"Polar Express" Comes to Webb Wesconnett

Webb Wesconnett Branch created their own wonderland and held a Polar Express party, December 22, featuring the movie. Some attendees had the pleasure of "riding" in CW's "Express" (chairs lined up like a train and hemmed by garland as seen in picture at left) as they watched the film. Christmas carols were sung and popcorn, sugar cookies, and hot chocolate were served.

This was CW's second year hosting this holiday program and 122 people, including parents and grandparents, enjoyed the festivities. Staff gave out 50 tickets and both years they have had people waiting to get in, hoping to pick up tickets from no-shows.
Pictured right above are Merikris Boado, Laurie Mills, and Victoria Hill, some of the staff that made this program a grand success.

THANK YOU, DONORS TO UNITED WAY--OR ANY WAY YOU GIVE

$14.963.73 is JPL's final total for United Way funds collected for 2010. JPL people have caring hearts. Many of you give to UW and/or to many other needs in our community.

May all your giving and caring for others come back to you a thousand ways--each and every one of you.

In addition to UW donors, JPL's branch, Main, and SST United Way representatives are to be commended for their dedication and seeing that funds were turned in on time.

Special fundraisers at the library occurred for the first time. Center for Adult Learning Manager Sharon Jaskula brought in numerous items and Jennifer Martinez helped with CAL's raffle; they raised $200. Hazzel Sutton, Special Collections UW rep, raffled a beautiful vase with glass flowers and raised $70--on one vase! And we had the usual City wide Staff Sale in Hemming Plaza that garnered about $100, and most of that was on cookie sales.

Jim Patterson and Pam McClellan worked hard to get all the donations together and we turned it all in just in time to enjoy and wish Y O U Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays!

Capacity Plan Status Report

Key Information

The Board Capacity Plan Committee has requested three sets of capacity recommendations:
1. 10% budget reduction
2. Status quo operations
3. Ideal operations

Capacity Plan Components

Communications Plan - Four public meetings were held, and online comments were accepted, to introduce the capacity planning process, and gather community input about the library’s priorities and services for the future.

Received: 1) Stakeholder Interview Notes Summary, 2) Summary of Comments from Four Community Meetings, 3) Website Comments Summary

Expected: 1) Four additional public meetings will be held to report the key findings and recommendations, 2) Communications Plan to market the capacity plan and specific capacity plan elements, and to help ensure that staff, stakeholders and the community are familiar with the outcome of the planning process and understand how it impacts them, 3) Action Plan with timelines to achieve recommendations.

Reduction, Status Quo and Ideal Scenario Recommendations

Draft Reports Received: 1) Reduction Scenario - JPL Schedule Option, 2) Status Quo Scenario - Services & Facilities Functional Assessment, 3) All three scenarios – Alternative Model Libraries (defined as less than a full-service facility, with minimal staffing).

Expected: 1) Ideal Scenario – White Paper based on Buxton data for ideal library locations if starting “from scratch”, 2) A presentation from the consultants that ties all of the data together to present a clear, transparent plan to present to the Mayor and the Council.

Facilities

Received: 1) Space Planning Guidelines and Preliminary Standards, 2) Physical Assessment of Library Buildings, 3) Building retrofit costs, 4) Functional Assessment of Facilities (includes manager and staff input)

Expected: 1) Long Term Facilities Plan

Information Technology

Received: 1) Information Technology Report Draft

Services

Expected: 1) Service Capacity Report

Market Segmentation

Received: 1) Mosaic Descriptions of Customer Profile Groups, 2) Model Draft Report (includes drive time, trade areas, segmentation profiles by branch, customer profiles by material category and branch, and score sheets that indicate branch materials use compared to JPL average use).

Expected: 1) Cross Over Charts, 2) Computer use data added to score sheets

Funding

Expected: 1) Sustainable funding plan

Next steps

1) Capacity Plan Committee Meeting – December 17, 9-12, Conference Center, Room G4. Consultants will share key findings and recommendations.
2) Administrative Team visits to branches to share key findings.
2) Four Public Meetings are scheduled in January:
January 11, 2:30-4:00, Beaches
January 11, 7:00-8:30, Highlands
January 12, 2:30-4:00, Graham
January 12, 7:00-8:30, Southeast
3) Final Capacity Plan Committee meeting – February 8, 9:00-12:00, Conference Center, Room G4.
4) When the final capacity plan report has been received by the Board, JPL will have 60 days to provide the Mayor and Council with recommendations for action by the legislative and executive branches of government.
5) COJ Budget workshops will be held February – April.

United Way - Did You Know?

December 7 is the deadline to turn in United Way donations to your JPL United Way representative. Please help us complete this capaign on time. Many people will be helped by our donations. Here are a few facts about where our donations go:

United Way's phone number 2-1-1 offers free, confidential information and referral 24/7 to North Florida and 117,00 referrals to callers were made in 2009; of these, 21,000 to callers who needed food, shelter, and clothing.

In the past two years, the RealSense Prosperity campaign returned over $10 million to low-moderate income families through the Earned Income Tax Credit. Nearly $6 million was saved by tax payers using RealSense free tax preparation over this same period. Clients saved over $3 million using this free tax service, and 23,000+ student hours were logged in all classes for free financial education.

UW's Achievers for Life's Dropout prevention initiative focused on 6th grade students at risk for academic failure. Through 2009, this program achieved a 20% improvement in GPA and 36% fewer absences. Our local economy is affected and the safety of our neighborhoods because dropouts cost all of us big time!

And on and on the help goes: the UW of NE Florida Community Fund invests in 87 programs in 60 agencies, all addressing our community's needs from infancy to the oldest in our five county area.

UW's Community Fund contributions are reviewed, invested and monitored by more than 100 local, trained, unpaid volunteers who themselves are contributors. Got more Qs? Find your answers at: http://www.uwnefl.org/about.asp

Staff Profile

Most JPL staff know Kathy Tekin, Youth Services Library Supervisor. You might not know the interesting path she took to her current position and all that she and her staff do so diligently to contribute to JPL's success.

1. What experience prepared you to supervise Youth Services?

I’ve spent many years working in a variety of library settings, starting as an elementary media specialist for Harper Creek Schools and then for four schools in Battle Creek, Michigan.

My first public library position was as a children’s librarian for Howell Carnegie District Library, housed in an 80-year-old building. After four years in that building, we moved to a newly renovated, expanded building. I worked closely with the contractors and architects during the building phase.

My next adventure was with the St. Johns County Public Library in St. Augustine where I served as a teen librarian and later promoted to branch manager of public service.

JPL is the largest library system I have worked for; I was hired as a children’s librarian at Highlands in June 1998, then promoted to Programming Supervisor in 2002. JPL is rewarding to me, working with staff and our community to create awareness of our library's many services.
Working in various library settings I saw how each area of a library can impact and influence other areas and the impact of programming in a branch and in a large library system like this. The Executive Leadership Academy helped me hone my skills with project management--as I worked on a project for JPL--and in communication. As a result of this course, the position of Early Childhood Specialist was created.

My most challenging role was as a branch manager and an Interim Library Director for the Howell Carnegie Library where I was involved in day-to-day operations and the project management aspects of the new building.

2. What programs have you seen JPL develop that have helped our community most?
JPL has had the opportunity to implement a number of youth services programs that have made a great impact in this community. After the Main Library was built, we could hold many more programs because we now had the space. We have dedicated children’s and teen spaces that were not in the Haydon Burns Library, and that has allowed Youth Services staff the opportunity to be creative and prolific with programs. Two of the most recent programs that have been a big success are Prime Time Family Reading Time and Teens Make a Difference.

Prime Time is a 6-week reading and storytelling program for families whose children are struggling to read and develop the necessary literacy skills to perform at their grade level. The program encourages families to read and discuss meaningful children’s books together and enables parents with limited literacy skills to create a home environment supportive of their children and their reading development.

The first stop of the three series program was at Bradham Brooks Northwest Branch, and after the six weeks concluded, we had served more than 26 family members. Each week we served a meal to the families and then had storytime. Families were sad when the six week program ended. All the families had grown close and had a rapport with the library staff, the scholar, and the storyteller. The case was the same at UPK as at NW, even though attendance nearly doubled to 49 family members.

Teens Make a Difference began in spring 2010 with seven teen interns. We are now in our second round of interns and as with Prime Time, we have nearly doubled our numbers. We now have 13 teen interns, who work at University Park, Regency, Webb, Argyle and Main. The teens work in a variety of capacities and in many different departments including, circ, reference, Talking Books, children’s and teen. They handle daily tasks such as shelving, helping customers with computers, finding materials, program planning, support and check outs.

3. How do you and your staff of three get all those youth programs ready and rolling?
A lot of planning and even more teamwork. I am so appreciative of my staff and their willingness to work hard to get the job done. Prime Time Family Reading Time is a great example of lots of teamwork within our staff and with our community partners. Planning and developing the path for successful programs is crucial and all players need to be on the same page.

Teens Make A Difference has been successful due again in part to community partners and JPL staff teamwork. The pilot for this program had seven teens working in three library locations that are easy to monitor and establish the criteria for success. This semester we have 13 teens in five branches and again we are successful due to partners and library staff. This Internship Program is reaching out to students who need that first break to obtain job skills that will be helpful in their future endeavors . They have a clear understanding of our expectations and they know they are contributing to their own growth.

4. How will Youth Services play a vital role in JPL’s future?
Through programs that meet the interest and needs of our youth. The interests of today’s youth are constantly changing--something that was new and exciting to them one day, will be out-of-date the next. By evaluating the trends, trying new programs and services, and asking for their involvement in helping determine their likes and dislikes, JPL's Youth Services will remain educational, fun, and relevant .

5. What is something you would like to share about yourself that most of us don’t know?
I thoroughly enjoy gardening and a variety of needlework styles like cross stitch and crocheting.

Mark Ely, Librarian, Southeast Branch, Retires

On December 3rd, Mark Ely, Librarian and resident cataloging expert, retires after 21 years with JPL. Mark has worked at three different libraries during his employment, Regency Square, Charles Webb-Wesconnett, and Southeast. Mark will be sorely missed as he has been the go to guy for difficult cataloging problems at Southeast.

Mark plans to begin his retirement by joining a gymnasium to improve his health and also start a gardening hobby. We wish Mark the very best in his future endeavors, and of course, as many as could came to add their personal wishes at a recent party in his honor. Pictured left to right, Theresa Barmer, Manager, Mark Ely, and Bob Silkett, Librarian Senior.

Latanza Sutton organized an employee art show at Mandarin in November. She modeled the way for her fellow staff members to show their artistic side. Congratulations to Latanza for using her leadership skills so creatively.

And check out Mandarin's new

display highlighting Imani the

Swahili word for faith. The

figures featured in the display are on loan from the collection of Carolyn Woods.

Kudos from Customers

Mandarin Branch - "Mary has been very helpful. She is very pleasant."

Pablo Creek Branch - "Complimentary comment about library associate Kim Greenwood was received 11/15/2010. Original comment card was lost, but comment was along these lines: Librarian Kim Greenwood is always professional, helpful, knowledgeable and pleasant."

University Park Branch - "I would like to let you know what a good job Mina Figuerrez is doing at UPK. She sponsors or heads all of your cultural programs. She does an outstanding job of organizing and setting up these programs. I look forward to attending all of your programs and I appreciate good leadership and organizational skills such as Ms. Mina shows. ..."

Willowbranch Branch - "Jason Brown is an amazing librarian and his customer service is great!"

Award Winners of JPL's 4th Quarter FY09/10

Pictured L/R are Julie McNeil, winner of the Employee of the 4th quarter and Enable Others to Act. Julie is Library Supervisor of several areas at the Main Library: Popular, Teen, Talking Books and Inter Library Loan. Next to Julie is Jill Haile, Librarian Senior in the Collection Development Department, which is housed at University Park Branch. In the center is Sandra Lockley, Library Assistant at Webb Wesconnett Branch, winner of Model the Way. Ashlee Song is a Part-Time Clerical employee at Pablo Creek Branch, and another winner of Model the Way. Greg Pierce, Library Associate at West Regional Branch, is winner of Encourage the Heart award.

These exemplary employees were recognized at the Library Board meeting, November 10, when this picture was taken. They are a beautiful representation of JPL's success and all of us congratulate you!

Webb Wesconnett Gets in the Mood of Halloween

Webb Wesconnett took Halloween to a new level on October 29 as kids wandered through Miss Laurie's (Mills) scary forest. She told them a story about creepy things they might find in the forest. Fog and dry ice embellished effects with lights out, candles burning, and outdoor sounds of scary wolves, owls, cats and crickets. They played "How to Train Your Dragon" in the library children’s department and games like "Sweep the Pumpkin Down the Aisle". Bags of candy treats topped off their event. It was a wonderful turnout with 88 kids attending this program.

Staff weren't to be outdone and pictured left to right are Vickie Leonard and Sandra Lockley, seated. In the back (L/R) are Carol Bunker, Pat Turner, and Melloney Shepherd.

30 Years? Yes, 30 Years - Congratulations, Carolyn Williams!

Carolyn Williams, Deputy Director, was truly surprised November 9 when staff threw her a celebratory luncheon honoring her 30 years with JPL. Not only did Director Barbara Gubbin pay tribute to her many contributions through the years, but Library Board Chair Jim Selzer also added his words of appreciation.

Trustee Brenda Simmons congratulated Mrs. Williams and said she has known her

since they attended church together as children.

Barrett King, Deputy Director, Administration, presented Mrs. Williams with her 30 year pin.

Mrs. Williams' husband, Vaughn, also joined in the fun (left). Ava Barrett, Main Library Administrative Supervisor, Diane Alexander, CSAII, Tenesha Anderson, Library Assistant, and Stephanie Harley, AR Clerical Supervisor, did the lion's share of planning. Many employees throughout the library system brought an abundance of culinary delights and proved once again that they know how to do it right.

We believe Carolyn knows we appreciate her personally and all she has done professionally contributing to the great success of the Jacksonville Public Library.

Southeast - Brief Encounters of Some Kind

On October 30, the day of the Halloween Costume Parade put on by the Children’s Department, a number of Southeast employees dressed for the occasion. Pictured from left to right are Barbara Hughes (Library Assistant), Ananth Subramanian, (CSII), Lauren Banks, (CSII), Carisia Rooney(Children’s Librarian), Melissa Snowden (CSII), Marela Cajic (CSII), and Alan Clark (Librarian). Pictured above are “out of control” robots caught eating mass quantities of candy to be given out to the participants of the Children’s Halloween parade.

Staff Profile

Ed Murray currently holds the title of Library Supervisor of South Mandarin Branch Library; however, he is a multi talented man, who has a cram packed experience relating to library management long before JPL days.

Q: What fostered your interest in library management?
A: I resisted librarianship when I first graduated college, and worked on Wall Street for several years with American Express. I considered law school, too, but found libraries to be a better fit. I worked at the Brooklyn Public Libraries while attending Pratt Institute and felt confident in that decision. Maybe I never had a chance; my mom was pregnant with me while she worked circulation desks at the Newark Public Library. At first, I never considered the profession to be a very macho pursuit, but I eventually caught librarianship like a disease.

Q: How long and in what areas of library management have you served?
A: I’ve been a librarian for 25 years, initially in New York and upstate. I was a 35-year-old Library Director of the Escanaba Public Library (MI.) There we passed a multiple-million dollar bond issue, built a new building, and automated the collection. I also did things like march in a parade dressed as Clifford the Big Red Dog and pumped free ice cream to kids from a rented truck. I’ve spent much of my career as the Executive Director of the Public Library of New London (CT.) Before coming to Jacksonville, I was Executive Director of Libraries Online, Inc., a 22-member multi-type consortium providing wide area networks, ILS, and Internet services to a region running along the Long Island Sound coast and up the Connecticut River.

Q: What is special about South Mandarin Branch?
A: Pound-for-pound South Mandarin is the Mighty Mouse of the regionals. (I tell the staff we’re like 10-pounds of mud packed into a 5-pound bag. ) South Mandarin was never architecturally designed to be a regional, yet we’re consistently the 4th or 5th busiest location in JPL on a month-to-month basis. We see this through the often filled parking lot, and the painted parking lot lines completely worn from the traffic. The people who work at SoM have much to do with this dynamic, working well with the public and enthusiastically celebrating success. (They know how to party.)

Q: What components do you think are necessary to keep customers coming back to the library?
A: For many of our customers, South Mandarin is another one of many retail outlets available to them on San Jose Blvd. Many of those folks look to us for the “latest and greatest”- particularly in DVD film releases. We hope to maintain those expectations. We continue to also focus on our customer service.

Q: Do you have leisure time interests that don’t include “library”?
A: Many. I’m a long time kung fu practitioner. (I’m admittedly

entering the tai chi part of my life!) For some years I’ve been a

passionate ballroom and Latin dancer (foxtrot, waltz, swing, salsa, tango, merengue, cha cha, bachata, hustle, tango.) I’ve also become a pretty fair trumpet player, and often arrange my own pieces. (I recently played at my niece’s wedding in Atlanta’s Catholic Cathedral, it took a lot of my air to compete with their amazing pipe organ.) Libraries and family keep me very busy, however, and keeping up with a schedule of appearances and rehearsals preclude me from playing in a regular band. Maybe in my post-library period.

Halloween Luncheon on BOB in SST

Debbie Moore of Support Services suggested to Cindy Chism a Halloween Luncheon might be a fun activity at the end of October. Cindy revved into high gear with decorations that transformed the BOB area into the “Bat Cave” or perhaps a somewhat scary haunted house for the month of October. Staff signed up to bring delectables such as Witch’s Fingers (breadsticks w/ almond “fingernails”), Hot Dog Mummies and more traditional lunch time goodies. And a new use for the BOB roller/conveyor was found—a lunch time smorgasbord on little wheels.

A number of staff went the whole nine yards and clown costumes, vampires, 60s fashionistas and a Victorian Lady Steam Punk (Cindy Chism, top pic) could be seen in SST on Friday October 29th. Other staff who didn’t dress for the occasion were only able to say, “Wait till next year!” If you had stopped by SST after all of the eating was done you could have found a few staff doing the Electric Slide to work off some calories. Pictures of the dancers were withheld to protect “the innocent”, but this reporter could perhaps be persuaded to reveal who was getting down and maybe even sharing a picture or two for the right payment—say a Halloween candy bar or two! (Middle pic: Gretchen Mitchell's back to camera and Jill Haile admiring the feast; bottom pic: L/R: Cynthia Byrd, Charlene Adkins, Vondera Brown and Debbie Moore. Sorry, AJ, your full face did not get through.)

Oktoberfest Is Really Happy Birthday at SOM

No birthday went unnoticed at South Mandarin Branch, October 28. when five staff birthdays were celebrated: Tylor Grady and Katherine McDaniel, Shelvers; and Aracelis Diaz, Melanee Terrell and Doreliz Montero, Library Clerks.

The beautiful cake is no more, thanks to other staff, who lifted a slice of cake, instead of a beer stein, at what was called their Oktoberfest. Pictured L/R: Front: Suzanne Waller, Library Assistant, Taylor Brandt, Shelver, Toni Rachel, Library Associate, Senior, Aracelis Diaz, Terrian Adams, Library Clerk, Melanee Terrell, Library Clerk, and Doreliz Montero, Library Clerk. Back: Charles Summey, retired Library Clerk, Larry Robinson, Shelver, Pat Dowdell, Library Assistant, Ed Murray, Library Supervisor, Betty Williams, Library Associate, Seniorr, and Karen Dwyer, Librarian.

UPK Makes "Unshelved" News

You might want to see how University Park Branch scored with "Unshelved" for a display they created:

http://www.unshelved.com/2010-10-10/The_Unshelved_Book_Club_at_Work?utm_source=Overdue+Media&utm_campaign=419bd6c372-UA-127250-5&utm_medium=email

Kudos from Customers

Beaches Branch: “…The commitment and professionalism displayed by the Facility Manager, Ms. (Sally) Doherty, in addition to…Tony Williams…suffice it to say ‘Professional at it’s Best’!”

Main – Admin: “…I went to a wonderful gathering at the St. John's Cathedral. I would personally like to thank the public library for sponsoring such an event. Special thanks go out to your Deputy Director Carolyn Williams. She gave an inspiring speech. …”

Main Library - Popular: “I wish to acknowledge Matthew Moyer (for)…listening closely to my concerns, making suggestions, or taking the time to research before giving a reply. It is so refreshing to find another City worker who takes pride in doing the job correctly and is willing to offer respect.”

Mandarin Branch: “My daughter CONTINUOUSLY requests that we go...where "Mr. David (Foster)" works. He is very kind & helpful!”

University Park Branch: “Great service! Gail (Midon) gives superior service. Josh Wise @ front counter is very professional, well spoken, and very helpful.”

Capacity Plan - October Report

Four public meetings held at Northwest, Mandarin, South Mandarin and Webb were attended by 100 library customers who offered their ideas for providing quality programs and services in a cost-effective way. Ideas ranged from increasing volunteers to improving communications to trimming costs. Customers who could not attend the meetings had an opportunity to share ideas online, and over 100 comments were received. Ideas, comments and priorities from the community will be considered by the consultants and incorporated into the Capacity Plan.

As a result of public interest in the capacity planning process, ILS has created a page for the Capacity Plan on JPL’s website. The purpose of the page is to post information and documents during the capacity planning process so staff and the public can keep abreast of developments.

The Capacity Plan is now linked from About the Library. It is listed in the yellow floatbox on the right as one of the options to click to learn more about the library.

http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/about.html
http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/capacity-plan-page.html

Please let us know what you think!

Who Likes Diced Fingers?

The Southeast Branch Fun Bunch has been at it again!

A riddle was recently sent to each branch through the delivery totes with the understanding that the first two branches to respond correctly would win a GRUESOME October prize.

The riddle was: Name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Answer: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow!

Congratulations to the first two branches that had the right answer: Brentwood and Highlands! They will receive their prizes, including diced fingers. Regency Square and Webb Wesconnett also deserve a drum roll; they both won honorable mention prizes. All the winners will receive their prizes through tote delivery soon.

Thanks to those who participated and look for more opportunities to win in the future.

In keeping with the Halloween season, pictured are (left to right)Blake Fowler, CSII; Crystal Kadkhodaie, CSII; Deborah Wainwright, Circulation Supervisor; Mirela Cajic, CSII, and kneeling is Melissa Snowden, CSII, showing some of the gruesome prizes for the first place winners.

The Fun Bunch is a rotating group of Southeast staff members who add a little fun to our daily life at JPL.

Pirates Party at Webb Wesconnett

Brothers of the First Coast Pirate group garnered 72 people of all ages at Webb Wesconnett Branch recently and talked about pirates and displayed pirate items.

Staff decorated the room with pirate loot and the program included pirate games. Children were asked to come in pirate dress and everyone had fun being a pirate for the day--especially "Captain Hook".

Laurie Mills, Library Associate, is in the process of making a collage of children's programs to be hung on the wall so kids can see themselves when they participated in different programs.

Hispanic Heritage Day Celebrated at CW

Webb Wesconnett celebrated Hispanic Heritage Day, September 18. Jessica Serrano (in picture at left, far right), Library Associate, danced with the Venezuelan group.

Another dance group, Raices De Colombia, also performed in their colorful outfits, and the 69 people in attendance, as well as the dancers, had a great time.

Webb's Toddler Time Is Maxed Out Every Week

Programs for all ages are very populare with all of JPL customers. Laurie Mills holds Toddler Time every Wednesday at Webb Wesconnett Branch. They do exercises and then pre-K activities, such as finger painting fall trees.

High demand for this class resulted in preegisration being required. Now they can only take the first 16 toddlers and parents who arrive before 11:00 each Wednesday. This program is always full.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month & JPL Is SEEing RED

JPL and Verizon Wireless are partnering with Hubbard House and Victim Services Center to promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. The Main Library is hosting an exhibit, SEE RED, and accompanied it with a display of books, DVDs, and information about domestic violence. Director Barbara Gubbin said, "Libraries play an important role in educating the public about critical issues facing our community." JPL's 21 libraries will serve as collection sites for used cell phones until October 29 in support of this effort. See Kathy Lussier's October 5 "JPL Main" email for full details. We can make a difference.

Staff Profile

Mitesh Sangani is the Conference Center Manager at the Main Library. He brings a rich experience to his position, as you can see. He recently was named Employee of the Third Quarter and was a winner of R&R's Enable Others to Act.

Q: You’ve been with JPL about four years. What professional background prepared you to be the Conference Center Manager?

A: I started working in the hospitality industry at the age of 16; my first job was cleaning rooms at my father’s Days Inn property in Newberry, South Carolina. I have also worked with the Holiday Inn and Cendant group of Hotels within the United States. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, I moved back to London in 1993 and starting working at the Royal Lancaster Hotel and eventually ended up at the London Elizabeth Hotel as the Duty Manager. In Sydney, Australia I worked briefly at the Wentworth Hotel as a bartender until I returned to London and started working as a Business Development Manager for Crown Venue Catering (Crown Group). I earned a distinction with the Crown Group after helping the company win and retain their long term multi-million pound contracts at various professional soccer clubs (Tottenham Hotspur, Birmingham City, and Fulham). I also worked at some prestigious venues in London, such as Church House (Westminster Abbey), Gibson Hall, (left) and 2 Michelin Star restaurant Midsummer House in Cambridge. In 2003, I booked an event with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. I moved to the United States in 2004 and started working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida before joining JPL in 2006.

Q: What kinds of organizations or individuals use the Main Library Conference Center?

A: Various nonprofit groups such as the American Institute of Architects, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the United Way, and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce host annual events at the Main Library. We have a thriving wedding clientele with over 20 weddings per year for the last three years , in addition to our celebrity visitors such as Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Bush during her UNICEF book tour, renowned American pianist Roger Williams and celebrity chef Paula Deen.

Q: You manage the Conference Center with limited staff. How do you do that when there are one, two, or three events scheduled concurrently?

A: Managing the Conference Center is a very challenging position; we make it work with a dedicated and ambitious team effort. Will Daniels (far right) has over 15 years of hospitality experience in hotels, catering and banqueting. Chris James(extreme left, Mitesh Sangani & Frank Smith, who recently passed away) has been with the Main Library for over four years and has a great working knowledge of the building. Our part-time staff (past and present) blend in and work well without supervision. Currently, Sheldon Wright is our part-time helper but previously the position was held by Joe Napier (Main-Circulation) and Nathan Fuller (West Regional-Circulation). We also receive key logistical support from the Administration team led by Barrett King, Carolyn Williams, Ava Barrett and Luis Flores.

Q: What is the funniest or most unusual situation you have encountered with the myriad of people you have dealt with?

A: While working at the London Elizabeth Hotel, built originally from three town houses in 1850 and rumored to be haunted, I once found a naked guest roaming around the hotel just after midnight on Christmas Eve, who was staying in the Lord Greville Janner suite, named after a former member of parliament and current member of the House of Lords. The guest claimed to be going for a walk at nearby Hyde Park to feed the ducks!

Q: Do you have a favorite pastime, book, or author?

A: When I’m not working, I like to spend time with my son, Rohan (pictured above with Mitesh), enjoy going on weekend road trips with the family, and occasionally play golf. My favorite book is The Odessa File, by Frederick Forsyth.

Four JPL Staff Attend Nurturing Knowledge: Early Childhood Coaches' Institute

Chiquita Powell, Sara Mills, Laura Minnich and Susan Mankowski were invited to participate in the Nurturing Knowledge: Early Childhood Coaches' Institute, August 30 - September 2, 2010, here in Jacksonville. Presenters spoke on topics such as policy, assessment, importance of movement, and brain development. If you are interested in the exciting details, you can email Ali Johnson-Loftin at alij@coj.net and she will send you the entire PowerPoint coverage of their four-day learning experience.

A Day to Celebrate at South Mandarin Branch

September 23rd saw the Years of Service pinning of Librarian Betsy Hogan and Clerical Supervisor Linda Ehnert. Betsy was recognized for 20-years service, having worked at nearly every facility in JPL. Linda was recognized for 10-years service; she has served at Mandarin, Webb, and South Mandarin Branches. Deputy Director Carolyn Williams presented the awards and a reception followed

Those of us who could not be there want to join in the HIP HIP HOORAY and say thank you for your many contributions to JPL's success during your years at JPL.

Winners of Floating Q&A Contest

Mark Hohnadel, who works n the Floating Committee, reports that in the drawing held for the winners of the Floating Q&A Contest, Keli Likins, Teen Librarian Sr.,won first prize, a $25 Simon Gift Card. Richard Mott, JPL's Training Coordinator, won a USB port. A big thank you to JPL for providing these prizes and to Gretchen Mitchell and the Floating Collection Committee for promoting this contest while giving us the heads up about how Floating Collection will work.

Center for Adult Learning Celebrates 25 Life Changing Years

On September 2, 2010, JPL's Center for Adult Learning marked its 25th Anniversary with a huge celebration at the Main Library, attended by more than 220 guests. Keynote speaker Deborah Gianoulis (far right in pic at left) joined volunteers, students, staff, library administration and supporters from the Friends and Foundation to honor several “lifetime achievers”.
Congratulations, CAL!

Wally Bowden, Graphics Artist, worked with CAL staff to create READ posters of several CAL students; the posters are now on display in CAL in recognition of Florida Literacy Month.

Congratulations are due Sharon Hastings Jaskula, too. She has been with JPL since 1987 when she worked in Community Relations. Later that year, she trnsferred to CAL as a Literacy Program Specialist, and Jean Brinkman, her former supervisor, later promoted Sharon to Literacy Program Supervisor. She and her capable staff do a great service to this community.

Floating Q&A Prize Awards

Two prizes for winners who responded to Floating Collection questions, previously posted on this blog, will be awarded Thursday, September 23, 2010, by COB, and winners will be notified via email. The first prize is a $25 SIMON gift card and the second prize is a jump drive.

Kudos from Customers

Bradham Brooks Northwest: Ms. (Maude) Scott did a great job! Good job involving students. …”

Main – 2nd Floor Reference: “Mr. (Ed) Lein…excellent customer service handling irate patron.”

Main –Children’s: “Kenya (Coleman) was very helpful in locating the book that I had on hold …”

Mandarin Branch: “Shivon Rockward did a phenomenally professional job assisting me in locating a high demand book.”

Pablo Creek Branch: “Carol (Bailey), Gail (Blumberg) , Susan (Williamson), Stephanie (Harley), Padma (Subramanian) & everyone at PCR perform with the utmost respect. …”

Volunteer & Community Advocate Gail Melton Honored at UPK

A lifelong volunteer, Gail Melton, passed away April 13, 2009. She was a regular customer at University Park Branch Library and played an integral role in getting the branch built. She lived in the area for more than 30 years and was a tireless advocate for the community. Subsequently, the Library Board of Trustees decided to honor her and the City Council passed a Resolution (left with her picture). On August 13, 2010, a ceremony was held to dedicate the Gail Melton Community Room at UPK. The celebration included family, friends, City Council members and library staff.

Councilman John Crescimbeni emceed the event and read the Resolution outlining Ms. Melton’s many community achievements. Councilmen Clay Yarborough and Dr. Johnny Gaffney hung a portrait of Ms. Melton and the framed Resolution on the Community Room wall as a remembrance of this much-loved library supporter.

Capacity Plan - September Report

The Capacity Planning process for September centers on four public meetings to obtain community ideas about delivering quality programs and services in a cost effective way. In advance of those meetings, over 100 comments have already been received from customers and will be incorporated into the results. The three categories getting the most comments are fines, computers, and hours. Encourage your customers to attend the public meetings!

Our consultants are still in the data gathering phase of the project. They have finished functional and electrical/mechanical evaluations of the facilities, and will complete the architectural evaluations in September with Main and Regency. A staff facilities survey is currently underway. The facilities data, along with recommendations from customer segmentation profiles, will be used to create a long term facilities plan and provide recommendations for facilities changes. Data analysis is underway to complete customer segmentation profiles for each library. These profiles will define trade areas and provide recommendations about materials, services, hours and library location.

The plan is expected to be completed by February 2011.

If you have questions about the capacity planning process, please contact any member of the Capacity Plan Team: Melonee Slocum (Project Manager), Barbara Gubbin, Carolyn Williams, Barrett King, Luis Flores, Gretchen Mitchell, or Kathy Lussier.

Staff Profile

As a Library Assistant at Willowbranch Branch Library, Jason Brown has been dubbed “Mr. Willowbranch” because he knows his customers’ reading interests well and has great customer service skills. He is also a self-taught artist, who has self-published a mini-comic art book that he distributes at comic book conventions and has used his talents to improve library service.

Q: What is unique about Willowbranch and its customers that has kept you there most of your 11+ years with JPL?

A: I worked at Murray Hill for about a year and a half and have worked at WB for over 10 years now. I could not imagine working at another branch. We tend to get a diverse range of people walking through our doors. For me, it has always been about people and the information the library has to offer them. I enjoy helping, especially after getting to know certain visitors over a period of time. I feel like I am making a difference to people in the Riverside community. There is variety in my job since each patron's interests are different. I love talking about books and movies with customers.

Q: What qualities do you think a person needs to serve library customers well and enjoy doing it?

A: A calm demeanor is important. Patience. Being nice. One needs to love information.

Q: What is the most important thing you have learned in your career with the library?

A: Being surrounded by so much information and people seeking information in all areas, I learn something new every day. On a professional level, I have learned the importance of excellence in customer service. As a customer myself, I notice a lack of customer service skills in general; therefore, at work I put emphasis on being kind and thorough.

Q: You have used your artistic talents well as a Library Assistant. Tell us about that.

A: I have not really used them lately in the library. When Keith Hayes was the Children's Librarian at Willowbranch, he would have me draw scenes and characters from children's picture books to use for his story time. I would pencil and ink them and he would color them. We also had what we called the Willowbranch Tower. It was a mock up of a building, made of construction paper with little windows and it was adhered to the wall next to the children's desk. I would pencil and ink various characters, such as Peanuts, Muppets and Clifford, and he would shrink them down to less than half an inch. Then he would color them and put them in the windows of the tower. We had a lot of fun incorporating art into the workplace and the kids seemed to enjoy it, too. To be honest, I had not done anything artistic for sometime until Matthew Moyer of Main Popular recently pulled me back into the fold by asking me to handle art chores on a zine he is creating and writing. He has inspired me to pick up the pencil and ink again.

Q: Other than art, what do you like to do in your spare time?

A: Other than spending time with my wife, family and six cats, I enjoy reading and collecting books, reading and collecting comics, watching films, listening to music, and collecting comic book related toys. I also enjoy biking. I have been commuting to work via my bicycle for almost three years. I am very proud of that. It keeps me in good spirits throughout the work week and is a key ingredient to staying happy and motivated.

Southeast Librarian Michael Platzer Retires

On Thursday, September 2nd, Southeast Regional had a farewell gathering for Michael Platzer, who is retiring after eleven years and seven months with Jacksonville Public Library system. Michael first began employment with JPL as the Children’s Librarian at the Brentwood Library in 1999. He arrived at Southeast Regional in May 2003.

Michael said that other than not working on a fulltime basis, he has no real plans for his retirement. Michael will be missed, and we all wish him well in his time of “ease.” Some of his well-wishers are pictured left to right: Lauren Banks (CSII), Ananth Subramanian (CSII), John Macrae (Volunteer), Michael Platzer (Librarian-Retired), Mark Ely (Librarian), Deborah Wainwright (Circulation Supervisor), Theresa Barmer (Library Manager), Carisia Rooney(Children’s Librarian), Barbara Hughes (Library Assistant), and Crystal Kadkhodaie (CSII).

Confessions of a Rover

O.K., I admit it. I love roving reference. I know I'm not a good witness since I don't do reference every day (It's like a field trip for me). And I understand the legitimate obstacles: "I'm so swamped, quiet times at the ref. desk are my only chances to answer e-mail"; and, "What if someone comes to the desk with a question and no one is there because you're out roving?"

I could go into detail in response to these, but, suffice it to say that for me, the pros of roving in terms of enhanced customer service way outweigh the cons. It's like being on a treasure hunt. If you love helping people with real reference questions (as opposed to "Where's the restroom?," "Can I use the meeting room?," and "Something's wrong with my computer" questions), then the treasure is the real reference question, and you never know what rock you might have to look under to find one. (If you don't like doing reference, anyway, then don't bother reading further. It won't help.)

I've roved at several different branches and Main and, eventually, I always find somebody to help. Here's my technique (if you care): If I'm swamped at the reference desk, I don't rove (duh). But if I have a 10-minute window when crickets are chirping at the ref desk, a couple of times an hour I'll walk a cycle of the section of the library my desk is assigned to. (I always keep an eye on the ref desk so I can rush back if a customer approaches it.) I scour every book and a/v media aisle, and I look for wanderers out in no-man's land. I don't bother people who are sitting down at a table, but when I find anybody else, I say, "Hello. How's it going? Are you finding everything you need?" or "Can I help you find anything?" Usually, they say, "No, thanks." Almost nobody, nobody (except maybe one teen couple I caught canoodling) acts annoyed at being interrupted. Sometimes I'll do a whole cycle and not find one person who needs help, but I would say at least one out of ten people I ask (maybe more, but even that's an excellent ratio, I think), will tell me what they are looking for and open the door for a reference interview.

(Commercial Break: Sometimes, when I have to walk people all the way back to the reference desk to look something up -- or have to leave them and say, "I'll be right back," so I can go to the ref desk computer -- I will think, "Boy, an iPad would come in handy right now." But that's OK. I can wait for the "powers that be" to come around to the roving value of the iPad.)

I want to tell one story that ended in a compliment so it's going to sound like I'm bragging, but it's such a great illustration of the value of roving, I'm going to share it anyway: One time, while roving the fiction section, I came across a lady who had a list of novels she wanted to find and her approach was just to look through the fiction shelves. I was able to help her find one in the Reading List section (where she never would have thought to look on her own) and place a couple of more on reserve that we didn't have on the shelf. The conversation even opened a door to help her track down a book she couldn't think of the title of and show her how downloadable audio worked, which she had been curious about but never tried -- all this service that I might never have been able to give if I waited around for her to come to the reference desk.

Before she left, she said, "I really appreciate your help. You know, I've been using your libraries for a long time and that's the first time anyone has ever come up to me and asked if they could help me." Ouch! This was at a branch that had well-trained staff with over-all excellent customer service skills, and I bet she was an anomoly. Nevertheless, I hope a year from now, it will be really, really rare for someone to be able to truthfully make a comment like that.

I'd like to hear about your roving experiences, good and bad. If I've been too peremptory in brushing by those two obstacles I led this post with, or there are other problems I haven't thought of (I haven't mentioned shyness, which is another obstacle to roving), please share them by posting a comment.

Kudos from Customers

Argyle Branch: “The staff…is very nice and helpful. I bring my children to the Preschool Storytime and Family Art Fun programs and my children always enjoy Ms. DeLon (Rowan) and Ms. (Chiquita) Powell’s programs.”

Highlands Branch: “Ms. (Tyhedra) Wilson was excellent. She gave superb customer service.”

Mandarin Branch: "...the Children's Department has a fantastic team of librarians. Margo Crafton leads this team extraordinarily, with Shivon (Rockwood), David (Foster), and Sarah (Miller) being simply outstanding. ..."

Regency Square Branch: “...Our granddaughter (age 2) runs to the door of the story time room and is always greeted warmly by Miss Mary (Heaney), who greets all persons…in the same way."

Willowbranch Branch: “Verbal praise and encouragement for Ms. Julie (Lipschutz) and Ms. Isabelle (Pierre) and other library staff regarding reading and the concept that we were participating in a "contest" provided an incentive to read every day and use the library more often.”

Big Move in the Main Library

Last month the Main Library accomplished something Director Barbara Gubbin has been anticipating for a long time. The AV non-fiction collection on the third floor (3West) was moved down to the ground floor and replaced the Genre fiction collection, which was then moved to the third floor where the AV collection had been.

This was a massive move involving a large number of items on two separate floors. It was slated to take three weeks to complete the job but, what do you know, incredibly it took only one week!!

Kudos—and Ava Barrett’s personal thanks—to all staff that assisted in this huge accomplishment. Staff included a mix of full-time, part-time, summer, and volunteer workers who all pitched in with all their might to make this a reality:

Part-time workers: Stephanie Brendle, Margaret Gloag, Erica Stanberry, Zoe Nissen, Cheyla Scantling, Kareen Chambers, Akeem Adell, Heather Fails, Alison Pulley, Olga Rubin, Linda Tyson;

Summer workers: Rebecca Araujo, Deavaughn Bratcher, Dianne Manning, Shiquita Prince, and Jordan Washington, as well as Teens Make a Difference worker Britany Volger.

Full-time staff: Karen Deas and Robert Moseley.

Volunteers: Brian Moses, who is no longer with us, and Trey Shelton, a librarian who still volunteers here.

Importantly, the whole project was organized and supervised by Lilia Simonton, with assistance from Scott Adams and Stacey Van Hoy, to whom we cannot say enough thanks.

New signs are now in place to help our customers find the collections easily and we are very happy that we were able to get this done so well so soon.

Great Giving at Graham

Graham Branch held its Back to School event Monday, August 9, and it was a huge success. Staff had not held it for a couple of years; however, Library Clerk Delores Walker, who had organized the previous events, went the extra mile putting this one together by soliciting for donations, putting together the gift bags, and organizing nearly every other aspect of the event.

A total of 202 children and teens received Back To School supplies, and 75 of those also received personal hygiene gift bags to start the new school year. Kids were also able to choose a complete outfit from their special "Unique Boutique". (In addition to the colorful bags pictured here, many more brown bags were also made ready for kids.)

Finally, tickets were given out to each child and drawings were made at the end of the day for special prize packs. Pictured is winner Desiree Woods and her sister, Bryanna.

Congratulations to you!

Capacity Plan - Take the Staff Survey!

Godfrey's Associates has been hired by the Library to conduct a "capacity" study to identify how the Jacksonville Public Library can offer the best possible service with the limited resources that are available. The quality and efficiency of library buildings is one of the things that will be explored. The following survey provides an opportunity for you to tell the consultants what works well about your branch and what doesn't work so well.

I encourage each of you to participate in the survey. The survey link follows:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/345708/jacksonville-staff

It was a Zoo at Graham Branch

Graham Branch Library entertained families and critters during its Summer Library Program when Karl Boecklen, Education Programs Supervisor for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, showed kids some of the wonders of the great outdoors, July 15. Here Patricia Smith and her children pose with Mr. Owl and Mr. Boecklen during the Zoo program.


Kids and grownups either like or hate hairy creatures but they are fascinating all the same, and this little buddy made an awesome appearance along with other creatures. As you see, some chose to keep a little distance.

Floating Collection - Update Re Prize Drawing

The drawing for the two prizes for answering any of the Floating Collection questions posted here on the blog is now postponed until later in August. The new drawing date will be posted on this blog as soon as possible.

Staff Profile

Carolyn Ranney, Part-time Clerical Support Specialist, won the Goal Star award for the first quarter FY2010 for consistently adding value and offering more than is requested when providing the statistical data and analysis reports used to evaluate and measure library services. She is also credited for writing and developing programs that provide the statistical data the library needs. She uses these programs and a database which she created to provide data results from various points of view. Ms. Ranney reports to Melonee Slocum, Executive Assistant to the Director.

Q: How do you see your work at JPL helping reach Destination: next goals?

A: I help reach goals by assisting with data analysis and automated reporting processes through programming to expedite administrative duties. I have also assisted with monthly reports to the Library Board and Administration and have prepared yearly analyses.

Q: What keeps you interested in working at JPL, especially since your daughter was born during your first two years here?

A: It’s my one break from motherhood. I really enjoy working for Melonee Slocum. Numbers, statistical analysis, Excel and coding are interests of mine.

Q: What experience do you have that prepared you for your current position?

A: I have degrees in math and computers. I was in the golf business for 12 years working as a merchandiser for Arnold Palmer, PGA Tour, and Disney. After that, I worked in education for seven years at a local technical college as an instructor and program chair. All my jobs involved math and budgeting.

Q: What other interests do you have?

A: I play the piano and clarinet and I’m learning the guitar. I compose music and have done background vocals in recording studios. I like golf but don’t get to do much of that these days. My husband’s and my greatest passion is tending to our two-year old daughter, Brianna. That is my spare time activity right now.