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SJR Staff Book Club
We are hosting a St. Johns Reads staff-only book club to celebrate the kick-off of our 2025 program! We invite you to join us at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, via Teams, to discuss "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro. Click here to register for the program.
Join us if you've read the book but will be unable to attend live discussions or if you haven't read the book but want an overview to help promote St. Johns Reads. Support our program and be entered into a drawing to win a prize!
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Food for Fines Returns!
The St. Johns County Public Library System (SJCPLS) is pleased to announce that the popular Food for Fines program has returned to St. Johns County libraries and bookmobiles this year. Donating one non-perishable, unexpired food item will remove $2 of fines from a patron's library record. An opportunity to eliminate most library fines, Food
for Fines will run through Friday, Dec. 21. The food items collected will be used to stock the St. Johns County Health and Human Services Food Pantry, providing food for St. Johns County families in need.
This fine-reduction program applies only to overdue fines, and patrons may bring in as many items as needed to reduce overdue fines. Fees related to damaged or lost items are not included in the Food for Fines program. Any library user is welcome to make donations, and food may be dropped off at any of the St. Johns County library branches or bookmobiles.
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MS365 Training
The migration to Microsoft 365 has been successfully completed across all County departments. Staff at each branch are now using Outlook 365 and should be familiarizing themselves with the new system.
Microsoft 365 provides a comprehensive set of tools designed to improve collaboration, productivity, and security, ultimately enhancing our service to the citizens of St. Johns County. These tools support real-time collaboration through Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, streamline workflows with AI-powered apps like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, and strengthen security with advanced protection against cyber threats and data compliance management.
To help you get started, four NEOGOV training courses have been assigned to all staff, which should be completed by the New Year:
- Intro to Microsoft 365 (2024) – 35 minutes
- Mastering Outlook 365 – Basics (2024) – 1 hour 35 minutes
- OneDrive Essentials (2024) – 1 hour 10 minutes
- Microsoft Teams Fundamentals and Best Practices (2022) – 1 hour
In addition to these, the Microsoft Support page offers valuable resources, including a video introduction to the new platform.
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Here's your wellness game plan for November:
Check out our Wellness Program!
Don’t miss out—Session 2’s deadline is coming up on Dec. 31, 2024! As a benefits-eligible employee, you’re invited to take advantage of our wellness reimbursement program. It’s all about supporting YOU in staying happy and healthy, both on and off the clock!
Check out the details on our Employee Connection page: SJC Wellness - St. Johns County
FY 2025 Employee Golf Program
The St. Johns Golf Club once again offers BOCC and SOE employees an economical way to play golf and enjoy increased physical fitness. Full and part-time county employees, and their eligible dependents, qualify to participate in this discount program through September 30, 2025. To register employees must complete a Golf Program Form and either present when checking in at the Golf Course for the first time or email to wtucker@sjcfl.us.
Free FRS Financial Planning Workshops
Were you unable to attend the free financial planning workshops hosted by the Florida Retirement System earlier this month? You can watch the recorded sessions and view other presentations here or click the following links to go directly to the videos:
If you have any questions or would like more details on these opportunities, don't hesitate to contact your SJC Risk & Benefits Team at 904.209.0635, option 4.
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Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Spring Health provides confidential mental wellness support for you and your family, available 24/7. EAP offers:
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Therapy Sessions: Up to six free counseling sessions per year with licensed professionals, on your schedule.
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Coaching: Adults (18+) get six free coaching sessions per year to support personal development, stress management, and more.
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Wellness Exercises: Access meditation, sleep, and wellness exercises via the app.
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Personalized Support: Take an assessment to find the best care for you, track progress, and get recommendations.
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Care Navigator: A licensed clinician guides you to the right resources and helps set appointments.
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Medication Management: U.S. only, with psychiatrists available through the app.
Learn more about your EAP benefits with this Spring Health Explainer 2023 or visit the Employee Connection webpage.
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Most of us don’t spend a lot of time looking back on the little details of our childhood, and I don’t think many of us pause to consider the choices we made that led us to where we are in our lives right now.
It’s funny to think about: the things we loved and the things we didn’t; the toys we enjoyed playing with and the games we couldn’t stand; the school projects we were forced to work on vs. the hobbies we happily spent hours on at home.
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eMagazines in Libby by OverDrive
Our library offers an extensive digital magazine collection through the Libby app, with over 5,000 magazine titles available to patrons for free. This collection includes a wide variety of genres, ensuring there’s something for everyone—from celebrity news and crafts to cooking, gardening, and cars.
Here are some key points to share with patrons:
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How to Access: Patrons can access the collection on Libby, our free digital reading app. Encourage them to download Libby, where they can explore a huge range of magazines instantly.
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What’s Included: Our collection features magazines across many categories, such as:
- Celebrity and Entertainment
- Crafts & Hobbies
- Cooking & Food
- Home & Garden
- Cars & Motorcycles
- And much more!
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Automatic Delivery: Once they subscribe to a title, new issues will automatically be delivered to their Libby “shelf” as soon as they’re available.
This magazine collection is a great resource to highlight for anyone looking for a convenient and cost-free way to enjoy their favorite magazines!
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Aspen LiDA
Aspen LiDA is the library’s app that connects patrons with our catalog in an intuitive, easy-to-use format. It allows patrons to manage their entire library experience from their phone in one place, and it’s available for download on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Key Features for Patrons:
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Visually Browse Lists: Patrons can explore staff-created and any personalized lists they’ve created to discover new and recommended titles.
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Access All Formats: Aspen LiDA shows all available formats for titles, making it easy to choose between print, e-book, audiobook, and more.
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Manage E-books: Patrons can check out and manage e-books directly from the app.
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Account Management: Aspen LiDA remembers account information, so patrons can easily place holds, check due dates, and pay fines. It even provides convenient access to their digital library card.
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Event Searches: Patrons can search for library events right within the app, making it easy to stay updated on upcoming programs.
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Digital Newspapers: Patrons can quickly access e-newspaper codes within the app.
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Book Barcode Scanner: The app’s ISBN barcode scanner allows patrons to scan any book—whether at a bookstore, Target, or elsewhere—to see if we own it (excluding some trade paperbacks).
Encourage patrons to download Aspen LiDA for a smoother, more interactive way to manage their library account and explore what our library offers!
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Congratulations to last month's winner, Richard Steinmeyer! We hope you enjoy your bookish prize!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the database contest!
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Visit websites below to find more live and on-demand webinars: | | |
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Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake
Alright, imagine you have a family member who approaches you every year during the holiday season and asks, 'Are you going to make (insert delicious treat here) again this Thanksgiving?' This is that recipe. In fact, I get asked about it at every celebration, no matter the occasion. It’s that good.
This cheesecake has all the perfect fall flavors mixed into one. Between the toasted pecans, browned butter, and caramel, it’s the kind of dessert you can’t wait to curl up with as the weather starts to cool. Every bite feels like a warm hug—and honestly, there’s nothing better when you’re gathered with loved ones, enjoying the season.
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We're excited to announce that we're resuming program coverage for all branches! As part of our ongoing effort to highlight the fantastic community programs, we're eager to capture photos and videos of your programs.
To ensure effective planning and content creation, we kindly request that programmers contact us at least a month before their events. This advance notice allows us to accommodate program coverage into our schedules and provide the best possible support.
Once a program is accepted, a calendar invite titled "Program Coverage: (Event Name)" will be sent out. This Outlook invite will serve as a helpful reminder for everyone involved and will assist in navigating any unforeseen circumstances, such as weather changes or guest speaker cancellations.
We love visiting the branches and capturing the incredible work being done. We encourage everyone to get in touch with their event plans—we can't wait to see what's coming up!
View the October Marketing Summary.
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Share Your Ideas
Whether it's information about an upcoming program or a favorite recipe, we want to hear about it! Share your ideas with Lauren Ferro at lferro@sjcfl.us or Hana Tucker at htucker@sjcfl.us for inclusion in the newsletter.
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