Events

The recording of the 11/3/2021 KLAS IRC / IMC Users' Roundtable hosted by Jared Leslie, AZ, and Jen Buzolich. CA is now available. This session was a place to share ideas and feedback following the APH conference, ask questions about new features and upcoming development, and an opportunity to connect with Keystone staff and other KLAS IRC users'. We hope you will be able to join us for our next IRC Roundtable after the new year!

Keystone Systems and the 2018 Julie Klauber Award Committee are pleased to announce the two finalists for this year's Julie Klauber Award:

• Janie Stanley, North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
• Nancy Reese, Idaho Commission for Libraries, Talking Book Service

Congratulations to of each of you! You are a valuable asset to your library and your community. Also, thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.

The recipient of the 2018 Julie Klauber Award will be announced in the near future.

Ramona Walhof, Author and Advocate

Ramona Walhof’s life journey has been a full and varied one.

She grew up in Iowa during the 1950's when there was no regional library for the blind. In 1960 the regional library opened at the Iowa Commission for the Blind and quickly became the largest in the nation. She majored in Russian and minored in French at Georgetown University and later received a certificate in education from Boise State University.

Ramona worked in rehab from 1972-1984 and then went into business from 1984 through 2007. Employment included teaching Braille, sewing, and managing food service operations, including a bakery.

Civic activities include president of National Federation of the Blind Idaho for over a decade, beginning Idaho’s BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) program, serving on the United Way of Boise Board, and travelling to many states speaking about challenges for the blind and advocating for blind services, especially the National Library Service. A true advocate for Braille, Ramona has written articles and books, including editing The Power of Love, How Kenneth Jernigan Changed the World for the Blind, a compilation of articles by those who knew and worked with Kenneth Jernigan.

Ramona is trying to slow down in order to spend more time with her children and four grandchildren and of course, reading.

Below are the presentations and handouts our presenters and moderators have sent us to date from the 2018 KLAS Users' Conference. Please feel free to download, print, and / or electronically access these presentations and handouts at your convenience.

Staff of Instructional Resource / Materials Centers using KLAS met on Thursday, October 10 at the American Printing House for the Blind's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Below is the PowerPoint presentation in both PPTX and PDF formats.

• 2019 APH KLAS Users Meeting - PowerPoint
• 2019 APH KLAS Users Meeting - PDF

We also recorded the screen sharing and audio portion of the meeting.

Keystone Systems and the 2019 Julie Klauber Award Committee are pleased to announce the three finalists for this year's Julie Klauber Award:

• Brenda Boyd, South Carolina State Library Talking Books Services
• Ruth Hemphill, Tennesee Library for Accessible Books & Media
• Maggie Witte, Kansas Talking Book Services

Congratulations to of each of you! You are each a valuable asset to your library and your community. Also, thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.

The recipient of the 2019 Julie Klauber Award will be announced in the near future.

The Julie Klauber Award Committee and Keystone Systems are pleased to announce Brenda Boyd, Reader Advisor, South Carolina State Library Talking Book Services, is the recipient of the 2019 Julie Klauber Award. It was an incredibly difficult decision, but we were thrilled to have had three wonderful finalists from which to choose. We look forward to honoring Brenda on June 4 during the Opening General Session of the 2019 KLAS Users' Conference in West Palm Beach, FL.

This the nomination for Brenda submitted by Denise Lyons, Deputy Director of Statewide Development, South Carolina State Library:

Reason for Nomination

One of the most significant events that the State Library holds each year is the TBS Student Art Gallery and awards which is completely organized by Brenda Boyd. Children with different and special abilities, including a large number from the SC School for the Deaf & Blind, create pieces of art which are judged based on different age categories. All staff and people coming to the State Library are eligible to vote. The Director also selects a piece of art as a special recognition. It takes numerous months to plan such an event. There are the logistics of working with the art teachers well in advance of the contest and all the promotion needed to have the numerous selections. They need to be brought to the State Library for voting. After a month of voting, the winners are named in a press release and Brenda arranges the art on the first floor at the State Library, gallery style so that all may enjoy the art. All winners, families, and teachers are invited to the Awards Ceremony along with the TBS Advisory Board, patrons, and supporters. The awards are followed by a reception on the main floor. Staff help Brenda to implement a lovely and touching ceremony with the Agency Director as emcee and a guest speaker from the arts community. All participants receive some recognition. You can see albums of the last two awards here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scsl/albums/72157679200574414 and https://www.flickr.com/photos/scsl/albums/72157692620252332. Staff attends the event and listens to guests talk about the importance of art for those with vision loss in particular and what inspires the young artists. Brenda coordinates the contest and the award ceremony each year and has done for several years. It is a program that has been copied by other State Library Talking Books Services. Brenda is a very strong advocate for the program and does tremendous work behind the scenes so that on the day of the event, everything looks lovely and runs smoothly. Art is celebrated and the artists and their supporters are recognized. The event is personal and heartwarming, and this spirit, the spirit of Julie Klauber, is in Brenda Boyd.

Effect on Library

Brenda’s ability to provide excellent service means that she takes as many calls a day as possible. The Readers Advisors take thousands of calls per month and there are only five RAs on staff. She provides regular and consistent information provided in a kind way to connect with the patron. We receive numerous recommendations from families who lose loved ones that used the service and from patrons themselves. Some comments from recent appreciation letters include “My grandmother is 93 years old and these books on tape are her LIFE,” wrote one patron while another expressed: “Thank you for sending me your Talking Books. They mean the world to me.” Finally, one gentleman in the southern part of the state wrote about his mother who passed, and he said “I want you to know how valuable this service is to those who cannot see.” Even one of our Library Board members recently wrote, “I can’t thank everyone for giving (name) her only pleasure these last several months. She lived with anticipation of the blue boxes in her mailbox. We are HUGE champions for this service.” Patrons sent donations to TBS based on appreciation for Brenda’s service, including one patron who stated they will set up a memorial in their will. This important service, running a special library within a library, is crucial to the culture of the State Library. We believe in serving the underserved and value inclusivity and accessibility in all we do. In the past few years, the TBS team has created a strong outreach program with accessible kits called the technology petting zoo, of which Brenda helps take into the field. They are working across departments to promote the service with the Communications Team and create an accessibility team with the Diversity and Inclusive Services consultant, part of the Library Development staff. These kind of cross-departmental programs are important for Agency staff to learn about the work of Talking Books and the patrons they serve. It is not only a mandate of ours but one we passionately embrace. For many staff, Brenda’s experience on the TBS team often makes her a great representative from TBS for committees and projects.

Job Responsibilities

Brenda is a Reader Advisor for the Talking Books Services department. Every day she provides assistance on the telephone to patrons to who call for a variety of services provided by the department. The TBS program is a lifeline for many elderly patrons who only have access to the talking book library (which includes digital and cassette recorders, large print, and braille collections) because it comes directly to their home. Others are restricted by health issues and cannot take advantage of traditional library service. Of the more than five thousand of TBS patrons, 226 are children. Being able to have a reliable system to access the information and connect to patrons preferences is an extremely important part of this very personal service. KLAS is most unique in this way and enables Brenda to be able to have reliable technology and a supportive community that assists the work serving our blind and physically handicapped community. Brenda is an active and knowledgeable user of the system, and participates in ongoing continuing education to increase her knowledge of the system and work of the Talking Books service.

Additional Comments

Brenda has been a wonderful asset to this agency, its work, and the work of Talking Books Services. Her dedication is unparalleled. She represents librarianship and its values in the best way, and stands as a model for others in the agency and across all libraries and service organizations. Thank you for your consideration.

Note: These documents are subject to change prior to the conference and you must be logged-in to klasusers.com to access them.

2019 KLAS Users' Conference Overview Schedule

DOCUMENTS LAST UPDATED: May 28, 2019

Here's the latest overview schedule document for the 2019 KLAS Users' Conference in MS Word and PDF formats now including all general and breakout sessions as well as pre-conference sessions!

• KLAS UC 2019 Overview Schedule 05-28-2019 - MS Word
• KLAS UC 2019 Overview Schedule 05-28-2019 - PDF

2019 KLAS Users' Conference Agenda

DOCUMENTS LAST UPDATED: May 30, 2019

The conference agenda includes all pre-conference sessions and all general and breakout conference sessions as well as session descriptions, presenters, and locations. It is available in MS Word and PDF format.

• KLAS UC 2019 Agenda 05-30-2019 - MS Word
• KLAS UC 2019 Agenda 05-30-2019 - PDF

We've uploaded all presentations for the 2019 KLAS Users' Conference submitted to date to a folder on Keystone's Google Drive and are working to link them into the conference app.

Also, we will be adding a link for each presentation below listed by day:

Monday Pre-Conference

• KLAS Scavenger Hunt IRC Version
• KLAS Scavenger Hunt TBL Version
• Effective Search Strategies in KLAS IRC Version
• Effective Search Strategies in KLAS TBL Version

Tuesday

General Sessions

• Roll Call / Ice Breaker
• 2019 Julie Klauber Award
• Keynote Address
• Keystone Highlights for the Past Year
• KLAS New Features
• Accessible Accessibility: Providing Access to More using Outside Sources
• Recording of Keystone Highlights and New Features Presentations - MP4

Breakout Sessions

• KLAS Administrators
• Interpreting KLAS Error Messages
• Tips & Tricks for Reader Advisors
• Handling Foreign Language Materials
• KLAS New Features

Wednesday

General Sessions

• NLS Report
• Responding to Changing Service Models
• Duplication on Demand: Better, Faster, Stronger, More!
  • Notes from the Scribe
• Online APH Census Registration
• IRC / IMC Roundtable

Breakout Sessions

• IRCs & TBLs: Brainstorming Ways to Partner
• Writing Accessible Instructions
• Making Friends with KLAS Statistics
• Training Your Support Staff
• KLAS New Features

Seminar Sessions

• Hits & Misses: A Look at Programming for those with Disabilities
• Duplication on Demand Petting Zoo
• Reporting on Reports
• Talking Book Service Ambassadors: Benefits, Challenges & Examples
• Curating Your KLAS Catalogue

Thursday

General Sessions

• KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting
• Connecting with KLASusers
• Keystone Staff Answers Your Parking Lot Questions

Breakout Sessions

• Circulation Birds of a Feather
• The Volunteer Experience: How to Grow and Retain your Auxiliary Staff
• Excel at KLAS: What can you do with KLAS & Excel?

Reference Documents

KLAS Users Directory
KLAS v7 System Recommendations
KLAS Windows Server Requirements
KLAS Linux Server Requirements

Staff of Instructional Resource / Materials Centers using KLAS met for a virtual session on Thursday, October 9 during the Online American Printing House for the Blind's 2020 annual meeting. Below is the PowerPoint presentation Keystone shared in both PPTX and PDF formats:

• 2020 APH KLAS Users Meeting - PowerPoint
• 2020 APH KLAS Users Meeting - PDF

Starting Monday, March 17, 2025 Keystone Systems and the Indiana State Library, Talking Book and Braille Library Service come together to host the 2025 HYBRID KLAS Users' Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Below are all the resources and info you will need during your 2025 KLAS Users' Conference attendance:

• Conference Hotel: Embassy Suites Indianapolis Downtown
  • 110 West Washington St, Indianapolis, IN
• In-Person Sessions Location: Indiana State Library
  • 315 W. Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN
  • Indiana State Library Floorplans - PDF
• Online Sessions: 2025 KLAS Users' Conference Zoom Event
• KLAS UC2025 Overview Schedule - PDF
• KLAS UC2025 Agenda - PDF
  
• KLAS UC2025 Attendee Feedback Forms

2025 KLAS Users' Conference Zoom Event

• ALL conference attendees will use the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference Zoom Event throughout the conference. 
• The conference logo graphicto the right is a direct link to the KLAS UC 2025 Zoom Event.
• Important notes about the KLAS UC2025 Zoom Event:
  • Use your individual Zoom account credentials to log into the KLAS UC2025 Zoom Event.
  • Session times are based on your local time zone.
  • General Sessions will be in a webinar format and streamed directly to the lobby. Virtual attendees will be able to comment / ask questions via the chat function, but can't use their computer camera / mic.
  • All Breakout sessions will be in a meeting format in which virtual attendees can be on camera, use their microphone, and / or the Zoom chat function.

Using the KLAS UC2025 Zoom Event

• How to initially access & navigate the KLAS UC 2025 Zoom Event
• You will use the KLAS UC2025 Zoom Event to:
  • bookmark sessions, create a personal schedule, and export your schedule to your personal calendar
  • view speaker information
  • watch and join conference sessions virtually
  • access session slidedecks and handouts
  • chat with other attendees
  • get conference announcements and updates
  • watch session recordings after the event
  • and more!

{slider Conference Agenda & Overview Schedule}

KLAS UC2025 Agenda & Overview Schedule

Below you will find MS Word and PDF versions of the latest 2025 KLAS Users' Conference agenda and overview schedule documents.

•  Agenda as of 3/12/2025
  • KLASUC2025-Agenda-2025-3.docx
  • KLASUC2025-Agenda-2025-3.pdf
• Overview Schedule as of 3/6/2025
  • KLASUC2025-OverviewSchedule-2025-3.docx
  • KLASUC2025-OverviewSchedule-2025-3.pdf

{slider Getting To / Around Downtown Indianapolis}

Here's some links and other resources to help make your travel to and stay in Indianapolis a bit easier.

Indianapolis Airport to Downtown

The Indianapolis International Airport has multiple transportation options to get from there to downtown.

• Uber or Lyft from the Ground Transportation Center on the first floor of the terminal garage.
• Taxis are also an option, but charge a minimum $15 for all fares from the airport.
• IndyGo's Route 8 bus service provides non-express, fixed route service from the airport to downtown for $1.75 / ride.

Downtown Indianapolis

All conference locations are located in walkable distance from the Embassy Suites Downtown Indianapolis except the location of Monday night's Welcome Reception for which Uber Vouchers will be provided.

Below is a custom Google Map indicating the location of the Embassy Suites, Indiana State Library, the Biltwell Event Center and the Eiteljorg Museum.

2025 KLAS Users' Conference Google Map 

Downtown Indianapolis Restaurants

Wondering about where to eat while you're at the conference? Check out this list of downtown Indianapolis eateries recommended by the Indiana State Library Staff.

• Eating_Establishments_Indianapolis.xlsx

 {slider Conference Hotel - Embassy Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Downtown}

Conference Hotel:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Downtown
110 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Rate & Reservations:

Conference Rate: $133.00 / night + tax (or the prevailing government rate at time of booking + tax)

Amenities

• Free WiFi
• FREE Hot Breakfast Buffet with made-to-order omelets, eggs, and other items
• Free evening reception
• Suite style rooms with separate bedroom and sitting room with microwave and mini-fridge in each
• $46 parking / night (valet only)
• Indoor pool and hot tub
• Workout facilities
• Lobby bar and room service serves light dinner options

{slider Conference Sessions Location - Indiana State Library}

Conference Sessions Location:

The Embassy Suites is approximately .3 miles from the Indiana State Library where all conference sessions will be held. The walk from the hotel to the library is via relatively flat sidewalks with well-marked crosswalks at each intersection.

Indiana State Library
315 W. Ohio St.,
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Indiana State Library Floorplans

Here are floorplans of the Indiana State Library to help you navigate the building.

• ISL_Floorplans_Klas.pdf

{slider Conference Registration - Open Now!}

Conference Registration:

Registration for the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference is still available!! 

Virtual Attendee Registration Deadlines & Prices:

• Virtual Attendee (after December 31, 2024) = $100 per attendee

In-Person Attendee Registration Deadlines & Prices:

• In-Person Late (after February 16, 2025) = $300 with late fee

Important Registration Information:

• You must register using the email tied to your Zoom account.
• If you don't have Zoom account, you will need to create one. You can sign-up for a free, basic account here: https://zoom.us/signup#/signup
• If your registration payment method is not a credit or debit card, OR your organization is tax-exempt, please email  with the ticket type and the email address associated with your Zoom account. We will send you an invoice, and apply the registration to the provided email.
• If you register via the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference Zoom Event using a credit or debit card, Stripe will charge a 2.9% + $.30 per transaction processing fee.

Registration Link:

To register for the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference using a credit or debit card, go to the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference on Zoom Event.

How to register via debit or credit card:

1. Go to the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference on Zoom Events.
2. Select the "Register' button.
3. Select your desired ticket type.
4. Complete the required registration information including using the email associated with your Zoom account.
5. Submit payment via a debit or credit card.
6. Your will receive a registration confirmation email upon successful completion of this process.

{slider In-Person Hands-on Training & Library Tours Registration}

In-Person Hands-on Training & Library Tours Registration

To help us prepare for the in-person hands-on training and library tours sessions that will occur during the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference, please take a few minutes to indicate which one(s) you're interested in attending. Full session descriptions can be found in the latest 2025 KLAS Users' Conference Agenda. 

{slider Eiteljorg Museum Networking Event}

Eiteljorg Museum Lunch & Tour Networking Event

On Thursday, March 20 after our final general session join us for an optional networking event at the Eiteljorg Museum in downtown Indianapolis which "explores the intersection of the arts, histories and cultures of the past and present by sharing the diverse stories of the American West and the Indigenous Peoples of North America".

We will walk to Eiteljorg and enjoy a delicious boxed lunch in their cafe followed by a group tour of the museum.  

Payment for the tour and / or lunch is due Friday, March 14. Cost per person = $11 tour + indicated boxed lunch options. 

Please use the form below to register, select your lunch, and indicate your preferred payment method.

{/sliders}

1. Be quiet. Your job is to help the conversation happen.
2. Be firm. Let them know you are the leader and hope to make this worthwhile.
3. Be prepared. Know the subject. It is hard to steer a discussion that you don't understand. Have ready possible questions, or whatever conversation starters you think will work.
4. Be able to multitask. This is a biggie. You will need to listen to the current discussion, while watching the time, how long the current discussion has gone on, and how to move on.
5. Be deferential. You're not the star. The audience is. You're just there to keep things moving along.
6. Keep on track. While you're not the star, you need to be the audience's advocate on time, answers, and issues. Cut off chatterers. Cut off discussion if it is going on too long or off track. Indicate that maybe this topic is something to bring up at the end of the session or in another venue.
7. Be timely. This is so important. Get the session started on time, keep it moving, and get it done on time. Let people see you confidently keep the discussion moving.
8. Be fun. If you don't have fun, your panel won't have fun, and your audience won't have fun. The world does not need more unfun conference panels.

Suggestions:

• Have two moderators. Depending on the group’s size split the group for a period of time and then meet together as whole for a group wide discussion.
• Have something to give to those willing to participate. It doesn’t have to be much or expensive, e.g. penny candy, pencils, bookmarks, etc. Reward those who are willing to talk.

Adapted from: 10 Rules for Being a Great Panel Moderator (Accessed: December 4, 2008)

The 2018 KLAS Users' Conference finalized Agenda and Daily Schedule documents are now available for your planning convenience in MS Word and .pdf formats. Register online now for the 2018 KLAS Users' Conference and join us in Boise, ID May 8-10.

Also, don't forget to register for your choice of breakout sessions including birds-of-a-feather, seminar, workshop, and hands-on opportunities.

Note: You must be logged into klasusers.com to access these documents.

Finalized Conference Agenda Published: 4/30/18

• 2018 KLAS Users' Conference Agenda - MS Word
• 2018 KLAS Users' Conference Agenda - PDF

Finalized Conference Daily Schedule Published: 4/24/18

• 2018 KLAS Users' Conference Daily Schedule - MS Word
• 2018 KLAS Users' Conference Daily Schedule - PDF

Keystone is offering a two-day in-depth training, round-table, and user feedback opportunity for KLAS Instructional Resource Center / Instructional Materials Center Users. An agenda with full details of each day's activities will be available soon.

Note: Keystone reserves the right to cancel or reschedule.

Prerequisites for attendance:

• Attendee must have a KLAS Administrator role in their local system
• Attendee has authority to change records and policies for their KLAS system

KLAS IRC Symposium Dates & Times:

• Tuesday, October 29 - Wednesday, October 30, 2019
• Each day's sessions will run from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

KLAS IRC Symposium Agenda

IRC Symposium agenda updated as of October 14, 2019. Also, you must be logged-in to klasusers.com to access these documents.

• KLAS v7 IRC Symposium UPDATED Agenda - MS Word
• KLAS v7 IRC Symposium UPDATED Agenda - PDF

Cost:

• $300 for the two-day symposium
• Please make checks payable to Keystone Systems, Inc

Hotels & Airport Transportation Information:

• Travel Information - MS Word
• Travel Information - PDF

Transportation:

Please contact your hotel to arrange shuttle service to and from the airport.
Local transportation to and from the hotel to Keystone's offices will be provided.

Please contact Tracey Fye if you have any difficulty making reservations, or have any questions about accommodations.

Tracey Fye
Keystone Systems, Inc.
Email:
Phone: 1-919-782-1143 or 1-800-222-9711

Registration:

Please use the below Training Registration Form to indicate that you would like to attend.

To reserve your space please register before September 30, 2019.

If you watched the recent Webinar on Issuing MoCs, you know that I strongly encouraged everyone to clean up their Serials... but what exactly should you be checking? 

As we get the first waves of libraries converted, I'm getting a crash course in what to look for and what our programs need to work, so here's the run-down! 

1. Active Serials

All of your active Serials need four things. The first three are on the title tab:

• Medium: DB
• Publisher: CMLS (It's fine to have the description spelled out, but the Code should be CMLS)
• Serial Type: Dir / Direct

For cleanliness sake, I also recommend making sure the Status is Active, and the Reading Level and Language are set appropriately, but the above are what we need for the program to make a local copy.

We also need an active Caption, which should look about like this. If you have MoC Dir serials without captions, please compile a list and send it to us.

2. Long-Discontinued Serials

At this point, we're recommending that the longest-discontinued serials be excluded from our copy programs. They've been unavailable for quite some time. 

If you agree to let these lie, please:

• Clear the Publisher field
• Set the Title Status to Withdrawn
• Include Discontinued or similar in the Title.

(Note: even for titles like these that you do not intend to circulate again, please do not delete serial title records, at least not without checking in with customer support to make very, very sure that nothing is still referencing the title.)

If you decide that you want to keep any of these for the option of sending back-issues, you need to either Cancel or Delete all active subscriptions for them, or patrons will get a very old serial issue. (See below for more details on clearing subscriber lists).

Any that you want to keep will also need the active serial info above, and something added to the Title to make it clear that the serial is discontinued.

Long-discontinued Serials list:

• AMH7American Heritage - Discontinued Fall 2012
• BRD4Das Beste aus Reader's Digest - Discontinued Mar 2020
• BUE3Buenhogar - Discontinued Spring 2009
• CPZ4Smart Computing - Discontinued Oct 2013
• DBF4Diabetes Forecast - Discontinued  Sep 2020
• JFA4Journal Francais d'Amerique - Discontinued Dec 2021
• MNY4Money  - Discontinued Jun 2019
• NGT4National Geographic Traveler - Discontinued Dec 2019
• OCI7 Cowboys and Indians - discontinued Fall 2020 
• OPR4 O, The Oprah Magazine - Discontinued Dec 2020
• PBY7Playboy - Discontinued Jan 2021
• SVT4Seventeen - Discontinued Dec 2018
• UNW7U.S.News & World Report - Discontinued Jun 2009
• YAM4Young Adult Magazine of the Month - Discontinued Dec 2013
• YOG4Yoga Journal - Discontinued Dec 2023 (no issues on BARD)
• ZIG3Matilda Ziegler - Discontinued Nov 2009

3. Recently-discontinued Serials

For these, you need to either Cancel or Delete all active subscriptions for them, or patrons will get an old serial issue (that they've presumably read before anyways).

Set the filter at the top of the Subscribers tab to Active, so that only the current subscriptions will show. Then, go through each and either:

• Update the subscription (Ctrl-o), add today's date in the End Date, and Save (Ctrl-s)
• Delete the subscription (Ctrl-d; enter to confirm). 

Cancelling by adding an End Date is preferable because it leaves a record of who was subscribed before. If the magazine resumes, you can resume the subscriptions by deleting the End Dates.(But if you have a long list, Deleting is faster.) 

We are working on a tool to help bulk cancel subscriptions, so if you have a later transition date and/or long subscriber lists on discontinued Serials, you might wait to see if we can get it to you in time. 

Finally, please make sure that the serial includes everything needed for Active serials: Medium: DB, Publisher: CMLS, Serial Type: Dir, and a Caption.

Most Recently discontinued Serials:

• AMH4American History - Discontinued Spring 2024
• DOG4Dogster - Discontinued Fall 2023
• OTL4Outdoor Life - Discontinued  Spring 2023
• WRT4The Writer - Discontinued Sept 2023

Dealer's Choice Serials:

Finally, there are two in-between discontinued serials, and you can decide which of the above lists they belong in:

• PES4 People en Espanol - Discontinued Apr 2022
• PSM4 Popular Science - Discontinued Dec 2022

4. Merged Serials

There are two pairs of merged serials that need review.

For Odyssey / Muse:

• ODY4 - Make sure the title reflects the dual nature of this serial
• ODY4 - Needs Publisher: CMLS, Serial Type: Dir, Medium: DB
• ODY4 - Needs both the odyssey and the muse caption/pattern, with the muse caption being the active one
• ODY7 / MUE4 / MUE5 - whatever the library has for Muse (BARD Back issues only) - needs to have the publisher cleared

Captions:

• odyssey_@chron1@-@chron2@ 
• muse_@chron1@-@chron2@

• EBN4 - needs to have the Ebony caption/pattern
• ESS4 - needs to have the Essence caption/pattern
• ESS4 - needs Publisher: CMLS, Serial Type: Dir, Medium: DB
• Your choice whether EBN4 should be copied to allow back-issues sent on demand (if not, remove the Publisher)
• Active Patron Subscriptions should be on ESS4
• Check EBN4 for subscriptions added after 2019 - It was announced as returning in 2023 and then withdrawn. Libraries should follow up with those patrons.

Captions:

• ebony_@chron1@-@chron2@
• essence_@chron1@-@chron2@

In Closing

Thank you for making it this far--sincerely. All of this cleanup will mean that you get all the issues you want loaded, but no ancient history getting duplicated and mailed out. It will help keep your first round of MoC Orders reasonable, and it will make the conversion process a lot smoother.

If you have questions, let us know. We will also be working on the libraries coming up for conversion next, so do not fear if you see some of these changing happening "on their own". It isn't the cataloging fairy; it's Katharina and I. (Although, maybe Katharina is the cataloging fairy...)

Carmencita Mitchell, 2019 KLAS Users' Conference Keynote Speaker

Carmencita, originally from New York, has made Palm Beach County her home for the past 16 years. She holds a baccalaureate degree in Humanities from New York University, an MA in English from St. John’s University, and an M. Ed in Higher Education Leadership from Lynn University. She has taught English Composition, Literature, Business Writing, and Public Speaking at several universities. She was a former faculty member of the American University of Nigeria where she held rank as full-time faculty, Director of the Writing Center, and teacher at the university high school.

Among her many research interests include: alternative modalities and composition pedagogy, including metaphysics and metacognition, medical humanities, yoga, and somatic studies, the philosophical constructs of the 18th century French Salon, and cultural studies.

She volunteers at and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches. Carmencita was also appointed by the Palm Beach Board of County commissioners to the Palm Tran Service Board (PTSB)--and its two standing subcommittees--where she represents the disabled community at public meetings on issues of transportation. She has recently been elected Chair of that Board. Carmencita is also a member of the president’s advisory panel for the Hadley Institute for the Blind, where she offers advice on pedagogical improvements for the blind and visually impaired.Carmencita is presently an adjunct professor in the departments of communications, and developmental studies respectively at Palm Beach State College where she holds the distinction as the college’s first, visually impaired faculty member.

Finally, in addition to her academic pursuits and civic duties, Carmencita is also an approved Silver Sneakers Fitness and dance instructor and holds various certifications in yoga and group fitness as well as certifications in CPR, AED, and First Aid from the American Heart Association.
In her spare time, Carmencita enjoys yoga and reading Talking Books. She is devoted to the cause of helping the Blind and Visually Impaired community enjoy the “greatest quality of Life”.

Helene Kaufman Lundstrom, Welcome Reception Entertainment

Helene grew up in Bara, Sweden. Singing, dancing, and acting have been a big part of Helene’s life since childhood. She started singing in the church choir at age 11, the choir traveled around the country to perform. Around the same age, she joined a local acting group that worked on acting technique and improv when they had their classes. Helene got her first leading role in one of their musicals at the age of 14.

At age 14 Helene started taking voice lessons at the University of Music in Malmo where she studied for 3 years. She kept taking voice lessons, studying with 8 different teachers through her years of studying. Her real passion for dance started at age 11 when she started taking classes on a weekly basis, taking as many classes as time would allow :)

After finishing her performing arts-based high school Helene auditioned for the Ballet Academy in Gothenburg (Musical theater program) and she got in. Shortly after moving back home to Malmo she got the lead role as the Narrator in “Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamboat”, she played the role for 2 years to sold-out houses.

Helene got her big break as a singer/actress in 1995 when she was hired to do the voice over for Walt Disney’s movie, Pocahontas, in her native language, Swedish. In 1998 Helene was hired for Pocahontas II as well. Helene has also appeared in several episodes of TV's Disney’s Little Mermaid.

Helene’s passion for all 3 art forms, singing, dancing, and acting brought a clear path to musical theatre.
Helene’s favorite voice teacher, Jack Abraham, was the one, alongside with acting coach David Brunetti, the ones that started Helene’s journey to the US and the way into the USA was through AMDA in NYC.

In 2003 Helene met her husband while singing at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, FL and the following year made the move from NYC to Palm Beach.

After moving to FL Helene was working in musicals mainly but then moved into more of the band scene and corporate events, some of the places Helene has been seen at is The Breakers, Brazilian Court, The Colony, The Ritz, Hard Rock Casino, Isle Casino, The Addison, Club 21 in NYC and many more places.In 2007 Helene had the opportunity to open for Andrea Bocelli at a private birthday party in Fort Lauderdale.

Though classically trained, she is truly authentic and comfortable in any genre, pop, jazz, R&B, Broadway and classical. She has been able to be apart of musicals, corporate bands, voice over’s and being a studio session singer. In 2012 Helene was accepted into the Palm Beach Opera Chorus, she spent 5 years with the opera and did 8 operas at the beautiful Kravis center in West Palm Beach.

Early in her career, the following has been written in the Swedish press about Helene during her run in “Joseph” as the Narrator. “The Narrator, Helene Lundstrom, is blessed with a tremendously beautiful voice. The text is delivered in such a crystal clear fashion that not a single syllable is lost. She commands the stage with a natural, friendly presence.” “The Narrator, Helene Lundstrom, gives a flawless performance with regard to both acting and singing”

Helene got the Jullan Kindahl Grant in 1995. “Helene Lundstrom, the narrator in “Joseph” received SEK 5000, the reason for choosing her is as follows: An amateur who became a professional through her humble presence and strong charisma”

Praised by Disney; “Disney translator, Monica Forsberg was looking for new talent for the new Walt Disney movie Pocahontas. Helene was the perfect match. Disney in the U.S heaps praise on the young Swede, and say that she is the best foreign Pocahontas they have heard.”

Thank you for attending the 2021 Online KLAS Users' Conference. Whether you were a speaker and / or attended sessions, this event was a success because of your presence. Now the KLAS Users' Group Officers' and Planning Committees ask you to please take some time to share your thoughts and feedback about the event including the content, the platform, etc. Your responses will help shape future conferences and other ongoing KLAS Users' content.

Response Deadline = Friday, July 9

The Julie Klauber Award Committee and Keystone Systems are excited to announce Nancy Reese, Idaho Commission for Libraries, Talking Books Service, as our 2018 Julie Klauber Award Honoree. Congratulations Nancy! Your dedicated service to your patrons, staff, and community are an example of leadership and make you an incredible asset to your library. We look forward to honoring you and your work at the 2018 KLAS Users' Conference in Boise! On Tuesday, May 8, Nancy will be presented with the award during the Opening General Session of the conference. An official press release will be published prior to the conference on www.klas.com.

Sue Walker, Library Consultant, Idaho Commission for Libraries, Talking Books Service, nominated Nancy. This is the nomination Sue submitted:

Reason for Nomination

Nancy has been the KLAS administrator for almost ten years. During that time she has helped to implement several new KLAS services such as DOD and the PIMMS transition. Most recently, she was instrumental in implementing the most recent iteration of Patron Centric Cartridge (PCC) that allows staff to assign multiple titles to users' cartridges remotely. Nancy worked intensively with Keystone staff to troubleshoot the software and with staff to train them to successfully use it. As a result, Idaho is one of the few libraries who are using this version of PCC. During the summer of 2017, three of Idaho's four Reader's Advisors retired. Nancy provided training to the new staff as well as ongoing support to maintain quality customer service during the transition period. She routinely provides reader's advisory as a backup to staff. Nancy has been an active member of the KLAS conference planning committee and readily shares her knowledge at annual conferences and individually as requested. Recognizing the importance of having the conference available regionally Nancy advocated to host the conference in Boise for several years and is working on the logistics committee to make the 2018 conference a success.

Effect on Library

Quality customer service is one of the Idaho Talking Book Service’s highest priorities. As a result, remaining on the cutting edge of technology that will improve user access to resources is very important. Nancy’s willingness to learn the capabilities of new technology and work to successfully implement it ensures Idaho residents’ access to resources will increase. In addition, helping Keystone successfully pilot new technology in one library makes it easier to implement in other libraries.

Job Responsibilities

As the KLAS administrator, Nancy works daily with KLAS to troubleshoot any issues, train staff, maintain quality customer service, and access to resources.

For many years, Keystone offered regular Administrator’s Training sessions at our office in Raleigh. Not only did that allow us to give admins in-depth training on their own systems, but it also gave them the opportunity to get to know us and network with a few of their peers as they learned together.

However, travel costs are a barrier to some, and others are banned from business travel to North Carolina for political reasons. Then on top of that, we have a pandemic situation. Even Keystone staff isn’t going into the office right now, and we certainly aren't going to ask you to do so. The answer was clear...as much as we loved having you in person, it was time to offer admin training virtually.

We want to make sure attendees get just as much benefit from the online version as they did from attending in person. That means the online version needs to have just as hands-on, personalized, and interactive an approach as the in-person version did, including opportunities for discussion with the other attendees and introduction to several Keystone staff members.

Training Structure & Content

We took this opportunity to revamp and re-evaluate the structure of the training. Because the in-person version required attendees to stay here in Raleigh, it was kept to two (very busy, intense, somewhat demanding) days. To make it a little easier to absorb all of the information without eating too much into your schedules, we spread out the online version to four half-days running from 1:00-4:30 PM Eastern time each day. The lesson plan itself has been updated from a progressive tour of the admin menu to a more module and task-oriented approach.

Finally, to help attendees orient themselves to each topic and come prepared to discuss their own settings and needs, we developed pre-class worksheets for each session. These worksheets are not checked or graded, it’s fine if attendees don’t have time to get through them all, but they will help ensure you get the most out of the training.

For more information about what is covered, please see the Administrator’s Training – What to Expect article.

Upcoming Sessions

2024 Library for the Blind and Print Disabled KLAS Administrator Training

• Monday, March 25 - Thursday, March 28
  • Registration Deadline = May 16
• Monday, September 9 - Thursday, September 12
  • Registration Deadline = August 30

2024 Instructional Resource Center KLAS Administrator Training

• TBD by participants after individuals from at least 2 organizations commit to attending a session

Prerequisites for attendance:

• Attendee must have a KLAS Administrator role in their local system
• Attendee has authority to change records and policies for their KLAS system

Training Cost

The training still costs $600 per attendee, which covers the staff time needed to prepare for and run the training session. It comes with an Administrator’s Reference manual, which will be mailed to you (or provided electronically if that’s more accessible for you), the pre-class worksheets, and recordings of each session.

We hope this will allow more of you than ever before to benefit from admin training, as well as letting us continue to offer it safely. Be sure to let us know if you’re interested in joining in!

Registration Form

To register for an upcoming session or express interest in another date, please fill out the following form:

• KLAS Administrator's Training Registration Form

If you have any trouble accessing the form or if you have questions, please let us know! We hope to see you soon.