Angela Richman Honored With Innovator Award

South Mandarin Branch's Part-time Associate Angela Richman (seen on left) received an Innovator Award, March 31, 2015, after Margo Crafton nominated and SOM Branch Manager Keli Likins granted Margo's nomination because Angela "brought innovation to SOM doing bilingual story times and adult computer classes in Spanish."  Margo and Keli agreed, "Both weekly programs are successful and we feel that Angela goes above and beyond as a part-time employee.  She showed risk taking skills by starting these programs."

JPL staffs salute you, Angela!

E. Vaughn Williams Passes Away

The employees of the Jacksonville Public Library express our loving and sincere regrets to Mrs. Carolyn Williams, our former Deputy Director, whose husband, E. Vaughn Williams, passed away Thursday, April 26, 2015.

As Director Barbara Gubbin announced yesterday in a JPL Main email, visitation with Carolyn, their son Avery, and her and Vaughn’s family will be Tuesday, March 31, 2015, from 5 to 8 p.m. at St. Paul A.M.E. Church,  6910 New Kings Road (US1 @ Richardson).  The service will be on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul A.M. E. Church. 

Our thoughts, hearts, and prayers are with you, Carolyn and Avery, and all your family. 

Lynette Tanner Passes Away

Former JPL employee Elsie Oishi sent word that Lynette Tanner passed away Friday, March 27,2015. The funeral will not be held until Saturday, April 27, 2015; that is all the news we have at this time.  Ms. Oishi advises that Ms. Tanner  was Assistant Director Larry Snook's secretary back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Our sincere condolences to Ms. Tanner's family.  

SOM's Creative Spring Break Program

South Mandarin Branch enchanted kids on spring break with a "Create a Fairy House" program, facilitated by YS Librarian II Margo Crafton.  SOM Manager Keli Likins said, "Two librarians from Alachua County came to see how the program was done and we had 25 in attendance."

Argyle's 10th Anniversary Celebration: March 28

Libraries lovers will celebrate 10 years of Argyle Branch serving their community on Saturday, March 28, 2015.  From  3-5 pm,  attendees will be treated to a violin concert and door prizes, and kids can enjoy a puppet show and crafts. Everyone can meet community groups and Council Member Jim Love while enjoying refreshments donated by local businesses.

George E. Miller, Florida's featured artist for Black History Month, who displayed his work at the governor's mansion after being selected by Gov.and Mrs.Scott, will display some of his art.

Argyle Branch Library is small (15,000 s.f.)  but mighty in service and popularity in the Argyle area.  Director Barbara Gubbin and Argyle Branch Manager Janet Ducat welcome you to join the festivities next Saturday and enjoy a beautiful branch with special employees.

Here's a drum roll for Part-time Clerk Laura Norman, who did a good job getting Publix to donate a cake and lemonaide (thanks to Peterbrook) for the celebration.

A Tisket, A Tasket - A Happy Basket Packer

Library staff collected donations for the JaxCares for Community Connections Easter Basket Drive, and the SE Region branches teamed up and collected Easter baskets filled with hair bows, stickers, coloring books, toys, stuffed animals and art supplies for their contributions. (Here SE Region Clerical Supervisor Deborah Wainwright happily packs the baskets at Mandarin Branch. Mark Hohnadel organized the project.)

Brentwood Gets Down To Earth

On March 20, Mary Puckett of the University of Florida County Extension Office helped Brentwood close out its week of Spring Break activities and herald  the beginning of Spring.  Youth had an opportunity to learn about the needs of plants and “play in the dirt “ to transfer cherry tomatoes and plant Mexican sunflowers. (Thanks to NS Library Associate, Sr. Betty Williams for the article and pic.)

HELP SPREAD THE WORD, JPL:

To help Kathy Lussier advertise this for the City, we are posting this announcement:

The Mayor's Young Leaders Advisory Council presents:

FREE TO 16 TO 21-YEAR-OLDS:

COLLEGE, CAREER AND TRADES FAIR

10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Saturday, March 28, 2015

CITY HALL, 117 WEST DUVAL STREET

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32202

 Attendees should bring their resumes and dress for success and they will

Meet with:

               College recruiters              

 Military recruiters

Employers

Learn About:  Construction trades apprentice programs; job training programs; advanced manufacturing; information technology; hospitality training; nursing assistant; and business.

SOM Supports The Year Of The River

This poster advertises a Year of the River concert coming up at 2:00 pm, April 4, at South Mandarin Branch Library.  The poster rests on an attractive display of other materials that support the Year of the River: 

Thanks to SOM Manager Keli Likins for the picture.

Do you have a display, story time, poster, or decorations highligthing the Year of the River? We would like to add it to the JPL Staff News blog.

St. Patty's Day Fun At Brentwood

Library Associate Sr. Betty Williams reports, "25 'Irish' enjoyed the festivities and learned a little about Ireland and its folk tales as the Brentwood Branch presented a “Wee bit  O' St. Patrick’s Day” celebration. The youth listened to folk tales, played word scramble games and made pipe cleaner shamrocks.  They decorated a float for Brent the story time bear and participated in a parade throughout the Library where customers were treated to beads and candy coins.

"The children were given beads, tattoos, stickers, chocolate coins  and St Patrick activities sheets while they feasted on freshly popped popcorn.  The treats were sponsored by Friends of Brentwood Library."

WELCOME, WYATT!

Pictured are Sara Gunter's daughter, Beth Burns, with her first grandson Wyatt Ellison Roberts. Wyatt is the son, moon, and stars of Chris and Julia Roberts of Orlando, FL.  Born 16 days early on March 27, 2015, Wyatt weighed in at 6 lbs., 5 oz., and 18 in. tall. We are all happy to report he has all ten toes and fingers, loves to be held and he is beautiful (he can get handsome later.) 

The little mitts are not for boxing; they keep him from scratching his face.

Teens Do Manga AT NW

Northwest Teens did a Teen Tech Week program. “The theme this year is: Libraries are for Making..."  Library

Associate Gloria Buenavista said. "I chose Manga for the program held in the E-classroom. I presented and talked to the teens about three databases: Biography in context, Infotrac student edition and the Testing and Education Reference Center.

"After the brief 'school' session, we proceeded to do the Manga part of the program. We downloaded an app called manga_camera on our phones and took pictures shown in the display here." 

NEAT, Gloria!

Building Literacy Traveling Tale By Traveling Tale

Graham Branch Manager Jackie Spiritas cheers Library Assistant Tyhedra Wilson, "Tyhedra  chose a creative and educational way to work on her library objective. During Spring Break she watched for parents and caregivers with their little ones. Many GB customers were not aware of the convenient and educational bags filled with Early Literacy tools that they could check out. Each customer got an explanation and a live demonstration of what was in each bag along with a brochure to take home. They also choose from a fun assortment of themes, such as sports, monsters, and fairy tales. Prior to the week of the bonanza, Tyhedra made a field trip to Main with Children’s Librarian Peggy Crawford to talk with Rebekah Mitchell about the Traveling Tales and choose the bags she wanted to stock for her 'program'.  She even had to make an additional pit stop back to Main to restock halfway through the week. Tyhedra talked to 37 customers and encouraged them to check out a total of 10 Traveling Tales during the course of 5 days. Way to go, Tyhedra!"

Kudos From Customers

Beaches Branch: The employees...always have so much fun. They have wonderful programs and make it fun for everyone who comes here. Staff is respectful and helpful.

Main – Circulation: …I brought my 15 and 10 year olds to the library. Alone, my son wanted to use the self-service checkout. Before I could assist him, Erin (Tuzner) in circulation was already giving him such patient instructions, so I didn't have to say a word. My daughter then needed more money on our account to print her color copies for homework. Erin kindly walked over to the kiosk that accepts cash and immediately placed the funds on the card. I didn't know what the kiosk function was until Erin showed us. She really gave a personal touch and care to our experience and my children. Thank you, Erin! And my daughter earned an A+ on that project.

Main -  Special Collections: Just want to thank the library for having talented people who are computer literate. I especially want to mention Tyler Spillman who went above and beyond giving me advice on how to make my document professional and knowing how to execute the proper way to do it. Kudos to Tyler. Hope you know the worth you have in him.

Pablo Creek Branch: Darlene (Boda) does a wonderful job. This library employs the most helpful people!

SST and  Highlands Branch:  The free computer classes have been extremely helpful for me. Yuri j. (Jewitt) conducts herself very professionally and it shows she enjoys her work.

It Was Fascination

 What child isn't fascinated with insects? Brown Eastside's Spring Insect program, March 19, drew rapt attention when Jaime Rhodes of Tree Hill Nature Center (at the table) displayed huge insect images as well as a framed array of insects and taught children about the metamorphosis of insects and the vital role insects play in ecology and, consequently, in our very lives.  Sharon Whitt and Karen Lewis presented a candy butterfly craft, "Who Knew?", after Ms. Rhodes' program.  (Thanks to EB's Sharon Whitt for the input.)

Kids Love Puzzles At WBK

 Susan Williamson said, "On a rainy Thursday, March 19, children  at Westbrook had fun with a puzzle contest. They worked as a team to see who would be the first to put their 48 piece puzzle together. They all went for the GOLD medal! 

 "The children also learned about the first puzzle ever made and that puzzles were popular during the depression era because they were cheap and could be used over and over again; plus they were a great way to reduce stress. The kids also learned that a puzzle could have as little as 4 pieces or up to 40,000 pieces."

Gold & Ants

Beverly Mason is proud of these displays done by Felecia Battle at Highlands Branch: 
















(Don't know about the ants marching into spring, but one--a big fire ant at that--marched into my house yesterday so we know they know it's spring.)

Study Buddy Passes from Dowdell To Stuckey

Regency Square Branch Manager Donna Carroll reports, "Library Assistant Pat Dowdell’s last official duty at Regency (she moved to UPK, March 16) was to pass on the Jaguar Study Buddy to Library Associate Lenora Stuckey. Lenora exemplifies Get To Yes with 

all of her interactions, but most recently with having to re-arrange meeting rooms due to Early Voting.  She went above and beyond making sure that all groups could still meet, even if in a different room or on a different day.  

"Hamid (pictured L/R Hamid Hassan, Lenora Stuckey and Pat Dowdell) was not to be

outdone and tried to steal the pass and everyone on the AR team enjoyed a little fun (above L/R: Christelle Mayele, Lenora Stuckey, Bernice Newsom, Pat Dowdell, Farryn James and Nargis Noorullah)."

               

Happy Masks & Wearin' Of The Green At WBK For St. Patty's Day

Library Assistant Antoinette Walker said, "Westbrook Branch hosted 16 customers for our St Patrick's Day mask making program, March 17. Each participant decorated a mask and took home a set of beads to celebrate Erin Go Bragh." 

Antoinette presented the successful program and thanks to Kimberly Cherry we can see the happy results in the pic she took:

                   

Staff Development Day (SDD) 2015

Staff Development Day (SDD) is Monday, April 20^th, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm in the Main Library Conference Center (breakfast and registration begin at 7:30 am).

As we announced on March 2^nd, we are eager for staff to share stories (or pictures, videos, and artwork) about their JPL experiences.

Take a look at the "Stories" tab on the JPL Training Blog to see what folks have sent in so far. 

- Stacey Humphrey

- Valencia Kidwell

- Tammy Crotts

- Noah Thomas

- Mike Shell

- Jane Harris & Nanette Holt

- Keli Likins

Here are some questions to consider for your own stories:

- Why did you come to join JPL and what has kept you on?

- What was one customer experience that really stuck with you?  Has that experience changed how you do your job and if so how?

- Is there a fellow staff member who has altered your way of seeing JPL and if so how?  And how has that affected you moving forward with your career.

- How long have you been with the library and in your time as part of the JPL family, how many branches have you worked at?  If possible, please provide a list of branches.

- Do you have an idea for the library but you have always been unsure if or how to share it?  If so, take this chance to share with us all, just don’t forget how this will benefit staff or customers.

Send your story to the JPL Training Blog at jpl.staff.training@gmail.com, using the Subject line “Stories.” Or, if you prefer, send your story anonymously through Delivery to John Carter at Webb-Wesconnett.

DU Goes Green For St. Patrick's Day

Joel Thorbs, Felecia Battle, Susan Kyle, Kristi Dorney, Beverly Mason and Chanika Kimbrough.didn't have an Irish beer to raise but they had the Irish cheer all the same on St. Patricks's Day at Highlands Branch.

QUESTIONS

Q: Could a display, program, story time, or speaker be on your agenda highlighting The Year of the River? Let us hear about it!

The St. Johns River - Where dolphins, manatees, gators and boaters work and play. It runs 315 miles solely in Florida.


Q: Could you combine information about The Year of the River with interesting facts, similarities, and differences of the St. Johns River and the River Thames since Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard is the subject of The Big Library Read Program?  You can use this link to get some input about the River Thames at: http://www.visitthames.co.uk/about-the-river 

The River Thames has 45 locks and 25 species of fish and hosts Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Garden Bridge and more. It runs 210 miles solely in England.

CW Welcomes Spring & Spring Break

The Charles Webb Wesconnett Library is excited to welcome spring to the children's department! The CW children's staff created a colorful spring display just in time for DCPS spring break.  YS Librarian III Michelle Petrin said, "We've been excited about the warming weather here and are happy to share our gardening collection with the kids. We will also be using this space to encourage children to complete the activities in the Spring Break Happenings guide.  Visitors to the Webb Wesconnett Library should also be on the lookout for more colorful paper butterflies which are hidden throughout the children’s department."

DeLon Rowan Retires After 27 Years At JPL

After 27 years, DeLon Rowan is retiring on March 18 and was honored with a framed letter of recognition and appreciation by Director Barbara Gubbin at the Library Board meeting, March 11, 2015.  To DeLon’s left is Library Board Chair Erin Skinner, who holds the JPL gold card also presented to DeLon along with a bouquet of flowers.

DeLon began her career with JPL at the old Main Library as a Graphics Artist. She is remembered as an integral part of the success of Night of Literary Feasts, which evolved into Much Ado About Books.  DeLon designed exciting promotional materials and advertising for these events and for the library system. She has an extraordinary creative talent as Regency Square, Argyle, and Pablo Creek branches discovered later as she served these branches as a Children's Library Assistant.  DeLon designed fantastic scenery for the children's section of Much Ado About Books several years ago and made the 39 centerpieces for the tables used at the grand opening of the new Main Library in 2005. Her story telling talents, enhanced by her creativity, led many a child to create exciting characters and objects related to her children's stories over the years--mostly made out of recyclable materials donated or collected by DeLon.

DeLon Rowan is a stellar example of what has made the Jacksonville Public Library great for many years.  You will be sorely missed, DeLon.    

Betty Person Honored For 35 Years Of Service

Margaret Morford, Librarian II in the Main Library's Special Collections Department said, "Betty Person, Library Assistant, began working at the library as a student in the old Main Library's Circulation Department. She was later hired part-time and then went full-time. Betty has worked in most of the departments at Main and has worked at Graham Branch.  She has been in Special Collections 2 ½ years, and we are glad to have her as part of our Special Collections team." (Pictured are, L/R: Volunteer Pam Gibson, Christa Snow, Sean Wallace, Betty Person, Catherine Currier, Kathleen Krizek, Margaret Morford.

Special Collections staff celebrated Betty Person's 35 years with a party, March 11, 2015, prior to her being honored and thanked at the Library Board meeting at noon where Director Barbara Gubbin presented Betty with her 35 year pin and a framed letter from Mayor Alvin Brown commending Betty for her years of service.  And, again, all of us at JPL salute and thank you, Betty, for your many years of service. 

Parent Thanks NW Staff With Pizza Party

Michelle Petrin said, "The teens at the Northwest Library’s Yu-Gi-Oh club recently received a surprise pizza party from one of the parents!  The parent said she and her son are grateful for the teen programs and friendly staff at her neighborhood library."  

Thinking Caps Are On At UPK

Roz Smalls (R) and Mina Figuerrez were surprised to receive JPL Innovator Awards from Branch Manager Theresa Rooney at the University Park Branch monthly staff meeting, February 27. Theresa said, "Both received an Innovator button and a certificate of recognition.

"Roz Smalls had a simple solution to our public copier issues. We have one older copier, which frequently jams and requires lots of staff time and attention to unjam it, and one newer copier,  which works great but didn’t receive as much use due to its location.  Roz had the idea to swap the locations of the copiers so  the newer one would be highly visible and receive greater use. We asked ITD to do the swap and since then we haven’t had any printer issues to fix or resolve!

 

"Mina Figuerrez very creatively and economically repurposed an old display shelf, which another branch surplussed. It had purple behind the slats and didn’t fit in well with our other furniture.  Mina did a total transformation of the display shelf  using blue duct tape and a red, white, and blue stars and stripes theme. UPK plans to use it as an information kiosk for U.S.C.I.S. brochures and flyers."

Additionally, Director Barbara Gubbin always sends a congratulatory email to recipients of the Innovator Award once the presentations are made by the manager.

Pendulem Painting At GB

The Graham Branch Art Club swung into gear with paint on  March 4 experimenting with the physics of pendulum painting. GB's courtyard was awash with color as Marie Myers, Peggy Crawford, Eva Newton and Joshua Wise guided 16 children and teens (ages 6-18) through the activity. Upside down water bottles fitted with glue tips were filled with paint and tied to string. Easels were used to create the pendulum effect when the bottles were given a gentle or not so gentle push. They were like giant “Spirographs” – and only those from a certain era may remember those. A fun and colorful time was had by all.  (Library Clerk Josh Wise stoops to make sure he gets the right effect.) 

Noah Thomas Honored

CW's Michelle T. Petrin (middle), YS Librarian III, shares some cheerful news, "We recently celebrated Library Assistant Noah Thomas’s 5 year anniversary with JPL. Branch Manager Sharon Kirkes (L) and I presented Noah with her 5 year pin.  Noah joined CW's Children’s Department at the end of October 2014 after being promoted to Library Assistant.  Noah’s Saturday morning story time and craft program is a favorite with children and their families.  She is a wonderful addition to the CW family!"

 

We all join you in a high five or Noah!

WST and MAX: Making A Heartfelt Difference

As part of the Summer Reading craft projects in 2014, our teen volunteers were encouraged to take part in creating fidget quilts for a local nursing home.  Fidget quilts allow those who are wheel chair bound to do something with their hands while waiting.  They have different textures, colors, buttons, zippers, and other decorations for the patient to play with and thus calm their fidgety hands.  The West Jacksonville Health and  Rehabilitation Center on Fouraker Road is the proud recipient of the quilts and they will be delivered March 13. 

Additionally, the ladies of the Maxville Library have been crocheting lap Afghans for wheel chair bound patients.  These will also be delivered to the West Jacksonville Health and Rehabilitation Center at the same time.

Teen Art Contest Reception To Announce Winners

The winners of this year's annual Teen Art Contest were announced at a 5:30 p.m. reception, March 3, in the Zimmerman Overlook area near the Teen Department gallery where the contest entries will be on display all month. The first place winner, Steve McCall, received a $30 gift certificate from Reddi Arts, a gift bag from the Cultural Council, and a solo show in April 2015. 

The contest was judged by three outstanding art leaders from the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, MOCA Jacksonville, and the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. 

Judges:

Tony Allegretti, Executive Director, Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville    

Lynn Norris, Director of Education, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens    

Lauren Spencer, Public Programs Manager, MOCA Jacksonville

Susan Mankowski, Early Childhood Specialist, Jacksonville Public Library

 

Special Guest:  Councilman Don Redman

Teen Art Contest Winners:

1^st Place – Steve McCall, Lavilla School of the Arts, 7^th Grade

2^nd Place – Zizhoa Wang, Stanton College Preparatory School, 17 years old

3^rd Place – Ellery Susan, Stanton College Preparatory School, 15 years old

The 1^st and 2^nd place winners were not present.  James Greene, Steve McCall's art teacher, accepted the award for him.  Ellery Susan is pictured here.

Main Teen's YS Librarian II Mia Clark added, "Fresh fruit, veggies and dip were served and it was a successful event JPL can be proud of, thanks to all of those who worked on it and to everyone who participated,"

Staff Profile - March 2015

Aubrey Winship reports to Eric Lawrence, Assistant Director of Facilities Management and Planning.  Soft spoken and amicable, Aubrey is a no fanfare person who is as tenacious as a dog with a bone; she does not give up until she gets the input needed to get a workable plan to resolve the challenge of the moment.

Q: What are your responsibilities as Executive Assistant l, Library Services in Facilities?

A: Executive Assistant I, Library Services is a fancy way of saying that I am the Facilities Manager. In that role I am responsible for the day to day physical issues concerning library buildings and furniture. I also help with budgeting, capital improvement projects, general maintenance, and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). My job is essentially to serve as the one stop shop for facilities questions or concerns. I'll either answer the question, fix the problem, or know who to go to who can.

Q: You are relatively new to JPL; what particularly attracted you to this position?

A: I have always had a love of libraries and books. Combine that with my degree in building construction from Georgia Tech and this position was a wonderful fit. I get to daily be involved with two of my favorite things: reading and construction.

Q: What do you find most challenging in your work for Facilities?

A: I would say that the transition from private industry into the public sector was a significant change that came with a steep learning curve. I am sure that many people can understand how much more paperwork seems to be required for every step in the process with the city! I came from a world where I found the issue and I fixed the issue. I didn’t have to explain anything until after I had the resolution in hand.

Q: What past experience has helped you enjoy the success you have had in Facilities?

A: Past experience has taught me to be patient and calm. Nothing ever gets solved by getting worked up over an issue. I’ve always heard that your facilities department is doing their job best when you never have to think about them. While things will always happen - you never know when someone will steal, say, the flush valve off a toilet in the children’s section (this really happened at CW!), the facilities department strives to handle all issues quickly and efficiently.

Q: Who is your favorite author and why?

A: I’m not sure I have a favorite author (though JK Rowling would probably take the prize if you twisted my arm enough) but I certainly have a type of book that I love best. I like easy, happy reads. The world is a harsh enough place so I don’t need my books to be as well. Now within that: my interests vary from Harry Potter to Tina Fey’s Bossypants or from Stephanie Plum to Pride and Prejudice. If it’s a quick read that keeps my attention or can make me smile, I will probably love it.

Aubrey is pictured with her boyfriend, Roshan.

100 Years of Family History For Teens & Tweens At NS

Pat Morrison and teen librarian Eva Newton conducted four database workshops in February to teach teens and tweens how to explore and map their family history.  100 years of family history was selected in keeping with the 2015 Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black Life, History and Culture.” The group of attendees learned how to research their family history -- from interviewing family and using Ancestry Library Edition database, to Census Records and other resources. 

Students used the information they discovered to create and frame a family tree.  One participant tracked his family history back to Germany.  The workshop was conducted in partnership with JAAGS – Jacksonville African American Genealogy Society and Friends of Brentwood Library.  Thanks to these organizations that donated picture frames, refreshments and prizes for the family history scavenger hunt.

Oh, For A Vanna Moment

Aquilla Stewart and Gloria Armstrong had a “Vanna moment” as they pose with the new popcorn machine, including oil and popcorn, donated to Brentwood Branch Library by Friends of Brentwood Library.  The new popper will be used during movie times on early release Wednesdays and at other youth programs throughout the year.

Staff Development Day 2015

“Team JPL: Tell Us Your Stories”

Since we last met for Staff Development Day, two years of challenges and change have required all of us to reclaim and reinvent our work as library professionals. As a team and as individuals, what we have accomplished is remarkable.

This year we would like to gather once again to celebrate our outstanding work and share with team members our stories of determination, inventiveness and “stick-to-it-iveness” in dealing with the day-to-day challenges of helping our customers and co-workers.

We want you to tell us those stories.  

In fact we are counting on your storytelling and have planned Staff Development Day 2015 (SDD15), Monday, April 20^th, to be built around your stories.

You may not realize it, but your stories of success can serve as a source of inspiration for other team members, positive messages to help us all to grow and learn.

Think about JPL situations over the past two years, large or small, where you have gone beyond the routine—to help a frustrated customer, to improve a work process, to find new or better resources and methods for doing a task, to help a co-worker get past a challenge on the job.

Write an informal 300-400 word story about this experience—or, if you prefer, create an art work or short video.  Use the following questions as examples to guide you:

- Why did you come to join JPL and what has kept you on?
- What was one customer experience that really stuck with you?  Has that experience changed how you do your job and if so how?
- Is there a fellow staff member who has altered your way of seeing JPL and if so how?  And how has that affected you moving forward with your career.
-  How long have you been with the library and in your time as part of the JPL family, how many branches have you worked at?  If possible, please provide a list of branches.
- Do you have an idea for the library but you have always been unsure if or how to share it?  If so, take this chance to share with us all, just don’t forget how this will benefit staff or customers.

Send your story to the JPL Training Blog at jpl.staff.training@gmail.com, using the Subject line “Stories.” If you prefer, send your story anonymously through Delivery to John Carter at Webb-Wesconnett.

We will share these stories with JPL staff in a number of ways:

- On the Staff Development Day 2015 page of the JPL Training Blog
- During the Kickoff and Keynote events on SDD15 on April 20^th
- In posters and displays during that day
- During a full staff storytelling event at the end of the day.

Remember, you can write about difficulties and failures, but keep it friendly.  We are sharing stories to encourage and to celebrate, not to criticize or blame.

Contact Mike Shell at mshell@coj.net if you have questions or suggestions.

Thanks, folks!