Make Someone Happy

Highlands Branch Manager Kristi Dorney, says "Tyneshia Matthews and Annie Norris arranged for the Highlands Branch Library staff to thank Joel Thorbs for all that he does. A beautiful fruit bouquet was delivered to Joel on February 11."

 

Justin Keiser Wins SST's Owly

Gretchen Mitchell, Assistant Director for Support Services, reports, "Congratulations to Justin Keiser for winning the SST Owly.  Randy Mapanoo passed on the honor to Justin because:
 
Justin 'should be recognized for bringing to reality the idea of digitally preserving family photos at JPL.  It is a big task to research the equipment needed.  It also takes a lot of time and effort to learn about the hardware and software well enough to train customers on it. The amount of requests that have come in is evidence that this is a service that people want, but have little access to.'”
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A picture of Justin Keiser with the SST Owly is on the gadget side.

Staff Profile - February 2015

Library Assistant Alvin (A.J.) Joyner is down to earth, witty, and doesn’t miss much going on around him. A.J. won the Model the Way and Employee of the Quarter Awards for the first quarter of 2015. A.J. will be honored at JPL’s Board meeting, February 11, 2015, along with other winners. A.J. takes his work seriously and, in addition to doing his job well, he filled in for Clerical Supervisor Carolyn Woods for a while recently during her absence. 
 

Q: You’ve been with JPL a long time and worked in several areas.  Where and when did you begin working with JPL and what has been your progress?

A: I started at Eastside Branch as a Page in 1988. I worked in circulation as a part-time shelver until EB began its renovation in 1993 as part of The Better Jacksonville Plan. Then I moved to the Distribution Department, housed at the old Main Library and drove a truck (JPL did its own distribution back then), and delivered materials to all the branches. In 2002, I transferred to the Bookmobile and served as a clerk and drove the Bookmobile from 2002-2004. Six months after transferring, the Bookmobile was discontinued. I moved back to EB and worked there from 2004-2008 and was promoted to Library Assistant there. In 2008, I was transferred to Graham Branch, stayed there eight months, and then on to SST where I have been until now.
 
Q: How does your prior experience help you in your position of Library Assistant in SST?

A: Before coming to JPL, I worked in a warehouse while attending FCCJ. Having worked in different areas of JPL over the years, I met most of the staff when I made deliveries, and I became familiar with the libraries' individual needs and this helps.  Now, I receive and input materials into the computer, making sure items and quantities are correct and that books aren't damaged.  I also distribute circulation supplies throughout the system--stickers, books, etc.

Q:  You filled in for the Clerical Supervisor for Acquisitions, Processing and Linking areas of Support Services when needed recently, in addition to your usual duties.  How did you manage that?

A:  Our employees are deft in their everyday responsibilities. When necessary, they would report any problems/needs to me.  If I could handle something, I did, and as needed, I referred matters to Jill Haile, Librarian III, or to Charlene Adkins, Library Supervisor for Collection Management, and one of them would get back to me as to what to do. Our staff and I have learned good organizational skills, which helps when you juggle different tasks.  Our team is reliable and works well together.  They made it much easier to stay on schedule, and everything was caught up when the Clerical Supervisor returned to work. 

 Q: Name a change you have seen in your area that is beneficial to JPL?

A: The Books On Belt (BOB) area where I work is, in part, efficient because Carolyn Woods, the Clerical Supervisor, listens to suggestions and incorporates them whenever possible.  

Q: What is your favorite pastime?

A:  Spending time with family and friends and watching basketball.

Coaches Score Win At KR Story Time

KR Manager Lynne Baldwin said, "Coach Adam and Coach Mike from My Gym took the reins for our January 29, 11 am story time at the Mandarin Branch Library. The kids had a blast learning new songs, watching a puppet show, and playing fun games; 64 children and parents attended and are excited for a return visit in April."
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See group shot to right on "gadget" side of this blog.

SE Region News

The SE Region has partnered with the Alden Road Exceptional Student Center on several projects.  SOM’s Bryan Thomas represents the Region at the monthly SAC Meetings, Mandarin hosted a student art show and reception in November, South Mandarin will be hosting another student art show and reception in February and San Marco is a volunteer work partner with the school.  On Thursday, January 29, the Region showed their support of the school and their students at their bi-weekly meeting by combining business and good food.  The SE Region Branch Managers and Region Manager Michael Sullivan enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup and salad prepared by Alden Road students as a part of the school’s Community Based Vocational Education program (CBVE) and their on campus School Based Enterprises, which operates businesses that produce and sell products made by the students.  Students are taught skills including business operations, crayon and homemade paper making, gardening, furniture refurbishing, soap and accessory creations, crafts and candy making, baking and short order cooking, thrift store operations, video production and recycling. 

Big thanks to Michael Sullivan and Anita Haller for organizing the lunch and their ongoing support of the Alden Road Exceptional Student Center.
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Please see picture on right, "gadget side" of this blog.

New Idea Helps NS Customers

Pat Morrisson and Betty Williams are proud of Part-time Clerk David Stevenson.  David received an Innovator Award for his work with the DVD’s at the Brentwood Branch, January 27.  Betty said, "After noticing that customers often preferred to look on the pre-shelving cart for DVD’s to check out, David decided to “merchandise” them along the top shelf.  Many customers look there first.  He is always trying to think of solutions to challenges.  Great work, David! "

JB's International Day Program A Success

JB Branch Manager Tamera Branam, brags on Padma Subramanian's latest program, Saturday, January 24th,  "In the past Padma created a program called Experience India to share her culture and country with customers. It occurred to her that it would be an interesting program to expand and include other countries, and she suggested having an International Culture Day program.  Padma contacted volunteers to represent other countries, and let them share their culture, customs, food, and history. USA, Japan, Italy,  England, Africa and India were represented.   Each country held a mini talk, craft, demonstration or dance native to their country.   The local Boy Scout troop began the program with an American flag ceremony and the Pledge of Allegiance, and our National Anthem was performed on piano by Eli Miles.  Food samples were also given out. This program was a resounding success, thanks to Padma’s hard work and vision--290 attended!

Thanks to Terry Welch for the timeline:  "During the day, each country was highlighted:

• Native American Bookmark Craft by Library Associate Gail Blumberg and her teen volunteers (USA)
• Pasta Making Demonstration by Flavia Bowling (Italy)
• Indian Dancing by members of the Indian Cultural Society and Tamil Manram of Jacksonville (India)
• Origami Demonstration by Elsie Oishi (Japan)
• Video and Discussion by Richard Crook (UK)
• Talk by Deloris Hicks (Africa)"

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NOTE: Please see pictures on the right ("gadget") side of the blog.  We still cannot get pictures to post on this left side and the blog owner has not addressed the problem yet.

JPL Staff Association Kick Off Held 1/25/15

JPL Region Manager, Marshelle J. Berry, reports, "The Staff Association Kick-off social at Latitude 360, Sunday, January 25, 2015, went well.  There were extra game cards so attendees (especially the kids) played an abundance of games.   There were lots of cake and prizes.  COMING SOON:  The election of officers!"

2015 Retiree Reunion At SE, 2-4, 2/20/15

Elsie Oishi, former JPL Senior Librarian announces, "The 2015 reunion of JPL retirees and former long-time staff will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015, at the Southeast Regional Branch Library from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

"This will be a time to chat with old friends from the library system in an informal atmosphere.  Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Friday, February 13, 2015, to Carole Schwartz Moore (dorieblu@gmail.com,  or phone 234-4533), or Elsie Oishi (ejoishi@aol.com, phone 249-6025).

"At the 2014 JPL Reunion "Tea" there were 50 former library colleagues in attendance, and it was great to see everyone there. This year we look forward to add to this number with those who could not make it last year in addition to the newly retired during the past year.  Hope to see you there!"

CW Hosted Kids Who Made A Winter Wonderland

The children from the Cedar Hills Elementary Cathedral Arts program made the children’s department at Webb Wesconnett a little brighter this holiday season.  A multidisciplinary project was created by children in the after school arts program. Children in the program read the story “Night City” by Monica Wellington and talked about city planning. They used inspiration from the book and their own experiences to create their own recycled city featuring pet motels, hotels, rest homes and houses. While they were creating, they also incorporated their math knowledge by creating arrays to display multiplication knowledge. To populate the city, the children created figures inspired by Guatemalan worry dolls. For the backdrop of their city, the children created a painting inspired by the whirls and swirls of Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic painting, Starry Night. (NOTE: please see gadget side for picture since blogger server will not save pics on this side at present.)

The city shows a lot of attention to detail and dedication. Visitors to the department were very impressed to see the hard work of the children.

Also enhancing the department in December were some recycled paper Christmas trees. The trees were folded by the children’s staff and then decorated by children throughout the month.
 

Clarice the Reading Reindeer (a delightful stuffed reindeer) spent time at the Children’s Desk at CW, encouraging children to read. Kids were very excited to see her in the department. We were sad to see Clarice leave after the holidays but she'll be back next year--and maybe a replacement friend will be found to keep the children’s staff company.

Thanks to Michelle Petrin for the article.

They’re Here: Black History Month Calendars

The 2015 Jacksonville Black History Calendar was presented January 15) in an evening program at Main Library.  More than 200 people braved the inclement weather to witness the unveiling.  Ms. Gubbin brought greetings and board member Dr. Brenda Simmons-Hutchins presided.  Special thanks to the JPLers who helped either in the production  of the calendar or helped manage crowd control and distribution on the day of the event – Cranston Burney; Arthur Finley; Denise Thomas, CAL; Theresa Bascom, Main-Circulation; Evelyn Rockwood, Main-Non-Fiction; and Melony Kerr, Special Collections. 

Calendars should arrive at the branches by the end of this week or early next week. Thank you, Arthur and Cranston, for packing and labeling the shipment.  The same rules of distribution apply – your supply of calendars should last through the end of February.  Use your discretion for requests greater than five or ten copies.  Contact Arthur, Cranston, or Pat if you need more.  We will do what we can while supplies last.  Feel free to redistribute within your region.

 

The calendars will be available at area Burger King restaurants by February 1^st.  

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PLEASE NOTE: Presently the blogger server to transfer pictures to this side of the blog is not working.  Pics will post on the gadget side and a pic of the calendar is there.

JB Is Winner of Random House Prize Pak

Terry Walsh brags a bit, "The Beaches Branch was a lucky winner of a Random House prize pack in honor of Jane Austin’s birthday!  We are currently plotting  our own contest for a patron to win the prize pack. "

Kudos From Customers - January 2015

Main Library – Reference:  I commend Ed (Lein) in the Reference Desk Department for helping me today with a very difficult problem with my overdrive on Kindle audio books while simultaneously taking care of customers in a wait line. This was extremely important to me inasmuch as with so many appointments coming up, I would not be unable to visit the library for a very long time. Thanks again, to Ed.

Brentwood Branch: Better than any other JPL I've been to. The staffs (Betty Williams, Gloria Armstrong, Aquilla Stewart, Eva Newton, David Stevenson and Margaret Miles) were excellent. I called ahead and even by phone they were professional and pleasant.  Thank you.

SST - E-Specialists:  John Carter was very helpful. I like having him at all locations my library.   Enthusiastic teacher (Donna Peretzman) & class is free & accessible.

Murray Hill Branch: Mr. (Douglas) Fair was very helpful. He helped with reference, etc.

South Mandarin Branch:  I have been attending Spanish Computer classes for over a year. Luis Terron, Angela Richmond and Chris Quijano (volunteer) are great instructors. They are always ready to help us. I like my teachers very much and will never forget these very useful lessons. Gracias!

Tricia Larrabee wins SST's Owly Award

Gretchen Mitchell, Assistant Director for Support Services, announces, "Tricia Larrabee is  the most recent winner of SST’s Owly award.    Tricia received this honor because 'she’s always offering to go that extra mile to help when it’s needed.   She stepped in …. and offered to take on the supply order.'"

UPK Aims For High Morale

Rosalin Smalls shares the latest morale booster at UPK, naming an Employee of the Month.

"The Employee of the Month is our newest acknowledgment of each other’s worth.  The employee can choose a special perk, such as a luncheon with their favorite food, a week without Drops, and a choice of some other perks with the branch manager’s approval.

"UPK's David Humphries is their first recipient of Employee of the Month.  After first serving as a volunteer, David has now been on UPK's clerical staff six years and is working on a bachelor's degree at FSCJ in bio medical science. He plans to pursue employment in a medical research or forensics laboratory.

"We hope to have a poster board with a picture and bio to display so customers can appreciate our special staff. We also keep morale up with 'just because' luncheons when everyone brings something and we just enjoy each other’s company."
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NOTE: A picture of Mr. Humpries will be posted when the blogger server reconnects.

Donna Thomas Retires After 15 1/2 Years

Donna Thomas, is retiring as Youth Services Librarian II in the Main Teen Department and sends us a farewell note:

So long and thanks for all the books.  Libraries have been important to me ever since I can remember.  When I was in 5^th grade we moved next door to the Carnegie Library in Superior, Wisconsin.  It was cool in the summer, warm in the winter and when it was closed we used the two story building as a play structure.  I waited every year for the new Guinness Book of World Records and the World Almanac to come in. 

When I was in college, I would have sought library work, but thought “Oh, I couldn’t compete; everyone wants to work in the library.” I ended up going for a teaching degree. 

After 20 years of teaching, it was time to move on and I stumbled on the newly minted distance MLIS at FSU.  I wasn’t aiming to be a librarian; I just really wanted to take all of the classes – Organization of Information!  History of Reading in Everyday Life!  Assessing Information Needs!  Once I had the Master’s Degree, it was time to look for a job.  JPL was interviewing at the school and I decided it would be a good idea to go practice my interviewing skills.  I sat down with Jean Brinkman and had the best interview ever, because I was just doing it for practice.
 
I began my career with JPL at Regency and Carolyn Williams was the first person I met.  My first task was arranging chairs in the conference room.  A little over two years later, I moved on to a Senior Librarian position at Mandarin, then Murray Hill (three blocks from my house) and them to a Supervisor’s position at Highlands.  During the great shuffle of 2012, I was assigned to Main Teen, and my last two years have been a huge amount of fun.

After fifteen and a half years, it’s time to move on. I have mixed feelings about leaving.  The job is still fun, and I am really enjoying the people I work with, but better to leave on a high note.  My husband and I are planning a move to New Mexico, where there are mountains and cacti and new adventures.

EB, GB, WBK, & NS Score BIG Wins

Patricia A. Morrison, Supervisor for the ULC proudly reports, "The four Urban Library Centers received HIGH MARKS on the recent audits conducted by Nailya Harnisch of JPL Finance department and Donna Crowther.  Brentwood branch and Dallas Graham branch received a whopping 100% for their well-maintained records and safe content.  Westbrook branch and Brown Eastside branch received a magnificent 99% but lost a point for one teeny weeny omission.  Congratulations to the staff at the four Urban Library Centers.  You ROCK!"

And from all of us to all of you at Eastside, Graham, Westbrook and Brentwood branchs: Everyone at JPL applauds you.

Who's Behind Those Harry Potters?

 JB's Terry Walsh says, "We sent an invitation to Muggles and Wizards and they came!  On Saturday January 3^rd, more than 130 people attended JB’s inaugural Yule Ball For All.  Many were in costume!  The Harry Potter themed event included a
Sorting Hat where Wizards were assigned their school, a wand making table manned by Cheryl Callavini from PCR, and numerous photo ops created by the talented Julie Rekow, JB Teen Librarian. The festivities ended with an appearance by magician Barry Hinnant.  Once again, a good time was had by all. (Pictured is the staff in their Harry Potter themed attire and Terry Welsch's grandson, Landon.  Additional pictures can be viewed on the Friends of the Beaches Branch Library Facebook page." Here's the link:
https://www.facebook.com/fobbl

WST's New Year's Eve Party

Melodie Brunson, Part-time Associate, Youth Services at WST reports, "Celebrating New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world was the theme of our New Year’s Eve Party on December 31^st at West Regional Library.  Rebekah Mitchell, our Youth Services Librarian III, found a countdown clock for Moscow that counted down the time for us as the fun ensued! 
 
 "In Switzerland, New Year’s Eve is celebrated by dropping ice cream on the floor (????)  Instead, we made ice cream snowmen-YUM!  In Denmark, people jump off the backs of chairs to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Not in our library.  We played musical chairs instead and the child left standing got a treat.  In Belgium, citizens are so fond of their livestock, they wish them Happy New Year’s.  Our own Jonathan Sandbach dressed as a cow and if the children wished him Happy New Year’s, he gave them a treat!  He said he felt like Santa Claus and the children didn’t seem to be scared of him at all--which, when you see his outfit, is truly amazing.  Among ourselves, we joked that this is why you avoid GMO’s!  We ended by counting down the seconds on the Moscow Countdown Clock, then tossed confetti and drank sparkling grape juice as we rang in the New Year, albeit on Moscow time!"

 

 

Special Guest Rabbi Lief Reads to KR Kids

Rabbi Joshua B. Lief of the Congregation Ahavath Chesed Temple was the special guest reader at the Stories for Young Children program at the Mandarin Branch Library at 10:15 and 11:00 am, January 8.  Rabbi Lief entertained the audience of more than 50 young children and their parents with stories and songs that promote early literacy.