TFML Staff Exchange

We started the year looking at a packet Anne put togther to help us discuss customer service and planning issues at the library in the upcoming months. Some suggests were made.

1. Investigate ways to deliver materials to library users, like the program at Elmwood Park that mails library materials to those who do not come into the library.

2. Hire professional marketing consultant to get suggestions to promote library use.

Anne reported that 2 new task chairs are being ordered for testing at the reference desk. She also said the carpeting around the circulation desk which has worn out may be replaced by slate. She is also working to get our signage repaired.

Shannon reported that Jamie Kallio is the new employee in Youth Services. Jamie's talents include writing, and she will be teaching writing workshops for youth.

YS will be meeting on Wed Jan 11 at 1:00 p.m. Please let me know if you have any topics that need to be discussed or mentioned at this meeting. We will be discussing our collection development plan, upcoming collection projects, goals for the new year, and circulation. Thanks, Shan

FYI
The 2005 issues of the National Geographic Magazine will be sent to the bindery this week. If anyone is requesting an issue we can order it from another library till the bound issues come back.
Thanks!

The reader project is at 3/4 completion. We have received many positive comments from patrons.

Please notice forms changes. There is a new form for recording collection additions/deletions/etc. that will split non-fiction into Dewey sections. There is a query log at Shannon's desk too. Please remember to record all queries.

Please begin checking the staff weblog and general YS web pages frequently. I am updating the content on our web page on a weekly basis. Our e-mail newsletter should be launching soon and we have signed up about 50 patrons for it so far. Most also selected to take the option to receive Circ info by e-mail too.

Please write down your wish list for FY 06. We also plan to run a very trim year, so please check before making any purchases. We will be asking Anne for new acrylic book displayers soon too.

This year one of our main goals will be to up our circulation. Changes we will immediately make will include frequent display changes, and ones that are high impact circ as opposed to displays that we "should" have. I will be rotating our display assignments.

Our iron gate will also become a display space for picture books until the train project is completed. We will also be putting books on display with hanging ribbons and alligator clips. We must let patrons know that they can "pick" a book from our book garden!

Only a single row of books will be on display on each shelf in the YS picture book section. We want a cleaner, more "shopable" look. Please check displays every shift.

The front computer and back computer will be replaced very soon. Our new scanner will be installed on the back. We will begin tracking in-house use of materials---and we must follow through with this every shift in order to be consistent. Absolutely no junk is to be downloaded.

The noise level has improved, keep at it!

We will be undergoing major physical moves in our department. Magazines and reference will change place, with reference heavily weeded and many materials changed to circulating. Biographies will move to the reference section, and fiction will be weeded and shifted . This should give us a little breathing room and take care of space issues for just a little bit, and move magazines to a place where they can be seen. We hope that these changes will impact Circ in a positive fashion. There will be a flow chart of action.

Our 500's animals project will begin as soon as we accomplish moves. Staff have shelf assignments and are encouraged to follow this project with a great amount of detail. This will be a tedious and detailed project. Please take your time and be through as this will clean up this section and enable us to make some strong acquisitions.

There is still no word on our request to have mold and air quality tested. I will ask Anne again.

Aaron will begin posting web stats on the weblog. Click a story has been listed to 150 times. A new speakers and mic will allow other staff members to record.

****Any subject can be discussed in greater depth. Please see Shannon with any questions.

Here is an interesting item about forms:

Dear David,

Perhaps to save anyone else multiple phone calls to overloaded circuits,

you might want to share what I have just been told by the IL Department
on Aging. Paper copies of the IL 1363 circuit breaker will not be
available until mid-February. They are not accepting pre-orders from
agencies wishing to distribute the forms (ie libraries). They seem to
think everyone has a computer at home to download forms from their web
site. The number I was told to call mid-February for a bulk order of
forms is 1-800-252-8966. They are getting lots of unhappy calls from
the public, but we are getting more. Adelle

--
Adelle Swanson - Administrative Librarian
Riverdale Public Library

I made bookmarks for IRS tax forms on both Mozilla Firefox and on Internet Explorer on the reference computer in the Rick profile. Look at the top of the list.

The address is http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html

I did it in the Kris profile, too, not realizing I was in the Kris profile.

Just a heads up that Laidlaw 4th will be visiting Mon, Wed, Fri for Biography research. They will be here from 1:30 until around 2:45 ish. They will be checking out materials.

Monday will be hectic as they have not been able to get me a list of figures prior to this visit. Thx, Shannon

Volume 1 (of 2) of Taxpayer Information Publications has arrived. I have put it in the top drawer of the file cabinet at the reference desk.

I moved the 2005 publications back near the windows with the other older tax materials.

The Circuit Breaker forms are not yet printed, but here is a web page that has the forms.

http://www.cbrx.il.gov/aging/1rx/cbrx/cbrx_forms.htm

It appears they did not come with the tax materials this year because Illinois government has moved the program from the Illinois Department of Revenue to the Department of Aging. I wonder if the new department even knows about libraries.

During the big cleanup in the staff room, we moved some things around. Adult Services mailboxes are now on the bookshelves near the office supplies.

Rob Vogt of McClure will be bringing 3 classes of 8th graders over to the library for short tours of the reference area on Monday, February 6. I will be giving a short lesson and promoting teen library services. John is making a handout. I have made a small brochure on our reference materials and databases. Does anyone else have any suggestiopns? They will be here less than 30 minutes.

If you are trying to call a company and want to talk to a live human-the following web site gives you codes to punch in when the automated system comes on. The web site is www.paulenglish.com/ivr.