The stockings are hung. . .

. . . on the elephant tree with care!  Ashley & Rebecca have made new stockings for all the staff.  They're filled with treats and are on Brenda's tree (aka the tree with the elephant on top) back in the work area.  You are welcome to the treats but please leave the stockings!  Thanks!

Thanks, Rebecca & Ashley!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Tapes, Checking Returns, Literacy Academy & Mount Rogers GED, Nevermore

In my rush to get out the word about the schedule changes, I failed to put in a couple of additional items:

 Taps for Tapes

We will be closing out our collection of VHS tapes and Books on Tape.  If you are attached to a title and want to keep it, see Don or Rebecca.  Books on Tape will be going soon, so keep that in mind.

 Checking Returned Books

Jud asks that people who are sorting the books for shelving take a few moments to look through the books for damage and/or stray bookmarks and other items. By doing it back in the sorting area, the books can be checked out to Repairs immediately and sent back upstairs.  Thank you all for cooperating!

Holiday Schedule for ALL & Mount Rogers GED

The Adult Learning Lab will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 18 until Thursday, Jan.2.

The Mount Rogers GED classes will not meet again until January 15.  

 

Nevermore Book Club Hiatus

 The Nevermore Book Club will not meet December 31.  Staff may suffer doughnut withdrawl until the next meeting, January 7. 

Happy  Birthday!

December   17      Harrison 

      December    28     Christy  H.     

         December    29    Selena                

Important Party & Closing News!

One  important part is that there is no party. From Olivia Denton at City Hall:

"It has come to my attention that you and your staff may not be aware of the Christmas-related items that have recently come to light.  The originally scheduled Christmas party at Waldo Miles is cancelled.  In lieu of that party, Council has graciously granted City Employees an extra Holiday day off on Monday, December 23." 
 
So don't anyone head to Sugar Hollow on Wednesday in search of a party and unless you've been designated to do bookdrops, don't show up to work on Monday!

And the library will follow suit and be closed on December 23! Enjoy!

Early closing, Staff Info Update, & Lots of Thanks!

Updating Information

Brenda has left a sheet out by the employee sign in station.  Please check your information to be sure it's correct.  Also, we'd like to get current email addresses on folk, as well as an emergency contact number we hope to never need! New phone trees will be coming out soon as well.

 Custodial Information for Joyce

 Joyce asks that anything related to custodial concerns (Hygienitech) needs to be sent to her by email.  That helps her and the vendor save time on verification and communication.

Thanks to All Our Decorators!!

Our library is looking quite festive,due to a lot of hard work by some of our staff.  Your work is appreciated, folks!  Laurie did the honors for Reference, and Ashley and Rebecca worked on some of the trees you see around.  I especially like the tree on the employee bulletin board but I suspect Brenda might be partial to another.   The Children's Department looks great, Selena and Susie!  If you haven't stopped by to see this year's Christmas Tree Parade, by all means do so!

Thanks, Melba!

The first of the Christmas goodies arrived, courtesy of Melba and the Woodbys.  If you hurry, you'll find a BIG tin of Danish butter cookies in the staff lounge. If Jeanne gets there first, there may not be any left. Thank you, Melba, Tommy, and Marva!

Early Closing on December 23

We will be closing at 5 pm on Monday, December 23, i.e. the eve of Christmas Eve.  Happy holidays everyone!
 

Reserve Phone Numbers, City Christmas Pary, Sue Morrell, & More

Text Reserve Notices?  Yes, We Can!

Please let patrons know that we can indeed text reserve notifications to them!  Some very clever people have put their heads together and come up with a way that we can indeed do this, but for it to work we need help.  The phone number and note to text MUST be in Telephone Field 2. Do NOT write anything at all in Telephone Field 1-- numbers only.  Really.  Do not write "home" or "cell" or anything else in Telephone 1.This gums up the process.  If you need to add some sort of message, please do it in the Notes or Message fields.  You CAN write in Telephone 2; use it for a second number or if patron wants text messages.  Use "txt" before number.

So do let patrons know that texting is indeed an option and if they want to receive notifications that way, enter "txt" and the number in Telephone 2. Telephone 1 is the automatic reserve number; if they don't want reserves called at that number, then put that number in line 2 and the reseve number in line 1.

If you have any questions, please see Don or Nicki.

 

City Christmas Party

The City Employee Christmas Reception will be Wednesday, December 18, from 10 am to 5 pm at the Waldo Miles Pavillion at Sugar Hollow.  It's a drop-in open house, with hors d'oeuvres.  You can also register for prizes.  The drawings will take place on Thursday, and no, you do not have to be present to win!

 Sue M. Retires

Avoca's "Granny Sue" will be retiring at the end of this month.She will be dearly missed!  There will be a reception for her at Avoca on Wednesday, December 18, from 2:00 pm -4:00 pm .  If you'd like to leave a favorite memory of Sue, there are sheets posted on the employee bulletin board.

Thanks, Michelle!

The Staff Christmas party was quite the soiree! There was a good turn out, and thanks to our fabulous cooks, the food was incredibly delicious: sweet potato casserole, meatballs, macaroni salad, pea salad, peanut butter squares, cookies, and much more.  Most of all, thanks to Michelle for not only doing a lot of the cooking but for opening her home to all of her coworkers. We really appreciate it!

 

Happy Birthday!

Harrison    December 17 

  

Last and Least.... Alexander McCall Smith Display

We plan to take the photos of the display on Thursday, so if you have any African or Scottish items you'd like to contribute, please bring them by that day by noon.  If you don't want to risk them to the sometimes not so tender mercies of our patrons, we can just use them for the photo and return the same day.  Thanks!

 

Calling Reserves, Party, Birthdays & More!

Reserves

From Jud:

Library assistants in Circulation and Reference: Remember that calling for reserves is now a top priority. Even if you are by yourself at the desk, you can call for reserves if things are not busy. There is no one standing over you to make you do this, so I want each of you to be responsible for being sure that you follow through. If reminders are needed, you can remind each other. Many hands make light work. If everybody contributes, I’m convinced that notifications will be made quicker and service will improve.

Party!!

Remember that the staff Christmas Party is this Saturday night at Michelle's place.  If you haven't signed up, the sheet is on the refrigerator in the staff lounge.  She needs a head count and to know what folks are bringing.  Should be very festive!!

Happy Birthday!

Joan H.       December 6

Happy Birthday. . . and Happy Retirement!

Sue M. at Avoca celebrated a birthday on December 2 and will soon be celebrating a well-deserved retirement!  She's done a sterling job at Avoca, helping patrons and charming earger storytime groups as Granny Sue. We'll miss her, but wish her all the best-- and we still expect frequent visits!

Alexander McCall Smith Display

We're still working on the AMS display in hopes of winning a visit from the author.  (I'm also hoping to win the lottery, but it seems that one is supposed to buy a ticket first.   But I digress.) Brenda has contributed an elephant table, Don contributed a tea box even though he didn't know it, Jeanne brought plaid fleece throws, plaid bows, and an African necklace. If anyone else has anything to contribute, we'd greatly appreciate it!

Reminders, Flamingos, A Cow, and Scotland!

Friendly Reminders!

• Remember to give your United Way forms to Jud or leave them in his mailbox.  This is a great cause, and it would be nice to show the libray's support.

• Remember to sign up for the Staff Christmas party! Michelle needs to know how many are coming and who's bringing what.

"Eat Mor Turkee!"

And Speaking of Birds...

Courtesy of Doris:  There is evidently a "bolo" out for a strange Flamingo that appeared to be the first runner across the finish line in last Saturday's Turkey Trot Race.  This flamingo did indeed cross the line first, but it would appear it "cut short" the race route! The wily bird did stay around to cheer on the other runners and to party with the winners.

Does this rare bird look familiar?

 

 

 

Scottish & African Items Needed for Display!

 A publisher is having a contest for library displays promoting the books of Alexander McCall Smith, author of the Number One Ladies Detective Agency books as well as the 44 Scotland Street and Elizabeth Dalhousie series, both set in Scotland. We need

•  something plaid, like a tablecloth, blanket, throw, etca

• teapot and cups (NOT fancy, just plain cups or pot)

• anything else that would evoke the UK (especially Scotland) or Africa (especially Botswana)

These are things that will be out on display on top of a bookshelf, so do NOT volunteer anything that it would upset you to lose or have damaged. Thanks!!

(PS The winner of the contest gets a visit from Alexander McCall Smith!)

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

"Very funny!  Where's dinner??"