I promise I won't continue to write novels on these blogs but to get us started out there a gazillion details I want you to have access to, so bear with me.
  Most of you already know each other as you have been former pages at Capitola, but we have a couple of newer faces, including my own. Along with me, we will also be adding Barbara Pasternak back to our staff as a library aide. Many of you probably already know her as she has spent time working there as a clerk, and will be coming back out of retirement to lend us a hand, and make a few extra bucks. And Chicory Roth, who has worked in Capitola previously as a page, will also be in once a week on Wednesdays.
 David Sidle will be coming in as an LA II from his previous position as a Library Assistant at the downtown branch. He has been a pro at juggling many page schedules downtown and so I have asked him to continue with that at Capitola as well as approve your Kronos time sheets. The current schedule is set up to run through March, while we assess material flow and staffing needs. He will also be joining me on the front desk doing circulation and reference tasks.

  The new staffing plan calls for 8 hours a week of volunteers who are supposed to be helping with shelving, since as library aides, most of you will be responsible for discharging returned items, routing in items in transit to the branch, and shelving. Since we only have one library aide scheduled on the floor at at time, it seems doubtful that we will be able to accomplish this without volunteers, and currently we have none trained and in place. So to meet this challenge I think I would like to ask that if you are a library aide, you check in with either David or myself to see where you are most needed once you take care of your opening tasks, check the blog for updates, etc.
  If of course you are on a shift before we open, please do the regular opening tasks, and then if time allows do the pulls list, but do give discharging and shelving precedence over the pulls list.

It may be that the route-ins have to sit, or the pulls list doesn't get finished, while we take care of discharging and shelving. We will have to see how this plays out.
It will be challenging but I am sure we can find a way to make it work as smoothly as possible if we all remain flexible. And hopefully by February, we will have volunteers who also can help with those tasks.

There are a lot of other things that need to be taken care of in the branch and I will include that list in an upcoming  blog so if there is something you would really like to do, or excel at, I will be happy to give you the opportunity.  David and I would also like to see you all trained to do basic circulation with the patrons, as its helpful as support to us, as well as an opportunity for y'all to learn new library skills and polish up those resumes so you can climb that library career ladder. I started as a page, myself, and here you are already stepping up as library aides, so there really is room for growth should you desire to go that direction.  It is my hope,  that once we have some volunteer support, David, who is an excellent trainer, can teach you some circulation procedures.

Until the next blog,
and HAPPY NEW YEAR,
Jonell

Welcome!

I recently found out that Capitola staff sometimes refer to the branch as Cappy, so I thought it would be apropos to have our Blog named after that famous old salty dog from the Sunday Comics, Cappy Dick, seeings as we are Capitola by the sea, and a bunch of  library swabbies soon to be awash in more work than we know what to do with! If you want more on our new mascot, you can check out this site:

http://www.loti.com/cappy_dick.htm

 Since we are all starting in new positions in the new year, and there will be much to figure out, I thought a blog format would be simpler than the previous page clipboard or e-mails. I will use this forum to communicate with all of you any branch activities, changes being made, special areas that need help, upcoming events and programs, and you can use the comments area to communicate any of your concerns, needs, ideas, etc.
I will also, of course be on-site for most of our open hours, so you can talk with me then, but considering all of your varying schedules, it will be impossible to have staff meetings, so hopefully we can utilize this blog to meet most of our meeting needs.
  I would like you to check the blog at the beginning of your shifts when you first arrive on-site, just to keep apprised of any changes, and please do feel free to use the comments area if you have questions or concerns. You can also access the blog from afar should you forget your work schedule and check out the calendar. Your regular work schedule should be listed there.

I have also set up a twitter feed, so if any of you have events planned or want to get information out that way, let me know and I will do a tweet. As you can see, Gina's band will be playing at the Blue Lagoon so if you are old enough, go check out her drumming!  Also, if you know you are going to be absent and  you let me know i can tweet the hours that need filling, in case any other staff want to jump in and grab a couple extra hours.

And don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of the page!

Thanks and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Jonell Jel'enedra