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Planning is fully underway for the 2021 KLAS Users' Conference. This will be our first biennial conference AND the first hosted by an Instructional Resource Center.

We sincerely thank Dr. Kathy Segers, Director of Accessible Instructional Materials and Outreach Services, Tennessee School for the Blind for being our local host for the 2021 KLAS Users' Conference. We look forward to working with you to plan an informative, inspirational, and rewarding experience for all our attendees.

2021 KLAS Users' Conference Dates & Location

Nashville City Skyline

Here's the most crucial information to help you start your planning:

  • Dates: June 29-July 1, 2021
  • Location: Nashville, TN
  • Host: Tennessee Instructional Resource Center at the Tennessee School for the Blind

Thank you to everyone who's already helped get us this far, including everyone on our conference planning committees.

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Well, it's going to be an unusual holiday season this year, but may you all find some joy and celebration. Even more importantly, we hope you and your loved ones stay healthy.

In these difficult times, we're grateful to be here for all of you. We have a fantastic users' community, and we're looking forward to supporting you through the winter and hopefully to brighter and easier days ahead.

From the Keystone staff: Happy Thanksgiving! May your table be filled with the bounty of the season.

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With the KLAS.com revamp successfully launched, we’ve started planning and looking ahead to reorganizing and redesigning KLASusers.com as well.

"The next step" is written in chalk over a set of chalky footprints on a blackboard background.

It’s important to us that this site can serve as a valuable resource for you, as well as a place where the user’s group can come together and collaborate on common issues. The appearance of the site isn’t as important... but we do want it to be pleasant to look at. A much higher priority is that the revamped KLASusers be easy-to-navigate and convenient to use (for all of our users—accessibility will be absolutely required in the revamp). Finally, if we’re able to add in some new features to facilitate user interaction, that’s a big plus!

We have our ideas about how to achieve all of this, but we want your feedback. Drop by Drea’s recent forum post to let us know what you’d like to see in a revamp, if there’s anything you don’t want us to change, or if you have any thoughts or feedback on our ideas below. We hope to hear from you!

A couple of examples of what we’re hoping for in the revamp:

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PIMMS is adding new statuses for Machines, one is for Awaiting Repair, which is not big news. We'll need to work with the library to remap some existing KLAS CorStatus/MatDisp combination(s) to this new code to accurately get PIMMS up to date.The bigger change is a Transferring Status. This status is used whether this is a direct transfer of a machine from one library to another, or if the machine is transferring with a patron.We have changed KLAS so that there are now multiple TF MatDisp codes --
TFO -- Machine is in the process of transferring out directly from one library to another. (Changing the meaning of the existing code.)
TFP -- Machine is in process of being transferred out with a Patron.
TFR -- Either the Machine transfer or the Patron transfer has been rejected by the Gaining Library
TFA -- The machine or Patron transfer has been accepted by the Gaining Library.The library doesn't need to do any set up for the new statuses. They are automatically added to KLAS with the upgrade. Existing machines at TFO are updated to TFA if the machine exists elsewhere in PIMMS,If the machine is going to be going with a transferring patron, then nothing needs to be done to transfer the machine. Also, in such a case, the Gaining library does not have to do anything to add the machines into KLAS. They will be automatically added.If the machines are NOT being transferred with the patron, then the library needs to disconnect the machines from the patron before transferring the patron.If a machine or patron transfer is rejected, the machine changes to NAC/TFR (and the patron stays at T status). There are new reports that report out the machines and patrons in such a situation. The library will need to figure out what they want to do with the Machines and/or Patrons. We don't know of any predefined pattern as to what should happen, so we settled on these statuses and reporting them out.
 
 

Today we wanted to prepare you (with a hat tip to David Bowie) to "Turn and face the strange [PIMMS] Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes," as PIMMS is adding a couple new statuses for Machines.

One will be "Awaiting Repair" which is not big news. However, to accurately get PIMMS up to date for this status this we will need to work with your KLAS Administrator to remap some existing KLAS CorStatus/MatDisp combinations.

The bigger change will be a Machine Status of "Transferring Status". This status will be used whether this is a direct transfer of a machine from one library to another or if the machine is field transferring from one patron to another. We have updated KLAS to add multiple Transfer (TF) Material Disposition codes to support this status.

New PIMMS TF Material Disposition Codes:

  • Transferring Out (TFO) -- Machine is in the process of transferring out directly from one library to another. (This is an update of the existing TFO status code.)
  • Transferring Out with Patron (TFP) -- Machine is in process of being transferred out with a Patron to another Library.
  • Transfer Rejected (TFR) -- Either the Machine transfer or the Patron transfer has been rejected by the Gaining Library
  • Tranfer Accepted (TFA) -- The machine or Patron transfer has been accepted by the Gaining Library.

Libraries will not need to do any set up for these new codes. They will automatically added to KLAS with the upgrade. Existing machines that are Transferring Out (TFO) will be updated to Transfer Accepted (TFA) if the machine exists elsewhere in PIMMS.

Things to keep in mind with these new PIMMS Machine Transfer Statuses:

  1. If the machine is tranferring along with a patron, nothing will need to be done to transfer the machine--it will now be included along with the Patron transfer. Also, the library receiving the machine does not have to do anything to add it into KLAS, it will both be automatically added with the patron.
  2. If a machine should NOT be transferred with a patron, the library needs to remove the machine from the patron's record before transferring the patron record.
  3. If a machine or patron transfer is rejected, the machine changes to Not Available for Circulation / Transfer Rejected (NAC / TFR) and the patron will keep a Tranfer (T) status. There are new reports in KLAS that can be run to identify machines and patrons with this NAC / TFR status. The library will then need to figure out what they want to do these Machines and / or Patrons.

Please contact KLAS customer support to get help preparing for the Awaiting Repair status or if you have any questions about how the new Transfer Material Disposition are being used / what they mean.

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Our "Stars of Keystone's Staff" series includes some basic info and insight into one of our staff members. We hope these posts will provide you a look into who makes up our diverse, supportive, and knowledgeable staff.

This week's post shares some insider info about our Software Development Project Lead. Read on to learn something new about Brian...

The Stars of Keystone Staff logo

Basic Stats:

Name of Staff Member: Brian White

Year Hired: 2004

Current Job Title: Software Development – Project Lead

Brian and his wife Aimee stand next to one another smiling.

 

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