JPL Intranet

Sometime in the next few days our subscription to Freegal (the downloadable music service) will expire. Although this service has been popular with a subset of our patrons (121 patrons used the service in the past year), the expense –which, given our circulation, comes out to over $1/download– is hard to justify given the number of options now available for customers to hear music for free –streaming via Pandora or Spotify, for example, or simply checking out physical CDs. Please let me know if you have questions.

As part of its fiber network upgrade, the City needs to take the entire network down for approximately 4 hours this afternoon.  This will affect staff network access, Internet access, and e-mail access.  Our public network will be unaffected.  You can continue to use mobile devices on our Wi-Fi network.

Cyndee Rhames notes that the Library will be down for “a very short time.”  I don’t know how long that will be, but please log off your workstations around 3:25 p.m. so that you don’t lose any work.  I will let you know when we’re back up.

Circ staff will use Polaris in offline mode so that patrons can continue to check out materials.  Self-check will not be available.

Dreama

The new VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephone system is scheduled to be installed on Wednesday, December 17.  New phones will be set next to the existing phones, but they will not be functional.  You will continue to use your existing phone.

At Thursday’s staff meeting, we will receive training in the use of the new phones.  Thursday afternoon, the telephone company will make the switch from our current lines to the new lines and the new telephones will be activated.

This schedule is tentative and may have to change if any of steps in the process falls behind schedule.

Stay tuned.

Dreama

Over the past few days, several patrons have noted that they are no longer receiving e-mail notifications from Polaris (date due reminders, overdue notices, hold notices, etc.).  In all cases so far, these patrons have had Microsoft e-mail accounts (msn.com or hotmail.com).  Eric and I are working to resolve the problem.

In the meantime, if a patron tells you that s/he isn’t receiving notices, please note the patron’s name and send it to me.  Explain to the patron that we’re experiencing difficulties.  Circ staff will be happy to work with the patron either to add sending an additional text message to their account or to change the existing e-mail address to an alternate one.

Dreama

It’s time for our semi-annual kitchen cleanup.  As has been done in the past, we’ll be cleaning out the refrigerator. In addition, we’re also cleaning out the cupboards.

On Wednesday, December 17, all items in the cupboards will be removed and set out.  If there are items that belong to you personally, please label each item with your name and the current date.  If there are items that are used for programming such as Youth Services and Public Services, please label and date accordingly. 

Three tubs will be available for you to place items to keep.  Markers and tape will be available for labeling.   Remember to label everything before putting it in the tub:

1.  Items for programming.

2.  Items for personal use.

3.  Items for anyone to use.   Food items must not have expired.

Likewise, items in the refrigerator should be labeled and dated. 

All items not claimed by December 24 will be discarded.

Moving forward, we plan to reorganize the cupboards to provide more space for staff to store personal and programming items.  Some ideas being tossed around are to:

1.  Ask staff to label and date all items placed on shelves,

2.  Divide shelf space and label shelf with staff names and/or programming areas (no labeling of individual items required), or

3.  Purchase bins/baskets that will be labeled with a staff members  can label and store personal and programming items.

In addition, we’d like your feedback:

Which of the above three organizing methods would you prefer?

If you could change anything about the staff kitchen, what would you change?

How often and for what purpose do you use the staff kitchen?

It’s timesheet week again!   Please complete and turn your timesheets in by Thursday afternoon.

Thanks!

All the Gingerbread houses can go home.  To help remind people to take their gingerbread houses home (and I needed the Archive room back) I have placed them on the countertop behind Circ. The winners are still inside the Archive Room, but will be moved out when there is room at Circ. 

If someone asks, please let them know they are welcome to take their house home.  🙂

Thank you!

Just as a quick reminder, the Johnston Historical Museum is closed from December 1 to April 1, 2015. 

The museum phone number is 515-331-0687.

The museum is the white house that is next door to us (by the Simpson Barn).

YS Computer Lounge

• The YS PCs are back up and running
• The wires will be cleaned up and covered soon
• The sliding doors came damaged -new ones will arrive and be installed in a couple of weeks
• The new lounge furniture will arrive December 23rd
• New plastic computer chairs will arrive the week of January 5th

Old Book Drop

• Patrons are welcome to use this space as a study room until the new technology is installed
• New technology will include equipment and software to digitize photos, slides, film negatives, audio cassettes, VHS, VHS-C, and maybe 8mm
• Target date for making this technology available to the public is February

Over the next few weeks, all city departments will have their phone systems upgraded. The library is tentatively scheduled for next Thursday (12/18). This will likely mean our phones will be down that day. Once the upgrade is complete, we’ll be exploring the system’s new capabilities such as automated menus. 

Ackelson Sheet Metal will be coming sometime this week to pick up four of our black leather chairs (to turn into a sofa). Someone walking out with chairs this week=ok. Any other week=not ok.

Eric

Our new glass walls will be installed Monday -not Tuesday. Sorry about the confusion (I’ve been telling everyone it was Tuesday). I don’t really want to come in Sunday, so I’ll be taking the PCs down and moving furniture either today or Friday. The kids are free to use the PCs in the east half of the building until the YS PCs are back up on Tuesday or Wednesday.

• The library will offer popcorn tin prizes for Holidays in Johnston beginning Saturday December 6.
• Selected titles that have been designated popcorn prize winners will be on hold in Polaris for ‘ POPCORN TINS – PRIZEWINNER’.   When a customer brings the item to the desk and staff scan it for checkout, the system will respond with a blocking note 

• Respond ‘Yes’ .    Polaris will then display a second blocking note asking if you wish to reset the hold -click No

• Respond ‘No” as you do not need to reset the hold.  The item will now be checked out to the customer at the desk.
• There will be a printed list of all prize winning titles behind the front desk.   Please be sure to note the prize winner’s name beside the appropriate title and remember, only one prize winner per family.
• Prize winners cannot be checked out at Express Check.   Customers attempting to do so will get a message “Unable to check out.  Please see staff member for assistance”.   These will need to be checked out by staff at the front desk. 
• When doing the daily ‘Clean Holds’ report, ignore any unclaimed holds for POPCORN TINS – PRIZEWINNER, HOLIDAYS IN JOHNSTON.   

2015 flex plan enrollment forms are due Friday, December 12th. Please place completed forms in the in-box on my desk.

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/staff/drupal/index.php?q=filedepot_download/1430/29

The form sent to the schools states all entries have to be turned in to the library by Nov. 29 and Nov. 30.  The entries do not have to be in to the library until Friday, Dec. 5th. So, expect a lot of entries to come in on Sunday.  Staff who will receive entries have already been sent an email with explicit instructions on how to handle the entries.  Please call me or read the email if you have any questions.  I’ve shown Shery Start how to process an entry.  I will work Monday and will double check with everyone then.

Eric has asked me to share some tips about Excel at an upcoming staff meeting.  If you have particular questions about Excel, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to address them.

Thanks.

Dreama

Minutes from the October and November staff meetings are now available via the link below…

http://catalog.johnstonlibrary.com/staff/docs/staff-meeting-minutes/2014/

In addition to Starcards, we also have Johnston Partnership for a Healthy Community Pantry lists in a bookmark holder at the Circulation Desk. They say

“Help those in need in our community this holiday season by donating non-perishable food items and/or personal items. Items will be distributed through the Johnston Food Pantry and Friday Friends, a program that sends food home over the weekend for school children who experience food insecurity.”

The bookmarks contain food items as well as personal items that are in need for these two organizations. 

Patrons may take bookmarks in addition to starcards, or in place of a starcard. 

Thanks!

Hi,

Please turn in your timesheet as soon as you can. 

I will work on them Saturday morning, early…please make sure it is as accurate as possible, since none of you will be here to ask if I have questions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Missy