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7/29/03 - Donna Vincenzino
STAFF MEETING
11/25/2003
STAFF ROOM, 3RD FLOOR
Type of meeting: All staff
Facilitator:
JoAnn
Note taker: Berenice
Attendees: Berenice, Vivien, Kiran, Jean R., Nick, Jeanne S. Anita, Trina, Debbie, Jean O., Tom, Saundra, Dawn
Practices/Public Desks
Discussion regarding eating and drinking at the desks.
It is not a good idea when patrons are not allowed to eat or drink.
Conclusion: No eating or drinking at the public
desks.
It is all right in one’s office or in the staff room.
Pay Schedule 2004
Discussion regarding 2004. It is a leap year and there
are 27 pay periods which will affect salaried employees. The
salary
will be divided by 27 instead of 26 so that it may seem as if less than
expected is received each payday, but it will work out because of the
extra
pay period.
Performance Evaluations
Interviews will begin in the next two weeks. They will
be completed by the end of the year.
This will be an opportunity for cross communication.
New Hires – Monitors
We have the go-ahead to hire two, perhaps three monitors.
Two are TeenSail volunteers. We may hire as many monitors as
needed,
but the total number of hours worked by all monitors must stay within
the
allowed limits.
New Hire –Librarian
We are searching for a librarian. Interviews will take
place on Monday and Tuesday. If some candidates come in early,
have
them wait downstairs until called.
We also need a library assistant/typing.
Rose Garten will substitute for Berenice while she is out.
Norton Updates
We have updated the Norton Security Program. If a box
appears
on the screen asking if you wish to accept information from a
site
pop-up say “Yes”. When the globe on the task bar is blinking
there
is an update. Let it install and restart your computer. You
can block unwanted email and unblock if necessary. There is a
folder
for blocked mail.
2004 Welcome Luncheon
Due to the difficulty in staffing we will have the Board of
Trustees
social in January. It will be a “Welcome 2004” luncheon on
Tuesday, January 6, 2004. There will be a Secret Santa program
and
Dawn will be in charge of picking the names, limit $5.00.
ERI
It looks like the Early Retirement Incentive will be adopted
by the Township. We will keep a pool of resumes in case we need
them
later. If anyone knows of someone looking for a position, tell
them
to submit their resume.
Customer Service Workshop
Anita and Saundra gave overviews of the workshop. Some
points made were the need for going the extra mile, having a sense of
humor,
patience, phone etiquette (smile when you are on the phone).
Basically
be respectful and make the patron happy.
Action item: Find a better way to advise circulation of
weekly events. Berenice will make copies of the day by day
calendar
for all the desks.
Imail Training Meeting
We will switch in 2004. Staff will be trained. We
will leave Nutleynj as the primary email address.
HTTP://mail.bccls.org:8383 replaces Mail in DRA in 2004.
We will get all mail from BCCLS at Nutlcirc@mail.bccls.org.
Training: Circ. desk staff between Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.
All others one-on-one. Should be completed by January 7, 2004
Survey
The annual survey begins December 8th.
We have new reserve/purchase cards. They are pink.
We also have them in white which will be used for ILLs. Those
will
be kept on the second floor in Trina’s office. Pink cards will be
kept in the reference hallway and a sample will be placed on the
outside
of the cabinet for easy viewing.
New Jersey Information Center Workshop - Newark Public Library, 12/8/03 – Jeanne Sylvester
On Monday, December 8th Jeanne Sylvester attended a program at
the Newark Public Library for librarians throughout the state. Charles
Cummings, city historian and Assistant Director of Special Collections
introduced the New Jersey Information Center Division and its
resources.
He and other staff members displayed some if its unique and impressive
holdings. The New Jersey Information Center is a division of the
Special
Collections Department of the Newark Public Library and is open to the
public.
The New Jersey Information Center is a research level collection
of materials relating to New Jersey, Newark and Essex County. It holds
current and historical information in many formats; books, documents,
photographs,
newspapers and archives.
Indexes have been created to organize this enormous amount of
information,
some of which is stored in other locations because of space
constraints.
The Book Collection contains items of scholarly and popular
interest
as well as theses and dissertations. The Document Collection contains
all
state publications as well as Newark and Essex reports. The Newspaper
collection
dates back to 1791 with most information about the 20th century. The
NJIC
obtained the “morgue” of the Newark Evening News and almost all of its
3 million clippings have been microfilmed. The Picture Collection
contains
35,000 indexed images and fine art prints and 800,000 black and white
images
from the Newark Evening News Morgue that is housed off site.
The Archives include many interesting items such as personal papers,
scrapbooks, business memorabilia and much more.
The attendees were brought into the library’s training lab and
were shown the variety of links and resources set up on the library’s
web
site under the Electronic and Internet Resources area. A large
collection
of databases is available for patron use at home, and some are only
available
in the library. A large collection of Internet Guides helps to lead
information
seekers to relevant links.
Learning about all the resources available from the New Jersey
Information Center was a real eye-opener. Their collection of online
databases
is a very valuable research tool for their patrons and library users.
Their
collection of Internet Guides and tutorials is also of great value for
patrons and for all Internet information seekers, even librarians.
Searching the Invisible Web – Clark Public Library, 11/20/03 – Jeanne Sylvester
On Thursday, November 20, 2003 I attended a seminar at the
Clark
Public Library sponsored by Infolink. The Invisible Web Revealed was
presented
by Robert J. Lackie, Assistant Professor at Rider University. Mr.
Lackie
discussed the current popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo
and
also indicated why they should not be the only searching tools used by
librarians and other information seekers. Some searching “spiders” are
unable to access different file formats such as PDF or multimedia files
and information hidden within databases. Mr. Lackie presented ways that
we can find this quality information that is “hidden” deep within the
web
in a quicker and more productive manner.
Directories are Web sites that provide collections of links
usually
organized by subject area. There are smaller, but selective directories
that can lead to the hidden content of the web. Librarians’ Index to
the
Internet (www.lii.org) and Infomine (http://infomine.ucr.edu) provide
librarians
and the general public links to reliable, trustworthy and scholarly
databases
to retrieve quality information. The Complete Planet
(www.completeplanet.com)
contains over 100,000 searchable databases and specialty search engines
that find the hidden content of the web.
Specialty search engines can also enable users to find
information
or certain file formats not easily found by popular search engines.
Singingfish
(www.singingfish.com) has technology that can locate audio and video
files
from across the web. Scirus (www.scirus.com) is a large search engine
limited
to scientific information with excellent advanced searching
capabilities.
This seminar was a real eye opener to the amount of quality
information
available that is hidden deep in the web. Mr. Lackie revealed ways to
retrieve
these resources that librarians can use for reference requests and that
we can share with our patrons to enable them to become more productive
and independent web searchers.
Outlook Workshop – Nutley Public Library, 11/19/03 & 12/3/03 – Deborah D’Ambrosio & Jeanne Sylvester
On Wednesdays Nov 19th and December 3rd, librarians Deborah
D’Ambrosio
and Jeanne Sylvester attended a Microsoft Outlook Workshop sponsored by
Infolink in the Computer Center of the Nutley Public Library. Outlook
is
an organizational program that provides calendar planning and
scheduling,
task management and email communications.
The Calendar feature of Outlook lets users fill in appointments,
meetings
and other regularly occurring events and access them quickly and
easily.
The program will also send out reminders prior to each event at
designated
time intervals. A Contacts area lets users store important business and
personal information about others.
The Tasks shortcut lets users keep a list of tasks that need to be
completed, daily, weekly or monthly. Other shortcuts and personalized
folders
can be created to suit the users needs. The e-mail program lets the
user
mark and sort their email in various ways including; color, sender, and
priority.
Microsoft Outlook is an easy to use time management and planning
program that can easily assist any staff in their tasks, planning and
email
communications.
BCCLS IMail Training - BCCLS Office, 11/14/03 - Kiran Patel & Trina Staropoli
BCCLS IMail, an internet based email utility, will be replacing the existing BCCLS email in January 2004; until then, email will be sent to both the old and new accounts until the turnover to IMail in January. Reciprocal loans and software will also change, but not until mid-2004 and at year’s end respectively. According to Arlene Sahraie, Library Services Director at BCCLS, BCCLS will continue to use DRA Classic through 2004. We will continue to use the ____ logon and for the time being process loans in the same way they are processed now; only regular “mail” will switch to IMail. Each library will logon to both DRA and IMail at the start of the business day, and check IMail throughout the day for new messages. Logout of IMail at the end of the business day.
Two Nutley IMail logons currently exist:
nutlcirc@mail.bccls.org - logon and password are the same, but
the password will be changed;
tropiano@mail.bccls.org
In January, an additional three mailboxes for a total of five per library will be assigned, for example, Director; Assistant Director; Circulation; Reference; and Children’s. [Note: Nutley will continue to use the departmental email addresses assigned through the Township. These are the addresses ending in @nutleynj.org. Circulation desk and ILL will use the IMail system for BCCLS business and the Nutley system for internal and all other mail. - JoAnn]
The number of assigned mailboxes is not written in stone; additional (personal) logons are allowed. Directors must contact Arlene@mail.bccls.org to make BCCLS aware of an individual library’s email needs. BCCLS should be notified when a staff member leaves so that BCCLS can close out that account. Also, Directors should change the password of an account that remains open but the personnel using it changes.
BCCLS stresses that IMail is for library use only and is not for personal email accounts.
Besides sending and receiving email, with IMail you can:
· Build an address book
· Add mailbox folders
· Create a signature file
· Save work-in-progress as a draft
· Send/receive attachments
· Add professional credibility to emails
A comprehensive tutorial on IMail is available at the circulation
and
reference desks; a shortcut to IMail is also on the desktop at each
station.
IMail is similar in function to Outlook Express so it will not be
entirely
unfamiliar. Everyone must learn IMail as it will become the BCCLS
email utility.
Excel 2000 Level 1, October 20, 2003 - Dawn Patterson
I attended the excel 2000 level 1 class at New Horizons on October 20, 2003. This class really covers a lot of material in one day. If you don’t have prior excel experience this might have been overwhelming. It was a good thing I had prior experience or I would have not learned as much.
The most important thing I learned was that the FX button has a lot more formulas now. Which can be very helpful in trying to set-up a workbook (no more guessing). I also learned about the fill handle, which you use to move rows or copy information into another cell. The other thing I found helpful was the dollar sign, which keeps the cell the same in a formula.
I found this class to be very helpful and this program is not
just for people in accounting, you can use it for many different
things.
I think this will help me with the funds.
October 7, 2003, Power Breakfast for Librarians at the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst, NJ. -Deborah D’Ambrosio
Various employees of the Center introduced themselves and talked about what the Center has to offer in terms of programs and activities for both children and adults. There are interactive displays, an art gallery with changing exhibits of paintings and photographs, nature walks and canoe and pontoon trips. Speakers are also available to come to the library.
The staff is very friendly and eager to provide programs to the surrounding communities. The Center is partnered with Ramapo College in providing programs at the Center and to the surrounding communities. The Center is also partnered with Rutgers University in conjunction with it Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI) Library, which focuses on the Hackensack Meadowlands. The library is open to the public, however one should contact the library prior to visiting.
The Center has a number of web sites:
The current web address for the Center is: www.meadowlands.state.nj.us. This address will be changing to: www.njmeadowlands.gov
The Library web site: http://cimic.rutgers.edu/meri/library.html
The MERI Library Online Catalog: http://cimic.rutgers.edu/meri/lib/Gateway.html
Digital Meadowlands: http://cimic.rutgers.edu/digitalmeadowlands.
There will also be a web site providing information about scientific
research written for upper elementary and high school students.
We all know that books wear out, that new editions and new works update and often replace older ones, and new information come in new books. We have to do “Weeding” in order to make space for new editions. Periodically things get crowded, and well-run libraries have always systematically weeded out worn and useless books.
We need to make our own weeding guidelines with the support of a
written
collection development policy. With the changes that have
occurred
in the world in the past few years, we need to take a look at most
books
in our collection. To offer the best information services, we
must
be able to present material that is correct and current.
In weeding reference collections, a general rule of the thumb is a
cutoff date. If a review reflects that there is “sufficient
updated material to warrant replacement, the out-of-date items must
go.
Many of us have standards for replacing general encyclopedias on a
five-year
or less rotation schedule but then we do not do the same for Lands and
People or other encyclopedias. And many of us are unable to weed
other areas of the collection due to budget cuts, no written policies,
etc.
We need to keep in mind our community, the ethnic make up of our community, population and school curricula. We need to develop a strategy for replacing/updating the most requested areas. Whenever possible, use professional reviews as a guide to the best available books on a topic, or go with a series. Remember weeding is not a one-time project. It must be an ongoing, routine part of any professional librarian’s work schedule.
The best process for guidance in weeding is called the CREW method (continuous, review, evaluation, and weeding). It uses a formula based on Dewey classifications, copyright, current usage, and a factor called MUSTY (M for misleading, U for ugly, S for superseded, T for trivial and Y for your collection no longer has use for this material). Please see the attached materials for more information.
Kiran B. Patel and Debbie D’Ambrosio
Present: Dawn Patterson, Donna Vincenzino, Trina Staropoli, Nick Van Dorn, Lisa Hresko, Tom Cullari, Kiran Patel, Jeanne Sylvester, Berenice Tavella, Anita Prieto, Jean Olney, Josephine LaMedica, Elvira D’Amico, Vivien Lacerenza, Deborah D’Ambrosio. Meeting conducted by director JoAnn Tropiano
JoAnn reviewed the “Gentle Reminders” from Arlene Sahraie of BCCLS,
copy attached.
1. Use of “PAY FEE + AMOUNT” so as not to lose all records in
addition to the fine being paid.
2. Make three copies of lost materials transactions, one
for patron, one for owning library and one for us. Ring checks
into
the register and attach two copies of transaction. Dawn will pay
the owning library.
3. Please do not override other libraries’ renewal limits.
4. We are using rubber bands instead of tape on CD-L
material
and packages.
5. ‘Librarian’s View’ is not visible on regular Web or
DRA. Follow instructions in order to use this resource.
6. Loan requests are denied if patron is delinquent.
7. Do not confuse Hackensack and Bergenfield with BCCLS
when shipping out materials.
Reminder from Infolink. When shipping materials use the date they are going out. If after the pickup time, date the shipment for the next day. BCCLS is discontinuing the 5 day delivery schedule to out of Bergen County libraries. We will be going on a 4-day schedule.
Security
Effective immediately, the back door will be locked and alarmed
after the staff arrives. Please use the front door. We have
new security cameras in the back hallway and quiet study room as well
as
the front steps. Monitors have been placed where employees can
see
them, one at the circulation desk and one at the children’s desk.
Please be aware that maintenance should change the tape every day.
Infolink Classes
Infolink is scheduling classes to be held at the Nutley Library.
On 9/24 and 10/10/03 there will be a classes on Publisher and on 11/19
and 12/3/03 on Outlook. We are now using Outlook Express.
Outlook
is a full program providing more information and allowing more
functions.
Performance Appraisal
In preparation for this year’s performance appraisals, begin
to think about your goals, how you have improved your performance, what
you have contributed, areas where we need work, etc. JoAnn will
be
distributing a different form this year, one that should be more
meaningful
and easier to use. Target time for completion is mid-October.
Programming
We are beginning the O.A.S.I.S. programs. JoAnn and Debbie
met with representatives from the two senior buildings and they were
very
receptive. Programs will take place on Tuesdays beginning at 10
am
and continuing up to noon if necessary. The first program is
slated
for August 5th with “Tool Time with Tom.” Tom Cullari will do the
honors. Other programs: Vivien will do a series on crafts, the Health
Department
will have speakers come in on various health problems such as eye care,
diabetes, foot care, Medicare questions and answers, etc.
Programs
have been scheduled through the end of January. Anyone having
ideas
or knowing people who would be able to present a program is encouraged
to speak out. The Department of Public Affairs is co-sponsoring
the
events.
Calendar
We are discontinuing the monthly calendar after August, and will
be putting out a newsletter. There will be three issues per year,
one for Sept.-January, one for Feb. to June and one for the summer
months
July and August. Desk staff should be aware of the programs and
events
scheduled and have the newsletter at hand in order to help patrons when
they have questions. All events will be listed except for the
computer
classes. The newsletter should enable patrons to have a better
idea
of what is available at the library.
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame induction will take place on September 28th
from 2 to 5 pm. There are 350 tickets. They will go on sale
to Nutley residents only on August 15th . On September 15th
any remaining tickets will be mailed out. Any employee wishing a
ticket(s) should bring a check payable to the Nutley Hall of Fame for
the
total amount by August 11th.
Audio Books
Jeanne Sylvester is working on reorganizing the audio book
collection
so as to reduce the confusion among the patrons and staff.
Parking
Due to construction in the high school this fall, parking will
be a big problem. The township is working on ways to alleviate
the
situation, but we are not sure how it will work out. Patience.
Q&A
Students using computer lab must have library card and one other ID
such as student ID (class schedule will do until the student IDs are
distributed).
A parent or guardian must accompany a child in the computer center and
must stay with the child. No more than two children per
parent.
We are going to ban shopping carts in the library.
Franklin Covey Time Management Seminar, Parsippany, NJ, 7/29/03 - Donna Vincenzino
The Franklin Covey Seminar that I attended on
July
29th, 2003, added a great deal to my knowledge of organizational
skills.
Their overview of how their schedule binders work was very thorough.
One
important lesson that I did come away with was that everyone's
organizational
and time management methods are very different. My training in Business
Management taught me this as well. Employees need to use the methods
that
work best for them. Not everyone will use the Franklin Covey Binders in
the same way. Some individuals may need to jot down daily "to do"
tasks,
while others may only need to use one monthly organizational chart.
I was very impressed with the Speaker's enthusiasm.
She understood that many employees find that they are being pulled in
so
many directions that they cannot find time to complete the tasks that
are
truly important to the organization. The speaker explained how time
management
and the ability to say "no" to certain tasks could lessen the amount of
stress that employees often experience.
Jeanne Sylvester attended a Courts and Community
Exchange program sponsored by the Office of the Ombudsman and the
Information
and Community Relations Department of the Superior Court of New Jersey,
Essex Vicinage. This program was designed to bring librarians
from
Essex county libraries to the courthouse to familiarize them with the
Superior
Court, its offices, its services and to provide the libraries with
their
newly created Customer Service Guidebook that contains much pertinent
information.
The Honorable Joseph Falcone, Assignment Judge
welcomed
the 10 librarians and introduced staff members from all divisions,
including:
Civil, Family Division, Criminal, Ombudsman and Jury. Each panel member
talked about their divisions and the services they provide for the
public.
A tour of the courthouse brought the librarians to each of the
divisions,
as well as to the law library, and face to face with an active day at
the
Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage. After an enjoyable
luncheon,
Tom O’Malley, Law Librarian from the New Jersey State Library,
explained
many of the most commonly used primary and secondary law resources
available
to librarians through the State Library.
This program provided an intimate and friendly
view of the divisions and operations of the Superior Court of New
Jersey.
The Customer Service Guidebook and accompanying pamphlets are available
at the Nutley Library’s reference desk for use by librarians and the
general
public.
The Assistive Listening Technology Loan Program provides personal FM systems and wide area FM systems for the hearing impaired, which work on FM frequency. The program has been in existence for a year and a half.
Individuals who wear hearing aids can use this system as can those with hearing loss who do not wearing hear aids. The system is not for people who are deaf.
The systems provide help in hearing spoken words in places such as restaurants, public meetings areas, churches, temples and rooms with poor acoustics.
Assistive listening systems help individuals with hearing impairment through the use of small transmitters and receivers, which eliminate the background noise that affect the ability of hearing impaired individuals to hear speech clearly. The receiver, which the individual wears, sends sounds into the person’s ears.
The units consist of a transmitter and microphone for the speaker, and a receiver and earbud, headphone or neckloop for the listener depending on the listening environment and the individual’s hearing impairment. People who have hearing aids with a T-coil switch use the neckloop. The T-coil switch on the hearing aid allows the wearer to adjust the hearing aid for use with the receiver.
The Personal FM System is for use up to 150 feet. The Wide Area FM System is for larger rooms. Both systems connect to all types of hearing aids and cochlear implants in addition to use by those with mild hearing loss.
There are six libraries that are Regional Resource Centers (RRC) for
the program. The New Jersey Division of The Deaf and Hard of
Hearing
and the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped and its Deaf
and
Hard of Hearing Awareness Program in Trenton sponsor the program.
Our Regional Resource Center is the Montclair Public Library.
On Tuesday, June 17th 2003, Jeanne Sylvester and Deborah
D’Ambrosio
attended a Gale Database Training seminar sponsored by BCCLS at the
Ridgewood
Public Library. This training session covered two Gale Databases
available
at the BCCLS library system. The Biography Resource Center Database
uses
print sources, online periodicals, images and authorized websites to
provide
over 275,000 biographies to its users. Many simple and advanced
features
make searching easier and very productive for the searcher, and the
entries
are regularly updated.
The Literature Resource Center database uses many of the same
simple and advanced search features to improve results for the users.
Many
important print titles such as Contemporary Authors and Contemporary
Literary
Criticism are accessible through this database. Full text periodicals
are
also included in this database. Users can search by a literary theme,
author’s
nationality, gender and more.
Both of these databases provide an abundance of information for
students
writing reports, librarians assisting patrons and for patrons
interested
in researching biographies or literary information for themselves. The
pamphlets provided offer search tips and background information on
these
two Gale databases.
Gale Database Training: June 18, 2003 Business and Company Resource Center, Ridgewood Public Library - Jeanne Sylvester & Kiran Patel
On Tuesday June 18, 2003 Jeanne Sylvester and Kiran Patel
attended
a Gale Database training seminar sponsored by BCCLS at the Ridgewood
Public
Library. The Business and Company Resource Center provides over 500,000
company profiles, most of which are privately owned. Their sources
include
print titles, 4,000+ magazines, newspapers and business association
records.
Users can search by company name, industry type, SIC or NANSCI codes to
get access to much information. Company profiles feature contact
information,
rankings, financials, links to magazine articles and more options.
Users
can also research by industry type to read industry related articles
and
locate companies. This database provides quick and easy access to
company
and industry information that can be easily used by librarians and
patrons.
Pamphlets distributed provide search tips and background information
concerning
this database.
Present: Berenice Tavella, Anita Prieto, Kiran Patel, Donna Vincenzino, Saundra Miller, Elvira D’Amico, Phyllis DeCilla, Josephine LaMedica, Dawn Patterson, Trina Staropoli, Jean Roberts, Jean Olney, Debbie D’Ambrosio, Vivien Lacerenza, JoAnn Tropiano
There are no exceptions on ReBL policy. Patrons must have their home library card. A new ReBL bookmark will be coming out soon. Newark is the hub for ReBL; Cedar Grove, Clifton and Passaic are in PALS. We honor PALS cards as well as ReBL cards. There is an extra step to accessing the PALS catalog. Bayonne Library is pulling out of BCCLS and their collection is no longer in the catalog.
JoAnn has been elected to the board of Infolink. She needs to know what issues come up in order to resolve them with the board.
JoAnn introduced the new librarian Donna Vincenzino who will be working with children and teens.
Summer reading program: For teens and children there is a S.A.I.L. program. It is an opportunity for grade school and junior high school students to do community service and learn as much about the library as possible. They will volunteer for 2 hours of work per week and will spend time in every section, one at a time. No passwords will be given out. We will try to make them expert surfers. Donna gave out sheets to everyone asking for suggestions on how the volunteers can help. There will be a pizza party on June 17th , so the forms should be back by the 16th. The teen group will work in all areas. The elementary students will be in the children’s room. At the end of the program, each volunteer will get a letter and a certificate.
On June 16th there will be the Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Several employees will be receiving anniversary pins or tee shirts. Make plans to have an enjoyable lunch at the library on that day.
Friends: 1. A dinner/theater trip to Hunterdon
Hills
Playhouse on 7/27/03. The performance will be Sizzle and the
total
cost is $75/person.
2. In October they are sponsoring an overnight trip to Cape May.
3. They are also sponsoring a holiday program on 12/13/03 at
1:30 p.m.. It will be an Etch-a-Sketch artist and should be a
very
entertaining program.
4. In the fall they are planning a trip to The Boy From Oz.
If anyone leaves money at Circ. for the Friends, take it and
give it to Dawn or Berenice.
Other Programming: During the summer, the library will have a
jazz concert and an a cappella concert given by “doorjam”.
We are looking into beginning an “OASIS” program for
seniors
during the afternoons. We will be meeting with advisors from their
buildings
to get their input and staff should start thinking of things to do for
senior programming, such as crafts, handwriting analysis, informational
programs, etc.
The new contracts with CWA are being printed in pocket sized booklets. We will go over the new or changed items at the next staff meeting.
The telephone number to call before 7:30 a.m. if you are not coming in is 973-542-0388. If it is an emergency or later than 7:30 a.m. call JoAnn at 973-235-1489. Full timers can take personal time in half days. Part timers may take personal time in hours equal to their half days. Request for personal business or comp time should be made using the green sheets at least three days in advance. Comp time must be approved before it is earned. Sick and vacation time is always posted in hours on paychecks.
Make sure JoAnn has your correct telephone number so that calls regarding weather and other problems or late openings and emergency closings can be made. You can access the schedule from home: nutley.bccls.org/schedule.htm. In the upper right hand box you can link to “A” or “B” weeks. Nick will work all 3 evenings during the summer. Josephine is changing back to Tuesday evenings.
Changes: Jeanne Sylvester is moving to reference as readers advisor and will share reference with Debbie. Kiran will be in Tech. Donna will be in Children’s.
High School graduation is on 6/24. Exams begin on June 2. We will be crowded with children, check to see if the lab needs policing. Do not allow teens to congregate in the lobby. If you are busy and need help call JoAnn. Call police if there is trouble. We are putting cameras near the rest rooms and in the quiet study room.
The new Unattended Children and Disruptive Children policies have been posted. At closing, let JoAnn know if there is an unattended child in the library. Parents, not the library, are responsible for their tots. When an incident occurs, whether with children or adults, always have another staff member present and try to have a patron as a witness.
The Board of Trustees is taking up policies on Collection Development, Gifts and Programs.
The library is purchasing new computers, a laptop for
librarians
(maybe two) and a new one for Dawn. There may be some changes in
taxes in the payroll due to the recent tax bill being passed. We
will have a staff training day in the fall. We are going to be
using
Outlook Express, which will give us many more options than we have
now.
We are also going to have a new phone system in conjunction with the
Township,
one we can use for faxes and mailboxes. We will be replacing the
lab machines and computer staff machines starting in September 2003 and
finishing by June 2004
Ms. Stacey Knibloe, Senior Gale Training Consultant provided an
overview
of the database content and search capabilities as well as search tips
for:
Contemporary Authors:
Contemporary Authors online offers in-depth information on the lives
and writings of modern authors along with critical reaction to their
works.
A typical entry includes variant names for the author, personal
information,
education, career, organization membership of the author, awards and
honors,
a complete list of writings, an interview, a list of media adaptations,
and a list of biographical and critical sources.
Contemporary Authors can also answer a variety of readers’ advisory
questions. Looking for Regency romance authors other than
Georgette
Heyer? An advanced search mode search of “regency AND romance”
provides
a list of 62 authors.
There are also options for downloading or printing the entire
entry or portions of it.
Literature Resource Center:
One of Literature Resource Center’s neater features is the Authors
by Type search option for searching by Gender, Author Ethnicity, Author
Nationality, Genre, Theme, and Historical Timeline. Literature Resource
Center also includes critical material on rap musicians.
The Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT are supported. Words entered
in sequence in a search template are ANDed by default. There is
also
a link to Authors on the Highway, (Publishers Weekly site) a guide to
locations
and times where writers are offering readings, and a rotating featured
author selection. Additional Resources lets the researcher
examine
an author’s Themes, Autobiographical Essay, Interviews, Encyclopedia of
Literature entry if there is one.
Finally, reformatting for printing or e-mailing worked fine and even
allowed user to backtrack to the document and to the current search
results.
Please see the attached papers on the General Tips.
New Jersey Library Association Annual
Conference,
April 1, 2003, Hilton, East Brunswick, New Jersey
Kiran B. Patel
Keynote Speaker: Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling, an acclaimed science fiction author, editor, and technology critic, identified the “cyberpunk” movement over last several years through such books as Islands in the Net and Good Old Fashioned Future. He refined the importance of how books have changed people’s lives and how the booming technology cannot replace the tradition that written literature has left behind. As Sterling put it, “Disks can be broken, compact discs can be scratched, but books do not break or cannot be scratched.” He discussed how the future should not be about the struggle of morality and postindustrial rage, but about the choices people make surrounding social, political, and technological change.
Finding Your Way with Government Electronic Information: Dorothy Warner, Rider University; Ann Grice, East Brunswick Public Library
This seminar primarily discussed the different websites to navigate to locate government information. The range of websites identified included locator tools, census data, statistics, education, employment, consumer information, health, and science. Many of the notable United States Documents are available at federal depository libraries.
Alternative Medicine: Micki McIntyre, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Elisabeth Jacobsen, Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ
Speakers discussed the idea of alternative medicine. The central theme of alternative medicine was that it was used widely instead of conventional medicine. It is based on several pieces of scientific evidence mainly. There is always the caution of safety issues, as with all medicine, and when considering alternative medicine, people must educate themselves very thoroughly. Some useful sources were identified, as the Alternative Health News Online.
Turbo Charging Your Online Searching: Getting the Most from the Web and Online Resources: Mary Ellen Bates, Bates Information Services, Washington, D.C.
This seminar provided some techniques in optimizing online
searching.
A few ideas were introduced as well, as to define the purpose
of your search before hand thoroughly and to be patient on more
detailed
goals when searching. The speaker discovered a trick for
identifying
various spellings of a given word. Before she starts her search
on
the web, she types all her search terms into a word-processing
document.
There is no need for ANDs and ORs, but it is important to include all
the
words you think you will use.
Making It Happen At Your Library, NJLA Annual Conference, 4/1/03 - Jean Roberts
This year’s conference was held at the East Brunswick Hilton Hotel. I found the facilities to be completely inadequate for such a sizable group. For example, the parking area elevators were not centrally located or easily visible. Kiran and I had to walk down seven flights of stairs. In addition, the hotel café was reserved for members attending the Past President’s Luncheon from 12 – 2 p.m. The rest of us had to purchase lunch from a lobby-set-up. Tables and chairs were at a premium, so lunch was awkward to say the least.
After visiting the Exhibit Area and hearing keynote speaker Bruce Serling, (boring) I did attend some workshops worth sharing. I have tried to cover their highlights in the following paragraphs. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me.
USING TEEN VOLUNTEERS IN THE YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Margaret Mellon, Youth Services Specialist for BCCLS, introduced the
three speakers;
Beth Gallaway, a Young Adult Librarian from Massachusetts, Judy
Macaluso,
Teen Librarian from the Ocean County Library System in New Jersey, and
Lore Reinhart, Young Adult Librarian from the Randolph Public Library,
New Jersey. Some suggestions for involving teens in the library
included
having teens assist with Cyberschool, Internet programs for adults,
allowing
teens to “adopt a spot” and shelve, straighten, dust and maintain that
area, and encouraging adolescents to assist with storyhours, i.e.
“Tales With Teens,” or craft preparation. It was pointed out that
some libraries even take their Teen Advisory Boards to shopping centers
and let them purchase books for the YA collection. Still other
libraries
tap teen patrons to set-up library displays, or dress in
storybook
character costumes for special events.
Lore Reinhart described the role of Randolph Township teens in the Summer Reading Club for Children. She said that two teens are scheduled to sit in a designated area of the Children’s Room for 2 hour intervals to enroll, collate, and reward the younger children in the program. All volunteers are required to attend an orientation program. Beth Gallaway described a Calgary, Canada program named “Reading Buddies.” Children in first and second grades who are reading below their grade level are paired with a teenager for the purpose of reading together. The children benefit from 1 on 1 attention, and the teens learn leadership skills. Judy Macaluso from the Toms River area described Ocean County’s SAIL, SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN LIBRARIES. She started the program 4 years ago and had 33 teen volunteers. Last year 280 teens participated. The teens do just about everything already mentioned and then some. Ms. Macaluso stressed staff awareness of the project. She mails paper airplanes to co-workers asking if they have any summer projects for the volunteers.
All three speakers stressed the importance of rewarding the teens and making their presence in the library highly visible. The latter is easily achieved with tee shirts. An end of the season pizza parties with a DJ is highly recommended for the former. Ms. Macaluso also emphasized the need to make things “fun”. Shelving, shifting, and other routine tasks are approached with more enthusiasm if done in groups of five. Occasional visits by a librarian bearing candy or gum are also suggested.
IF YOU OFFER IT, THEY WILL COME: MAKING ADULT PROGRAMS HAPPEN AT YOUR LIBRARY!
Librarians from the Atlantic City, Monmouth County, and Princeton Public Libraries presented this informative session. The Children’s Librarian from Atlantic City, (Joan Irwin could not make the meeting) told the group about OASIS, Atlantic City’s OLDER ADULT SENIOR INTEREST series. It was started by a committee with a grant. Every Monday morning, transportation, cookies and coffee are provided for programs which run the gamut from speakers on health issues, and reps from the Rutgers Extension Service to Christmas Choir sing-a-longs and craft sessions. The speaker advised the audience to draw on the talents of fellow librarians when planning such events.
Flora Higgins of the Monmouth County Library spoke about the film series offered by her library. She advised planners to set aside the first 15 minutes of such programs to share interesting Hollywood (or geographical) tidbits with the audience. Ms. Higgins was advised long ago by Jack Livingstone that “tinsel-town” gossip is always a crowd-pleaser.
Susan Roth of the Princeton Public Library described her
reluctance to start a Book Club in the community of Princeton.
She
noted that there were already quite a few in existence. However,
as the workshop’s title states, “If You Offer It, They Will Come,” and
they did. In addition to her two regular Book Clubs, she also
offers
“BOOK BITES,”
an informal lunchtime get-together, i.e. patrons brown bag it, library
provides coffee and desert. Ms. Roth also mentioned a young
Shakespearean
group of actors who perform for a nominal fee. I believe they
were
called the New Jersey Shakespeare Group.
NJLA 2003 Attendance
Deborah D’Ambrosio
April 8, 2003
I attended the Reaching Out To Older Adults session sponsored
by the Special Population Section and Conference Committee. The
speaker
was Susan Purcell from the Delaware County Library System, Media, PA.
Ms. Purcell works with a variety of senior populations including
nursing home residents and people with Alzheimer’s disease in addition
to seniors who come to her library to find books and gain computer
skills.
She spoke of the specific needs of older adults visiting the library
and how the library staff should address them:
· offer a welcoming, friendly environment
· listen to what people say by giving your undivided attention
· don’t rush through your encounter with a patron
· provide a small stool in the stacks to be used as a seat if
necessary
Possible program offerings:
· long-term health insurance information
· genealogy
· intergenerational programs
§ Day care/nursery school children
§ Scouting groups
§ Baseball cards to look at and talk about
I also attended The Whole Picture: Maximizing Information
Services with Media Resources offered by the Reference Section.
The
presenter was Elaine R. Gaber, Morris County Library.
Ms. Gaber spoke about media (video, DVD, laser discs, music
scores,
A-V equipment, multimedia--video, audio, text, graphics) being another
tool to be utilized in the library and the evolving rule of media in
the
library.
She mentioned that the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov, has
a media finder
and that the Internet is a good source for finding images and
photographs.
Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds allow you to receive information
from multiple web sites in one stream to your e-mail account so that
you
can read headlines and choose what you want to look at in depth and
discard
the rest.
Kartoo, www.kartoo.com, was mentioned. It is a metasearch
site that maps results using algorithms.
Using a series of questions, Ms. Gaber presented various media
solutions to answer the questions using media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs,
websites,
videos and interactive CD-ROMs.
I also spoke with a representative of C Tech a company that sells
products for the blind, visually impaired and learning disabled.
I brought back a CD-ROM demo of JAWS for Windows, which is screen
reading
software for the visually impaired, and a CD-ROM demo of ZoomText,
which
is magnification software.
New Jersey Library Association Annual
Conference
April 2, 2003
Making it Happen@your Library
I attended The New Jersey Library Association’s 2003
conference
in East Brunswick on Wednesday April 2 and attended many programs that
concentrated on young adult issues and library services for the teen
population.
A fun way to start the day was a program about the “One Book
New Jersey” program where the authors of two of the chosen books talked
about their experiences writing and illustrating books, their fan mail,
and being selected as winners.
Helen Lester’s picture book “Tacky the Penguin” illustrated by Lyn
Munsinger sends the message that it’s OK being different, an important
message for children. Kate and Sarah Klise, author and illustrator of
Regarding
the Fountain: A Tale in Letters, of Liars and Leaks, shared their
experiences
growing us as children and their weekly visits to the public library
and
how they came to work together to create books for children. The
keynote
speaker for the day was Elizabeth Berg, author of the Oprah selection
Open
House and many other novels. She discussed her love of libraries and
librarians,
read from her works, and talked about her upcoming novels.
Many programs were designed for librarians and libraries serving
young adults (ages 12-18) and were well attended. “Can’t Afford to
Ignore
Teens” gave many statistics of the growing teen population nation wide
as well as in New Jersey. The lecture also discussed teen marketing
techniques
that companies use and how we can use these for our libraries, because
many teenagers currently don’t see a need for the library in their
life.
“YA Programs 101” was a panel of young adult librarians who discussed
their
successful programs, failed programs and tips for creating and
marketing
programs in our libraries. “Dealing with Difficult Teenagers” was the
last
program of the day, but very well attended. Common situations were
discussed
and possible remedies suggested. Firmness, consistency, fairness and
simplicity
are the key themes to be considered when dealing with difficult
teenagers.
All of these programs had useful handouts for our reference.
The 2003 NJLA conference, “Making it Happen@your Library” was
interesting, practical and inspiring. Information and materials
gathered
from the lectures, programs and exhibits could be used in the Nutley
Public
Library for outreach, programming and education and to improve services
to all our patrons.
Subject: Mini Medical School for Librarians, Friday, March 28, 2003, Bluemle Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2003 - Kiran Patel
Participants were given an introduction to the basics of clinical medicine. The daylong program ranged from the daily life of medical students to the growing threat of cancer and the research on public health and mental diseases, as well as basic human anatomy.
Items Discussed:
The Course of Medical Learning: Concepts that Underlie the Training of Physicians…and How it Really Goes Day by Day. Peter Jucovy, MD, Philadelphia VA Medical Center
The main objective behind this seminar was to provide the
participants
with a brief, yet well explained idea of what modern medical training
was
like for those just entering the field. They explored the theoretical
basis
for the well-rounded structure of the medical training curriculum, the
way the program has drastically evolved over the past decade, the daily
parts that make up a complete day in the medical educational
world.
Covering all these subjects was generally well executed and it provided
much information for people entering medicine. A very interesting
feature
was the “A Day in the Life…” section, which mainly focused on what many
future doctors, and surgeons did in a regular day for them.
Human Anatomy & Physiology: Britt Sanford, MD, Thomas Jefferson University
This seminar provided many detailed aspects of the broad study of human anatomy and physiology. It showed the main defining features of the human body and evaluated each in terms of how they were important to the body and what main purpose they served. The skeleton was analyzed, then the various types of tissue and muscles that were used for movement. The seminar then dealt with the more internal organs of the body, analyzing such ones as the liver and large intestine, just to name a few.
Public Health: Jana Mossey, PhD, MPH, MSN, Drexel University
This seminar looked at public health in the way of its purpose, how it relates to clinical medicine, and what part of it is included in the medical school curriculum, and how is it researched. It outlined the responsibilities that everyone needed to uphold to maintain it and how its trends have changed over the last few years. It also dealt with the essential services that serve public health, such as the FDA. One interesting portion of the program was the history of public health, which started back in the Native American days, where the races had to maintain a sanitary public restroom.
Pharmacology Pearls Basic Principles: Dorota Szarlej, Pharm D, Thomas Jefferson University
This program covered a wide range of fields that revolve around pharmaceutics. These subjects include Clinical pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, and toxicology. The speaker explained the history of the profession, how it has changed over time and basis of deriving certain names for drugs today. They also dealt with properties of the drug manufactured and how exactly these work in the human body.
Cancer: Jonathan Cheng, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center
The ever-growing threat of cancer was talked about in this program. The basis of cancer in genetics was explained. As well as the factors that cause it and how the body reacts to this foreign enemy. Different types of therapy were discussed, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy as a few. Certain organs that specifically affect the growth of cancer were analyzed and some images of labs at work trying to cure the disease were shown.
Mental Health: Catherine Datto, MD, University of Pennsylvania
This program explained a brief overview of mental disorders,
treatment
options, professional fields, and mental health resources. The
complexities
of mental diseases were discussed and the treatments many medical
experts
use to cure them. A list of Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)
Scale
was distributed.
STAFF MEETING
March 4, 2003
ILL Staff and Librarians
Present: Jean R., Kiran, Jeanne S., Debbie, Trina, Vivien
ILLs
1. Media, i.e., Music CDs, DVDs, Videos, CD-ROMs, Discovery
Packs, Kits – “Local Request” while in demand - mark orders as such for
Kiran's copy.
2. Bestsellers, reserves, anticipated demand titles –
“Local
Request” for up to 6 mos.
3. Jersey Cat
a. Only books – no media
b. No new materials at all – 1 year = new.
c. Check for request 2 times a day.
d. Within 1 day – response required – will send, will
not send, in process.
e. Only to CD-L libraries, no USPS.
f. No requests from us to Jersey Cat.
g. Access Center – Only items not available in BCCLS and
only books, no media
4. DRA Request Systems – in Bib. Services – use to place
patron reserves and requests to enable patrons to view requests on line
under “Check My Library Card.”
Circulation
1. Every adult card – get a PIN, not children.
2. Push web-site. nutley.bccls.org .
3. “May I help you?” greeting to everyone who makes
eye contact.
Collection Development/Circulation Trends
1. Children’s circulation is flat – continue as currently
purchasing.
2. Fiction & media circulation is soaring. Shift
budget funds.
3. Reference – reduced questions, reduced use of
collection.
4. Non-fiction circulation is dropping, Web surfing for
information is increasing.
5. YA non-fiction –apply stickers – order enough stickers
6. Continue to feature YA non-fiction in YA area.
7. Continue to interfile YA non-fiction with adult
non-fiction.
Geography in library
1. Non-fiction – new = 6 mos. – to lobby.
2. Large Print – move from upstairs to current new
non-fiction
area.
3. Audio books – 1 yr. only downstairs. We have the
largest unabridged collection in BCCLS.
4. Move SC story collections – weed – interfile w/fiction.
Budgets
1. NF $25,000 ? $18,000
2. FIC $20,000 ?$25,000
3. AV-DVD $4,000 ? $6,000
Instruction
1. Begin classes on the catalog.
2. Begin classes on the EBSCO database.
3. Push web-site.
Infolink Workshop
How to Get Free Press
February 11, 2003
Attended by Berenice Tavella
The workshop was presented by Susan Young of Susan Young Media Relations.
Susan emphasized that CLARITY is the most important aspect of your press writing. She pointed out the importance of making your point. The editor always asks, “Why should I cover this story?” and if you don’t cover the what, where, when, why and how in short order, interest is lost.
Some tips to writing an outstanding press release are to try to limit it to one page, no staples; include quotes when possible; use focused phrases such as “Our goal is….”/ “The purpose is…, etc.; include statistics, use bullets; write short, concise and easy-to-understand sentences.
She showed how to make an effective fact sheet to prepare the release and went over some of the common pitfalls of writers, such as writing to impress instead of express, counting words, and repetition.
The seven methods to get free press are: the press release, picture with caption printed, being interviewed for a news story, letter to the editor or op-ed article (limit 500 words), being a guest on a public affairs show, PSA/calendar listing, issue a statement.
Become a credible and trusted newsroom source, pitch great stories, follow-up press releases with a phone call. When calling a newsroom have a contact name, use a concise and targeted 30 second pitch. The newspapers and other media include all the information you need to contact the particular area you are looking for.
Susan ended by having us make a list of one thing you want to START doing (work on a special interview with Chuch Savona, perhaps with Robert Braun of the Star Ledger), one thing you want to STOP doing (ignoring radio and TV media), and one thing you want to CONTINUE doing (sending releases to all outlets).
This was a very good workshop with a lot of participation from the
group.
Focus: Achieving Your Highest Priorities
Franklin Covey Workshop
February 11, 2003
Participants: Kiran Patel, Jean Roberts
Our facilitator, Eileen Land, promised all participants a “ marked and measurable increase in personal and professional productivity by March 4, 2003 if we apply the principles and tools introduced at this workshop.” Her statement is based on the theory that it takes 21 days to change behavior and form new work habits. In order to achieve this goal, Ms. Land then presented the following road map to the assembled group:
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY A TIME MATRIX QUADRENTS
These areas are to be used when planning our schedules. Everyone
should strive to spend more time “above the line,’ or more
specifically,
in Quadrents I and II. Tasks in Quadrent III were identified as
busy
work. Employees who spend an inordinate amount of time in
Quadrent
IV will become ineffective, depressed, bored, lacking in self-respect,
and more.
| Quadrent I | Quadrent II |
| URGENT- IMPORTANT | NOT URGENT- IMPORTANT |
| Necessity | Productivity and Balance |
| crises | preparation |
| pressing problems | prevention |
| deadline driven projects, mtgs., etc. | planning |
| relationship building | |
| re-creation | |
| values clarification | |
|
|
|
| Quadrent III | Quadrent IV |
| URGENT- NOT IMPORTANT | NOT URGENT-NOT IMPORTANT |
| Deception | Waste and Excess |
| needless interruptions | trivia, busywork |
| unimportant reports | irrelevant phone calls, e-mail, mail |
| unimportant phone calls, meetings, mail, mail, e-mail | time wasters |
| other people’s issues | “escape” activities |
| excessive TV, Internet, relaxation |
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY B- THE PRODUCTIVITY PYRAMID
We all need to believe that what we are doing is right in order to
stay focused. Our values will help us to achieve our goals.
PLAN DAILY
Prioritize by order of importance.
PLANNING WEEKLY
Take into account our physical, social/emotional,
mental, and spiritual needs, and identify the “big rocks,”
i.e. what we want to achieve in the form of tasks,
appointments, and areas of focus.
SETTING GOALS
Write it down, give it a deadline, break tasks into workable segments
and commit to the task.
IDENTIFY VALUES
Standards, ideals, and priorities govern our choices here. We
should always add a clarifying statement to our listed value.
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY C MY PLANNING SYSTEM
Everyone needs a system to manage the “core four”; tasks,
appointments,
notes and contacts. An effective system is integrated, mobile,
and
personalized. The desktop is not mobile. It can be made
somewhat
mobile by print outs added to a paper binder. The laptop was
faulted
for boot up time. The palm could not be easily referred to while
driving. Not surprisingly, the paper binder was looked upon as
the
best tool for time management.
ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION SEE KIRAN AND JEAN MARCH 4, 2003!!!
Meeting was conducted by JoAnn Tropiano, Director
Confidentiality Policy
Since September 11th. laws have been passed affecting personal
privacy.
Because federal and state laws do not agree, the Board of
Trustees
adopted developed a Confidential Information Policy in the months
following the terrorist attach and adopted it at their meeting on June
25, 2002. The purposes of the policy are:
To provide staff members with a process for handling requests for information regarding patron use of the library, borrowing activity and/or computer activity.
To provide staff members with a process for handling requests for public information under the Open Public Records Act.
If service is attempted, refer the law enforcement officials to the director or the president of the board of trustees.
Staff members may not provide information.
Requests for public information under the Open Public Records Act such as salary information, contract information, budget information, must be referred to the office of the township clerk. The clerk has forms for such requests and will manage all requests.
Staff members may request that the director provide personal information about them to lenders, landlords or other employers. The request must be made to the director in writing.
References for former staff members may only be provided by the director, the president of the board of trustees or any member of the board personnel committee. Requests for references must be made in writing to these individuals.
"Get Carded" Campaign
We will be starting a "Get Carded" campaign for the month of September
- Library Sign-Up Month. Jean Roberts will be in charge.
Volunteers
were requested to help Jean work on press releases and programs, do leg
work, etc.
On-the-Fly Project
Circ. staff were alerted to item notes that Kiran will enter for books
that now have records for linking and other books that need
re-evaluation.
If the item "beeps" on discharge, please set it aside for Kiran. Nick
will
increase the volume of beeps on the circ. computers.
CD Audiobook Project
BCCLS has entered separate records now for audiobooks on CD. Kiran
is moving our collection from the cassette records previously available
to the new CD records. These items also will have item
notes.
Listen for the "beeps" on discharge and set the items aside for Kiran.
Performance Evaluations
Evaluation conferences are in progress. JoAnn reminded staff that these
are not report cards, but opportunities to focus on goals, objectives
and
areas in which to develop. Job descriptions are being updated as well.
Automation
The public computers, except for the OPACs (Open Public Access
Computers)
that run our catalog, will be moved off of the BCCLS network and onto
the
Cablevision network before the end of the year.
Friends Gift Shop
The Friends will open a gift shop with items on display in the small
exhibit case in November. Key #3 on the cash register will be
used
to ring up Friends cookbooks and gift shop items that will be stocked
at
the circ. desk.
Discussion Items
The North Jersey Video Circuit subscription will discontinue.
Trina suggested a sign be placed in a prominent place stating the "PATRON COMES FIRST" to remind staff to interrupt other work in order to take care of the patron who is standing there.
Instructions for DVD and video borrowers are needed since the browsing notebooks no longer have covers that display them. Signs in plastic holders were suggested. Staff were reminded to leave room for patrons to browse the binders on the top of the binder bookcase. Keep the DVD boxes to one side.
We will run a trial allowing children to borrow videos. They are ordering them online from other libraries and coming in to pick them up. Videos are no longer as expensive as they were when our policy was developed. HOWEVER, we will not lend our own or interloaned "R" rated videos to children under 18 years of age. Ask for a driver's license before handing over the video.
Media damage issues: inventory media to be sure all items included are returned BEFORE discharging the items. Media will be set aside to discharge during slow periods. This will allow time to inventory, check for damage and clean. And, please keep media away from the "bricks" that turn off book security tapes. These are degaussers that erase media. We have talked about this at almost every staff meeting, but erasures are still fairly common. Keep your eyes on patrons returning items to prevent them from putting them on top of the bricks.
Following discussion regarding the accumulation of book trucks in the circ. area, it was decided that children's books should be taken up to the children's department as soon as a truck is full.
Maintenance will shelve donated materials in the back room in tech. services. All librarians may check these shelves for items to include in our collections. This will eliminate the possibility that any librarian is overlooked when materials are donated.
We will discontinue use of the stamp that says "Discarded" and use
the
new stamps that say "Withdrawn." Remember that donated and
withdrawn
items are not available to the staff. They go to the Friends'
book
sale.