Use this thread to share your session ideas for the 2017 KLAS Users' Confernce. Erin will begin by posting overarching topics that we can then use to create more narrowly focused session ideas.
I'm feeling out of my depth here. As our library doesn't relate to many of these topics the way others do, I'm a little leery to "dip in" on many areas. We don't use NLS type materials though we are associated with the NLS (their patrons may borrow from us)...but we don't give out machines, only the "books" and we give away our braille. We are closest in size to something like the Heskel Library in NYC...so my interests tend to be more in how KLAS functions, how WebOPAC functions, and the Staff training et al ...Three of us use it, only two regularly! We just got a new boss and he got interested, so we now trained him to use it, which was a major coup!
I guess, my thought is that to have a different perspective on how KLAS can be used IS valuable to all of us. Most of the topics presented come from the processes (in both thought, word and deed) of how NLS libraries do things. Because we have been using this system for a much longer time. Breaking out of the box is very helpful when you're trying to envision where your service is headed currently and where it should be going. If I only ever hear the same thoughts expressed about the same features/topic continually I get no value and things become stale. I go back to my public library days and the major differences with how the many other integrated library systems behaved for that environment as compared to the environment we are in now, and at times I try to construct new ways of doing things based on my own experiences in each environment. The main thing is to take these topics (and perhaps any other uncovered) and make them a little bit your own in how your environment works with them. I personally, would love to be a fly on the wall in your operation to see how you do it and see how you use the modules available. That's what interests me and why I really enjoy hearing different stories from different places. It's what make this fun and reinvigorates us.
I'll throw one more out there, which maybe someone is working with. I know we do some of this. Some of us have Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, etc..
How about something about KLAS and Social Media? Do you use statistics (Top 10 lists, popular reads, etc) or discoveries (some interesting bit of trivia or a comment made by a patron in the quest with finding them something) in KLAS to fuel what you put on Social Media? This is where things like being able to get Book Jackets and such into KLAS to output for these purposes would be useful.
I don't profess to be the authority, but it is of interest. I would be curious about how people approach this and what they are doing.
For Monday afternoon pre-conference topics, we have had a couple ideas bounced around including:
Queries
Export to Excel
Admin Training Review
Has the Admin Training Review been useful for you in the past? How do you feel it could it be improved? What would you like to see covered? How do you think it needs to be different from previous years to be more effective for the participants?
Off topic? On topic? i think a tour of the facility would be important and a draw. Also a guest speaker/library oriented, broadly speaking would be great.
Completely other...In the event we just held was talking to the NFB president for New York State who noted that attendance at their upcoming convention is down 30% compared to years prior. I noted that some groups at last year's KLAS gathering were saying things like that because this is "East Coast" they might be less likely to attend, hoping that we might attract more who didn't attend last year because it was "West Coast" but if you all are brilliant the topics may draw out even more folks who were hesitant. I've only attended one so I have no basis for comparison.
