JPL Intranet

At peak of their usage, public PCs were being used over 2,000 times per month in 2018 & 2019. After the pandemic in 2020, usage never returned to peak levels and has actually been steadily declining since 2021.

Due to the lower usage and demand for public PCs, the five computer stations behind the Information Desk will be phased out over the coming weeks.

Let your supervisor know if you have questions.

We have a functioning VCR in the tech lab again! Let the VHS digitizing begin…again!
As always, if a first-time user would like staff assistance, please make a Tech Lab Help Desk appointment. Ask Beth if you have questions.

After researching options to display On-Order items in PowerPac, we have found a solution.

We have added an On-Order Dashboard or Menu to the main PowerPac Dashboard. This dashboard contains a list of the 50 most recently ordered titles and is updated every night. Patrons can click on the title of the item to view the bib record, where they can place the item on hold or add it to a list.

Some things to note:

We have closed the dashboards, but patrons can click on the arrow to expand the dashboard to see all of the options within that dashboard.

Since selectors are not purchasing everyday, the list may be the same over a few days. It is only updated when new items have been purchased and imported.

Some days the list will only be Kid, Teen, or Adult items due to the nature of how this list is created, so feel free to encourage patrons to check back often to catch a new list of on-order titles.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need clarification on the changes.

Yesterday, the second paystub you received should have the correct amount of PTO.

Please keep a close eye on your PTO though. With the new system, it is very much appreciated if you can glance at your paystubs and PTO to make sure that things look correct. For instance, my PTO was not calculated correctly, even on the second paystub, so I emailed Sammy at sdickson@cityofjohnston.com and she was able to get it corrected.

On a side note, the city did send out an email letting us know that there is not a way to show the hourly pay on the new paystubs. In the past, it showed how much you made per hour. Now you will have to take the total amount paid and divide it by your hours to see your hourly pay.

Let me know if you have questions, or email sdickson@cityofjohnston.com

Molly

Annually, libraries must submit stats to the State Library of Iowa. Some of those stats reflect interactions with patrons at service desks. Anyone who has worked the Ref Desk knows there is a stat sheet that staff make tic marks for a variety of interactions with patrons.

Starting today, each service desk (Circulation, Public Services and Youth Services) will have a new form taped to the desk. We’ll never be perfect and remember to record every interaction, but please do your best to remember to make a mark after a relevant interaction. These stats support the important and varied work we do everyday.

You may click on this link to review the form. Desk Stat Sheet effective 2024.02.01

I suspect there will be questions so PLEASE ask!

Peg

The Johnston Public Library Foundation provided funding for JPL to purchase an annual subscription to Comics Plus. Comics Plus offers readers unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga including adult, teen, and children materials.  Comics Plus includes digital access for every patron on desktop, mobile, or tablet. Every title is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for offline reading, with unlimited, simultaneous checkout.

Comics Plus is available to all JPL cardholders, regardless of residency. Patrons can log in on a desktop using their Library Card Number and Pin. Or download the Library Pass App, Search for Johnston Public Library, and then enter their Library Card Number and Pin.

There are no checkout limits or holds.

Check it out for yourself here: https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/1429/Comics-Plus

We will be working on promoting it through social media over the next couple of weeks!

Your pay stub will look different this pay period as the city migrated to a new version of their payroll software. All the same information should be on the paystub though.

I am not sure why we got two pay stubs via email. I will let you know when I learn why.

Thank you.

W-2s are in your mailbox unless we made other arrangements for me to mail them to you.

Due to a software upgrade at the City, payroll emails will now come from a generic no-reply.tylerhost email address instead of sdickson@cityofjohnston.com. You will still login with the last four of your SSN.

Andrew is a cellist in the Des Moines Symphony, and the next concert set is Masterworks 4.  Guest conducting will be Keith Lockhardt, the music director of the Boston Pops.  We will be playing “Surge,” by Wang Lu, the Violin Concerto in G Major by Samuel Barber, and Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra.  Amaryn Olmeda will be the violin soloist, and here is a link to purchase tickets:  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/symphony-discover-innovation/.  Performances take place at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines on Saturday, February 3rd at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 4th at 2:30 PM.

Andrew will also be performing in the symphony’s production of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in late February, and here is a link to purchase tickets for this set:  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/.  Performances take place at the Civic Center on Friday, February 23rd at 7:30 PM, and Saturday, February 24th, at 1:30 PM.

Kanopy is available again. I had to reconnect my JPL library card and pin to my Kanopy username and password. If patrons are still struggling, that’s what i would suggest trying. Ask Beth if you have questions. Thanks!

Kanopy is temporarily unavailable. We’re working on resolving the issue. If you have patrons inquire about the service, please tell them we’re aware of the problem and working on a fix. Take their contact info and tell them we’ll notify them when Kanopy is back in action. Patron contact info can be emailed or slacked to beth. My email is stevens@johnstonlibrary.com.

Thanks!

Tax season is upon us so I wanted to submit a friendly reminder about info and services we offer during this time, as well as info and services we do not offer.

Under the Services Menu at johnstonlibrary.com, we have menu link called Tax Forms. This is the most expedient way to link people to printable forms for Iowa and Federal tax forms. The link also has info about what government offices people need to go to if they want to pick up their tax forms in person.

JPL has received federal 1040 and 1040SR forms plus federal 1040 instruction booklets. The 1040SR stands for senior. It is intended for people 65 or older. Form is basically the same but has larger print and calls out tax benefits for people over age 65.

If individuals are seeking tax forms above and beyond the forms listed above, we will print them for individuals for free. We will not print instruction manuals for free.

The tax link on our website also has information about free tax preparation people can take advantage of if they are interested. AARP offers free tax prep, as well as United Way. Links to those sites with location and date and time info is posted there.

During this time, it’s important to remember that we do not provide tax advice or information to people, in the same way we do not provide medical or legal information to people. Just a friendly reminder that we can connect people to services and organizations that do provide this information, but we are not the information ourselves.

Spring Break March 10 – 17 is looking to be thinly staffed this year. I know that Thursday, March 14 and Friday, March 15 will be very tight. So please let me know ASAP if you are needing time off that week. It will also be all hands on deck with subs, so if you have availability please be prepared to fill in as you can.

Thank you!

Molly

Thank you for all your time and efforts learning about our website and PowerPAC with library users. I am so grateful for your willingness to jump in and answer questions and receive feedback from the public.

Department Heads are gathering input and learning if requests are possible – and then weighing if requests should be implemented based on best practice, staff time available and the number of requests received. We don’t want to change the website daily, but we do want to be responsive. Here is a breakdown of how we would like to gather input on the website and a general timeframe for changes:

Slack channel – Use the Slack channel to report broken links or other things that are clearly not functioning as they should and no patron follow up is needed. You should expect a response to your slack within 24-48 hours. This is not the correct avenue for complaints or grumbles.

Messages to Molly via email or slack – Message Molly directly with patron complaints that require follow up. I will follow up with patrons. Also message me directly with general wish lists, complaints, observations, etc. that don’t require follow-up.  I will make a running list of feedback and that will help department heads prioritize projects.

Keep in mind that we will not plan on making changes – other than fixing broken functions – daily or weekly.

Below is feedback we have received and a response:

Feedback: The new catalog makes me sign in and before I didn’t have to sign in.

Response: The new online catalog will require you to sign in after more than 20 minutes of inactivity. That is to protect privacy and security, and that is not something that we can change.

Feedback: It would be nice if items that were available showed up in a different color than items that were not available.

Response: That is not an option in our new system. Availability shows on the record several times. Please guide patrons where they can see the availability.

Feedback: Patrons miss using the online catalog to browse for materials.

Response: This a function that will not be available exactly the way it was. The online catalog is designed to search using “access points” i.e. title, author, date of publication, subject heading, keyword, etc. There was some “magic” in the old catalog that allowed for a browsing experience that we just won’t be able to replicate. For instance we cannot sort books in the order that they were added to our system. What we can offer are lists of books and carousels or rivers or books that people can scroll through. We are working through some issues to get more of those lists available and easily discoverable to library users.

Feedback: Patrons miss the indicator that showed up on the catalog letting them know if an item was in their reading list or holds queue.

Response: Patrons can access their reading history (if it is turned on) or their holds on the PowerPAC, but it won’t up as they search for materials in the bibliographic record. They will have to cross reference those lists. Again, this is just a little bit of convenience that is no longer available.

Feedback: I am not sure how to request an ILL or Purchase Request. I just see request.

Response: We are just accepting requests for materials that we do not own. Then library staff are deciding what the best option is to get the patron connected with the materials. It isn’t always an easy choice between ILL and purchasing an item, and the ultimate goal is just to connect the patron with the item. We are going to take all the factors into consideration and decide if an ILL or purchase request is the best route. For instance, we might have seen two ILL requests for an older DVD in the last month. And we can buy it for $5. In that case, we might just go ahead and do a purchase request since the purchase price is less than postage and we have seen a high demand for that item…even if it is older. So there are many factors to consider with ILL vs. purchase requests, and we just wanted to simplify the process since most of the public is not aware of all the factors involved.

Between December 21 and January 18 there were 4,855 logins and 1,601 holds placed on PowerPAC so people are busy using it. Thank you again for all your help with the transition.

The first paystub that went out this morning from the city did not have accurate leave accruals. The city will be sending a second paystub with accurate leave accruals – but we only are getting paid once 😉

We are currently in the process of re-cataloging and relabeling YA Manga and GN (graphic novels). Some of the Manga series are cataloged under the author’s name as well as the title. If you are having problems locating an item, try looking in both places. Please see me or Molly if you have any questions.

Due to the rollout of the new website, we have not yet changed most of the rural Polk County designations in Polaris. The majority of them are currently designated as Polk County (Webster). We are going to begin making those changes now, so you may notice an increase in patrons calling or stopping at a desk to ask why their Libby accounts have stopped working. Please explain the change to them and use the charts at the desks to help them find their new home library. A review of this process can be found on the Intranet. https://intranet.johnstonlibrary.com/?s=Rural+Polk+County

To complicate matters, the Grimes Library is temporarily closed as they transition to their new building, so we will not be changing the statistical class of those in Jefferson Township until they are reopened. For now, those patrons will continue to have access to Libby through JPL. I will post an update when we begin making the Jefferson Township changes, but for now, if someone asks, please explain that we are granting them temporary access through our library until the Grimes Library reopens.

Thank you!

Due to low enrollment and severe weather, the Teen Tutoring Night originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 14 has been postponed to Sunday, Jan. 28.