that have come with my immediate hire, and their total support through out.  I also want to thank in advance any of you who will now be covering my hours until new hires are trained and ready to go, or having their schedule changed to accommodate this change. I appreciate you all.

I also thank everyone for putting up with my varying mood swings, bad days, endless stories, etc. etc. You have all been wonderfully supportive, positive and encouraging – and this has helped me get through some pretty tough days and weeks.  I think you all had more
faith that things would work out than I often did!

So thank you to all of you, and I will still be around on my weekends to work.
If I don’t see you or speak to you before the holidays – hope they are wonderful and bless you all!

Thanks immensely
Diane

As most of you have heard, Diane accepted a full-time position (congrats Diane!). For now, Diane will keep her weekends and, starting next week, we’ve made some schedule shifts that will fill her weekday hours. With Pally and Janet leaving as well, we will he looking for two additional circulation staff -interviews will begin within the next couple of weeks. We hope to have the new staff members on board by the second week in January. These changes will be accompanied by a shift in coverage at circ. which may affect some of your schedules -we’ll work through any conflicts with those affected.

Maurine and I will interview for the IT and Circulation Support position over the next few days. It’s possible that whomever we hire may not begin until March. During the few weeks between Rita’s leaving and our new employee starting, Maurine and I will do as much as we can to fill in at circ. during busy periods and breaks.

This has been a year full of change for the library -with a new director, a new ILS, and soon a new circulation supervisor. I truly appreciate everyone’s  hard work and patience and as we adapt to new and sometimes challenging circumstances.

Eric

Someone from the Clarion Library will stop by in the next couple weeks to pick up Book Club books.  These books are boxed and placed on the bottom shelf of the white holds shelves.

Thank You!

Jo

The Bright Board behind the circ desk has been moved to the counter above the inside book drop. Lois Roets, who funded its purchase, thought it would be more visible closer to the front door.

Eric

Hello!

Please turn in your timesheet today, Wednesday 12/11!

Thank you,

Missy

FYI The text of the self-check exit button has been changed to “Print Receipt” in hopes of clearing up some patron confusion.