Key Notes Blog

Bringing you weekly posts on conference planning, happenings at Keystone, or how better to put KLAS to work for you!

COVID-19 KeyNotes Blog Posts to Date

Details: Category: Key Notes; Last Updated: Tuesday, 07 July 2020 20:25; Published: Tuesday, 07 July 2020 19:12; Written by Andrea Callicutt

COVID-19 has thoroughly upended almost all of our "typical" workdays, routines, and daily lives. It's affected each of us in very different, but very substantial ways. This Spring brought changes to how Keystone and many of our libraries operated. We've seen shifts in patron service models, circulation policies, and staffing scheduling and environments. In the last month, some agencies began to open back up and deal with the repercussions of limited staff, quarantining materials, backlogged items waiting to check-in, etc. while others may be facing another shift as state reevaluate their plans to reopen with the newest surge of cases. No matter where your organization or staff are in this process, we're doing our best to continue supporting you. Yet, we also know we aren't the ones dealing with the day-to-day, and only others in similar circumstances can relate and offer the best advice for you at this time. Therefore, today I am taking some time to again share relevant COVID-19 related KeysNotes blog posts from our staff as well from other KLAS Users.

Get to Know the Circulation Report

Details: Category: Key Notes; Last Updated: Wednesday, 01 July 2020 14:11; Published: Wednesday, 01 July 2020 14:00; Written by Katy Patrick

The Circulation Report is an excellent source of statistics. Nancy likes to call it the “Circulation, Circulation, Circulation Report,” since it’s found in the Circulation Module, under the Reports -> Circulation menu. It should be the first thing you check any time you need to know “how many of these things are we sending out?” whatever 'these things' happen to be.

Because the report has A LOT of options, you can really key in on just what you need. Unlike the Readership & Circulation report, which was developed to return consistent results for all libraries based on NLS' defined parameters, YOU get to decide what you want to count.

The downside is that the report... has A LOT of options. What do they all mean? Let’s take a look at some of the specifics for the Circulation Report.

Keystone, KLAS, and Accessibility (re-dux)

Details: Category: Key Notes; Last Updated: Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:24; Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:24; Written by Katy Patrick

Hello everyone! Today, I'm bringing back (and updating!) a post from 2018. This is important info we want to make sure you know about and remember, so let's dive in...

Keystone, KLAS, & Accessibility

Easy access to all features and functions within KLAS has been integral to all phases of the design process since the first version of KLAS, and continues through our ongoing work developing the next generation of the program.

From our first library customer, North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Keystone has had a commitment to develop library software and provide support services for all of our users. Now that KLAS is installed and being used by nearly 2/3 of the network libraries that are part of the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped as well as a number of Instructional Resource / Materials Centers, we have a multitude of staff (as well as public catalog users) performing a multitude of tasks and requiring varying levels and types of accessibility. To help meet the needs of our users, Keystone offers some additional support and services. Examples include:

My Reflections on KLAS Users' Group Officers

Details: Category: Key Notes; Last Updated: Tuesday, 23 June 2020 17:33; Published: Tuesday, 23 June 2020 17:33; Written by Andrea Callicutt

I wanted to take some time today to write about a group of our users' that I get to spend more time with than most -- our KLAS Users' Group Officers. In the nearly 18 years I've worked for Keystone, I've had the opportunity to collaborate with a number of different persons and personalities who y'all selected to fill these positions. I've facilitated in-person and online elections, been the Keystone representative to committees they lead as the chair, watched as the Users' Group became more fully involved with and proactive about helping to create and produce programming at the Users' Conference and now beyond. I've seen the Users' Group Bylaws evolve and a whole new officer cycle was instituted last year. We're now in the first election under this new model, and I'm excited at the prospect of having someone new with whom to plan and work.

2021 KLAS Users' Conference Planning Updates

Details: Category: Key Notes; Last Updated: Wednesday, 10 June 2020 14:19; Published: Tuesday, 09 June 2020 18:20; Written by Andrea Callicutt

A view of Nashville's skyline from the river.

We're excited to announce that initial planning for the 2021 KLAS Users' Conference is underway. 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

I suspect what y'all really want to know is when and where the conference will be, so here you are...