TFML Staff Exchange

Our January statistics are in. It was a really big month at the reference desk, second only to March 2004. Julie said that the Magazine staff were especially busy. I notice that we had more email reference than ever before.

Walk-Ins 547

Telephone 260

Instruction 58

Other help 393

Virtual reference 16
Instant message reference 38
Email reference 61

Total adult reference 1373

Volume 1 of 2 of the Business Taxpayer Information Publications is in the drawer at the reference desk.

On Thursday, February 1 we discussed several topics at the department heads meeting:

1. We decided that only department supervisors needed their names on their name tags, but that it is important to have something that identifies staff as such to the public. We will look into getting generic badges for staff.

2. We worked on a definition of customer service that can be used for staff training.

3. There is now a donations box recommending 25 cents for coffee. An effort will be made to stop multiple cup drinking by a handful of teens.

4. The planning for redesigning the Youth Services Department is continuing. It will be 2007 before the job is done.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 1.

Someone suggested I post the recipe for the carrot salad that I brought to Anne's anniversary celebration on Friday. Here it is:

Nancy's Carrot Salad
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

4 large carrots
½ c. raisins
½ c. chopped pecans
½ t. salt
2 t. grated lemon peel (I use a few drops of lemon oil)
1 T. lemon juice
½ c. reduced fat sour cream
½ c. low-fat mayonnaise

Peel carrots. Grate in food processor using julienne blade. Place in bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix lightly. Chill until ready to serve.

Hi,

I am going to have a board meeting on Sunday the 26th of Feb. Just wanted to let everyone know in case some young inquiring mind wanted to know. I am having them apply, as I am limiting numbers, so they can check the website for details, thanks.

John

Publication 590 (on IRA's) isn't in the 2005 publications book. It appears that the 2004 version was meant to cover both years. I have returned the 2004 book to the Reference drawer so it'll be handy.

The "Staff Favorites" brochures(non-fiction and fiction) that we created 3 years ago were big hits and went into several printings. We'd like to update them, so we're asking all staff to please tell us what your favorite books of the past 3 years have been. We're also looking for biographies and memoirs to suggest for the adult summer reading program.

You may respond by sending comments to this post, or by emailing them to me at long@fordlibrary.org, or by putting them in my mailbox on the shelf in the workroom. If I don't hear from you in the next week or so, I will come looking for you!

For those who didn't hear, a piece of important equipment on our network failed, preventing many computers from connecting to the Web. We should be back up and running near 100% now.

Please let me know if you find any computers that are still having issues, with their connection or otherwise!

Thanks!

There were a few helpful hints at the program at Burr Ridge on Tuesday morning:

1. Author/Title search is not working properly, so do not do it.

2. In keyword search, you can indicate fields to search with a: or t: or s:, so you could do an author/title search there. For example, you cold put

a: hemingway and t: sea

to find Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

3. * truncates for five characters

** truncates up to 10 characters

? replaces characters in words

4. We can log in My Millenium from SWAN Catalog and be able to get at B numbers all day and not use a port. Ask me for the log in.

We are sooo happy to make a couple of announcements about YS!

Susan Fry will now be working about 8 hours in our department in technical processing. We are really happy with this change as it will help us get our materials out in a rapid and standardized fashion. Susan will be doing all new materials and participating in collection projects. We jump for joy at this addition---Welcome!

We are happy to have finally filled our small PT position with Kelley Gibson, starts next Thursday. Kelly is the librarian at LT South and has over 10 years experience. She holds a M.L.I.S. and a M.S.ED. as a Developmental Reading Specialist. She is interested in gaining public library experience as she looks to her future. She will mainly be working at nights. Welcome!

Don't forget to tell us your favorite books of the last 3 years! Email to long@fordlibrary.org or drop them in my box, or post as comments to this exchange. Thanks!

Adult Services will be meeting on March 1 at 8:30. We will discuss our Great Lives, Great Reads summer reading program, our recommended reading brochures, and how to use the Konica Minolta printer/copier/scanner.

I also want to have a cart of items from around the desk to see if anyone stil uses them.

See you there.

Rick