Customers Must Love These Smiles & Staff Picks

These bright and smiling faces are Maxville's Elise Fare and Jim Morgan who want to show off their new Staff Pics display.  The selections are: Top Row; Beth Friederich:  Paper Towns by John Green; Elise Fare: The Fireman by Joe Hill; Kim Kirkland: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Helena Davenport: The Sisters Grimm Series by Michael Buckley.  Second row:  Jim Morgan: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey; Lynne Baldwin: James Dean by George Perry; Kathy Tekin: Vinegar by Anne Tyler, and Jessica Serrano:Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

Above the Staff Pics are some samples taken from children's creations in the Building with Bricks program.  Staff rotates the samples weekly.  

Everything For Green Thumbs

Maxville Branch has more than a few suggestions for spring gardeners. Under the red umbrella, MAX has displayed these titles:

The Rain Came Down by David Shannon; Umbrella by Taro Yashima; Come On Rain by Karen Hesse; The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.

Complementing the April Showers display, MAX has more gardening books for May (titles are readable in pic) and the display is placed just ahead of the New Books area where they get plenty of attention.

Branch Manager Kathy Tekin said, "We hope our customers stay dry and plant their own beautiful gardens with suggestions from these books and have lots of floral blooms in May."

Beth Friederich: Job Well Done!

Beth Friederich, Webb Region YS Librarian III, received a Job Well Done Award, March 20, 2018, for assisting PCR Manager Michael Sullivan with tablet training for Clerical Supervisors and YS Librarian IIIs, March 7, 2018, at PCR. Region Manager Lynne Baldwin, who nominated her, said, "Beth worked with Michael on the outline and was lead instructor for the class.  Michael praised Beth’s performance to CW Manager Kathy Tekin: 'I want to let you know that Beth did a great job with the tablet class today.  I am sure everyone at the class appreciated her expertise and helpfulness.'  Michael also praised Beth’s performance at the admin meeting, March 9.  Webb Region Clerical Supervisor Marilyn Jordan, who attended the class, was very impressed with Beth’s skill set and how helpful she was to everyone in the class.  She exemplifies Teamwork and Excellence."

                      Beth Friederich (L) and Lynne Baldwin

The Power Of Persistence

Region Manager Lynne Baldwin shares this Readers' Advisory story from Main Children's department written by P/T Library Assistant Kate Martin.  It demonstrates Kate's persistence in not just finding a book, but finding what would interest the young customer--and if emulated, will add new readers:

"A 2nd grader, who regularly checks out books, came in with her visually impaired guardian, March 17, 2018.  The little girl asked for help finding books.  I took her to the catalog and the first three attempts to find books she wanted failed; they were either checked out or not available.  I asked her if she wanted to place any holds but she declined.  On the fourth try, we found a Series book on the shelf (Bad Kitty) that  interested her!  She was so happy and checked out as many books as allowed.  I had spent 30 minutes with her and thanks to Bad Kitty, the book that saved the day."

Lynne summarized, "We are building a community of readers – one story at a time."

KR Is Promoting the College & Career Fair, Will You?

KR Manager Mark Hohnadel shares this display that is currently at Mandarin Branch promoting the College and Career Fair (see flyer left front), Saturday, April 28, 2018, in the Conference Center at the Main Library.  Displayed are appropriate books, such as The Art of Selling Yourself, Stand Out, Instant Interviews, Gallery of Best Cover Letters, The First Six Seconds, etc. 

If you do not have such a display, won't you please consider creating one so we can keep this before the public eye and have a blow-out attendance at this important event? If you do, send a photo of the display and include the names of the books and we will post it on the blog.  

Great Day To Spread The JPL Word

L/R Paul Schaffner, Alison Pulley, and James Vail took advantage of a gorgeous day and did an outreach in Hemming Plaza, March 22, 2018. They brought ukuleles and played music and topped off their talents with robots that were controlled by the library Ipad.  Paul said, "We also had a button maker for passersby to create their own buttons, and more importantly, we gave out fliers and talked to people about all of our library programs."  

Kudos From Customers

Highlands Branch:  Front desk staff was extremely helpful in getting me an educator card. They quickly and efficiently answered all of my questions and got it processed. Great staff!

Mandarin Branch:  The young man that signed me up was very polite and knowledgeable.

South Mandarin Branch:  I had a great experience at the library; I never expect to get service like this.  All the persons who worked there are so polite and helpful and can answer a million questions and help you out in everything without hesitating.  And I would like to name the person who helped me in choosing 15 kids books; her name is Angela Richman.  She is so nice and patient and loves her job and makes things so easy for me after explaining every little detail.

Webb Wesconnett Branch:  There are two employees that I have encountered as well as heard them assisting others within the library, and I must say they are wonderful, knowledgeable, professional, kind, and patient. Ms. Janice (Adams) and Ms. Tomario (Lewis) are what good customer service is all about and they should be recognized for a job well done!

Westbrook Branch:  Mrs. Thatcher, a regular customer of  Susan Williamson, is an elderly woman with health issues.  So to make things easier on her, Susan regularly checks Fantastic Fiction and creates lists of books that Ms. Thatcher might be interested in and has not read. Through this she creates a hold list so that Mrs. Thatcher has at least 20 mysteries and fantasies each time she visits the branch.

They Come; We Build It

UPK offered a Building with Bricks program to spring breakers, March 19, 2018, and 22 kids and their families learned about skyscrapers.  Alexis Carter said, "Among the things we discussed were the two tallest buildings in Jacksonville: the Bank of America tower at 617 feet, and the Wells Fargo Center, the second tallest at 535 feet.  We also explored multiple other infrastructures built throughout history, starting with the early Pyramids, such as Giza, up to the tallest tower in the world today, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.  Later, the kids constructed their own miniature buildings using Legos--anything from 'tall towers' to ancient pyramids." 

YEA!

Erin Tuzuner at UPK wanted to share this pic of two cute, excited  children--Olivia and David--who, thanks to their mother bringing them to the library, received their 1^st library card, March 21, 2018 (that's a day to remember!)   

How They Become Butterflies

Observation Station in the children's department at Southeast Branch is hosting ten caterpillars during March 2018. Carol Bunker likes to see the fascination young and older customers have for the miraculous   metamorpho-sis the caterpillars take on the way to becoming butterflies.

Kids will see the caterpillars grow to twice their size and finally turn into chrysalis and after seven to ten days will emerge as Painted Lady Butterflies. The whole process takes about two to three weeks before the children can “ant”icipate the next little creature to take stage center at Southeast's Observation Station.

 Carol said, "Children are enjoying the accompanying books displayed at the station, which are restocked as others are checked out.

"A big shout out to Bobbi Knight at Webb Wesconnett for loaning us some of her origami butterflies, which 'fly' above the station."

If you have young children, you gotta see this one.

Meet The Wearers Of The Green

Meet the West Branch employees who found something green to wear for St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2018:  Front row, left to right:  Stephanie Brantley, Shannon Buchanan, Jessica Carpenter, Cece Sanchez; middle in bright green:  Melodie Brunson; and back row, left to right:  Latisha Woolbright, Eve Harm, Julie Horton, John Jessee, Kathleen Brunner, and Carolyn Koehler.

Lighting The Way For Improvisation

Forty one enthusiastic kids and caregivers enjoyed the “Beacons of Light” lantern craft program, March 19, 2018, in Main’s Makerspace.  Special Collections Library Associate Catherine Currier opened the workshop with a brief explanation of local maritime lighthouse keeping in conjunction with lanterns over the years. Riffing off this theme, she then presented several colorful handmade lighthouse lantern designs. The project incorporated different varieties of recycled plastic and Styrofoam beverage ware, torn strips of colored tissue paper, Mod Podge, and yarn.

Shown above, the inside of the lantern cup. The star is on the bottom of the cup, to allow light to shine through the colored paper.

                                   The base of the lantern.

Library Assistant Paul Schaffner, who assembled the prototypes in advance, was instrumental in funneling supplies to the participants who kept arriving in waves. The hour long workshop elapsed quickly and only one participant left their colorful creation behind.  Catherine and Paul agreed, "Improvisation was the ticket and everyone was delighted to have a fun activity on the first day of Spring Break." 

PCR's "Turn It Up" Turns Up A Terrific Teen

Taylor Richardson, pictured left in her space camp suit, was the star of Pablo Creek Library's monthly program, "Turn It Up! Thursday", March 15, 2018.  At a meet and greet, Taylor autographed copies of Scholastic Science World magazine where her picture appears on the October 2017 cover.  Girl Scouts, Brownies, and others at Pablo Creek enjoyed meeting Taylor and getting pictures with her.  (There was also a high school student on hand who was doing a documentary on Taylor.) 

A Jacksonville native, Taylor Richardson, 14, was interviewed with her mother on ABC News "Good Morning America" after she had raised $20k+ to send 1,000 girls to see A Wrinkle in Time and raising funds for other causes.  At age 9, she raised money to send herself to space camp and moved towards her dream of a career in the field of STEM.  She also raised $18k+ and hosted multiple screenings to help 1,000 girls see Hidden Figures last year in Jacksonville.  Why all the buzz about affording girls the opportunity to  see these movies?  Taylor wants to inspire all girls to dream big and climb their ladders to success (especially in STEM) and she believes the two movies will enlarge their horizons.

                Taylor Richardson signing Scholastic Science World magazines for youths. 

Over 225 customers enjoyed the afternoon of activities which included a master Storyteller; Bingo Games sponsored by Florida Blue; live violin music, and the meet and greet with Taylor. (A big thank you for the input from PCR Manager Jackie Spiritas.)

Corey Scott: Job Well Done!

Corey Scott received a Job Well Done award, March 15, 2018, for a variety of reasons. Naming one of many, Tricia Larrabee, who nominated Corey, said, "Main's Fiction department is tasked with weeding items from our collection.  We can generate many boxes of materials to go to the Friends' Booksale and if they are not picked up readily, we create a roadblock in the delivery area. One morning staff first made sure an empty pallet was available in delivery but by the time we rolled our boxes there, the pallet was gone. I spoke with Erica Brown about what a delay does to our department, and how to address the backlog. While we stood in the delivery area, Corey walked by and asked if we needed anything and we mentioned the missing pallet.  In less than five minutes, Corey had one there --with a smile on this face.  His positive, can-do attitude exemplify our JPL Core Values:  service, teamwork, innovation, and excellence."

Corey always has his eyes open to needs everywhere his feet trod and offers assistance as he goes wherever he can.

Women Leaders In Science At Southeast Library

The Women in Science program at Southeast Library, March 13, 2018, was engaging and inspiring. Four local women in the sciences--Amy Franqui, Senior Director of Analytics at Florida Blue; Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway, psychologist and author; Donna Gentry, Vice President of Projects for Sally Industries; and Cicely Pontifelt, Biology Technician for the National Parks Service--were led by moderator Emily Floore, Education Director for the St. Johns Riverkeeper. The women conversed about their experiences in the sciences, discussed the prejudices and challenges they have faced in their careers and delivered wisdom for other women interested in working in STEM. Customers were especially interested to hear from Donna Gentry of Sally Industries, a corporation that has not employed female robotics engineers. Gentry hopes the next generation of women in science may be the ones to finally break the glass ceiling in an entirely male-driven industry here in Jacksonville. Everyone enjoyed this panel discussion and it was a remarkable way to celebrate Women’s History Month.  Southeast Library anticipates forming additional panels in the future.

How Potato Chips Got Into STEM For Teens

Highlands Library staff produced a STEM program, February 28, 2018, that included an important life lesson: 

a mistake can be turned into a win-win.  Teens learned how George Crum accidentally "invented" potato chips.  The story was told that in 1853 Mr. Crum was head chef at Cary Moon's Lake House in Lake Saratoga, NY.  One evening guests complained that his french

fries were too thick.  Annoyed, Mr. Crum sliced a batch of very thin potatoes and once golden fried, he added salt and found them to be very tasty--and so did the guests for 30 more years!  Word, of course, spread and today potato chips constitute a $6 billion a year industry.  

After that interesting story, various kinds of potato chips were provided for the teens to taste several flavors (sweet potato, dill, barbecue, sour cream, etc.)  Then they were asked to guess the different flavors and vote for the best and worst tasting chips.  The teens had fun and staff were amused at the expressions on their faces as they sampled the chips.

It's Alarmin' How Charmin' We Can Be

Danny Menendez and Hannah Genslinger from Main Children’s attended the Multicultural Day at Mt. Herman Exceptional Student Center, February 27, 2018. They read Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, a West African folktale retold by Eric Kimmel, along with a spider puppet and other props to help share the story with the students.

When they arrived, they saw the teachers had set up a full jungle set, puppets, a “moss-covered rock” made of paper, and real foods, including coconuts, yams, and bananas so the kids could have a full sensory experience of the story. Danny and Hannah were floored by the enthusiasm of the staff at Mt. Herman and had a total blast bringing Anansi to life for the children.  (Thanks to Marcie O'Dell for the input and picture.)

Erika & Andrea: Jobs Well Done!

SE Library Clerks Erika Knapp and Andrea Markle were all smiles when each received a Job Well Done Award presented, March 14, 2018, by SE Manager Carisia Rooney (R). Carisia said, Erika goes above and beyond to assist with the weekly teen program 'Anime Club.'  She makes an effort to connect with our teen population and makes them feel welcome, which is fantastic. She and Andrea Markle also worked together to rearrange our teen graphic section; now it is easier for everyone to shelve.

"Andrea Markle works part-time. In addition to working with Erika on the teen graphic project, she volunteered to assist with the monthly teen program, 'Play PS4.'  She has amazing knowledge of the gaming system and games, so she connects well with our teens and contributes to teen room fun."

Keeping The Love Of Reading Going

JB's Terry Welch, a fan of murder mystery authors herself, is proud that her grandson Landon met author James Ponti, March 14, 2018.  Terry said, “My grandson Landon is 11 years old.  Yesterday, I took him to The Bookmark to see middle school author James Ponti. He discussed all his books, including his Dark City series about zombies who live underneath New York City.  The author was asked to describe this series in two words and his response was 'comedic adventures.'  I didn’t think Landon was really listening to the talk, but while we were waiting in line to have his book Vanished signed, he said to me 'I think I really want to read the Dark City books. Comedy and adventure are what I like.'  I was so proud.  I overheard the author telling a mom that he puts all the 'bad' stuff in the first chapter and if she thought it was ok, she should know that was as bad as it gets.'”

Carol Bunker: Job Well Done!

SE Manager Carisia Rooney proudly announced, "Carol Bunker received a Job Well Done Award, March 14, 2018, for creating an Observation Station that features a rotating collection of insects, amphibians, fish, etc. in the children’s department.  The station includes animals in their habitat, magnifying glasses, and materials about the animals that can be checked out.  Carol also designed a sign with lift-the-flap questions, answers, and jokes about the animal currently on display. Read more about Carol's very popular station in the article posted on this blog, March 7.