Good afternoon Eric,

If you haven’t already seen the October issue of the Johnston Living magazine – Johnston Public Library won for favorite library (3 years running!) in our 3^rd annual NW Polk County Residents’ Choice!  Congratulations!!

Hy-Vee left a big black coffee urn in the meeting room during the State Library meeting today 10/20. State Library has emailed them. I moved the coffee urn into the staff break room and labeled it Hy-Vee. Please grab it for the Hy-Vee person when someone comes to pick it up.

Thanks!

Free food in the break room from the State Library of Iowa including a couple boxed lunches in the refrigerator. Please help yourself.

Andrew will be playing the cello in this weekend’s Des Moines Symphony concerts.  They’re on Saturday at 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2:30 PM.  We are playing Ragomania by William Bolcom, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra by Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 2 by St. Georges, and The Firebird suite by Stravinsky.  Charlie Albright will be our soloist, and here is the link to purchase tickets:  https://www.dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/the-firebird-2/

I will be in Los Angeles starting today through Sunday. I will be available via text, but Denise has offered to handle staffing issues that come up while I am out. Her cell is 515-441-6769 so please contact her now through Sunday if you need to call in for a shift.

In addition to Denise, Dreama is available if you have any questions today.

Outside of emergencies (see Librarian in Charge), if Denise or Dreama is not available, please use the Item/Patron Needs Attention form, and we can follow up.

The library will begin accepting donations of used books and audiovisual items. These donations will be used to stock our Book Sale Room and the Annual Lions Club Book Sale.

Please let donors know that due to limited storage at the library we can only accept up to two containers of items per donation. If they have more than two containers of items, please give them the contact information for Ron Lower, Lions Club Volunteer, at 515-371-7953. Ron will arrange a direct pickup with the donor.

Donations will continue to be placed on the black donation cart behind the Circulation Desk. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Molly or Eric.

Check-in has been much slower in the last few weeks. I would like you to please use some of your time off the desk to focus on some training available on Niche Academy.

If you do not have a Niche Academy account, please see me and I’ll help you get one set up.

On Niche Academy please watch or rewatch:

Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness (Core Training)

Mental Illness Part 1

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

If there are other videos that you would like to watch, please do so if time allows.

In addition to the above training, please spend some time looking at AncestryLibrary and LinkedIn Learning. Please watch the Niche Academy training (see the Johnston Public Library Academy rather than the Johnston Library Staff Academy) and visit the resources to see firsthand what is available.

There is no deadline to get these watched. As circulation increases, we will have less time to watch these, so let’s try to get some of this training in while it is slow.

Hey all,

New language has been added to confirmation emails that are sent after a person reserves meeting rooms and study rooms. The new sentence is about late arrivals and how long we will hold a room before making it available for others that may want to use the room.
New sentence reads:

Your reservation may be cancelled if you arrive more than 30 minutes after your start time.

Ask Beth if you have any questions. Thanks!

A new BOOK CLUB FAQ handout is available at the Circ desk by the JPL book club selections area. Please feel free to give a copy  to patrons who are interested in starting a book club or have questions about borrowing book club materials.

As always, TS staff is always happy to assist with requests or questions.

The PDF is also available under Printables/Masters

We will hold our All Staff Meeting on October 27th (the 4th Thursday) at 8 am. Your supervisor will add you to When to Work if necessary.

Eric Gradeler has joined JPL as a part-time Library Guide. You will see him working the YS and PS desks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. As you see him around the library, feel free to introduce yourself.

Beth & Megan

Dani Christensen has joined JPL as a part-time library clerk. She will be working Monday evenings and every other weekend. Please take a moment to welcome her when you get the opportunity.

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the upcoming Des Moines Symphony pops concert next Saturday the 15th at 7:30 PM at the Civic Center.  Martin Herman will be guest conducting, and Mig Ayesa will be singing music of Queen.  Not very many tickets are left, so don’t wait until Saturday!

Good morning – Please make sure all your employees know they are invited and encouraged to come to breakfast Wednesday morning at the Public Safety Building.  We’ll be having breakfast in the training room from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30.  ALL EMPLOYEES ARE WELCOME!!!

Make arrangements with your people so they understand they will still be on the clock while eating breakfast.  We have two gifts for Jim – one from the City and one from the employees/Mayor & Council.  That “presentation” will happen around 7:30ish.

Thank you!!!

Teresa Rotschafer

Assistant City Administrator/Finance

Introductory Webinar

State Library staff have already scheduled an information webinar titled “Legal Resources for You and Your Patrons” to help library staff feel more familiar with the People’s Law Library.  The date is November 17 (10:00AM)

The class description from IALearns: “Do you struggle to know how to respond when patrons approach the desk with legal questions? Have you been looking for a centralized repository of legal information?  The People’s Law Library website makes it a snap to answer patrons’ questions in three major categories: landlord-tenant law, consumer law, and family law.  The goal of this webinar is to help you better serve your patrons with these kinds of legal questions.  Additionally, presenters will cover the structure of federal, state, and municipal laws and how they interact.”

 Register in IALearns

Satellite Early Voting will be available at Johnston Public Library on

Thursday, November 3 from 10am to 4pm

Friday, November 4. 2022 from 10am to 4pm, and

Saturday, November 5 from 10am to 3pm.

Polk County General Election Info can be found here:
https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/county-auditor/election/2022-general-election/?fbclid=IwAR3Sq_WAF8xlb7PM6AGeNR9v7BXRhT283HjfxvexcJ4B7hpkL8MUlGiW3xo

If you field phone calls from patrons with more detailed questions, please direct individuals to call the Polk County Election Office at (515) 286-3247.

Hey everyone,
Tonight, 10/5, Polk County Health Department will be in the Archive Room for flu shots from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. People wishing to get a flu shot will need to register through Polk County. The reservations can be made in advance, but they can also be made tonight, while Polk County is here. The general web address is immunizepolk.com and then people can navigate to our specific JPL clinic. I have also shortened the URL to our specific clinic link: bit.ly/3BSOAGd

Tonight I will have tables out in front of the Archive room with some of our laptops and tablets for patrons to use to sign up. Patrons can also use their phones to register. I will put some of the handouts with a QR code to the JPL clinic link and the shortened URL at each public service desk.

Here’s the full event description that details insurance info:

Flu season is coming–are you ready? Come to JPL Wednesday, October 5 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm to get flu shots for the whole family. Most major insurance cards are accepted and flu shots for uninsured individuals are available for a suggested donation of $25.00, but no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. Pre-register with Polk County at bit.ly/3BSOAGd to skip the registration paperwork and be in and out of JPL quickly. The Quadravalent flu vaccine will be available in injection form only. A higher dosage flu shot for individuals 65 and older will also be available. Due to a cost increase in this high dose vaccine for individuals 65+, the Polk County Health Dept asks for a donation of $65 for the higher dose vaccine, but also will never turn anyone away.

Ask Beth if you have any questions. Thanks!

A link to this new legal resource will be added to the research page of our website.

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. October 3, 2022 State Library Launches Online Legal Resource For Iowans People’s Law Library of Iowa will Help Iowans Understand and Navigate Legal Topics Today the State Library, in partnership with the University of Iowa Law Library, officially launched the People’s Law Library of Iowa, a new legal resource website providing easy to understand information on topics related to Iowa’s laws. The website includes information on legal topics such as consumer law, family law, and landlord/tenant law, as well as guidance on researching legal issues, a glossary of more than 100 legal terms, and more. “We are thrilled to provide this resource to Iowans,” said State Librarian Michael Scott. “Our goal with the People’s Law Library of Iowa is to provide a trusted, reliable source of information on Iowa’s laws with no legalese that the average person can easily comprehend. This website will help Iowans understand their rights and feel empowered as they navigate the legal system.” Funding for the People’s Law Library of Iowa came from a portion of the State Library’s allotment from the American Rescue Plan Act. The University of Iowa Law Library spearheaded the effort to develop content for the website, with the State Library providing administrative support and contracting for the website design services. An agreement has been made to extend the partnership between the State Library and University of Iowa Law Library, and work to develop additional legal topics to add to the website has already begun. Visit and bookmark the People’s Law Library website at: www.PeoplesLawIowa.org People’s Law Library Promotional Materials Libraries can help spread the word about the People’s Law Library. Download a poster and handbill at the bottom of the page linked below to print and display for your community. Additional materials are in the process of being developed. Promotional Materials CE Training Opportunity Join us for a webinar on Nov. 17 to learn more about the People’s Law Library and how the legal system works in Iowa. Find out more and register in IA Learns at the link below! Legal Resources for You and Your Patrons: Introducing the People’s Law Library of Iowa Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. Do you struggle to know how to respond when patrons approach the desk with legal questions? Have you been looking for a centralized repository of legal information? There are two main components to this session to help you better serve your patrons with those tricky kinds of questions. The first part will be an introduction to a new resource from the State Library of Iowa and the University of Iowa Law Library: The People’s Law Library of Iowa. This website makes it a snap to answer patrons’ questions in three major categories: landlord-tenant law, consumer law, and family law. In the second part of the hour, presenters will cover the structure of federal, state and municipal laws and how they interact. In addition to the People’s Law Library, we’ll also consider and explain other main sources of online legal information for Iowans. Register in IA Learns The People’s Law Library of Iowa is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act as administered by the State Library of Iowa. 1112 East Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50319 The State Library is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

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