JPL Intranet

The two west-most Commons doors get stuck open and closed easily when it’s this cold. If you need to go in and out of the Commons right now, it would be best to use one of the middle doors.

I’d like to meet as a department next Sunday, February 28th at 1 pm via Zoom.  I’ve attached the Zoom invite to this post. I do plan on recording the meeting. Please let me know if you cannot make it or watch the recording at a later time.

Johnston Public Library is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Circ Meeting
Time: Feb 28, 2021 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83120331101

Meeting ID: 831 2033 1101
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Meeting ID: 831 2033 1101
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcVopqO2e3

We have subscribed to a new online resource called Weiss Financial Ratings Series Online which includes ratings for banks, credit unions, insurance companies, stocks, and mutual funds, plus financial planning and investment tools including medigap plan comparison. This resource fills a gap from our cancellation of our subscription to Valueline stock ratings a couple of years back. Patrons can access Weiss from home or within the library. Check it out at https://greyhouse.weissratings.com/

The new microwave in the breakroom has a convection cooking feature. Instructions are listed below.

1. Press Conv. once, “350” will flash. “Conv.”, “F” and corresponding temperature icons will display.
2. Press Conv. more times or press More or Less to choose the desired cooking temperature. Temperature selections ( 100° F):170, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425. Press to confirm.
3. Press to start preheating. When the oven preheats to the selected cooking temperature, it will beep twice; open the door and place food in oven.
4. Press number pads to enter the cooking time. The maximum cooking time is 99 minutes, 99seconds. “F” will disappear.
5. Press to start cooking. The remaining cook time will display. “Conv.” and corresponding temperature icons will flash.

A critical piece of the teen space wall that was to be installed this week arrived damaged. The installers will be back when the replacement arrives.

The breakroom microwave has bit the dust. Until the new one arrives, you can use the microwave in the East Meeting Room kitchen.

Just a reminder that the library will be closed Monday, February 15th in observance of Washington’s Birthday.

If you are printing a hold slip and you notice that the patron’s name has letters with descenders (tails) that are being cut off, please edit the patron’s registration record to capitalize all the letters their first, last and middle names.

Then reprint the slip.

It is not your responsibility to catch all of these names. If you notice them, please change them. If you notice holds with names that are hard to recognize because letters are being cut-off, please take a minute to capitalize the names and reprint the hold slip.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Starting today circulation staff will be working to get “caught up” on check-in. We will not be quarantining items for 72 hours going forward, although we are giving ourselves until February 22^nd to work through the piles of materials in the quarantine room so there still will be a delay between when items are returned and when they are checked-in.

We will not advertise this change to library users, but starting February 22^nd, we will remove the language stating that we quarantine materials for 3 – 5 days from our emails and the website.

Until February 22^nd, we will still empty the book return in the meeting room and label the tables with the date and time.

Currently, the only change to the process is that we may be checking in items sooner than 72 hours.

Please let me know if you have questions.

All,
Thanks for all your hard work as we progress through the various fun stages of COVID and our library systems and procedures morph to accommodate different levels of openness to the public. Below is a brief refresher on how to talk to patrons about library services that are being offered right now. I find it useful to talk about what we are here for right now and what types of library activities are paused due to COVID. I really like the term grab-and-go because I think it’s language familiar to patrons because of restaurants, so the implications make sense.

What We’re Here For:
Library services are intended as grab-and-go type services. We have 30-minute browsing appointments and 1-hour computer use appointments. Computer appointments also encompass other services like copying, scanning, faxing, notary appointments, and test proctoring.
And then, of course we have curbside services for pickup of holds, print jobs, and tax forms.

At this time, we’re still not open for hanging out, meeting others to use the library as a communal space, or even just reading the newspaper in a comfy chair.  Library furniture is partitioned off, play items in the Youth Services Department are put away, and study rooms and meeting rooms are not available.  Again, right now, in-person library services are intended to be a grab-and-go service. Molly will be sending info about language and steps to use when talking to patrons about holds so staff has an easier time determining where a patron’s library items might be.

Installation of the teen space wall will start next Tuesday. I’ve moved the wood music CD bins to make room for the installers to bring in the walls for the teen space. Once we’re done shifting the south/nonfiction stacks on the adult/YA side of the library, the music CDs will live in bins where the playaways/audiobooks are now.

Thanks to everyone for the vase of sunshine that just arrived on my doorstep. The flowers are lovely and just what Zig and I needed to brighten our day.

We have signed up for a new online resource called Weiss Financial Ratings Series Online that includes ratings for banks, credit unions, insurance companies, stocks, and mutual funds, plus financial planning and investment tools including medigap plan comparison.

I’d like staff to attend a one-hour training/demo on this new resource. Our rep is available everyday next week at either 9am or 1pm. Please indicate what times/days work for you via the Doodle poll linked below. I know not everyone will be able to attend. I’ll try to record the session for those that can’t make it.

https://doodle.com/poll/w82awz2h4k2s8ctk?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link

I’ll be watching the webinar described below in the Archive Room on Wednesday, February 17th at 1:00 pm for those who would like to join. If you’d like to join from your own PC, register here. A recording will be available after.

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Social Work in Rural and Small Libraries

Many libraries across the country now have an additional yet untraditional resource to provide patrons – a social worker.

Whether full time, part time, or through a partnership the presence of a social worker can be beneficial to both patrons and staff alike.

Join Tiffany Russell, LMSW, the Social Services Manager at Niles District Library (MI) to learn more about the Social Workers in Rural and Small Libraries project and the work being done to promote this initiative.

This webinar will explore this emerging field, the role social workers play, and how libraries can find creative ways to utilize social workers.

For those who missed it, a link to the recording of last week’s all-staff Zoom meeting is linked below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/100VF5D12vdqhp9nd_iX3Q-pAK3Ywo5mT/view?usp=sharing

One last bit of tax info–just a friendly reminder that we do not give out information about how a person can correctly fill out their taxes or what the correct form is for a specific situation.

If an individual needs assistance with their taxes, there are agencies offering free tax  assistance. More information about those services is available here:  https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/services/tax-forms/

Hello All! It’s Tax time! You may have started getting calls about picking up tax forms from JPL. Below is the need to know information for you to pass on to patrons.

• JPL has a limited supply of printed combined 1040/1040SR Federal Form Packets and 1040/1040SR Instruction Booklets.
• We have no printed Iowa tax  forms and no other federal forms apart from the 1040. Information about printing other federal and state forms is on the home page under the link  https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/services/tax-forms/
• To schedule curbside pickup of the 1040 Form Packet and/or 1040 Instruction Booklet, patrons can visit https://www.johnstonlibrary.com/services/tax-forms/. This page is also accessible under the Services menu on the JPL homepage or by clicking the Tax Forms link on the homepage.
• You can also schedule a tax pickup appointment for patrons through the same link if they don’t have access to wifi.
• We have a limited supply of these preprinted forms and booklets so we’re asking one form/booklet per household. Additional copies may be printed from a JPL public computer.

Here’s a script you can use with patrons when you receive phone calls requesting tax forms:

• • JPL has a limited supply of 1040/1040SR form packets and 1040/1040SR Instruction Booklets available for patrons.
  • How soon were you hoping to pick up the 1040 Federal tax forms?
  • If they can wait for an appointment–I would be happy to make a curbside pickup appointment for you… (you can make this appointment by clicking the tax form link and then clicking the appointment schedule link
  • If you were hoping to pick it up right away, you’re welcome to pop into the library and grab a form from staff seated by the front entrance.
  • If patrons are needing Iowa forms, or other federal forms, staff can either make a computer appointment for the patron so they can come in and print forms themselves, or direct patrons to johnstonlibrary.com/print-pickup to submit a print pickup request for the additional forms needed.
  • If the patron doesn’t have access to the internet, and need tax forms printed, the call should be directed to Public Services Staff who will print off forms  and create a curbside print pickup appointment for the patron.

Council member Scott Syroka has announced that he’s taken a position in the Biden administration and that he will resign from the Johnston City Council. I assume a special election will be held or the mayor will appoint an interim replacement.

I only work from 9am – 1pm on Friday. Please make sure I have your time sheet by Noon at the latest. Thanks!