Volunteering at the office: cataloging books

Now that we have our cozy office and our computer, volunteers are welcome to come and find out for themselves at first hand how we operate. One of the regular tasks is simply entering all the titles we own into our online catalog at LibraryThing. This is a very good way to become familiar with our offerings!

For those of you inclined to get more involved with the nuts and bolts of library operation, we have a list of JTEL office chores and tasks that you can do. Chief among them is familiarizing yourself with the library's organization  and policies, history, building plans, grant applications, minutes, fundraisers, and so forth. It's important that our members and particularly our volunteers understand the library they are a part of!

The next item on the list is cataloging books and movies that have been donated to the Ester library. We started our online catalog in January 2008, and two or three volunteers have so far catalogued a total of 1,320 titles over the last three years. All the books that are on the shelves in the library itself have cards and card pockets and are ready for members to borrow them, but most of them are uncatalogued—which means that really, neither the board nor the members knows what we have.

So cataloging our collection is quite important. If you'd like to help with this task, Deirdre Helfferich (JTEL board president and chief cataloger) can show you how to do it (call 451-0636 or e-mail info@esterlibrary.org). There is also a how-to guide on the office computer. An alias on the computer desktop, LibraryThing how-to.pages, will open up a step-by-step guide to LibraryThing and the cataloging process.

We have an office coffeepot, so you are welcome to make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and spend an hour or two entering titles, reading up on the library, or just reading one of the many books here on our bookshelves. Enjoy!

Board meeting date changed, office decorating

The JTEL board meeting has been changed to Thursday, December 9. The location and time are the same: Studio #8, the Annex (the JTEL business office), 7 pm. This is right after the DOT's meeting downstairs at the Annex on the proposed Gold Hill Road bike path (which is from 4 to 7 pm).

The board will be having a decorating party soon for the library office, and we still need a few items: a throw rug or two, a bookcase, a floor lamp, a desk lamp, a multifunction printer/scanner/copier, an extension cord, a power strip or two, and perhaps a desk. Please call Nancy Burnham at 457-6668 if you have one of these items or would like to help out at the office decorating party.

JTEL office organizing

Here's a couple more photos of the somewhat tidied but still fairly empty office. First, the office door:


Here's the temporary desk, with all the library records in binders on it. Hopefully we'll get a bookshelf soon where we can stash these and various books.

And here's the coffee table that Hans and I made a couple of years ago for an art show at the Annex. The chairs were in the library (we need to reupholster the one on the left, but it's still serviceable, if a bit mungy).

Moving in to the new office

Various chairs and boxes of stuff hauled into the office from the library.

And a few t-shirts and things stashed at Deirdre and Hans' house.

The view toward the door. At left are stackable cabinets that will house t-shirts, eventually.

The windowsill.

The moving guy, Hans Mölders, chair of the Construction Committee.

New office!

The library now has office space! The JTEL office is at studio #8, the Annex, 2922 Parks Highway. We expect to be here for at least six months, after which the JTEL board will re-evaluate the utility of an office space and our current location.

We are still seeking furnishings and office sponsors, and will announce office hours shortly. Office furnishings and equipment still needed are:

• table
• rug
• desk and floor lamps
• multifunction printer
• chairs
• desk
• office tools, supplies and equipment (power strips, three-hole punch, file folders, scissors, pens, letter-sized paper, etc.)
• telephone

Several items and records have been moved to the office so far, although organizing the place will take a little time. This has created some extra room at the John Trigg Ester Library; a Soup & Stow work party will soon be held there to clean up and reorganize the library to make it more welcoming now that it is roomier. (Check back for more information on the Soup & Stow.)

T-shirts will be available for sale at the office, and board and committee meetings will be held there.

The first meeting in our new office will be the next Capital Campaign Committee meeting, November 17, Wednesday, at 6 pm.

An office for the library

The latest project for the Ester library is obtaining an office where we can keep our records together, have meetings, and work. Right now the records for the library are scattered across at least three computers and seven households, plus a few offices. One board member may have certain office records, but those records aren't accessible to the rest of the board unless special arrangements are made. It's just not a good way to try to work or coordinate events, meetings, and construction. Volunteers who would like to help catalog titles or work on events have no central place they can go to find the information or resources they might need. An office will make the work of the board and volunteers easier and more efficient.

So, the JTEL board has put out a call for office sponsorships! The board is weighing two potential locations in the Ester area, both of which rent in the range of $250 to $300 a month, and have high-speed internet access. With telephone charges, etc., we expect the cost of an office will be around $300 to $350 per month. We've already gotten so many sponsors that the amount still needed is only $135 per month! The response has been wonderful. The library's regular funding events and even the state appropriation could pay for the remainder, but that means that money won't be available for construction or design work.

The office will only be needed for a limited time, until the library building is complete. Before we move the books, we will move the office, so we expect that the duration of office sponsorship will be from two to three years. We are asking sponsors to commit to one year, if they can, and to pay in advance six months to a year if possible. However, sponsorships need not be large: we have sponsors who can only afford $5 per month up to those who have committed to $50 per month. Every bit helps, and is greatly appreciated.