StaffChatter

Kindle request, does not apply to iPad

2012-02-09T09:12:00.001-06:00

Hi, please keep the Kindle Fires in that "other" handy location when not in use from here on out. We'll never remember to promote or hand them out if they're in the workroom. If you think about the difference in the way these will be used vs. the iPad, you'll see/remember why they don't need to be in the back room.

Also, this would be a great roving reference op--take them out, walk around, and look for anyone who might want to know they can check these out. Thanks!

OPAC/Chair

2012-02-08T13:29:00.002-06:00

Rich has asked that we not use any of the wooden table chairs by the OPAC that is right behind the YS reference desk. The chairs are damaging the OPAC stand. Instead and at least for now, please use one of the puzzle table stools. A new chair that will fit properly is being ordered.

Non Fic Display

2012-02-07T15:06:00.005-06:00

I cleared the first section of the shelves in aisle 53 to make room for a non-fiction book display. They are mostly either on popular subjects or books that are just fun to browse. Right now I went ahead and pulled some books from my section to display but of course everyone is welcome to pull out books from any non fiction section to fill empty spots.
There is no set theme and we are not changing the location of the item in MilCirc. Thank you.
Rakhshanda

Book Box

2012-02-07T10:02:00.002-06:00

There is a Book Box ready for April H. from Mary Drew Elementary on the back counter. I left her a message that it is ready for pick up.

Camera & SD card reader

2012-02-06T20:47:00.000-06:00

I put the SD card reader on the cart with the camera, because I think we're using it much more than patrons. If that turns out not to be the case and patrons are indeed using it, feel free to put it back in the drawer and let everyone know.

The camera is recharging again. In the current setup, the laptop needs to be on in order for the camera to charge. A new arrangement is on the horizon. I'll let you know when the change takes place.

Winter Reading Club

2012-02-06T20:32:00.002-06:00

The Winter Reading Club is now renamed 2012 Wolves Reading Club and is on the Q drive. It looks a little different because I made a new one because of some technical difficulties with the old one. Everything including the password remains the same. All the information is transferred into the new database.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Rakhshanda

Addendum to storage room/program room procedure

2012-02-02T14:13:00.000-06:00

I've also had no issues whatsoever, even in a movement program, even when subbing in a program for any age group, just moving the easel/whiteboard, the rolling cart with big books, and the rocking chair up against the shelving unit, and standing in front of them. They look like "we're not using them today" in that arrangement, and I've never even had anyone try.

Please keep the above in the program room except when the entire floor space is truly needed for a special event. In that case, put them in the YS workroom rather than the storage room. On those occasions, in addition to keeping the storage area clear, someone will notice that the items need to go back into the program room.

YS Workroom Procedure

2012-02-02T14:06:00.000-06:00

Moving forward, please keep the book carts and the chairs somewhere other than the YS storage room when not in use. You can leave the carts in our workroom if needed. We can also keep at least one book cart available behind the YS desk. We can remove the blue chairs from the YS program room only when the whole room space is needed for special events. They can otherwise be behind the tables, which can be pushed to the side, only when some extra space is needed.

I am looking into getting some type of bin to store the large pillows in a corner of the program room. Concern was expressed in the past that children will play with the pillows. If set-up and breakdown of the programs remains the same as always--before patrons arrive and after they leave--I don't even think the kids will notice them. If they do notice the pillows, please find your own words to ask for what you need. Out of sight and out of mind pillows will be far easier to manage than shelves full of stuffed animals! All are doing a great job of keeping crowd management to the best it can be, and I'm not worried about you!

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the storage area safe and accessible.

Birth-K Birthday Raffle

2012-02-02T13:42:00.002-06:00

The winner for the January Birth-K Birthday raffle has been notified and the prize is located under the service desk by the cleaning supplies. Please have her choose one of the three books.

Thanks!

Computers Out of Service

2012-02-02T12:18:00.002-06:00

Wanted you all to know that this morning Ann came by and asked if it was alright to take the first bank of computers out of service. The answer was yes. As of 12:00 p.m. she is still working on them. Out of Service signs have been placed on each of the six.

Weeded items

2012-02-01T11:33:00.002-06:00

At times, Mary T. or someone in her stead may need to check a weeding cart for a "missing". She will ask at the desk where our weeding carts may be if this occurs. Please help her locate such carts by checking all of the places one of our weeding carts may be parked--behind the reference desk, in our workroom, or in Tech., and offer to assist her in checking the carts for the item in question. Thanks, Sharon

Winter Reading Club

2012-01-30T16:06:00.002-06:00

The Microsoft Access database for the Reading club is on the Q drive/Winter 2012 Read To Succeed

The password is the same as always.

Rakhshanda

iPad Adventure

2012-01-25T14:31:00.000-06:00

Let's do one more task with the Wolfram Alpha app, then we'll take a short break to go over Kindle Fire & Kindle Touch for a few weeks. Then we'll alternate between iPad and Fire explorations over time. On the upside, they function very similarly.

Please be sure to take the iPad out minimally from 5-9 pm each day.
Share any newly discovered uses for the iPad that came in handy for you.

Please email to me by Feb. 3: Find the length of the Tigris River in meters. There is more than one way to use WF to get this answer. List the steps you used. Neither the answer nor extreme detail is necessary. Just a brief list of where you went first, second, third...

XBox

2012-01-25T13:39:00.003-06:00

Later this week, I will be placing our first order for XBox games. They will circ just like wii and ps3. I will be making some space for them next to the other games, in the YA AV section. As far as I know, AR has no plans at this time to add either PS3 or X-Box games. I will let you know when/if that changes. I'll also let you know when the games are actually here and ready to circ.

Museum Pass Bookmarks

2012-01-20T13:44:00.001-06:00

Bridget just dropped off new, updated museum pass bookmarks. I placed a supply in the holder next to 5733, the extras are in the rolling cart, still more extras can be gotten from Circulation, and the old ones were recycled.

park district brochure

2012-01-18T19:54:00.001-06:00

I have put two TP park district brochures for the upcoming season under the back counter where the policy book is kept. Sometimes patrons ask for these and now we have some to share. Thanks!

New Non-Fiction Display

2012-01-18T19:08:00.002-06:00

The new display is "Brain Teasers". I divided the shelves into different categories. The top and one other shelf is for the Ripley's type books in J301. 02. One shelf is for jokes and riddles in J793.735. Another shelf is for Magic and Illusions in J793.8. Another shelf is for books about Optical Illusions in 152. 148. Please feel free to pull from any of these sections or any other areas that fit this topic. Thanks so much for helping to keep this display full.

Packing slips

2012-01-10T16:39:00.003-06:00

Just a reminder that Diane does need all packing slips as orders arrive, and that they sometimes hide the slips in odd places--like taped to the side of the box!

She would of course not want to pay an invoice until she knows we have received the items.

I did find the packing slips for the recent Demco and Highsmith orders on the table today, and have passed those along to Diane.

Thanks, sld.

Snowman Joins Us!

2012-01-09T18:54:00.002-06:00

I brought a new light-up snowman for our reference desk area and I put him on the corner of the back shelf. Please plug him in and see his cool lights! He will also need to be unplugged, of course! Thanks!

Items needed for Lock-in

2012-01-08T14:28:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone. If you can loan/give me any of the items listed below, I would appreciate it!
The Lock-in is Friday, January 20th. Thanks!

Paper bags- grocery size (30)
Gloves- larger size (4)
Skateboards (4)

New Non-Fiction Display

2012-01-06T19:48:00.002-06:00

The new display is about The Civil Rights Movement. When I put the display up I had thought MLK's day was in two weeks, not one. So unfortunately the display will be changed soon. Surprisingly, there is still a good selection of books left in the biography and the 323's.

Hunger Games on CD

2012-01-06T10:33:00.003-06:00

Despite owning The Hunger Games on playaway, we have had several requests for The Hunger Games on CD. I have ordered 2 copies, but they are on backorder. You can see our copies on the record, so patrons may place holds and expect them to be filled soon. Sharon B. will be letting me know as soon as it arrives, so I will give you an update when I have more info.

Book Box

2012-01-04T16:56:00.001-06:00

A Book Box was prepared for a teacher. The items have been checked out and the patron has been notified the box is ready. It is in the usual place. Thank you. LM

Got the blues

2012-01-04T13:43:00.002-06:00

The OPAC located next to aisle 32 in the YA area seems to be feeling a bit blue about something. (If you look over at it, you'll see what I mean.) Rebecca, Rakhshanda, Anthony, Laura, Glenn, and I all had alook at it and did some poking around, but to no avail. A trouble ticket has been turned in, but it may take a while. The OPAC is still totally usable. Just very blue.

Dec. Birthday Raffle

2012-01-03T10:36:00.002-06:00

The winners for the December birthday raffle have been selected and called. There were only 2 entries for the Gr. 1-5 level so I selected both which makes 3 winners for the Grade 5 and under categories. Jennifer should be selecting her winner soon. Books/prizes are in the usual place behind the reference desk. This is the final month I will be handling the birthday raffle. Beginning with January, Rebecca and Amy will take care of the monthly raffle so any questions should be directed to them. Thank you all for helping with this!

Paper Towel Rolls

2011-12-23T19:29:00.003-06:00

Thanks to all of you who have been brining me paper towel rolls. I only need about 4 more. Thanks!

J Foreign Language Shift

2011-12-21T19:16:00.003-06:00

The J Foreign Language books were getting a little crowded so I shifted the nonfiction books to the north side of 27 (we had cleared that side for just this purpose a while back). A sign will be made for patrons and if everyone could mention it to the shelvers that would be helpful. Thanks!

Weeding / Reference update

2011-12-21T14:37:00.000-06:00

I did some weeding in reference today, and withdrew quite a few sets and single volume items for which we had overlapping information within reference, or that were woefully out of date. Some of what remains also falls into one of those two categories.

All remaining reference items have a sticky note inside the cover, with the headings, "date," "initials," and did u find it?" (meaning, were you able to answer the question using this source). Please fill out all three columns each time you use a reference book from here onward.

I will use the information on the sticky notes to whittle the section down to a small, quick-reference area. I'll weigh the information I find in the "date" and "did u find it" columns across responses amongst similar sets to decide what best to keep. I'll use the "initials" column if I have any questions as to the nature of the questions you're getting. I will also be able to glean info from the sticky notes as to which online sources we should prioritize for training purposes, this school year and the next.

The goal is:
1) to finish the weeding portion of the above between the last day of this school year and the first day of the 2012 SRP.
2) to cover at least three online sources for common homework topics at our morning meetings by May.

The Feb. YS meeting will have an hour devoted to Gale sources you can use to answer inventor and explorer questions, and a half for general discussion.

Green Cart

2011-12-15T19:49:00.002-06:00

We were looking at the green cart that has been living in the desk area for awhile and have placed all items that have been marked discard at the bottom of both sides of the cart. If you have time, please take a look at the top shelf of each side and see if any others can be moved to discard or need some other action from TECH. Sharon, I am not sure if you need to review these before we ship them off... Thanks!

Good News/Bad News

2011-12-14T15:50:00.002-06:00

Today, the server had to be restarted again. Good news: the volunteer sign-in sheet file was NOT lost! (This happened the last two times the server had to be restarted.) Bad news: the tally sheet for 5732 WAS lost. We have created a new file to be used from here out, but the numbers prior to 12/14 at approx. 4pm were lost. We are very sorry!

Jennifer

TAG December 8

2011-12-06T19:25:00.004-06:00

If you get a call this week with questions about TAG, here are the details:

I accepted all 5 from the waiting list.
All 25 (total) have been called as a reminder.
They were told to bring a white or light-colored T-shirt for decorating.
We are spray painting them with dye- making our own TAG shirts to wear to meetings.

If someone new wants to come, I have supplies for 5 more. Please remind them about
the t-shirt.
I also have calls in to three volunteers- if they call back just let them know to show up at 7 pm.
Thanks!

Rupert

2011-12-04T15:07:00.004-06:00

Today Rupert was rubbing his body against the large rock in the tank. He seemed agitated and we soon noticed that he was shedding his skin. I happened to be testing the trial for Power Kids Life Science today and read the section about salamanders. I had just read that salamanders eat their skin after they shed it, and sure enough Rupert worked the skin down his tail, used his mouth to pull it off, and then ate it. Nigel tried to have a bite too, but Rupert pushed him away. It was an exciting day in the tank!

Save those Paper Towel Rolls

2011-12-04T14:24:00.002-06:00

I would greatly appreciate if you could bring in your old paper towel rolls. I need them for January's iFF. Thanks!

Possible Patron Password Solution

2011-12-04T13:28:00.002-06:00

I have already emailed everyone regarding the Sam password issue: Some patrons are skipping the step of entering a password to log-on. It happened again today so I asked Claudine for her advice. She said she was told a different way to change passwords for patrons. If someone asks her to change a password, Claudine will have the patron write it down on a piece of paper so she can enter it on Sam's patron account page. She suggested that we try this method for patrons who cannot change their passwords and are forced to log-in without using one.

I think this password problem may have been an issue all along but was finally diagonosed. How many times in the past have you given someone a temp number because they couldn't log-on?

November Birthday Raffle

2011-12-01T14:26:00.002-06:00

Winners of the November Birthday Raffle have been chosen and called. Prizes are in the usual place, remember they get a choice of one book. Jennifer's should also be there shortly. And just to let you all know, no one has come forward to say they would take this on again for next year so December will be the last month for the birthday raffle. LM

Another Book Box

2011-11-30T20:26:00.001-06:00

There is another Book Box ready to go for Laura M. on holidays. She has been called and indicated that she will be in over the weekend to pick it up. Thanks!

Book Box

2011-11-29T12:34:00.002-06:00

There is a book box ready for Carrie on brains, holidays, and Christmas. She has been notified and it is in the usual place.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-11-26T13:45:00.000-06:00

Thank you to whoever the little elves were! It looks very nice in here. Someone(s) was very busily decorating sometime between Wednesday night and Saturday morning!

Weeding Assignment, Due 1/15

2011-11-26T13:43:00.000-06:00

Here are the weeding assignments for now through 1/15/12.

N or S after a stack number indicates the north or south side of the stack.

Email me when you've finished one of your sections so that I can enter it on the weeding checklist.

Evaluate items for: condition, currency, and format of the item for the topic in question. If you think the book itself needs to be replaced or something more current is needed on the topic, include a sticky note for the person who selects for that section (note: I will take a look at the titles/items on the carts, but will not be reading individual sticky notes except when we're weeding in my section, so talk to me instead if you have a question for me). Once on the weeding cart, each person will take a look and make a decision as to whether they need to purchase something for their section, then put the cart in front of my office for one more look-see, and off they go.

**Remember that if you want to rescue a book from your section that someone else has weeded as a part of their weeding assignment, you need to bring the item and a compelling argument to me! Everyone err on the side of over-weeding. Each item will get 1-2 more sets of eyes looking at it before reaching its final resting place, so don't worry that you'll accidentally get rid of something important!!

Let's get tougher on VHS and keep only high demand, recently circulating items that cannot be replaced with a newer format.

SB - 52 N
YC - 52 S
RA - 53 N
RAA - 53 S
JL - 62 N
LM - 62 S
CZ - 63 N
AL - 63 S

Lib Wiki

2011-11-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

I added a link at right to the TP library Wiki. The wiki has all sorts of useful information, including pictures of all staff. When you click on the link, you will see that you need to log in. The department login is in the DTO.

Please log in at least once by 12/1/11, and email the path to the pictures to me (just list each thing that you need to click on after logging into the wiki to get to the staff picures.
Scroll through the pics and include in the email the name of at least one person that you never or rarely work with, or who is new and you have not yet met.
Use this anytime a name escapes you!

Printer 3 Trouble Ticket

2011-11-23T16:56:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone,

I submitted a trouble ticket for printer #3 (printer closest to the YA fiction). Today a large number of pages with symbols began randomly printing. We cancelled that job and it did stop, but now all print jobs being sent to that printer are printing very slowly. I submitted a trouble ticket.

Thanks, Rebecca

iPad adventure of the week

2011-11-23T12:47:00.000-06:00

By 12/1/11:

Open the WolframAlpha app on the iPad.
find the time range of the Jurassic Period. Email a page containing the answer to me, directly from the app.
What on earth is that A4 paper the photocopier is always talking about??? Find the dimensions of A4 paper, and email a page containing the answer to me, directly from the app.
Find out how many km per second 55 mph is. Send the answer to me in a regular email.

There is more than one way to go about this. Might be easier and more fun to work with someone. Don't drive yourself nuts. If you get stuck, just ask!

We'll be exploring this app for a while, sometimes along with another app that can be used for similar info.

Color Printer

2011-11-22T12:34:00.002-06:00

The patron's color printer has been fixed. We ran a test page and it did print correctly so hopefully all is well!

Book Box

2011-11-22T11:55:00.002-06:00

I prepared a Book Box for April, a third grade teacher, on many topics. It is ready to go and she has been notified. As of today, there was still another Book Box on the shelf waiting to be picked up. Please check the name inside, although the one I just prepared is a little heavy, so you can tell the difference when you pick it up! Thank you!

The Polar Express

2011-11-19T13:51:00.002-06:00

If you are looking for a copy of The Polar Express for a patron, be aware that the only copies we own are located in the E audio section. The books have a CD inside. According to LM, this is the only way the book is available to purchase so you won't find one in the E fiction section.

Cardinal Bernardin Textbooks

2011-11-18T11:55:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone,

When Jennifer was updating our textbook photos today, she found one Cardinal Bernardin textbook, a Spanish textbook for grades 6, 7, and 8. Because it is the only Cardinal Bernardin textbook, we decided to put it on the empty shelves to the right of the high school textbooks. I contacted the school librarian today to see if they have any other textbooks that we could have for students to use here. I will let everyone know when I have an update.

Thanks!

Patrons' Color Printer

2011-11-16T20:41:00.001-06:00

The patrons' color printer was not working tonight. A trouble ticket was sent.

Book Box

2011-11-16T12:42:00.006-06:00

Hi Everyone,

There is a book box ready for L.H. on the back counter. The theme is Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. I left her a voicemail letting her know that we did not have any nonfiction Christmas DVDs currently available. (She had asked for books and a DVD for all three subjects.) I stated that when she picks up the box, she could choose an entertainment DVD, but it will have a shorter due date than the other items in the box.

Thanks, Rebecca

Book box

2011-11-14T11:19:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone: There is a book box on the back counter. The teacher should be coming in today or tomorrow. The information is included in the box. Thanks.

Thank You!

2011-11-10T19:34:00.003-06:00

I now have enough tissue rolls for my program in November! Thanks to everyone who brought them in for me.

Fiction Filing

2011-11-10T16:38:00.002-06:00

In the binder you will now find a document entitled "Fiction Filing Addendum". This is something that Robin and I handed out at the last shelver meeting and which I thought might be of interest to you. It just outlines some of the more complicated shelving rules. If you should have questions about anything, please let me know. I will do my best to answer them for you.

Bibliographies

2011-11-09T20:34:00.002-06:00

Ladies,
You may notice that the bib drawer is a bit light....
Thanks to the help of Laura, Carol and Julie we are taking some time to update the J bibs as some weeding has occured since their creation. We will order more bibs very soon! For now, if you can please just access the bib and make recommendations from the computer, I will try to put in the request for additional ones in the next few days. (All updated bibs now say November 2011 in the corner.)
Also, to make it easier to find a bib, I have placed them in the "current bibs" folder that is found in the Q -- My documents - Bibliographies folder.
They are further seperated by J, E or "all" in the case of potty training, grief or bullying, as it spans several collections. The awards are seperate as well.
Thanks!

Book Box Bins

2011-11-09T19:42:00.003-06:00

Our new Book Box bins are stacked on the floor under the mailboxes in our workroom. They are all labeled (thanks to Yvette) and ready to go. Please remember to use a lid, if possible. Also, just a reminder, please let the patron know at the time of pick up that the bin needs to be returned with the items. Thanks!

Holiday Gift Exchange

2011-11-09T11:39:00.003-06:00

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us! Since there are only 3 more weeks until the holiday party, I thought I should go ahead and pass out the sheets for the YS gift exchange. Here's what you need to know:
1. It's a secret.
2. It's optional.
3. If you would like to participate, you should fill out your sheet and put it back in my mailbox by 9 pm on 11/17. I will re-distribute them on 11/18.
4. Gifts are usually exchanged at the holiday party on 12/4. If you are unable to attend, it is greatly appreciated if you can send your gift along with another staff member.
5. The agreed upon amount to be spent on gifts in the past has been $10. However, maybe this will not work for everyone. So, to make things easier, I have created a poll here on the blog. It should be on the right.

If you have any questions, just ask. Remember, this is just supposed to be something fun and not something stressful.

World History Reading List and Moodle

2011-11-09T09:07:00.002-06:00

I have placed a copy of a World History reading list from Andrew High School in the binder. Most of the titles are in the adult section. I have had a student ask about the list, so just in case you do, too, it's there!
The list can be found on the school's Moodle site. This is a site that lets teachers post assignments, additional information, basically whatever they want. It's very cool but requires a log-in. I am going to contact the high school to try to get us our very own log-in. If that is not an option, I will explore other avenues to see if I can at least get any other reading lists that might be on there.

Read Alouds

2011-11-04T19:24:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone: I put a Read Alouds sheet in the Have You Heard Binder. I know sometimes we get a question about Read Alouds for older grades, and this had some good ones listed.

Birthday Raffle/Guess How Many

2011-11-02T13:59:00.002-05:00

The winners have been chosen for both the birthday raffle and the Guess How Many guessing game. They have been called. Prizes are behind the reference desk, bottom shelf. Remember, for the raffle, child gets to chose one book from the selection provided and the bag and for the Guessing, child gets the jar of candy (The correct number was 119-there were actually 10 children who guessed 120-we put all ten tickets in a jar and just picked one-in case anyone asks).
Young adult winner will be chosen shortly.

New NonFiction Display

2011-10-30T16:14:00.002-05:00

The Halloween display is gone. The new display is "Let's Get Crafty". I hope to keep it up for about 2 weeks or so and then switch over to Holiday stuff. I was going to display Thanksgiving/Veterans' Day books, but many of them were already checked out.

2011-10-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

2011-10-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

My QR Code

2011-10-30T14:11:00.000-05:00

YC

2011-10-27T15:24:00.002-05:00

November Volunteers

2011-10-27T13:13:00.003-05:00

Just to let everyone know, the volunteer opportunities for November, including alternate positions, have all been filled. If anyone asks, please let them know and also tell them that the December newsletter will be emailed on November 20. Rakhshanda and I have automated the volunteer newsletter, so from now on, it will always go out on the 20th of the month. (The same day as registration!)
In general, we have between 8 and 15 volunteer slots in a month, depending on the number of programs needing volunteers and the number of volunteers requested. They tend to fill up pretty quickly. (The November volunteer slots filled up within 4 hours.)
Just some fun volunteer facts for you!

Book Box/New Look!

2011-10-26T19:43:00.003-05:00

There is a Book Box (on Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Native Americans) ready to go in the usual place and the patron has been called. However, it looks different because it is in a very nice blue bin! We already owned this bin, but we have ordered a few more of the same bins for our Book Boxes. The bin (lid and base) is marked "Tinley Park Public Library," and, hopefully, should/will be returned with the books. I did add a sentence to the Book Box letter that states the bin needs to be returned with the books (I put new copies of the letter in the file drawer). If, for some reason, books are returned without the bin, please let me know and I will call the patron. It may help, too, if we mention this when the patron picks up the Book Box. Thanks!

Read for a Lifetime

2011-10-26T11:38:00.003-05:00

The students at the Lincoln-Way schools are encouraged to participate in a program called Read for a Lifetime. (This is similar to the Abe Lincoln books.) More information can be found here.
In our role of supporting the schools, I have made sure that we own at least one copy of each title. (We do not currently own a copy of Autobiography of a Face, but hopefully Amy or Carol will remedy that shortly.) Some of the copies are in the adult collection. Unless there is a huge demand for these books, I think that will be sufficient at this time. This is not a new programm (its been around for at least 13 years), and we really haven't heard much about it before, so I think this will be fine. I would appreciate it, though, if everyone could keep there ears open and let me know if they hear patrons mention it.
I have placed a copy of this year's list in the binder, next to the lists for hte Caudills, Lincolns, etc. Take a look when you have a chance.

Volunteer Letters

2011-10-25T19:12:00.002-05:00

There were a few letters of completion from the summer volunteering still not claimed. RA and I have put these in the volunteer binders. These are on the same shelf as the storytime materials. I don't know that anyone will be coming in at this point, but just in case!

Guide to downloading

2011-10-25T19:10:00.002-05:00

Patty from AR very nicely brought up some pamphlets about how to download from media on demand. The pamphlets are in the set of drawers where we keep pamphlets and brochures. There is another sheet with them that has instructions on using kindles.

Amy's QR code

2011-10-25T13:57:00.002-05:00

SRP spinners

2011-10-24T16:38:00.000-05:00

FYI, I loaned the two spinners that we use for SRP to PIG, just in case anyone is looking for them.

Local author section

2011-10-24T14:36:00.000-05:00

We'll soon have a shelf for self-published books by local authors. Joy has two items that will be processed into this collection in the next few days. Any donated book you recieve by a local author that is self-published--E through YA, fic or nonfic--can go on this shelf, and will be given a call number of YS/LOCAL AUTHOR/[LAST NAME]. Joy will order stickers with her next order, and we can put them on at that time.

This new section is for self-published books only, and at this time we are accepting one copy. Mainstream books that are acquired via the usual manner and selected by you will still go into the regular collection, regardless of where the author happens to live.

If you are asked to purchase a self-published book, let me know, and we can cross that bridge when we come to it.

I'm thinking we can put these on one of the shelves on stack 30 facing the computer banks, but if you have ideas for a location, send them along and I'll consider all suggestions.

Wallables

2011-10-22T09:21:00.003-05:00

I've gotten a few messages from you guys about patrons wondering where we got the Disney decorations we have recently added to the walls. The answer is Wallables and they can see the collection by going to wallables.com so anyone can now answer this question instead of waiting for me. Laura

Carol's QR Code

2011-10-21T10:13:00.001-05:00

Book Boxes

2011-10-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Just a friendly reminder that any YS staff member can put together a book box for a teacher. The 'Have You Heard' binder has instructions on how to do so.

Sue's QR

2011-10-19T15:00:00.002-05:00

QR Rakhshanda

2011-10-19T14:06:00.004-05:00

QR Codes

2011-10-19T13:51:00.005-05:00

Tried pasting the qr picture 3 times to post my website qr but it would not work. I saved the link in the box above entitled Link which is under the box entitled Title. However I had to erase it because the blog gave me an error message, URL contains illegal characters. When I used the iPad to take a picture of this qr, it took me directly to the website I chose. I did not have to click on anything else.

Then I tried pasting the qr picture for the phone number which also would not work, meaning I could not copy and paste. I could not even paste just the link not the picture of the qr. Not sure what to do. I was unable to complete the "find someone with a smart phone" to try that qr because no one was here who owned a smart phone.

I copied and pasted both codes into an email which I sent to myself so if we discover a way to include the codes in the blog, I will be able (I think) to do it.

So I think I completed this assignment (except for the smart phone part) ?

THANKS to Rakhshanda who showed me how to do this, I was able to post the QR code here.

Three cheers for Rakhshanda and a great big thank you from me.

Book Box ready for pickup

2011-10-17T16:35:00.000-05:00

There is a book box for Helen Keller School ready for pick up in the usual place. The teacher will likely come in tomorrow. The topic was Halloween. Because of the limited availability at this point, I pulled all that we had in today, and spoke with the teacher. She may want to go through them and leave behind whatever may not work for their Halloween Reading night. If so, please check them back in for her. Likewise, I will keep my eyes peeled tonight for more--it's a K-6 program--but it would be nice when she comes in if someone could check a few spots for availabiltiy of Halloween books again for her, and check them out. I jotted the school's card number on the letter in the box in case you need to check out more items for her.

Book Box 2

2011-10-14T13:17:00.002-05:00

The same teacher has a requested a second Book Box and she will pick up both boxes on Saturday. The boxes are on the shelf under the back counter and are all checked out and ready to go.

Tissue Tubes 2

2011-10-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry, the previous post was from me! I guess I was logged in as YS and didn't realize it.

Save Tissue Tubes...Please

2011-10-14T11:55:00.003-05:00

Could you please save any toilet tissue tubes and pass them along to me, or just place them on my desk. I need them for a craft for my program in late November. Thanks so much!

book box

2011-10-13T16:55:00.001-05:00

Ladies, there is a book box ready under the counter for a teacher per Carol. It is all ready to go...

iPad Adventure of the week - Due 10/21/11

2011-10-13T15:19:00.005-05:00

This one is a four-parter, but they're quick steps:

Use an online QR code generator to create a code such as the one below, and link it to the website of your choice. You can use the QR code generator of your choice simply by googling "QR code generators," or use this one: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. Go to this site before worrying. You will be amazed at how easy it is! Please be sure to use the small size from the drop-down choices before clicking the "generate" button. You'll see why in a moment...

scan me to get to your favorite website

Now, do another one. Change the code type (or content type) to phone number. If you're using the generator above, you'll do this by clicking the radio button for "phone number."

scan me to call your favorite place

Post one or both of your codes to the blog to get checked off this week's list for completing the iPad Adventure. Here's how: Go back to the browser or tab where you have the phone number code generated. See that part where it says ... "or you can copy and paste the code's permalink...," and right near that it gives you the code, which starts with ....http://staffchatter.blogspot.com/blah...
Now grab the iPad, and scan one of the codes right from the screen. See what happens. By now you probably know... but....
Whoops, I lied. There is one more step, although I promise it's the last. For this part, you will need to have or to work with someone who has a smart phone. Scan the phone number code you generated, or the one above that prompts you to "scan me to call your favorite place," and see what happens. You can complete the call if you wish, depending on the phone number you used. You might want to use the library's phone number if you're creating your own, so as to avoid pranking anyone's house *from* the library. Also, the code above goes directly to 5732. No pranking anyone at the general library number! People are working down there. Again, writing an essay about your experience is completley optional.

If you get stuck at any point, don't spend a lot of time. Ask for help.
Note: you can generate QR codes with Qrafter if you purchase the pro pack. I think it's a one-time purchase of about $2.99, if anyone is interested for personal use. I did not request that version for the department. Free code generators are plentiful and easy to find. The version of Qrafter we have is free.
Extra credit: Here, there is more bang for your buck than for writing that optional essay. If you think of a fascinating library use for a QR code and it goes viral, I will buy you lunch. Okay, even if it gets adopted by the Greater Library. Fear not. So as not to create an overly fierce competition, there will be honorable mentions. If the idea you come up with amuses, intrigues, or piques my interest in any way, there is a candy bar in it for you. I'm easy. I parented during the Trophy-for-Everything-Generation. Don't be shy! There just might be a candy bar in it for you!

YA Fiction audiobooks

2011-10-13T13:11:00.004-05:00

The YA FICTION audiobooks have been changed and updated in SWAN. Holds have been placed for materials not on the shelf.

As a reminder: The Youth Services J*, J and YA fiction audiobooks will now be shelved with the fiction books. The spine label will no longer have audiobook as part of the call number. The SWAN call number will have audiobook at the end of the call number like the genre indicator.

Thank you to Candice Morrison for completing this project.

J* Audiobooks

2011-10-12T14:59:00.002-05:00

The J* and J FICTION audiobooks have been changed and updated in SWAN. Holds have been placed for materials not on the shelf.

The YA audiobooks will be worked on next. A post here on the blog will indicate the progress of the project.

If you have any questions please see Candice Morrison who is working on this project.

YS Audiobooks

2011-10-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

Per your department's request the Youth Services fiction audiobooks will now be shelved with the fiction books. The spine label will no longer have audiobook as part of the call number. The SWAN call number will have audiobook at the end of the call number like the genre indicator.

The J FICTION audiobooks have been changed and updated in SWAN. Holds have been placed for materials not on the shelf.

The J* and YA audiobooks will be worked on next.

If you have any questions please see Candice Morrison who is working on this project.

Books ready for Crisis Center

2011-10-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

I left a message for Karen at the Crisis Center this morning, letting her know the first of the deleted books I saved for her are boxed & ready. I asked her to call me back so we can figure out how to get them to her.

Just on the chance that someone shows up to get them when I'm not here and/or without calling ahead, the box is on the floor in my office. It has a white paper on top with the words, "for Crisis Center." You can give them the box. If they have time, please encourage them to look through the books and leave behind any that they can't use. I don't want to dump a lot of heavy objects on them that they don't need!

Fairy Tale/Folklore Shift

2011-10-07T16:27:00.002-05:00

All E and J Fairy Tales and Folklore books have been interfiled on the south side of shelf 7 (Fairy Tales first, followed by Folklore). Spine labels will not change and E/J are interfiled alphabetically within each topic. Any questions, please ask!

Weeding project for Everyone: Oct 6 - 31

2011-10-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

I would like everyone to participate in this month's weeding project, even those of you who don't normally have weeding responsibilities.

By October 31:

Walk over to the reference stack and choose at least one item OR one set that you think either won't get used this school year, OR that you think would be better used in the circulating stacks.
Place it on the workroom table with a note on top that includes:

your rationale for the change. Your explanation can be as short or as long as you like.
your initials so that I can check your weeding off the list as completed.

I will go through all of them, will let you know if I have any questions, and may ask around as to whether anyone is still using the item heavily before giving it the heave-ho, unless that answer is painfully obvious.

Happy weeding!

Shoe boxes

2011-10-04T13:55:00.002-05:00

Does anyone need any shoe boxes? I'm cleaning and know as soon as I recycle them some one will need them. Please let me know by Thursday, October 6th otherwise I will recycle them.
Joy

Feeding the Newts 2

2011-10-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

So Nigel and Rupert don't overeat, I have placed a little calendar-like chart on the tank on a hook. It has even numbers 2-30 on it, and since we feed them on even days, please cross off the corresponding day (number) if/when you feed them. Thanks to Rakhshanda for coming up with this plan, since my original plans (mailbox flag, red/green light) didn't really work!

Guess How Many?

2011-10-03T17:38:00.002-05:00

Went to the dollar store and found a really cute little jar and with all the candy we had leftover, I just had to make a guess how many candy game. I placed the jar on the shelf with the foreign language books. Looks like there are alot of entries already.

September Birthday Raffle

2011-10-03T17:36:00.003-05:00

The winners for the September Birthday raffle for Birth-Kdg and Gr.1-5 have been selected and called (the teen one will follow shortly). The prizes are in the usual, new-cleaned spot. Remember choice of one book.

Opening and closing tasks for October

2011-10-02T13:05:00.000-05:00

We put out the veteran pumpkin near the pillar under the AED, and some way cool lights I haven't seen before. Please add plugging them in to your opening routine, and unplugging them to your closing procedures.

Also, note the organization of the reference desk and back counter! Carol and Julie did a great job of cleaning it up and reorganizing it. And so, family of ten, let's see how long we can keep their hard work looking as good as it does now!!

New Non-Fiction Display

2011-10-01T16:41:00.002-05:00

The new non-fiction display is really not that new. It's still "Yay! It's Fall!" but now the focus is on Halloween. I'm also including fire safety (anything related like firemen/trucks), seasons and fall themes, and harvesting. Halloween has a wide range of books to choose from: crafts, drawing, food, holiday, monsters, poems, etc. How Fun!!!

I put an additional sign out informing patrons this is a non-fiction dipslay and letting them know Halloween picture books are located in aisle 17. I think this display may be confusing if they're looking for the cute picture books.

J fiction, J* fiction and audio

2011-09-30T13:31:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI in case you didn't know, the J fiction books and J fiction audiobooks have now been combined as well as the same for J* fiction and J* fiction audiobooks. Yvette has already made the sign changes. We have been filing the audiobook after the companion book to be consistent within the section. Also, the shelvers have reread some of the more prolific authors so that all their books are filed in series order and alphabetically where warranted.

Non-Fiction Display

2011-09-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

The new display, that was put up last Friday, will change on Saturday. I'm running out of "good" fall books. I'm trying so hard not to display Halloween books until October.

On a different note, Sharon and I will put out the Halloween decorations on the weekend. Yay!

Feeding the Newts

2011-09-23T16:15:00.002-05:00

Sue reminded me (but I don't even remember) that the Newts should be fed on even days--so I was just reminding everyone else. I think Sarah was feeding them most of the time, so if we could figure out a way to know if someone has fed them for the day (or actually every other day), that would help. Any easy ideas? A list to initial? A little red flag on the tank to put up (like a mailbox)? Not really, but I can't think of anything else!

Book Box

2011-09-23T14:13:00.001-05:00

I put a Book Box together for a 1st grade teacher on clouds. The books are checked out and ready to go and the teacher has been called. It is in the usual spot under the back counter.

J Graphic Novels

2011-09-19T10:55:00.000-05:00

The J Graphic Novel books have had their labels moved to the front of the book. Holds have been placed on the appropriate items. If you find a book that does not have the appropriate labels on the front please send it to Technical Services to be corrected.

Thank you to Candice Morrison for completing this project.

Books requested

2011-09-16T20:15:00.002-05:00

Kathy Cortino called on Friday and asked me to pull books for a second grade boy (picture books) and books about Hockey and Canada. She said that she would be coming in on Sat. 9/17. The books are on the back counter and the status has been changed to 'on hold.'