JPL Intranet

I just wanted to quickly touch base and let everyone know how the library director search is going.

The library board has put out a request for proposals from consulting firms to lead the executive search. The hope is that the library board will choose a firm in late July. Once a firm is hired, we are thinking it will be 4 to 6 months until the new director begins.

Here is a very rough estimate of the timeline which is subject to change:

• September – advertise the position
• October –  review applicants and interview candidates
• November – extend an offer
• December – library director begins

I will keep you posted each step of the way, but feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Mark your calendars. The library will be holding an All Staff Meeting on Sunday, July 23rd. The meeting will have two components:

10:45 -11:30 will be time to socialize, enjoy some food together, and enjoy some informal meetings and talking.

11:30 -12:45 will be a traditional meeting with an agenda. The agenda is in progress.

If the first session doesn’t sound like your thing – you are not required to attend. We would love to have you come to both sessions if possible. Both sessions will be paid.

Please email Molly or Peg to let us know if you will be able to attend on July 23rd so we can get When to Work updated.

Here is a little trick that I have learned the hard way – When the locked money cabinet key is not wanting to turn – firmly push in all the drawers below the cabinet. I’m not sure why exactly, but the lock will not turn if the drawers are not firmly closed.

If the lock is still wonky – you can just put the money in the cabinet without locking it and leave a note on the buildingmaintenance Slack channel for staff the next day.

Step One of our plan to utilize WTW to reflect employees’ positions during their scheduled shifts is working well, albeit with some hiccups, but we expected some. Thank you for your patience during the rollout.

We now want to roll out Step Two of our plan to better utilize WTW, which involves exclusively using the Time Off feature to request time off work and “dipping our toe” into using the Tradeboard feature.

Starting immediately, all time off requests should come through WTW and should not be requested verbally, via email or text. Why? To streamline the request process, make it more efficient and reduce the time supervisors spend on this task. If you have not used the Time Off feature of WTW, please watch this video to learn how: https://youtu.be/WN0e8pnQJ10

The City of Johnston Employee Handbook (pg 19) states that time off should be requested at least seven (7) days prior to requested day/s off and that approval is subject to adequate coverage. If multiple employees request the same day/s off, supervisors may need to use a first-come first-served approach to approving the time away from work, but every situation is unique and will be handled as such.

This is how we see the process working:

1. Employee submits time off request through WTW which initiates a notification to supervisors.
2. Supervisors or designee will review the request and approve or deny it. Don’t worry, we expect denials to be rare; just be aware it may be necessary sometimes.
3. The supervisor will review staffing levels for the requested day/s and reassign scheduled employees to different positions as necessary.
4. Based on the positions the employee is scheduled to cover on the requested day/s off, the supervisor may ask the employee to post all or part of her shift to the WTW Tradeboard. If this happens, the supervisor will teach her how to post to the Tradeboard and what will happen next. Evening and weekend shifts are the most likely shifts to be offered for trades.
5. If shifts are posted to the Tradeboard, employees eligible to work the posted positions can receive a notification, if enabled, and submit their interest in trading a shift. Anything on the Tradeboard will be approved by a supervisor. Again, supervisors are available to teach all employees how to use this feature.
6. For last minute requests, i.e. less than 7 days, TEXT your supervisor, and GET AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, in addition to submitting a time off request in WTW.

For those of you already using the Time Off feature of WTW, the only thing new is posting to the Tradeboard. If you’ve not used the Time Off feature before, your supervisor is happy to teach you and answer any questions.

It is that time of year again when I put out a reminder to be very mindful at check-in. As you may have experienced yourself, there has been an increase in patrons reporting items not getting scanned at check-in.

Just a reminder to double-check your work at the Check-in desk. Keep an eye out for books that go on display – and please, please make sure they get checked in.

Thanks for your help.

Molly

In the staff kitchen, you will find three printed charts reflecting each staff person’s In/Out schedule for the weeks of

June 18-24

June 25 – July 1

July 2 – July 8

Please look at each chart and make sure it accurately reflects your scheduled hours these weeks.

Place a check mark beside each time that is correct.

Highlight any dates that are incorrect and send Peg an email.

Thanks.

I did post this info on the intranet a few weeks ago, but I thought I would re-post about the Des Moines Symphony Yankee Doodle Pops.  It’s on Monday, July 3rd, at 8:30 PM on the Iowa State Capitol grounds.  It’s free and please feel free to bring lawn chairs, food, and beverage.  There will be vendors there as well.  If you are unable to attend, it will be broadcast live on Iowa Public Radio Classical as well as Iowa PBS.  Iowa PBS will show a re-run at 8:30 PM on July 4th.  I hope you can tune in either via media or in person!

Rose has submitted her resignation which will be effective August 2nd.

As many, if not all of you, already know that she is expecting twins in September. She has decided to focus on her new job of being a mommy!

She will be greatly missed!

A full-time Assistant Youth Services Librarian position will be posted soon and my hope is to have someone hired and started close to her resignation date.

Thank you all for your understanding as we worked through some changes with how we use When to Work.

I wanted to reach out and give you a few updates:

• This summer we will plan to publish the schedule 2 weeks at a time for Circ, YS, and PS. This Friday we will put out the next two weeks June 25 – July 1 and July 2 – July 8. Then each Friday this summer we will release one more week.
• This fall we hope to get back to scheduling out a month at a time and putting the schedule out on the 21st of the month.
• If you don’t know which weekends you work, your supervisor can let you know which weekends you work more than two weeks out.
• As always – ask if something on When to Work doesn’t seem right to you.

Happy Monday All,
A couple Adult Summer Reading items to pass on:

• If patrons have already grabbed a brochure for Adult Summer Reading but need additional tickets, please encourage them to take the extra printed paper tickets instead of another brochure. They already have the rules from their first brochure. They are welcome to take a big pile of extra tickets if they like. I’ll make sure extra tickets are available at every service desk. (pic 1)
• Every Monday, staff will draw a weekly winner who will receive a JPL Book Bag. When Ref staff have drawn the winner, they will call the patron. The bags will be labeled behind the ref desk with the person’s name. When the winner comes in, ask them if they would be willing to take a photo for library social media. They can absolutely say no, but it’s a nice way to promote the program if patron’s are willing. (pic 2)

  Thanks!

Please allow yourself some extra time this week to review your time sheet because you will be comparing it to the new When-to-Work schedule.

Hello All,
Thanks for your patience and willingness to learn a slightly new way of scheduling. I wanted to pass on a couple additional tips that might make your interaction with the new schedule better.

Accessing W2W via the Intranet and a Generic JPL Employee Login

1. I have switched out the old circ and ps desk schedules on the intranet with a link to the new W2W schedule (see pic 1).
2. When you’re starting your shift on a public desk, if it hasn’t already been done, click on the w2w link under the drop-down schedules menu on the intranet.
3. You will need to login with the general employee login, which is listed on the w2w link.
   Username is jpl-library. Password is 123Johnston.
4. Once logged in, click on Everyone’s Schedule. Change to Day instead of Week and filter to the appropriate department view: either Circulation Department or PS/YS Department.
   • Filtering with the new way we’re using W2W is the key to not being overwhelmed with information.
5.  The W2W link on the intranet is probably the fastest way to have access to the schedule when you’re on a public desk.

Accessing W2W via the Web and Your Specific Employee W2W login

1. If you’re logging in to your own W2W account rather than the generic library employee view available on the intranet, you’ll have a couple of different options that again help to not be overwhelmed with too much info when viewing the schedule.
2. If you’re logged in to your own W2W employee account and just looking at MY SCHEDULE versus EVERYONE’S SCHEDULE, I highly recommend using the Graphical View and then clicking the Change Layout link and selecting “By Employee” (see pic 2).

Accessing W2W at Home via the W2W App

9. The W2W app is probably the best way to check in on your schedule from home. When you log in with your employee login, it automatically filters out a lot of the extraneous information and focuses on your schedule.

If you’re still struggling with the new W2W schedule that includes when you’re on the desk during the day, please reach out to Beth, Megan, Molly or Dreama–or Peg once she’s back. Thanks!

Circ staff- so it will take a little work on our part to get slack added to your phones. I am happy to add it, but you all use one login, so I will have to get it added with you because it will require a passcode which will be sent to notices@johnstonlibrary.org.

Anyway- a text to me 515-210-4441 works just as well and I could post to publicservices that you will be late for an opening shift.

If you are running more than five minutes late for an opening shift (845 or 9 M-Sa or 1245 Su), you are required to post to the #publicservices channel on Slack. This will help your coworkers know that you are coming and begin the process of reassigning opening duties as needed.

We all run late from time to time. Totally understandable, but communicating that to your coworkers is required so we can efficiently open the library. If you cannot safely post to Slack that you are going to be more than five minutes late, please let your coworkers know as soon as you possibly can or-at the very least- touch base with them upon arriving at the library.

Please let your supervisor know if you have questions.

Please share this information about free summer lunches for children up to age 18.

I was informed by the Communication Manager, Janet Wilwerding, that there has been some negative feedback in the community that free lunches cannot be provided at the library or The Ave (former Chapel Ridge). Unfortunately, the library does not qualify as a free lunch site per state guidelines. The Ave was unable to participate this year.

*As a side note – Storytimes will not be by JPL but by community members and school district staff.

Hello – just another friendly reminder to please fill out the Emergency Contact Form for the City. I know that many of you have – so thank you! If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so, we appreciate you doing so this week.

Here is a copy of the form if you wish to fill it out digitally and email it directly to Janet or print it and fill it with ink, scan it, and email it to Janet. I have printed copies in the breakroom. You can just fill it out and put it in my basket.

We appreciate your help. Janet is working on a comprehensive crisis communication plan which will allow the City to effectively contact employees in the event of an emergency.

If you are regularly scheduled for 2o+ hours per week or if you work an average of 2o+ hours per week over a 12-month period, you earn PTO.

Just a reminder that your PTO balance shows up on your paycheck. We also have a report outside my office – near the timesheets folder. It doesn’t hurt to look at one of these each pay period to make sure that the amount has increased or decreased appropriately.

The Employee Handbook covers PTO on pages 19-23 including how much should be accrued each pay period based on employee classification and years of service.

If you have questions regarding your paycheck, PTO, or benefits, please contact Sammy Dickson – sdickson@cityofjohnston.com Please let Sammy know as soon as possible if you have a question or see an error.

This sheet includes contacts for common types of information or questions from City Hall for city employees.

Andrew will be playing the cello in the Des Moines Symphony Yankee Doodle Pops on Monday, July 3rd at 8:30 PM on the Iowa State Capitol grounds.  It’s free, and please feel free to bring lawn chairs, blankets, food, and beverages.  It will also be broadcast live on Iowa PBS, and I will let you know if I hear anything about Iowa Public Radio broadcasts as well as re-runs.

https://www.dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/yankee-doodle-pops/

There is also a viewing party taking place at the State Historical building, and here is a link with info about that:  https://www.dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/viewing-party-for-yankee-doodle-pops/

If you are a great singer, there is an opportunity to audition to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the Yankee Doodle Pops.  Auditions will take place on Saturday, June 24th, and hopefully their website will have info about that soon.  It’s posted on Facebook however.

From time to time Sharm Siesler, Library Foundation Treasurer, or Justin Frerichs, Library Foundation President, will pop in to pick up items.

I will put those items in the folders on the black cart near my desk. There is a folder labeled Foundation Treasurer and a folder labeled Foundation President.