Try It With Chopsticks

SE Teen Library Assistant Anjelica Bencomo shares, "SE Teens participate in our monthly program, Teen Book Mixology. Our theme in February was Chinese New Year, where we book talked five novels/teen graphics by Chinese American authors. The teens had a great time with their icebreaker activity: grabbing ingredients using only chopsticks.

DCPS Posts JPL Flyers

Main Library Manager Lynne Baldwin noticed flyers for JPL Programs are being posted in DCPS classrooms. She said, "I was a judge at the History Fair at Atlantic Coast High School, Saturday, February 27, and the teacher had a section of her white board posted with library program information for the students. This photo shows part of the white board. It was rewarding to see a JPL program was being promoted for students." 

(In the upper left is JPL's flyer announcing the "I want the Wide American Earth" exhibit.)

Super Heroes At UPK

Eve Harm, Children’s Librarian at UPK said, "We helped our future superheroes with a super hero Fandom Fun, February 24. Over 25 superhero hopefuls proved their skills with web training, a tunnel crawl, and the most popular: our laser maze. Upon completing their training, the children had a chance to create their own emblem, add to their disguises with gauntlets, and celebrate super hero pairs with super hero friendship bracelets." 

A Little Change - A Big Help To Customers

Beaches Branch Manager Theresa Rooney has a double high-five for 1) a customer with a bright idea and 2) Lynn Jacobson, who promptly implemented it.  

Theresa said, "Our customers are so smart! Beaches Branch customer Karen Bock-Losee suggested JPL include our hours of operation in e-mail reminders to customers. Staff and I thought this was a good idea and passed the customer's suggestion to Lynn Jacobson, who handles such matters.  

"We want to thank Lynn Jacobson for recognizing the value of Ms. Bock-Losee's idea and acting quickly to implement it. I wanted to share this with everyone. 

"When a customer suggests something that you think is a good idea, please encourage them to follow up with a comment and/or suggestion (and show them how to do it).

 "If you have an extra minute while assisting customers with placing holds, please remind them that our hours of operation are now listed on all of our e-mailed and printed notices (holds, friendly reminders, overdue and lost), and let them know this is something we recently started doing as a result of a customer suggestion. I think it’s a good way to let our customers know we value their input."

Special Collections Hosts Jax History Consortium

The Special Collections Department hosted the quarterly meeting of the Jacksonville History Consortium (JHS), February 23, 2016. Historical societies from around the city meet to discuss upcoming events and potential partnerships. The meeting was concluded with a tour of our special collections. (Although he did not address this meeting, Coordinator of JHS and Former President of the Friends of JPL and longtime member of the Jacksonville Historical Society is seen center back.) 

Thanks to Kathleen Krizek, Librarian III, Special Collections, for the blurb and pic.

BIG Jazz Concert Celebrates PCR's Open Mondays

   Terrance Freeman, City Councilman Aaron Bowman’s Executive Council’s Assistant

PCR Manager Jackie Spiritas proudly reports, "The Pablo Creek Library hosted a Jazz concert in the Children’s department, Monday, February 22, 2016, featuring music from the award winning UNF Jazz Ensemble III led by Dr. Marcus Dickman. Seventeen Jazz musicians entertained a crowd of approximately 40 children and 52 adults, including Board of Library Trustees member Ronnie King. 

The program began with a story about 'Jazz Cats' and then the band cut loose with jazz music that could be heard throughout the library. In between music sets and bluesy vocals, Dr. Dickman narrated the program with bits of jazz history as it related to black history and the songs being played. 

Customers who ordinarily may not have come into the Children’s department wandered in, drawn by the community style concert which was improvised outside of the meeting room. The jazz program, geared toward children ages 6-12

and their families, concluded with a jazz scavenger hunt where all of the children searched the department for different pictures of instruments. All in the all, the program proved to be a success with everyone enjoying the atmosphere and entertainment. 

"This program is just one of the many educational and cultural events offered at PCR. A special thank you to the Newcomer’s Club whose members fund children’s programs in the Pablo Creek Region.

"Although the program was held on a Monday afternoon, it was well-attended. I took the opportunity to take a picture of Terrance Freeman (pictured first above), City Councilman Aaron Bowman’s Executive Council’s Assistant, in front of the Post-it Note survey board as more evidence that Monday hours add value to library customers' lives."  

Staffs Man JPL Pit Stop At Friends Booksale

 

JPL promoted library resources at the Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library Book Sale on Saturday, February 20,  2016 at UPK.  Cynthia Simmons and Robert  Moseley (below; sorry their faces don't show) manned the Library Card Pit Stop and helped customers with their library card accounts.  

Margaret Morford and Jane Griffo conducted 16 Intake Surveys as part of the AARP50+ FoundationGrant Program.  Retired Librarian Eleanor Baldwin (along with her daughter Main Library Manager Lynne Baldwin) made a special trip to UPK to take the AARP survey and support the Friends Book Sale by buying a bag of books for her great grandchildren. (Thanks to Lynne Baldwin, Main Library Manager for the blurb and pics.)

Ummm, Ummm Good; That's What Customer Appreciation Is!

WBK's Library Assistant Antoinette Walker said, "One of our regular customers at Westbrook, Ms. LaDonna Nesmith, dropped by with Valentine’s Day surprises for us. Can you imagine our delight at receiving these cheerful hand-crafted bouquets! Not only is Ms. Nesmith one of our favorite customers, but apparently we’re her favorite too."  (L/R: Kimberly Cherry, Library Associate, Ms. LaDonna Nesmith, Susan Williamson, Library Clerk and Antoinette.)  

Kudos From Customers

Beaches Branch:  Gail (Blumberg) at the Beaches is so nice!  She had a wealth of knowledge about what I needed and was so wonderful to talk to! A great asset.

Main – Circulation:  Alicia Dottery in Circulation helped me with a problem that required her taking more than a few minutes to investigate to get answers to my questions. Each time that I asked her to investigate further, her attitude/work ethic was one of excellent customer service. At each question of mine to which she did not know the answer, she asked if I would mind holding while she found the answer. Her voice tone conveyed an attitude of helpfulness. I wish I encountered workers like Ms. Dottery any time/every time I needed help. She's a "keeper".

Main - Special Collections:  I want to let you know that Betty Person goes above and beyond the call of duty. She took her time to help me on the computer and it resulted in me getting a job. She should be promoted.  She always has a smile on her face. And I might be the only one who took the time to put it in black and white, but I'm sure everyone who meets her feels the same way, too.

South Mandarin Branch:  Ms. Angela Richman was great offering extra information and her bilingual story time was beyond my expectations. …

Webb Wesconnett Branch:  LOVE the audio class with Mr. Josh (Jubinsky).  We can't make it every week, but always enjoy it when we come.

Luis Terron Winner of Innovator Award

Luis Terron, e-Specialist, was granted a JPL Innovator Award, February 19, 2016, by Talking Books Librarian II Chris Eaton. Chris said, "Luis has been busy designing and producing prototype library public restroom accessibility 3-D models. This project started at the Main Library’s 10th anniversary where he learned from staff members at the Vision Education and Rehabilitation Center about the need for tactile accessibility aids when conducting mobility training for their clients. 

"Mobility in restrooms was a concern due to the lack of standards in fixture arrangement and privacy issues. When Luis realized VERC’s need at the FSCJ downtown campus, he expanded it to the library’s need for such models. By the time of the 2016 North Florida Regional Braille Challenge, Luis had produced two working models with one of the library's 3-D printers for the men's and women's restrooms on the Conference Level of the Mai Library. The models debuted to a great reception from the children, young adults, and vision educators who participated in the event. They seemed excited about the prospects of this new tactile mobility aid. Media outlets, WJCT, and the Daily Record aired/published stories about the models and the reaction of those using them. 

"Building on this early success, Luis has been working on further development of the models and cooperating with a couple of local 3-D printing businesses to produce them in larger, more durable versions in time for our Information and Technology Symposium where we are expecting a number of attendees in the adaptive technology field, as well as media coverage from CNN."

Hats off to Luis Terron!

SE Matches Two Great Days For A Fun Display

With Valentine's Day and President's Day back to back this year, Southeast combined the two to make one display. During February, customers are asked to connect the presidential couple with the fact stated about them. In addition, paired biographies of the Presidents and their First Ladies are available for checkout. Though customers have tried, so far this month, no one has correctly matched all of the facts with the presidential couples. *Do you know which president  and first lady were distant cousins? (Thanks to Beth Friederich for the blurb & pic.)

*(Answer:  32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor were fifth cousins, once removed.)

Rock-N-Roll Night At SE

Southeast Region Manager Keli Likins said, "Fifty people attended the Beatles program at Southeast Branch, February 16.  Many thanks to Lisa Buggs for setting it up and Erica Brown for hosting it."

This was a 90-minute multimedia program that illustrated the influence of Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and other 1950's American recording artists using side-by-side comparisons and musical analyses of Beatles covers and original recordings.

Teen Advisory Board Busy At SE

SE's Teen Library Associate Anjelica Bencomo reports, "One of Southeast Regional Library Teen Advisory Board's favorite jobs is changing out the displays in the lobby. Inspired by the theme "Lift Every Voice" they incorporated a rainbow of birds in flight to welcome visitors to the library.

Main Library Front & Center

Beautiful nocturnal view of the Main Library and downtown Jax (copied from Mextro Jax).

35 Years For Revondolyn Dubois'Means A Big Retirement Party

Main Library Manager Lynne Baldwin sent these pictures of  Revondolyn Dubois' retirement party, February 10, 2016 at the Main Library.  Lynne said, "Friends, family and colleagues gathered to congratulate Revondolyn on 35 years of customer service with the Jacksonville Public Library and the City of Jacksonville."

As you can see, greetings on the cake came from around the library system for Revondolyn. JPL lost a full-timer but Revondolyn will continue as a part-time Library Associate at the Main Library. 

Happy Day, Valentine's Day At Mandarin Branch

David Foster, Alison Pulley, and Frances Wickes made sure as many folks were wished Happy Valentine’s Day as they could (and hope all of you did, too).   Frances Wickes said, "The Mandarin Branch Children’s Department gave our budding artists the opportunity to make cards and pictures using celery stalks and an ink pad.  What fun we had Saturday, February 13, just in time for the big day."

An Update From The JPL Staff Association

Region Manager Marshelle Berry asked Milicia Thomas, Secretary of the JPL Staff Association, to give us an update on their plans, "We kicked off the annual membership drive, January 15,2016, and have signed up almost 100 members. The drive continues through February 29. As we reminisce on the great fun we had at our holiday social, we are planning other wonderful events for 2016. The JPL Staff Association officers want you to know we appreciate your hard work and support, and the Association would not be thriving without you."

Gloria Armstrong & Kimberly Hamilton Celebrate 30 Years With JPL

Two Library Assistants were accompanied by Julie McNeil, Assistant Director for Public Services (far left) when each proudly received their 30 year pin and congratulatory letter from Mayor Lenny Curry, January 28, 2016.

Gloria Armstrong (2nd from left above) works at Brentwood Branch. Gloria's daughter, Jeaneen Armstrong (far right), wanted to be there for the special occasion.

Kimberly Hamilton (3rd from left below) works at University Park Branch and had her father, Frank Williams, and her husband, Dan, with her to celebrate the big milestone.

CONGRATULATIONS TO GLORIA AND KIMBERLY!

Friends of JPL Hold Bag Sale, 2/19 - 2/21/16

BAGS OF BOOKS, DVDs, AND CDs FOR SALE BY THE FRIENDS OF JPL:

Prices are for Friends of JPL members - Remember you can join at the door.

Friday, February 19: 4-8 pm: $12/bag & get the 2nd FREE

Saturday, February 20: 9 am-5 pm: $15/Bag - Buy 2 bags & get the third bag FREE

Sunday, February 21: 12 noon - 5 pm: $15/Bag - Buy 2 bags & get the third bag FREE 

All sales benefit JPL. If you are not a Friend, please consider joining and encourage others to join FJPL.

Post-It Note Survey At PCR

PCR has a customer survey board that asks, "The Pablo Creek Library is now open on Monday.  How does that make a difference to you?" (It also serves as a not so subtle reminder that JPL works hard to make customer service better.) 

Library Clerk Raquel Soto had a great idea to keep some Post-It notes at the Circulation Desk so customers could write a note as she checked out their items. Then customers could post their notes on the board on the way out.   

PCR Manager Jackie Spiritas sent us this picture of the mother with her little girl, who participated in the survey, and said her.stuffed animal (in her hand) was doing it, too!

The more the better!