Merry Christmas, Schedule Changes, A Blackbird Quilt, and More!

                         Joyce created a quilt for Blackbird in appreciation for all they do for us. Great job, Joyce!!

Schedule Changes

Last Friday we discovered that there would be some last minute changes to library schedules!  First and foremost, the City has decided to give employees an extra day off on the 26th.  This means we will indeed be closed on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, December 24-26.

Also on Friday afternoon we received an email from Katie V. telling us that the Adult Learning Lab will be closed for the next two two weeks.  ALL will be closed Dec. 22, 2014 until January 5, 2015.

Merry Christmas from Jud

I made my annual $100 Xmas donation on behalf of the library to Wikipedia again this year.  Here is the message I received from the Wikipedia Foundation:

Dear Jud,

Thank you for your invaluable gift of bringing knowledge to every human around the world.

My name is Lila Tretikov, and I’m the Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation. 

Over the past year, gifts like yours powered our efforts to expand the encyclopedia in 287 languages and to make it more accessible all over the world. We strive most to impact those who would not have access to education otherwise. We bring knowledge to people like Akshaya Iyengar from Solapur, India. Growing up in this small textile manufacturing town, she used Wikipedia as her primary learning source. For students in these areas, where books are scarce but mobile Internet access exists, Wikipedia is instrumental. Akshaya went on to graduate from college in India and now works as a software engineer in the United States. She credits Wikipedia with powering half of her knowledge.

This story is not unique. Our mission is lofty and presents great challenges. Most people who use Wikipedia are surprised to hear it is run by a non-profit organization and funded by your donations. Each year, just enough people donate to keep the sum of all human knowledge available for everyone. Thank you for making this mission possible.

On behalf of nearly half a billion people who read Wikipedia, thousands of volunteer editors, and staff at the Foundation, I thank you for keeping Wikipedia online and ad-free this year.

Thank you,
Lila

Lila Tretikov
Executive Director,
Wikimedia Foundation

  
Also, Jud sends thanks for all the goodies and promises a review of the wine!

Farewell, Ron!

Ron C. is no longer with the Adult Learning Lab, but has moved on to a new job.  We will miss him! Best of luck with your new position.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Brenda needs some Emergency Contact numbers for folks!  Check with her to see if she has your correct information.  Thanks!

Happy Birthday!

Christy H.  December 28

Selena  December 29

The More Things Change....

This clipping is from an old British newspaper.  Many of the rules seem strangely familiar....

The British Newspaper Archive FB page posts clippings from old newspapers on a regular basis.  The content ranges from serious historical reports to oddball news.  If you're curious, check https://www.facebook.com/TheBritishNewspaperArchive 

Thank You

From Jeanne:  I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for signing my card, for the individual cards and gifts, and most of all for being a wonderful group of people.  You aren't just co-workers but friends and family.   You make the library a great place to work.  Thank you.  May you have warm and merry holidays, and may 2015 be a happy and healthy year for you and those you love.

   

 

 

Staff News, Staff Training, & Doors

Condolences

Our deepest sympathies go out to Avoca's Nancy T.  who lost her mother early this week.  You can read the obituary and leave a message here:  Joanne Holcomb

Welcome Back, Melba!

Melba will be coming back part time starting this weekend.  We've missed you!

  Happy Birthday!

Harrison   December 17

"Go Vols!"

 Staff Training Day 

 

Message from Joyce

Hello to all,

 

When keying down doors and keying them up.

 

·         Please make sure that when facing the doors you key down or up the LEFT SIDE.

 

·         If the left side won’t key for some reason and you have to key the right side,

please make sure you let your supervisor know or someone that is in charge know that you keyed the right side, so arrangements

are made the right side is keyed the next time.

 

·         Most likely the person in the morning opening the doors should let someone know when closing that a change was made.

 

·         Don’t pull on the panic bar (long bar) if you are having trouble. This will break the piece inside of the door.

 

·         Panic bar should go up or down with ease.

 

·         Panic bar cannot be keyed down on left side and then be keyed up on right side. If this is done this way panic bar will not release.

 

·         To solve confusion this is why the rule is made key on left side when facing panic bar.

 

 

Please make sure I am notified, if there is a problem with the doors.

 

If you have any question on the this please feel free to ask me. I can explain and show you what I am talking about.  

 

 

Christmas Party 2014

 

 

Great food, great friends, great entertainment!  Thanks to everyone who made the party a success, especially Michelle who went above and beyond yet again!!

Staff Party, Joan, & More

 Staff Training Day

We will be having a Staff Training Day on Friday, December 12, from 8 am until noon.  Food will be available early.  Main will open to the public at 1:00 pm, giving scheduled staff a chance to have lunch. Avoca will open at 1:30 pm to give them a chance to make it back to work. We will be covering safety, customer service, and other issues.  Part time people who attend will be paid for their time; full time staff not scheduled to work that day will receive comp time. 

  Albert Noble

 WJHL aired a very nice segment on our benefactor, Albert Noble.  His generosity was responsible for the Discovery series and helped us to raise the library's profile.  We hope to show the video during our training day.  If you want a sneak peek, here is the link: http://www.wjhl.com/story/27478262/little-known-story-of-the-tri-cities-secret-millionaire

   Christmas Party

The staff Christmas Party is fast approaching!  In fact, it's this very Saturday at Michelle's house, starting at 5:30 pm.  The library will be supplying turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, and meatballs.  If you can, bring  a little something to supplement:  a side dish, a cheese ball, crackers, copper pennies (gee, Susan, why would you think that was directed at you?), dessert, or whatever. Hope to see everyone there!

Health Education Series: 2014 Discusses Robotics in Surgery

 

The acclaimed Health Education Series: 2014 at the Bristol Public Library will host Dr. William Messerschmidt on December 11^th for a discussion on Robotics used in surgery. The presentation is free and open to the public. It will begin at 6:30 PM in the J. Henry Kegley Meeting Room of the main BPL.

Dr. William Messerschmidt is a surgeon with a specialty in cardiothoracic surgery who performs the bulk of his surgeries on the heart.  Dr. Messerschmidt and his team at the Wellmont CVA Heart Institute perform coronary artery bypass grafting and valve replacements, as well as surgery to correct heart rhythm problems and enlarged arteries in the heart and chest.

Recognized as one of the top heart surgeons in the region, Dr. Messerschmidt completed his medical education at the Jefferson Medical College, and his internship and residency in surgery at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 2010 he has been a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University. He has served on the active cardiothoracic surgery staff of Bristol Regional Medical Center since 1993. Dr. Messerschmidt serves on a number of committees for Wellmont and other regional organizations. He is the author of numerous articles, abstracts, book chapters, and has given many award winning presentations, both locally and nationally. His use of Robotics in surgeries has been ground-breaking for the region.

  Yay, Meygan!

Meygan's tenacity paid off when she finally found an obituary a patron had requested.  Even though she was given the wrong names, she was able to figure out what was wanted.  For this, Megyan gets two thumbs up for her customer service and a visit to the prize drawer!

    Joan

Joan's procedure went very well and she's now raising cane (or should that be cain?) at Cambridge House.  She's ready for visitors, so drop by room 104. Get well soon, Joan! We need you!

And speaking of Joan....

Happy Birthday!

Joan  December 6

Kim (Main) December 8

Oops....

Dear Ashley and Katie, we wished you all well in October but you didn't know it because the cards were put on Jeanne's desk.  Excavations began this week on Mount Melon, and your cards were found.  Very belated happy birthday wishes and we'll try to get your cards to you!