If you attended one of the NLS Regional conferences (or just checked out the slide deck), you already know we are considering offering a Cataloging Service. But what's involved, and how will it work? To get there, let's start with a look at what Keystone is already doing for your catalog.

Current Catalog Enhancements:

Every MARC Records file posted by NLS is then reviewed by Mitake here at Keystone, before being posted for download here. That review, and accompanying corrections as needed, covers:

• Language code
• Subtitle formatting 
• Series in non-English languages
• Remove publisher imprints from series (ex: Penguin Classics; Pocketbook)
• Audience Notes (typos & inconsistencies in 521/546, ex: split “Contains Sex & Strong Language” into two headings)
• Diacritics clean-up
• Annotation (combine tags so Audience Notes are included after standard annotation)
• Check for subjects with “stories” vs “fiction” (ex: combine “Mystery & Detective Stories” and “Mystery & Detective Fiction”)
• Ensure 082 & 072 exist
• Validate & normalize MARC

Additionally, we generate a query set of titles included in each Talking Book Topics (TBT) issue, pull the MARC record for the TBT monograph record if not included in one of the batch files, and pull MARC records on demand for Titles needed to load BARD transactions. For Keystone-hosted customers, we also load all MARC records, including both the regular batch files and any on-demand titles.

For a one-time setup charge, we can provide subject mapping and series mapping services, which involve combing through your headings to match them up with the ones generally included in certain MARC tags of the NLS records, and creating the filters and heading data to ensure the NLS headings load automatically from the MARC to the BibRec. 

Like everyone, the rapid increase in the number of new titles has made it harder and harder for us to keep up the current level of cataloging. For example, as part of ongoing Series maintenance, we're adding 50-100 new Series headings a month to each Series customer--way more than we anticipated when initiating the Series maintenance service and offered upkeep of new headings at no change after the initial set-up fee. The absolute last thing we want is to offer less right when you need more, but Katharina spent nearly an entire week this month on just Series maintenance (and she’s faster at it than any of the rest of us). While we will absolutely honor no maintenance charge for the first year, at renewal, ongoing support of new series headings will need to become a charged service for us to continue offering it.

Proposed Cataloging Service

To make our cataloging service more sustainable, we're looking to start with some structural changes.

Instead of working with the batch MARC Records files which come out twice a month (or so) from NLS, we will instead pull in the titles as they become available with a PICS API integration. This should give us a steady flow of Titles to review, rather than a twice-monthly blast from a firehose.

The other big change will be where we make the record updates. Rather than changing those files into everyone's separate database, and then having to do a bunch of maintenance in each of those databases, we plan to set up a centralized cataloging database. We will then do any cleanup and corrections to the titles there. Once the title is ready, we will then push it into the subscribing customer databases via a batch program. This will occur routinely overnight for standard new files, but can also be done immediately to push out a freshly reviewed on-demand back catalog title. 

Because we know everyone's patron base, staff and institutional preferences, and service approach is unique, subscribers will still have some options. You can choose whether you want to import the full record "our way" from the central database, if you want to exclude one or more specific MARC tags (ex – if you want to maintain your own series, you can get the rest of the record without the series tag). Or if you only want to overlay specific tags onto the NLS original (ex – if you chose not to get the full cataloging service but want to buy into Series maintenance), we can overlay that one MARC tag onto the original title as it comes from NLS).

Planned additional review & correction before pushing titles to subscriber databases:

• Narrator
• Alt length
• Pub year (print publication)
• Alt pub year (recording year) 
• Fiction/non-fiction checkmark
• Reading level
• Headings merges for typos / alt forms / etc
• Sequel heading
• Addition & removal of "Current TBT Issue" heading

So what will it cost? 

While we would love to just offer this to everyone, it is going to be a major time commitment. However, by distributing the cost of this staff time across customers, we hope to keep the charge well below what it would cost your library to hire even a part time cataloger.

As we finish developing this service, and the situation with the incoming records changes, these estimates are subject to change. Set-up fees may apply and will depend on the level of subject mapping and / or series set-up needed to make your database compatible with the centralized records. Please contact customer support for a full quote for your library.

1. Series Service: one-time set-up fee + $200/month ongoing at renewal
2. Basic Cataloging Service (no series): $250/month*
3. All-in: $400 /month*

*Initial set-up charge may be needed if subject mapping and series setup are not already been done.

On Wednesday, June 21 at 3:00 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific we held our most recent KLAS Users' Roundtable: KDAC Q&A.

During this online session KLAS Users had opportunity to meet KLAS Development Advisory Committee (KDAC) representatives, ask them questions about being on the committee and / or how it operates, share ideas for improvements to KLAS, and more!

Current KDAC Members include:

• Dan Malosh, Committee Chair, Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library
• Traci Timmons, KLAS Users' Group Officers' Liaison, Washington Talking Book and Braille Library
• Barnaby Camp, Georgia Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
• Christina Quintana, Arizona Instructional Resource Center
• Donald Salvato, Xavier Society for the Blind
• Dorothy Hughes, Maryland School for the Blind
• Jesse McGarity, Virginia Beach Public Library, Accessible Resources and Services
• Pepper Watson, Oklahoma Accessible Instructional Materials Center
• Sally Shreck, Maryland Instructional Resource Center
• Sarah Smedley, Palm Beach County Library Talking Books
• Zoelinna Schar, Nevada Talking Book Services

KLAS Users' Roundtable: KDAC Q&A Chat Transcript & Recording

• 06-21-2023_KDAC_Q&A_Chat_Transcript.txt

Follow-up notes from Katy: The instructions for changing font size in KLAS are now available in the Knowledge Base!

However, to add or remove stopwords, you must contact customer support so that the appropriate indexing can be done after the change. Additionally, we believe all libraries are set up with the usual stopwords (a, an, the)--if that does not seem to be the case for your library, please contact customer support with example screenshots.

Congratulations to Kimberly Tomlinson, Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library, and Maggie Witte, Kansas State Library, Talking Books Service, our two finalists for the 2023 Julie Klauber Award!

You have each made a significant impact on your library, patrons, and your community! We hope sharing selections from the nomination submitted for you lets both you and others see just how much work you have done and how your efforts inspire others.

The selected recipient of this year's award will be honored during a ceremony held on Monday, July 17 in Nashville, TN as part of the 2023 KLAS Users' Conference.

Nominee: Kimberly Tomlinson, Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library

Nominated by: Zarina Mohd Shah, Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library

What service(s) has the nominee done in the spirit of Julie Klauber?

Kim's work with the Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement (ABLE) is one of her outstanding achievements. ABLE is a nonprofit organization that works with WTBBL by brailling and recording Wisconsin authors, our "Bulletin Board" quarterly newsletter, DVD catalogs, Milwaukee Magazine, and more. ABLE also provides essential services to the visually impaired and print disabled in local communities, schools, and other institutions and individuals nationwide, including braille transcriptions, tactile representations of graphs, diagrams, pictures, and audio recordings, at an affordable cost.

ABLE relies on donations and grants to offer services for the print-disabled. In writing local grant proposals, ABLE needs, for instance, KLAS Readership and Circulation statistics to add support for their services. Kim performs the crucial role of diligently gathering and delivering valuable data to ABLE, including the number of WTBBL patrons in each county, circulation numbers of a recorded local author from a specific county, and other interesting facts from the KLAS data (and NLS BARD) ABLE could work with.

The number of local grants received with help from data compiled by Kim from KLAS makes it possible for ABLE to offer their services. ABLE appreciates Kim's important role in supporting their organization and mission that has a lasting impact on our print-disabled communities.

How do they affect your library / community and / or the KLAS Users’ Community?

Kim's knowledge and understanding of KLAS were invaluable in assisting WTBBL's successful migration to the new DOD system at the end of 2021. In hindsight, our work seemed seamless during that busy period. Kim's efforts were instrumental in helping WTBBL staff complete the migration smoothly. For example, Kim trained staff to modify and update patron's records in preparation for DOD and for patrons to pick up their books in the new format. Kim's guidance helped us complete the migration smoothly. WTBBL staff appreciated the new system and shared the knowledge of the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the new DOD system with patrons. For instance, there are no longer due dates for digital audiobooks. WTBBL did our best with Kim's guidance and sealed our expectations of her as our KLAS Guru.

Nominee: Maggie Witte, Kansas State Library Talking Books Service

Nominated by: Michael Lang, Kansas State Library Talking Books Service 

What service(s) has the nominee done in the spirit of Julie Klauber?

Recently, Maggie has coordinated and led the network LBPD summer library reading program working group. The group allows library staff to share ideas for accessible summer reading programs. I don’t know if others agree, but I feel that NLS’s new commitment to providing resources to support summer reading is a direct result of this working group. Maggie is also an active member of the NLS summer reading committee.

This year she created a circulating braille awareness kit. The kit, filled with braille books, games, and activities, will introduce sighted children to the braille alphabet and teach them the importance of braille for readers.

Last year Maggie partnered with the Wamego Public library to provide braille overlay labels for their StoryWalk. Since then she has provided braille for four more Storywalks and plans to continue this project with WPL and hopefully expand to other libraries. She continues to lead virtual monthly and a quarterly book discussion groups and provides excellent individual service to our users.

How do they affect your library / community and / or the KLAS Users’ Community?

The summer reading resources shared from the working group and the increased support of NLS promise to create a much more robust and accessible summer reading program for talking book users nationwide and allow for libraries with fewer resources to provide a wonderful program.

With her programs, she creates a community of patrons across Kansas, who share many commonalities, but due to distance may never had met if not for Maggie.

She continues to advocate for and raise awareness of the accessibility needs of print disabled through activities like the StoryWalk, braille kit, and presentations at professional conferences.

Overall, she provides empathetic friendly service to our patrons, working hard to find solutions that fit their needs.

Per the KLAS Users' Group Bylaws, upon the vacancy of an officer position an election must be held to replace the officer. As such, we are now conducting an election for the office of Vice President of the KLAS Users' Group. Please meet your candidate for the open Users' Group Vice President position, Maureen Dorosinski!

A link to vote for Vice President will be sent to each KLAS organization / library's designated representative in the near future.

KLAS Users' Group Vice President Candidate

Maureen Dorosinski, Librarian / Production Supervisor, Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services

Biography: My name is Maureen Dorosinski, I am the Librarian and Production Supervisor at the Florida regional library, and head of the recording studio since 2015. I use all modules of KLAS: Administration, Patron, Catalog, Equipment, and Serials. I am the lead in coordinating the Florida Duplication on Demand changeover and am gaining a greater understanding of what makes a successful Dup on Demand program.

I am part of the NLS Subject Heading working group, and I am expanding our program offerings, including an Early Literacy Program.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with and External Specialty of Theatre from Michigan State University, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. I specialized in Youth and Reference Services, with a certificate in Youth Services. Native American Studies is a passion. I have a background in radio.

I love running and crafts and can be found in a thrift shop on the weekends.

Statement of Goals: To be part of a solution that helps us manage and keep up with the incoming new MARC records from NLS, while a cooperative solution to challenges such as DBC subject headings, commercial audiobooks, and incorporating Rating Unrated Books.

The Julie Klauber Award is one way we at Keystone Systems recognize the invaluable support that volunteers and staff provide to their organizations and their patrons. Each organization may nominate one staff member or volunteer using the Julie Klauber Award Nomination form. The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 5.

Who was Julie Klauber?

Julie Klauber was a national expert and leader on disability issues and was instrumental in helping develop Keystone's growing national presence. In 2012, Julie received the ASCLA Francis Joseph Campbell Award recognizing her work advancing library services for patrons who are blind and print disabled. Julie served as the director of the Talking Books Plus Library in Suffolk, County, NY and authored several articles on library resources and services for people with disabilities. Additionally, she created and maintained the newsletter Disability Resources Monthly and the corresponding website www.disabilityresources.org. Julie passed away on September 3, 2002 after a long, brave struggle with cancer.

A word about Julie Klauber from her former coworker:

Valerie Lewis sent the below email to the KLASUsers listserv on January 24, 2011:

It has been more than eight years since Julie passed away. Her name comes up every day.....truly, it does. I work with 5 other people who worked with Julie for many years. I sit in the office that was once hers. Her husband and sons are often in my home. I work with her husband Avery, to continue the important work that she and he started many years before I was lucky enough to meet them.

Julie was a librarian, but more she was the truest advocate for access to library programs, services and materials for all, particularly people with disabilities.

In addition to being the librarian for the sub-regional library that served Long Island, NY, Julie and her husband established a non-profit organization that provided information and referral resources for librarians, service providers and individuals living with disabilities.......long before and into the earlier days....of the internet.

Julie spent truly all of her time making sure that people with disabilities had access to information.....all information. She created partnerships with local and national corporations that brought assistive technology to local libraries. She created library resources in alternative formats and worked with libraries and librarians across the country, to promote accessible library services.

It has been my honor to be a member of the Julie Klauber Award Committee. It has given me the opportunity to read about lbph staff and volunteers who create new and innovative ways of making library materials, services and programs accessible to their patrons. Something still so difficult to do, even in these technologically advanced times.

You may think that the daily practices and procedures of operating a library for the blind and physically disabled are hum-drum and nothing out of the ordinary, but think again. It is through the work and creativity of each and every member or your organization, that people with disabilities have access to information....something we treasure so dearly and take so for granted.

On that note, we encourage you to think about how the wheels of your organization turn and who are the people turning it.

With warm regards,

Valerie Lewis, Director
Long Island Talking Book Library

Who can be nominated for the Julie Klauber Award?

Each KLAS library or organization may nominate one staff member or volunteer who: 

• Works with KLAS in their daily job functions.
• Has demonstrated outstanding service to their organization and / or their community in the spirit of Julie Klauber during their time with the library.
• Will appreciate and benefit from attending the KLAS Users' Conference.

Please use the Julie Klauber Award Nomination Form to submit your nominee's info before the Friday, May 5 nomination deadline.

What does the award recipient receive and how are they selected?

The selected Julie Klauber Award Recipient receives a trip¹ to the 2023 KLAS Users' Conference to be held in Nashville, TN July 17-20 and will be honored as part of an award ceremony held Monday, July 17 including receiving a personalized plaque to commemorate their achievement.

Award finalists will be selected from all nominated individuals by the Julie Klauber Award committee². James Burts, CEO of Keystone Systems, will then determine the 2023 recipient after consulting with all the finalists' supervisors.

Biographies of previous Julie Klauber Award Recipients are available at the Julie Klauber Award Winners page.

² 2023 Julie Klauber Award Committee Members include:

• Chandra Thornton, Palm Beach County Library System, 2016 Julie Klauber Award Recipient
• Teresa Kalber, Colorado Talking Book Library, 2011 Julie Klauber Award Recipient
• Lisa Nelson, Utah State Library Program for the Blind and Disabled
• Kimberly Tomlinson, Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library
• Pepper Watson, Oklahoma Library for the Blind, Accessible Instructional Materials Center
• Erin Pawlus, Arizona Talking Book Library
• Andrea Ewing Callicutt, Keystone Systems, Inc.

A Customizable (Accessible) Bibliography Generator, that was Dan Malosh of MN's request on the Forums about two weeks ago:

Would anyone else benefit from a customizable bibliography generator in the Cataloging module?

My library would love to have this capability for our large print books and DVDs. With regards to large print titles, we imagined employing fields like, author, title, KLAS ID, publication year, and genre …and maybe annotation.

This sparked a lot of interest... and then Sam Lundberg of NM chimed in to let us know about his rather ingenious method for doing just this, using KLAS's standard Export to Excel function and Word's Mail Merge.

The best part (at least in my opinion): once you have your Word template set up, you can simply select the exported Excel document from any catalog query or book search results to get a booklist that is nicely formatted to your exact specifications! The only thing this can't do automatically is generate the BARD link, though someone familiar enough with manipulating Excel data can add that prior to importing the data into Word, provided they do it the same way every time.

Learn how to create your booklists by following Sam's instructions, and give it a try with his example template and export:

• Mail Merge Booklist Instructions
• Example Booklist Template (on opening, you will be prompted to select your data source, which should be the Excel file below)
• Example KLAS Export

I don't know about you, but I'm imagining the possibilities already. If you build a template of your own for any KLAS export, I hope you'll share it with the Users' Group here!

Per the KLAS Users' Group Bylaws, upon the vacancy of an officer position an election must be held to replace the officer. As such, we are now conducting an election for the office of President of the KLAS Users' Group. Please meet your candidate for the open Users' Group President position, Traci Timmons!

A link to vote for President will be sent to each KLAS organization / library's designated representative in the near future.

KLAS Users' Group President Candidate

Traci Timmons, Managing Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

Biography:

Traci Timmons joined the team at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) in the spring of 2022. She has been a librarian in special and academic libraries for more than twenty years. She was drawn into the LBPD world because her son is dyslexic, a patron of WTBBL, and she saw firsthand the incredible work these libraries do. Prior to joining WTBBL, Timmons was the head of libraries and archives at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) where she was the administrator for SAM's ILS, EOS.Web. She has also worked at the University of Washington Libraries, the University of South Florida Libraries, a large accounting firm library, and was a web developer for several software companies. She has an MA in Art History from the University of South Florida and an MLIS from the University of Washington.

Statement of Goals:

I have enjoyed my, albeit short, stint on the KLAS Users Committee as Vice President and want to continue my work through the President role. I'm excited about the KLAS Users' Conference--A Perfect Tenn: KLAS UC2023--in July in Nashville and would relish being part of the team that makes it a truly memorable conference. I am the KLAS administrator at WTBBL and have really come to appreciate, even more, how KLAS uniquely addresses the work of LBPD and IRC libraries, and how the KLAS Users Committee supports this great vendor-libraries relationship. I am a strong manager, advocate, collaborator, and problem solver--and will continue to bring those qualities to the role of President. Thank you for your consideration!

It’s happening; the first in-person KLAS conference since 2019! I am looking forward to traveling to Nashville this summer for A Perfect Tenn: KLAS UC2023 and I hope to see many of you there. We know not everyone can travel and are happy to be able to offer an online option for those who can’t. But if you’re sitting on the fence about which one to choose, I’m here to offer a gentle nudge toward the face-to-face option with my top five reasons to attend the UC2023 in person.

1. Hands On Sessions: Have you checked out the proposed schedule for this conference yet? Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each start with a two-hour hands-on training block that is only available on site. I’ve been to an in-person training with Keystone staff and can guarantee you’ll walk away with something new.
2. Meet Keystone Staff: Speaking of staff, getting to know the Keystone staff and drilling down into the nitty gritty of KLAS with them is a fantastic learning opportunity.
3. Spark New Ideas: I always come back from a conference ready to implement big changes. From my recent experience, that list hasn’t been as long with online conferences. The conversational nature of an in-person conference seems to inspire more ideas than the online format, where I find myself drawn away from my computer screen to take care of day-to-day tasks.
4. Networking: Meet your peers from across the country. Learn how they do things. Find new ways to use KLAS. Get recruited for a committee. Enjoy the opening reception with great food and entertainment! I’m really excited to tour the Tennessee School for the Blind and learn about the services they provide to their students.
5. Share Your Expertise: This one is a cheat. You can share your knowledge with the KLAS Users’ Group in either format. Whichever you choose, we want to hear from you. You can help make this an extraordinary learning experience by sharing your expertise and creativity with colleagues from other organizations and libraries! Submit your proposals on the KLAS Users’ website.

Whether attending in person or online, early-bird registration closes on April 30. Make your plans soon to save some money. Visit the registration page for details.

Hoping to learn something new or touch base with Keystone staff? We've got some great training and networking opportunities on the calendar, with more in the works! Let's take a look at what we have coming up:

Online KLAS LBPD Administrator Training - March 27-30

The next online session of KLAS Administrator training for staff of Libraries for the Blind and Print Disabled will be held the afternoons of March 27-30. If you act as the KLAS Admin for your library and have never taken (or it's been a long while since you've attended) KLAS Admin Training, we encourage you to join us!

This training is done via Zoom, sessions are recorded and provided to attendees for later review, and allows you to get down and dirty in parts of KLAS aimed to help you improve service for your patrons and give you the knowledge to better support your staff and library as they use KLAS. Cost is $600 / attendee and each must have the authority to change records and policies for their KLAS system.

Find out more and then register for a session via these articles:

• Online Administrator's Training
• Administrator’s Training – What to Expect

E-Braille Circulation Roundtable - Date TBD

During the year of a KLAS Users' Conference, the Program Committee focuses their efforts on eliciting sessions for and building the agenda for the conference, instead of offering an online program every month. However, we still aim to host one webinar each quarter (other than the one in which the conference takes place) to address more timely concerns and help keep everyone in-touch and up-to-date. 

For our first quarter offering this year, we're seeking panelists for a Roundtable discussing the best ways to prepare for the NLS refreshable braille devices and manage E-Braille circulation. The session will be scheduled based on panelist availability.

If you want to participate, please contact our session organizers, James Gleason at Perkins Library and Katy Patrick at Keystone Systems. We'd also love to hear what questions you might have, topics you want to see discussed, or tips you have to share!

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled Regional Conferences

We're excited to have the opportunity to again attend NLS conferences in person to see and connect with you. Keystone will send two staff members to each of the three regional conferences this year. In addition to hosting the KLAS Users' Meetings, we hope to attend conference sessions, be available for informal discussions, and learn about your challenges, new initiatives, and more!

Dates / times of each KLAS User meeting:

• Western Regional NLS Conference - Wednesday, April 26, at 5 PM
• Northern / Southern Regional NLS Conference - Wednesday, May 3, at 11:30 AM
• Midlands Regional NLS Conference - Tuesday, May 16, at 2 PM (tentative; final schedule pending)

2023 KLAS Users' Conference - July 17-20

This one's a no-brainer, but you know we can't help it. This is the biggest opportunity we've had for in-person training and networking since our 2019 conference and it will offer even more ways to connect with other KLAS Users' since it's our first HYBRID conference! The KLAS Users' Program Committee and Keystone staff are working hard to plan learning experiences for all types and levels of KLAS Users.

We hope you will help us make it excellent by joining us in-person or online, submitting an in-person or virtual session proposal, or sharing a session topic suggestion! 

More conference info:

• KLAS UC2023: Preliminary Conference Info
• KLAS UC2023: Call for Session Proposals
• 2023 Conference Session Ideas Forum Post - reply with your suggestions or requests for session topics!

We hope to see you soon at one of these training & networking opportunities! 

After over 20 years of service in Keystone's Customer Support department, John Owen retired on December 30, 2022. Last Thursday, Keystone staff gathered at Margaux's Restaurant in Raleigh, NC to enjoy a celebratory dinner in honor of John and his dedication to his clients and coworkers. John will be remembered for his calming voice, adeptness at diagnosing and fixing various types of mailing card printers, and his unrivaled selection of shoes. While his presence is already missed, we're excited to have had Katharina training for six months in anticipation of his departure.

John, we wish you all the best in the next chapter of your life! You and Laura will always be a part of the Keystone family!

Below are a selection of photos taken at John's retirement celebration:

Another year is in the books, and we’re stoked to be officially in a conference year! But, before we barrel ahead, let’s take a look back at 2022.

Around the Office

The Keystone offices were a little less quiet this year as some of the staff have transitioned back to working from the office on a regular basis. However, there have been even bigger transitions as we've seen some staffing changes.

Longtime developer Brian White and customer support specialist John Owen retired, but new faces George and Katharina have joined the family in their stead.

Events & Training

This past summer, we held our 2022 KLAS Mini-Conference to help fill the gap between conference years. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it a successful event! We hope to see you all again either in-person or online for the 2023 Users Conference!

We also held the first online IRC Administrator's Training! Thanks as well to our first round of IRC Admins, and we hope everything you learned has been serving you well.

Last but not least, we want to highlight the Onboarding New KLAS Users webinar. If you've had staffing changes of your own, or expect to bring on some new staff in the new year, make sure to check it out!

KLAS Development

Finally, 2022 has been a big year for KLAS development, even if it has sometimes seemed quiet from the user's side, as we made big strides in some big projects. Here's some of the highlights:

• Scribes can now unlock NLS Cartridges making it easier to repurpose physical collections and quicker to start using new white cartridges. 
• To meet PNDB funding requirements, a major integration project with Rolka-Loube was implemented and is in Live use now as agencies complete their year-end reporting.
• The New WebOPAC, while not yet ready for release, is coming along beautifully. Thank you everyone for your feedback and feature requests!
• APH Integration for our IRC customers is another ongoing project which, while not yet in Live release, should be ready to go very soon.

And of course, there was much, much more--all of which can be found in the 7.7 Release Lists. 

I want to take some time to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you all, my customers and friends. In my twenty years at Keystone I've tried to develop and foster relationships with all that have reached out to me for help. Keystone allowed and encouraged this and I'm thankful to them for trusting me with your care.

It's now time for me to start the next phase of my life. My wife Laura retired almost three years ago and it's time for me to join her. Friday December 30, 2022 will be my last day at Keystone. We plan to travel and enjoy spur of the moment adventures with family and friends. Plus a few “Honey Do's” that she's been listing over the years.

Thank you all and God Bless each and every one.
John Owen

Yesterday, we had our first Holiday office party since 2019. It was wonderful to get everyone back together, share some delicious food, and exchange some gifts. But we also did something totally new and unique: George, who joined Keystone as a developer earlier this year, brought in some liquid nitrogen, and led us in a science experiment! 

We started off with a demonstration of the super-cold liquid's properties, with Katharina (our newest Customer Support Specialist) submerging a rubber ball, freezing it to the point that its once-flexible molecules were too densely packed to bounce back. Instead, when she dropped the ball, it broke apart with a loud crack!

[Video description: George dons heavy-duty protective gloves, and picks up a bottle of liquid nitrogen as he explains its properties. The Keystone staff, mostly dressed in festive holiday outfits, are gathered in a circle to watch. The nitrogen steams and boils as soon as it hits the bowl. George helps Katharina gear up in the gloves and safety goggles, then gives her a rubber bouncy ball to hold with long metal tongs. Katharina carefully dunks the ball in the nitrogen, holding it under as the liquid boils around it. Once the boiling subsides, she pulls it out, holds it straight in front of her, and drops it on a metal plate. On impact, the ball splits into three even chunks.]

Once the ball returned to room temperature, the pieces were once again soft and squishy. But the best part of the experiment was up next: ICE CREAM!!!

As the liquid nitrogen was poured into the much warmer bowl of milk and sugar, the ingredients were rapidly chilled, and the nitrogen boiled off, keeping everything light and fluffy. Within minutes, we had delicious, freshly-made soft serve! 

[Video description: a long table holds two bowls with a chocolatey liquid in them. Katy and Mitake take turns stirring one bowl, while James and John C. work on the other. They are all wearing rubber gloves and safety glasses. While explaining what to do, George helps each pair get set up with a folded napkin to hold the metal bowl with, since those bowls are about to get very cold. The nitrogen is stored in tall thermoses, just like you might use for coffee or soup. More chocolate is added, and once the ingredients are ready, James and Mitake start pouring in the nitrogen. So much white fog steams up, that you can no longer see the other contents of the bowls, and James, Mitake, and George have to keep fanning the bowls for Katy and John to see what they're stirring. Gradually, the liquid mix in the bowls thickens and ices up into soft serve.]

While we can't invite all of you to the office for dessert, we hope that you all will have the chance to share some holiday joy and wonder of your own--whether it comes in the form of a science experiment, a gift exchange, or just a chance to catch up with friends and family.

From all of us to all of you, Happy Holidays!

[Video description: a collage of close-up photos of the ice cream making process surround a video clip from another angle. The photos show the table with everyone preparing to make the ice cream, the Keystone staff gathered around filming or watching, bowls being held tight and stirred just as the ingredients start to form up, and finally a bowl of delicious-looking chocolate ice cream.]

Greetings, KLAS Users!

The 2023 KLAS Users' Conference will be a hybrid event held July 17-20 at the Tennessee School for the Blind and on the Zoom Events Platform. On this page you will find all the details you need to plan your attendance including online platform links, agenda, hotel, and in-person session locations, and more!

Zoom Events Details:

1. KLAS UC2023 on Zoom Events
2. Each conference attendee must have their own Zoom account AND log into the conference lobby with your Zoom account credentials. 
3. For info on navigating the online conference lobby, check out our Video Tour of 2023 KLAS Users' Conference on Zoom Events.
4. As conference presentations are being finalized, we're linking PDFs of each into Zoom Events.
5. All sessions prior to 12:30 PM Central Time are in-person only,

Resources for Online & In-Person Attendees:

Conference Agenda:

Below is the latest version of the 2023 KLAS Users' Conference Agenda which includes planned presenter names as well as session titles and descriptions.

• KLASUC2023-Agenda-Final.docx
• KLASUC2023-Agenda-Final.pdf

Conference Presentations & Handouts:

• KLAS UC2023 Presentations & Handouts - Google folder of all submitted presentations & handouts

Thursday General Sessions

Any and all KLAS Users are invited to attend Thursday's KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting & General Sessions via Zoom (free to all):
Thursday, July 20 Agenda (All times are Central Standard Time):

• 11:30 AM - KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting
• 12:00 PM - Answering Your Parking Lot Questions
• 12:40 PM - Reconsidering Circulation 
• 1:25 PM - Conference Closing Remarks

KLAS Users' Group Meeting Resources:

• KLAS_Users_Conference_Business_Meeting_Agenda_07202023_FINAL.docx
• KLAS_Users_Conference_Business_Meeting_Agenda_07202023_FINAL.pdf
• 2022_Business_Meeting_Minutes.docx
• 2022_Business_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
• Klas_User_Group_Bylaws_Approved_06-03-2022_trackchangesversion_memberreview.docx
• Klas_User_Group_Bylaws_Approved_06-03-2022_trackchangesversion_memberreview.pdf

Thursday General Sessions Recording:

In-Person Conference Resources:

Conference Hotel:

Nashville Element Airport
Address: 2825 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 894-9791

There is a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Upon arrival at the airport, please call the hotel to arrange to be picked up. Also, Monday's 3:30-5:30 PM General Session will be in the hotel's meeting room.

Monday Evening's Reception Location:

Monell's at the Manor
Address: 1400 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37217
Phone: (615) 365-1414

Tuesday-Wednesday Sessions Location:

Tennessee School for the Blind
Address: 115 Stewarts Ferry Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 231-7300

Upon arrival each morning, you will need to sign-in with security at the front desk of the school.

Thursday Afternoon Country Music Hall of Fame Excursion:

For those who plan to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, we've pre-purchased tickets for a 3:00 PM admission time on Thursday. Please bring a check or cash in the amount of $27.95 to the conference to cover the cost of your individual ticket.

KLAS UC2023 Google Map

The below map lists places of import, businesses nearby the conference hotel that might be useful to attendees, restaurant near the hotel, and restaurants recommended by staff of the Tennessee Resource Center for the Visually Impaired.

Well, IRCs, it's about that time again... and I'm not talking about the Holidays (though I hope they're merry). Instead, I'm talking about the APH Census!

If you have questions, need set up or other support, and / or have a set timeline for when you want to get started, please let us know sooner rather than later. 

Some things to think about:

Patron Census Notice

Do you mail or email a census notice? If so, are there any changes you need to make to the text or formatting of the notice? Do you remember how to generate it?

Queries & Reports

Do you know how to query for registered students who haven't been updated? How about querying for students that have aged out or changed grade brackets? All students or teachers with Items currently checked out? 

Check your Saved Queries and let us know if there are more you need.

Run the Related Patrons Listing (Patron module - Reports menu - Registration). Will this be helpful for your Census process? Are there any other reports you ran last year? What reports do you have questions about?

Relationship Statuses

Do you use (or want to use) a "Registered" relationship status to easily distinguish between a district's APH-qualified students and other students receiving non-APH services? 

Do you need to make any other changes to the relationship types and statuses available? 

Updating Patrons

Will your staff be updating the patron records, or will TVIs make changes using WebOrder? 

Is your staff up-to-date on how to update records and any policy or reporting changes this year? 

If changes will be made using WebOrder, do you know how to find updated students for review? (Hint: Requiring a Note makes this much easier!)

Does your patron module have the correct options in all the drop-down lists, or do you need changes?

This month is going to fly by! So please save yourselves and our support team a little panic by considering these questions and your census process as a whole, and letting us know what you need with time to spare.

Keystone Systems' office will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 in observance of Thanksgiving. But before we send out staff off to gather with friends and family, we asked them to share some of their favorite holiday recipes.

We're all grateful that you're part of our KLAS users family, and hope you all have a lovely holiday!

From Nancy Honeycutt, Customer Support Manager:

Mom would always make refrigerator rolls. One time she left a cookie sheet with rolls rising on the counter while we went to pay a Christmas visit to neighbors. When we came back, the cookie sheet was on the floor, completely cleaned off, and the dog was suspiciously innocent (and sick later that night).

Refrigerator Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 yeast cake
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 c scalded milk
• 6-8 cups flour
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Mash potatoes.
2. Add shortening, sugar, salt & eggs. Cream well.
3. Dissolve yeast in water, add to lukewarm milk. Then add to potato mixture.
4. Add sifted flour to make stiff dough. Knead lightly.
5. Place in casserole and brush top with butter.
6. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
7. About 1/2 hour before baking time remove and shape in rolls. 
8. Cover and let rise until light.
9. Cook at 400* for 10-12 minutes.

From Marion Campbell, Customer Support Specialist:

One of my families favorite food for the holidays are sweet potato biscuits. One holiday when my nephews were 9,10,10-ish, the biscuits came out early and were warming on the table. Slowly, they each snuck a biscuit or 3... when it was time to eat there were no biscuits left in the basket because the boys had eaten them all. Needless to say, a 2nd tray came out soon after but the boys were full from biscuits and did not eat much else that year. They all had tummy aches from the biscuits and now the rule of biscuits is: only eat 2, more than 2 and you will not be happy.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Here's what's cookin': Sweet Potatoe Biscuits
From the kitchen of: Dorothy Wright

Ingredients

• 4 cups packed of sweet potatoes
• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup of sugar
• 4 cups of self-rising flour

Instructions

1. Peel sweet potatoes and boil until done.
2. While hot mash and add to them Crisco, sugar, and flour.
3. Mix good.
4. Work into biscuits.
5. More flour is sometimes needed. Depends on wetness of potatoe to be able to handle the mixture.
6. Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes. Depending on size of biscuits.
7. Mix handles better if cooled.
8. Bake on greased cookie sheet.

From Katharina Stevens, Customer Support Specialist:

Among many other things I am thankful for are ovens that allow you to set a specific temperature and that cook evenly. Baking in East Africa was always an adventure. One summer I brought the ingredients for pumpkin pie back with me to make at Thanksgiving. It didn't turn out very pretty. Had to cut off the burnt parts, and take a moto taxi across town to buy some cinnamon whipped cream to hide the mess. Tasted good though.

Seriously though, I'm immensely thankful for family, friends and the blessing that is America. We've come a long way from the 5 kernels of corn that that Pilgrims had to eat each day that first winter of 1620.

From Drea Callicutt, Director of Marketing, Sales & Communications:

One of our favorite holiday dishes is more recent. My sister learned to make duck fat roasted potatoes while she was in graduate school in Edinburgh. She made them for us for the first time for Christmas dinner when were visiting her in Leeds, and they’re now a staple whenever she’s joins us for a holiday meal.

This recipe from Vindulge.com is pretty much how she makes hers:

Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes

Equipment

• Large Sheet Tray
• Parchment Paper
• Ingredients
• 2 pounds yellow potatoes, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 tablespoons salt (for boiling the potatoes)
• ¼ cup duck fat
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly graded parmesan
• 1 teaspoon thyme, finely diced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large pan, place the diced potatoes and fill with cold water until it just covers the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of salt in the water.
3. Bring to boil. Start timer for 14 minutes. When the potatoes come to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. After timer runs out, strain the potatoes in a colander.
4. In a large bowl, place the potatoes and then add the duck fat, additional kosher salt, and pepper. Stir with your hands to incorporate and then place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Place in the oven, and toss the potatoes every 15 minutes. The duck fat will slowly brown the potatoes, especially the sides touching the pan. So turning the potatoes every 15 minutes will help get more of the crunch on the surface area of the potatoes.
6. After 40-45 minutes, the potatoes should be golden in color. Remove and place them in your favorite serving dish. Top with the parmesan and thyme. Serve warm.

In this week's blog post we're pulling back the curtain on part of the software development process called "Regression Testing." It's definitely not the most glamorous part of getting a major new release sent out. In fact, it can be incredibly tedious, but even so, it's a critical part of the process. So, let's talk about what it involves, why you should care about it, and why we're doing it right now.

Why are we currently doing Regression Testing?

KLAS is built on Progress Software's OpenEdge Application development platform. KLAS 7.7 was created on OpenEdge 11. Upgrading from one version of OpenEdge to the next includes significant changes and additional features and functionality our development can leverage in future KLAS releases. For example, OpenEdge 12 will allow us to support KLAS on Windows 11. Any major upgrade to the OpenEdge platform necessitates a major release in KLAS because it fundamentally changes KLAS' code base. So, this translates into needing to make sure upgrading from OpenEdge 11 to OpenEdge 12 doesn't affect how KLAS currently operates. 

Additionally, a major operating system change (such was Windows 10 to 11) can also have unpredictable effects on how KLAS runs. As such, we are regression testing in several Windows environments: Windows 10, Windows 11 prior to version 22H2, and the latest version of Windows 11.

How does Regression Testing happen?

Essentially, Regression testing is the process by which our staff test every feature, button, and process within KLAS after a major shift in the underlying KLAS platform to ensure it still works as intended. One thing to keep in mind is that some modules of KLAS have different versions for our different types of customers (IRC, LBPD, and PNDB), so each of those versions has to be thoroughly tested. Integrations and web services need to be tested to ensure that KLAS still communicates correctly with PIMMS, Gutenberg, Rolka-Loube, and even just our own WebOPAC and WebOrder systems. Finally, we need to check that nothing has broken for those using KLAS with a screen reader.

So, during Regression Testing each module, tab, and function is put through its paces to make sure it works and anything unexpected is documented. Here's how that happens:

1. A copy is made of a test database (originally based on customer data) representing each version of KLAS: LBPD, IRC, and PNDB.
2. The new test databases are upgraded to the new version.
3. In this case, Virtual Machines are created running the latest version of Windows 11, and the same test databases installed on the VMs. 
4. A spreadsheet is created of all modules and major components in KLAS. 
5. All Keystone staff that are helping with testing use the spreadsheet to record their process as they work through through each screen and function they're assigned to test, recording what has been tested and in which version of Windows.
6. Notes are made about any issues that are discovered, so they can be addressed and re-tested prior to sending the release out to our beta site customers.

What does this actually mean for me?

It means we've completed the OpenEdge 12 upgrade in our development environment, are making sure it is stable on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Upon successfully completing regression testing, we will release KLAS v7.8 to our beta site customers. If they report no major issues or bugs that we missed despite these efforts, KLAS 7.8 will then go to general release.

Because of the countless ways KLAS can be configured, and the extensive possible combinations between customer version, Windows version, web browsers, printer drivers and so forth, it is impossible to test literally every process in the exact environment you will run it in. However, we are doing our best to be as thorough as possible, so you can be confident that the upgrade will not disrupt your operations.

Per the KLAS Users' Group Bylaws, upon the vacancy of an officer position an election must be held to replace the officer. As such, we are now conducting an election for the office of Vice President of the KLAS Users' Group. Please meet your candidate for the open Users' Group Vice President position, Traci Timmons!

A link to vote for Vice President will be sent to each KLAS organization / library's designated representative in the near future.

KLAS Users' Group Vice President Candidate

Traci Timmons, Managing Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

Biography:

Traci Timmons joined the team at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) in March. She has been a librarian in special and academic libraries for more than twenty years. She was drawn into the LBPD world because her son is dyslexic, a patron of WTBBL, and she saw firsthand the incredible work these libraries do. Prior to joining WTBBL, Timmons was the head of libraries and archives at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) where she was the administrator for SAM's ILS, EOS.Web. She has also worked at the University of Washington Libraries, the University of South Florida Libraries, a large accounting firm library, and was a web developer for several software companies. She has an MA in Art History from the University of South Florida and an MLIS from the University of Washington. She is looking forward to further developing the art programs at WTBBL!

Statement of Goals:

At WTBBL, I am the KLAS administrator. As a new-ish employee, I'll be the first to admit that I am not a KLAS expert, but, I am striving to become one. I learn through doing, through making mistakes, and from listening to others. In my short time at WTBBL, I have really come to appreciate how KLAS uniquely addresses the work of LBPD and IRC libraries. I have developed some great relationships with Keystone staff and many of my LBPD/IRC colleagues throughout the U.S. In my work life, I have demonstrated that I am a great advocate, collaborator, and problem solver--and will bring those qualities to my KLAS Users work. I see this position as an opportunity to learn more about the needs of colleagues throughout the country, how we can best support one another, and how we can work positively and collaboratively with Keystone to solve problems and advance ideas.

For a while now, receiving libraries have had the ability to request the Transfer In of a patron from another state. But how does this work for the losing library?

When a transfer request is made for one of your patrons, a designated contact person at your library is notified by email of the pending request. If no one at your library has been receiving transfer notice emails, or if you need to change who is gets them, please let us know!

If you receive such a notice, you need to tell KLAS it's OK to send the patron. To do so:

1. Open Patron Transfer. (Functions Menu or Alt-Ctrl-T)
2. Switch to the Process Outgoing tab.
3. Locate the requested patron is the browse. Select them, then use the Approve Transfer button.
   Or, if the library let you know that the request was in error (or you just can't bear to let the patron go), you can use the Reject Transfer button to cancel the request.

As with transfers initiated by the losing library, the patron's record, current equipment, and HasHads will be passed off to the receiving library overnight.

Now that we have several confirmed attendees, we have scheduled the first online IRC / IMC Administrator's Training!

Upcoming Session

We're exited to announce to announce our first KLAS Administrator Training for Instructional Resource / Instructional Materials Center users in quite some time will be held Monday, November 28 - Thursday, December 1, 2022.

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 Structure & Content

The training is scheduled across the afternoon's of four days, allowing users from various time zones to comfortably attend, and allowing time for you to absorb and practice in-between sessions. Exact session topics and order is subject to change, but the current schedule is as follows:

Monday
1:00-2:30 PM ET: Catalog-focused Settings
3:00-4:30 PM ET: Patron-focused Settings / APH Census

Tuesday
1:00-2:30 PM ET: Materials Requests
3:00-4:30 PM ET: Acquisitions

Wednesday
1:00-2:30 PM ET: WebOPAC / WebOrder
3:00-4:30 PM ET: Other Administrator Controls

Thursday
1:00-2:30 PM ET: Security Control / User Permissions
3:00-4:30 PM ET: Reports / Query / Excel

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

Training Cost

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

Registration Form

To register for the 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.

Per the KLAS Users' Group Bylaws, upon the vacancy of an officer position an election must be held to replace the outgoing officer. As such, we are now conducting an election for the office of President of the KLAS Users' Group.Please meet your candidate for the open Users' Group President position. Also, since Crystal is our current Vice President and only candidate for President, we're also seeking nominations for Vice President. A link to vote for President and to nominate individuals to fulfill the soon to be vacant office of Vice President will be sent to each KLAS organization / library's designated representative in the near future.

KLAS Users' Group President Candidate

Crystal Grimes, Customer Service Coordinator, Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library

Biography:

Crystal Grimes is the Customer Service Coordinator for the Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library at the State Library of Oregon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Western Oregon University and a Masters in Library Science from Emporia State University. Crystal has been at the Talking Book Library since 2012 where she started as a Circulation Technician and has had her current position since 2018. Her current position at the library is defined by customer service, reader’s advisory, and setting up new patron accounts. Crystal is currently serving on two Keystone committees, the Programming Committee and the KLAS Development Advisory Committee (KDAC). In her spare time Crystal loves to read (fantasy is a favorite but she will read anything) and play video games.

Statement of Goals:

I’m very excited to work with Keystone and the User group as President. I think this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about our user group and to present their ideas and be their representative. A goal that I have is to encourage KLAS users to be active in their own learning and experience using KLAS. I want to promote learning and active participation in the KLAS conferences and on the KLASusers web forum. Since I am on the programming committee, I can also bring forward learning ideas from users and help to bring them into creation. I want to be an active listener to the users because this group has a lot of experience and ingenuity, and it deserves to be shared and recognized.