Mandatory Staff Training, Open Enrollment, Condolences

Mandatory Staff Training

From the City:

All,

There will be a mandatory training workshop for City employees on Sexual Harassment/Diversity/Workplace Behavior on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.  There will be a morning session from 10:00 am – noon and an afternoon session from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.   Please schedule your employees accordingly to attend.  (Each session may not last the full two hours.)  There is a maximum room capacity of 107, so, if you could please let me know how many you intend to send to one session, it may be helpful.  

An additional date for the workshop will also be scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, from 10 – noon and 1 -3. 

Sign-up sheets will be presented at both workshops.  Also, employees will receive a copy of an updated policy that day and will be required to return a signed acknowledgement copy to HR.    Workshop attendance is required as no electronic means such as webinars are acceptable. 

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation and please let me know if there are any questions.

Please get in touch with your supervisor so we can schedule appropriately.

May 4th Deadline for Open Enrollment & Flex Spending

Remember, this is your last day to make any changes to your insurance.  Also, your Flex Spending accounts need to be renewed each year, whether you make changes or not.

Condolences to Becky

Becky's mother passed away this week. Prayers and good thoughts for the family would be appreciated.  The obituary is here.

Open Enrollment, Recycling, Birthdays, & More

Open Enrollment

Remember, you only have until May 4 to make any changes to your benefits.  That's next week, so if you need to make changes, don't put it off or else you'll have to wait until next year.

Recycling

We are delighted that so many staff members are into recycling! However, we have to ask that you only use our recycling bins for items you have used at work.  Joyce has been very nice about it, but it does make a lot of extra work for her. If you want to recycle your items from home, there are several locations fairly close by, including:

Euclid and Division Streets, near the stadium (Virginia)
Broad Street at Steele Creek Park (Tennessee)

There are other options available.  Check with Reference if you need a list.

Nancy (Avoca)  April 14 (Belated! Sorry, Nancy!)

Amy (Everywhere) April 29

Happy Administrative Assistants Day!

Thanks for everything, Brenda D!  Especially for all the prufrading.

Open Enrollment, News

Open Enrollment

From Trish Henderson: 

April 16 – May 4, 2018 has been designated as Open Enrollment for changes to all benefits.  The effective date for the new plan year is July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019.  Payroll deductions may be elected on pre-tax basis.  Eligible employees wishing to enroll or make changes need to contact Human Resources  at (276) 642-2325 to make an appointment to fill out the required form(s).  Plans may only be switched during open enrollment or other qualifying events.

You can find details of plans under Human Resources at www.bristolva.org

Representatives for benefit plans will be at the Employee Benefits Fair on April 18 to answer any questions.

Staff  & Patron News

Becky B. said to tell everyone hello and that she misses being here.  Her mother has hospitalized recently.  She is now back home being cared for by Becky. Prayers would be appreciated.

Sadly, we lost two patrons recently:

Walt Vernon

John Mongle

Nuit says, "Happy National Library Week!  Remember, if you see a black cat on Friday the 13th, pet it!"

Avoca Book Sale & National Library Week

Avoca Book Sale

The Avoca Friends are kicking off National Library Week with a bodacious book sale! It starts on Thursday and runs through Saturday.  The hours are:

Thursday, April 5: 10:00 – 5:00
Friday, April 6: 9:00 – 5:00
Saturday, April 7: 9:00 – 12:00

It is said there will be nifty gifty things as well!  Shop early and often, and spread the word!

National Library Week April 8-14

The theme this year is "Libraries Lead."

Staff Luncheon April 10:  The Board of Trustees and the Bristol Public Library Foundation will be treating the staff of both Main and Avoca to a catered lunch!

There are a number of other special events being offered that week, including a presentation by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Maker Space Open House at the Jones Creativity Center, wreath making, and much more. 

Employee Benefits Fair

The Benefits Fair will be April 18.  If you want to attend, please make arrangements with your supervisor.   Also, today (April 6) is the last day to schedule the health screening.  You will need to call HR to do that.

Employee Benefits Fair,

Employee Benefits Fair

From the City:

We are pleased to announce the 4^th Annual Employee Benefits Fair event again this year for all employees.   It is set for Wednesday, April 18, from 10:00 am until 3:00 p.m. 

The event will be held in the City Council Chambers.  All Hybrid employees should stop by and make contact with Erinn Briele, with ICMA-RC who will be available to discuss and answer questions regarding voluntary contributions to your retirement plan.

Also, this year, employees on the City’s health insurance may stop by The Local Choice’s Commonhealth Wellness booth and get a complete health screening at no cost!  As part of this wellness package, you can get blood pressure, cholesterol, - total and HDL, glucose and diabetes risk assessment, body mass index (BMI) and get instant results!  Attached is a registration sheet if interested, (this is strictly voluntary) and there will be nurses available to conduct these tests.   Please contact HR with your preferred time slot BY NO LATER THAN April 6, 2018.  Approximately 1-4 participants every 15 minutes may be seen.  These tests can be conducted in separate and private spaces of the Council Chambers area.  You should present your Local Choice/Anthem insurance card at the time of testing as evidence of a participant of The Local Choice.

The registration sheet is posted on the employee bulletin board.  If you wish to attend the Employee Benefits Fair, please let your supervisor know so that you can be scheduled appropriately.  Remember, if you want to have the Health Screening, you must register and select a time.

National Library Week

National Library Week will soon be upon us!  It runs from April 8-14 this year and the theme is "Libraries Lead."  We have a number of events coming up in celebration of the week, including a presentation by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley on April 10 and a Beginning Genealogy Class.  There will be a Staff Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by the Bristol Public Library Foundation and the Board of Trustees.  More information will to follow!

Happy Easter

 

"Is that the biggest basket you have?" ~ Tessa

Great Webinar, Interesting Article, Food, More Food, and Birthday!

Continuing Education

 California Library Services has produced a wonderful series of short webinars on dealing with patrons suffering from mental illness.  Watching the entire series takes just about an hour, and it is time well spent.  I would encourage anyone who deals with the public to watch this series, and I may watch it more than once. Many suggestions are useful for any patron in any situation.  Highly recommended!

Dealing With Patrons

There is also an interesting article from The New York Times:

Once It Was Overdue Books, Now Librarians  Fight Overdoses

The opioid epidemic has turned librarians into emergency medical workers and prompted a debate over whether they should administer the anti-overdose drug naloxone.

Feast Day!

The Country Cookin' Day was a rousing success!  We have a lot of wonderful cooks on staff.  Everything was delicious: chicken and dumplings, meat loaf, dressing, banana pudding, Oreo pudding, deviled eggs, apple pie, the list goes on and on!  Many thanks to everyone who contributed.  I should have taken pictures but I was too busy stuffing my face.  

Also, many thanks to Brenda G., Kristin, and the others who handled clean-up.  Thank you! The Kitchen Witch may have to come up with something special for you! (PS Those who helped out should let Jeanne know so she can put a word in the Kitchen Witch's ear.)

Pie for Pi Day!

Another round of thanks to Brenda  G. for ensuring that we celebrated 3.14 properly with a yummy assortment of pies!

Happy Birthday!

Ambrea  March 21

Hybrid Employee Webinar, Country Cooking Lunch, Congratulations, and More!

Hybrid Employee Webinar

From the City: 

"The Hybrid Retirement Plan Features & Benefits Series Webinar is coming soon!

Improve your knowledge of the defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) components of the Hybrid Retirement Plan. Explore the payout options for the DB component and your investment options for the DC component. In addition, the webinar will highlight your other VRS benefits as a hybrid member.

You’ll learn how to access your account and tap into retirement planning resources including publications and online tools."

If you are unable to view this presentation at the specific time, the webinar (along with others) will be available here:  http://www.varetirement.org/hybrid/education/features-and-benefit-series.

Friday, March 9, 2018
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
Register Online

Country Cooking Luncheon

We have another Staff potluck lunch coming up!  It's scheduled for Monday, March 12, and there's already a mouthwatering array of dishes listed on the whiteboard.  Bring a dish and join us! 

Glass Jars & Bottles

Need to get rid of any old glass jars or bottles?  Ambrea will take them!  She's planning some crafts involving those items.  And why, yes-- she will take wine bottles!

Summer Reading Club

Summer will be here before you know it! Ambrea has put some flyers with information about t-shirts and bags with the "Books Rock!" theme.  There are several designs from which to choose.  If you wish to purchase items, just add your name and choices to the paper beside the flyer.  There is also another book themed t-shirt on offer.

Congratulations, Patrick!

Patrick was the successful applicant.  He will begin his new job in Tech Services on Monday!

Ambrea’s Newsworthy Crafts!

Check out this great article from the Bristol Herald Courier! Chinese Lanterns