This week's KeyNotes blog post is a guest post from KLAS User Development Advisory Committee Members Jesse McGarity, Virginia Beach Public Library Accessible Resources and Services and Barnaby Camp, Georgia Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.

Thank you to everyone that responded to the KLAS Development and Advisory Committee (KDAC) survey. Of the 69 respondents, 88.4% worked for a Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD), 10.1% for an Instructional Resource / MaterialsCenter (IRC / IMC), while the remaining 1.5% identified as a School Library / Association / Other. The sample included librarians, reader advisors, BARD administrators, and other professionals. The purpose of the survey was to identify to KLAS developers the improvements or updated features that were the highest priority for users.

94% of respondents said they used the patron module daily, with the book search as the most used function, while 68% used the catalog module with heading maintenance as the most mentioned. Some users wished the search function would use Boolian operators. The highest priority for all respondents was to add an "Undo Function" for accidental merges in heading maintenance, restoring both headings to books and likes/dislikes to patrons. Next, was the ability to mark items previously marked as lost as something else (e.g., Lost-Returned) when returned, clarifying their status. Following, was to add a button that transfers current search parameters from "Find" to a query set in another window, enabling quick toggling through book records for copy/pasting subjects when "Title" exists in multiple formats.

There was a strong interest from IRCs for linking a related patron record as a 'contact,' ensuring that changes to preferred contact information on that record are reflected in the primary record. The most highly ranked potential update for LBPHs was checking the PIMMS database for existing patrons with the same name and birth year when adding a new patron record. Other high-priority improvements for LBPHs included allowing composite subject likes/dislikes for patron preferences, allowing users to sort orders by the last status date, and creating a new order type to send cartridges to patrons that don't count against their cartridge limit (the NSCutoff), also the ability to account for multiple medium/reading level situations on the same patron/institution record, for example to allow for “Large print - K-3," "Braille - 4-7," "Digital books - 8," all on the same account and to allow libraries to retain pre-bundled duplication orders .

Finally, in the open “red stapler” section, several respondents identified arranging series order in the service queue as one of their more tedious tasks. The question was asked on what would be the best way for KLAS to handle series. The majority preferred option B, which sends out the earliest book in a series that is not marked "Has/Had" and positions it relative to other books in the same series in the queue.

Thanks again to everyone who responded!

In May of 2022, we held the first KLASUsers' Mini-Conference to provide space and time for Keystone Staff and KLAS Users' to connect and learn from one another as well as share / discuss Keystone company updates and KLAS new features, tips & tricks, and new development suggestions. 2024's Mini-Conference will offer all of that and MORE! 

The 2024 KLASUsers' Mini-Conference will be a free, online event accessible via Zoom held:

• Tuesday, May 14 - 1:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time / 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Pacific
• Wednesday, May 15 - 1:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time / 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Pacific

Add the event to your calendar now, then review the initial schedule, and submit your registration form. Seminar date has passed. 

Sessions

This year will again feature sessions with topics of interest for all KLAS Users, as well as more specific Instructional Resource Center (IRC) and Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) sessions. New for 2024 will be two sessions featuring updates from staff of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). 

Session Types:

General sessions will share information and updates relevant to  all KLAS Users, and no conflicting sessions will be scheduled at the same time they are offered. During these sessions, there will limited time for questions and answers.

Workshop sessions are presented by Keystone staff member or a guest speaker. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions throughout the session. These in-depth presentations share information via different tools such as slides, live examples, and / or user experiences.

Birds-of-a-Feather (BoaF) sessions give participants the opportunity to exchange ideas in a group discussion setting. All KLAS Users are invited to participate in the BoaF sessions they feel are relevant to them. However, we do indicate for each session whether an IRC or LBPD audience might find it more applicable. Topics range from making the most of KLAS features to exploring broader service-related ideas. These sessions are not formal presentations with slides or software demonstrations. Instead, the format is casual and open. Moderators launch the discussion and keep the conversation on topic; participants are asked to come prepared to share and learn.

Tuesday, May 14

This is an initial schedule, and sessions are subject to change. Want to get more involved with the Users' group? Volunteering to moderate a BoaF session is a great way to get started!

Wednesday, May 15 

Registration

Registration is not required, but doing so helps us know approximately how many persons to plan on for each session. You will automatically be emailed a copy of your registration upon submission.

Now that we're into 2024 (with January flying by rapidly!), let's take a look back at the past year together.

The 2023 Users' Conference was a return to in-person training, networking, and collaboration, but for the first time we also had a hybrid option! This format was tricky to run. Yet with the hard work of the Users' Group Programming and Logistics Committees we feel we achieve a good balance of in-person exclusives like providing in-person-only, hands-on training sessions each morning, online value such as ensuring front-line and specialist staff had options to attend only sessions relevant to them, and offering the ability for libraries unable to travel for conferences to still benefit from the conference, while also remaining accessible.

You can find the presentations and handouts from the conference here: KLAS UC2023 Presentations & Handouts 

Keystone staff also attended a number of other conferences, including the NLS Sub-Regionals and the APH Annual Conferences. These events provide another opportunity for us to connect with our users, and to learn about the challenges and opportunities your libraries and organizations face.

• KLAS Users' Meetings at 2023 NLS Regional Conferences
• 10/3/2023 APH KLAS Users' Meeting

Outside of these events, we strove to continue providing training throughout the year. This included the release of two new Manuals in our new format (Reader Adviser Manual and Transfers Manual). Each are designed to be friendly to use in a print or digital format including with a screen-reader, and I have more in the works! We also hosted webinars including Preparing for e-Braille and a KLAS Q&A with Katy, and continued providing online Administrator's Training sessions.

Additionally, the klasusers.com forums were busy this year. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out about catalog errors and reissued titles on the Cataloging forum, posted ideas and requests in the Development Suggestions forum, and weighed in on others' requests and questions. 

In terms of development, we've been making progress on several large projects and released a whole lot of smaller improvements, new features, and bug fixes. Ongoing larger development projects include:

1. the APH Ordering Integration which is now functioning live for Free Matter orders at our test site (with support for orders that require Shipping pending development on the APH end of the integration)
2. the new WebOPAC, which was previewed at the conference and will include better support for series, serials, and duplication

We know these are highly anticipated and continue to work towards getting them out to you.

We have also been working extensively with Data Management and NLS to get PIMMS issues identified and fixed, implement Inactive Reason tracking, and lay the groundwork for the network libraries to take over distribution of NLS serials from the Magazine on Cartridge (MoC) program.

Shout-out to the KLAS Development Advisory Committee (KDAC) for their invaluable help not just generating ideas and suggestions, but helping us monitor and evaluate development suggestions from the forum and other sources, ensure corner cases are considered and accounted for, and prioritize all these projects and more.

As we carry on into the new year, I know we will have even more good things to share with you and look forward to the journey!

Our next webinar is coming up fast, and it's going to be a fun one: it's time for another Q & A with Katy!

This is an informal, Keystone-presented webinar where I invite all of you to come put my KLAS knowledge to the test, and get answers to all those nagging questions. Whether it's a little thing that never quite feels worth emailing Customer Support about, or something you've asked before, but didn't quite understand the solution--I'll have my demo databases at the ready to walk you through the answer.

Of course, I don't know everything, so if you manage to stump me, I'll get the info, consult with Customer Support and the other experts here at Keystone, and get back to you.

All experience levels, staff roles, and organization types welcome!

• When: Thursday, Nov 2, 3:00pm Eastern Time / Noon Pacific
• Who: All KLAS users!
• Where: Zoom!
  • Zoom link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88940481673?pwd=MzRJNTYwaWR0ZkZ0NnRUQnlmRmhtUT09
  • Dial-in for Audio - https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdG7n08Afh
    • Meeting ID: 889 4048 1673
    • Passcode: 670244

As usual, if you can't make it live, the session will be recorded for future viewing. You can even send in your questions ahead of time so I can cover them for you!

Finally, stay tuned, because we have plenty more online learning opportunities coming over the next year. We'll be hosting a webinar every month in 2024, covering a variety of Talking Books / LBPD-focused, IRC-focused, and general interest topics. In May, we'll hold an online Mini-Conference with Keystone updates, New Features, and more, so mark your calendars for May 7-8, 2024! In the meantime, if there's a topic you want to hear about, or something you want to share with the network, the Program Committee would love to hear from you.

I'm looking forward to chatting with you and answering all of your KLAS questions on November 2!

When I began my job at the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) in March of 2022, I understood that being Managing Librarian would include, among other things, being the KLAS Administrator. I had been an ILS administrator in the past, but this was for systems where being the "administrator" really just meant you were the one with the most knowledge about the system (which meant, well, not a lot), the one to make the helpdesk calls, and the one to be the vendor's point of contact for the annual payment and the up-sells. For KLAS, being an administrator means taking on a much more active role in understanding and promoting the ILS’s functionality, reporting, and finding solutions for staff and patrons.

As a member of the KLAS Users' Group Officers, I've gained significant insight into how things work, and can work, and am truly excited about attending the KLAS Users' Conference 2023: A Perfect Tenn next week—where I know I'll learn even more. And, as you’ve likely seen from the conference schedule, you don’t have to be an administrator to find lots of sessions that will help you in your particular job. I’m looking forward to an in-person conference (my second since 2019) and to see KLAS folks face-to-face who I bother an inordinate number of times each week (you know who you are!)

In the next few days, you’ll have a number of opportunities to engage with Keystone, other NLS Network and IRC Library staff. I hope you’ll take these opportunities!

Attend the Conference (July 17-20, 2023):

There’s still time to sign up, especially if you plan to attend virtually: https://klasusers.com/klas-uc2023

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):

• 11:15 AM - KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting
• 12:00 PM - Answering Your Parking Lot Questions
• 12:40 PM - Reconsidering Circulation - Based on circulation statistics gathered from a number of libraries, Keystone's Mitake Burts will present a birds-eye-view of changes to circulation patterns across the network of NLS libraries and open a discussion on where the circulation may be heading next
• 1:25 PM - Conference Closing Remarks

Thursday, July 20 Zoom Meeting Info:

• Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87314746960?pwd=TDBMM3IySk1BcXhMdS9odXBWbVV0Zz09
• Meeting ID: 873 1474 6960
• Passcode: 412790
• Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd1J0VRASH

Read the proposed changes to the KLAS Users’ Group Bylaws:

We’ll be voting whether to accept these changes at the Business Meeting:

• July_2023_KLAS_Users_Group_Bylaws_Proposed_Changes.docx
• July_2023_KLAS_Users_Group_Bylaws_Proposed_Changes.pdf

Become a KLAS Users’ Group Officer:

We will be seeking nominations for Secretary during our annual business meeting on Thursday, July 20. The Secretary’s role is defined and the election process outlined in KLAS Users’ Group Bylaws, Article VI. Officers. Come join the Users’ Group Officers!

I look forward to seeing you next week in person or virtually. Thanks so much for being such an engaged group!

Best,
Traci Timmons, President, KLAS Users’ Group

Are you excited for the 2023 KLAS Users' Conference? We sure are!

While we're grateful that we get to hang out with some of you in-person, we also want our online attendees to have a great conference experience. To help get you oriented, here's a short video tour of the Zoom Events platform:

While we hope this platform will be easy-to-use for everyone, please do let us know if you have any questions or issues. Ready to try it out? Log in any time to start building your personal agenda, filling in your profile, and making connections!

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.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

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.

Are you looking forward to the next in-person KLAS conference? Or would you prefer to keep things online? Either way, I have some hopeful news: planning for the 2023 KLAS Users’ Conference is underway and picking up steam!

Barring still more “unprecedented events,” UC 2023 will be held July 17-20, 2023 at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, TN. For those who can’t attend in person, we are looking into options for hybrid sessions, and plan to offer as much of the conference to you as possible. To facilitate this, we will likely be changing up the conference schedule, allowing in-person-only, hands-on content to occur in the mornings, and hybrid sessions to occur in the afternoon (when they will be reasonably timed across more time zones). Our goal is to ensure those attending in person get as much value for their travel as possible and provide a valuable experience for those who can’t join us in Tennessee, while ensuring both groups will be able to justify the expense to their funding agency.

While we do not yet know what the registration fees will be, we will try to keep them as low as possible and still deliver a quality conference. Our top contender for the conference hotel has quoted us a nightly rate of $179 / night, which is below the 2022 government rate. We are researching transportation options to get everyone from the hotel to the school and back, and catered-in lunches will help keep daily meal costs reasonable. For online attendees, a minimal registration fee will help cover whatever equipment or software costs we incur to bring the afternoon sessions to you.

Helping us to close in on the specifics, we just completed a site visit, checking out what has changed at TSB since 2019, investigating possible reception venues and caterers, and making sure the hotel is up to par.

We have excellent Programming and Logistics Committees assembled who are digging into all the challenges of our first hybrid conference, as well as all the usual conference minutiae, but of course we need your help as well. How many people should we expect in-person or online? What precautions need to be in place to ensure everyone’s health and safety?

Have a look at our proposed conference schedule, read on for a few teasers from our site visit, but also don’t miss completing our Pre-conference Planning Survey. With so much uncertainty, change, and opportunity for an amazing new conference format, we need your input this year more than ever!

Site visit photos: 

Allen Huang, Director of the Tennessee Instructional Resource Center, shows us the school's atrium, which is excellent for general sessions with its comfortable chairs, large projection screen, and monitors set up to mirror the front screen. 

The school librarian shows Keystone staff Katy and James their conversation area, which is a good fit for casual networking or just decompressing between conference sessions.

The hotel has plenty of hang-out space split between the interior lobby and the outdoor courtyard. The pool will be a welcome amenity come July, and there is an indoor gym, hot breakfast, all-day coffee, and a bar. There are a couple restaurants and convenience stores within walking distance, or biking distance on one of the hotel's bicycles. 

James and Katy trying out the food at a possible reception venue, Monell's at the Manor, which is a family-style restaurant in a historic mansion. If we move forward with this venue, we would have exclusive access--only Users' Conference attendees and restaurant staff would be present, and there is a ton of room to spread out and for air to circulate. They serve fantastic Southern food in a unique and fun environment.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak preview! As we get further along planning the conference we'll have more to share, but for now, please tell us about your plans and preferences by answering the Pre-conference Planning Survey!

In collaboration with the KLAS Users' Group Program Committee, we're excited to announce the next two upcoming KLAS Users' Programs. In August, there will be a roundtable for staff of libraries for the blind and print disabled and in September Katy will be hosting a webinar for all KLAS Users' who want a preview of the new KLAS WebOPAC. Mark your calendars now for one or both of these events and join us! More details about each are below.

8/25/2022 KLAS LBPD Roundtable: Talking Book Topics

Date: Thursday, August 25

Time: 3:30 PM Eastern / 12:30 PM Pacific

Description: With the recent loss of the physical Large Print Talking Book Topics from our Reader Advisory Tool Box, libraries are crafting new strategies to keep readers informed about new titles being added to the collection. Attend our August roundtable to hear how other libraries are addressing these changes and share your own successes in addressing the changes with TBT. 

Hosts:

• Michael Lang, Kansas Talking Books Service
• Maureen Dorosinki, Florida Braille & Talking Book Libraries
• Crystal Grimes, Oregon Talking Book & Braille Library

Recording:

• 8/25/2022 LBPD KLAS Roundtable: Talking Book Topics

9/22/2022 Keystone Webinar: WebOPAC Revamp

This webinar will be recorded and posted to klasusers.com for later review.

Date: Thursday, September 22

Time: 3:00 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific

Description: You've probably heard the good news about an upcoming revamp of the WebOPAC for LBPH. Ready for more info and a first look at our prototype? Take a look at what we have so far and provide feedback to help shape the future OPAC!

Presenter: Katy Patrick, Keystone Systems

Zoom Link & Audio Dial-in Info:

• Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88585822893?pwd=VUFabU1NYTBVcmpNRERxem9EQnd3QT09
• Find your local number to dial-in for audio: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdA5mXTjhQ 
• Meeting ID: 885 8582 2893
• Passcode: 137231
  
  

Per the recent KLAS Users' Group Meeting, please meet your candidates for the open Users' Group Vice President position. A link to vote will soon be sent to each KLAS organization / library's designated representative. 

KLAS Users' Group Vice President Candidates

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 Vice-President. 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.

Sam Lundberg, Reader Advisor, New Mexico State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

Biography: I have been in libraries for nearly a decade now. I cut my teeth on the reference desk in Tippecanoe County Indiana in 2012, before moving to the night shift at Purdue's Library of Engineering and Science. In 2018 I began working at the New Mexico Library for the Blind and Print Disabled as a Reader Advisor and never looked back. I have served on the KLAS Development Advisory Committee since 2019, taking over the KDAC presidency in 2021.

Statement of Goals: The users group should be proactive in encouraging absolutely everyone to ask questions, experiment with new ideas, and participate in the greater discussion. We've opened up so many new avenues for participation with remote conferences and online conversations and I want to expand upon that progress.

As announced in an earlier Keynotes Blog Post, Keystone staff and the KLAS Users' Group Program Committee are teaming up to bring you an online KLAS Users mini-conference the afternoons of May 3-4. Today, we're sharing a bit more info about what we have planned.

Sessions with interest for all KLAS Users will be held on both days, and we hope you can join us for this free online training and networking event!

• Dates: Tuesday, May 3 - Wednesday, May 4, 2022
• Time: 1:00-5:00 PM Eastern / 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Pacific
• Format: All sessions will be held via Zoom with a dial-in for audio option provided. Also, concurrent Birds-of-a-Feather sessions will be held in 3 separate Zoom breakout rooms.
• Access: Zoom links will be emailed to registered attendees approximately a week prior and posted on this page a day or so before the event.
• Session Recording: All Tuesday sessions as well as the KLAS Users' Group business meeting will be recorded. Birds-of-a-Feather sessions will not.

Agenda:

Tuesday, May 3

Tuesday sessions will be Keystone presented and focused on sharing Keystone company and service updates and new KLAS features and functionality for LBPD, IRC, and others.

• Zoom Meeting Link for all Tuesday sessions - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88138984215?pwd=RGVIdkEzS1IyRzJXSytIVFVVODB3QT09
• Meeting ID: 881 3898 4215
• Passcode: 667394

Wednesday, May 4

Wednesday features a KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting followed by user-moderated Birds-of-a-Feather sessions. Birds of a Feather (BoaF) sessions are an opportunity to exchange ideas in a casual, group discussion setting. Topics range from making the most of KLAS features to exploring broader service-related ideas. These sessions are not formal presentations with slides or software demonstrations. Instead, moderators launch the discussion and keep the conversation on topic.

Each of Wednesday's concurrent Birds-of-a-Feather sessions will be accessed via one Zoom link. Once you enter the meeting, there will be 3 breakout rooms you can choose to join (one for each topic).

Dial-in Audio for ALL sessions:

Registration:

Registration is not required, but it will give us an idea of how many attendees plan to attend. Also, persons who register will receive an email approximately one week before the mini-conference with the agenda, Zoom links, and dial-in for audio numbers.

On Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific Katy and Kyle will be offering a live webinar focused on sharing information and details about the integration between KLAS and APH's ordering system and catalog of products. During this session, we plan to demonstrate KLAS screens, discuss planned workflows, share development updates, take suggestions, and answer questions. We invite any and all Instructional Resource / Instructional Materials Center users to mark your calendar now and join us for this special Keystone webinar!

• Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2021
• Time: 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time / Noon Pacific Standard Time
• Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87018666883?pwd=WUZhSW5YVTBwRmxlVnRIQlpwZHhjUT09

If you have any questions or comments you wish to submit in advance, you can send them to:

In the meantime, we invite you to review the recordings of the APH 2021 KLAS IRC / IMC Users' Meeting from 10/12/2021 and the recent KLAS IRC / IMC Users' Roundtable held on 11/3/2021 during which we discussed the current status of the KLAS / APH Integration Project.

Full Connection info:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87018666883?pwd=WUZhSW5YVTBwRmxlVnRIQlpwZHhjUT09

Meeting ID: 870 1866 6883
Passcode: 632597
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,87018666883#,,,,*632597# US (New York)
+13017158592,,87018666883#,,,,*632597# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
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Meeting ID: 870 1866 6883
Passcode: 632597
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kda33PJihT

Today, I want to share a few items of particular interest to our Instructional Resource / Instructional Materials Center users including the upcoming users' meeting at APH, an update about our APH integration project, and a new IRC addition to our Users' Community. Read on for more info about each.

KLAS IRC / IMC Users at APH 2021 Annual Meeting

As you have probably heard, the 2021 American Printing House for the Blind Annual Meeting will be online again this year. 

• KLAS IRC Users' Group Meeting at APH 2021: Tuesday, October 12 at 3:00-4:30 PM Eastern / Noon-1:30 PM Pacific

We are hosting the 2021 KLAS IRC / IMC Users' Meeting on our Zoom account.

Meeting Agenda:

• Keystone Update & Current Customers
• Community, Training & Events
• New KLAS IRC Features
• Upcoming Development
• Questions & Discussion

Meeting Invite:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88072964152?pwd=NUltTVdISVRBS0VuS0Fud2VsUTZmQT09

Meeting ID: 880 7296 4152
Passcode: 167077

Dial-in for audio:
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kkZmZM6Wu

September 2021 APH Integration Status Update

During our August 24 KLAS New Features Webinar Katy shared the latest info on our ongoing project to integrate KLAS with APH's catalog and ordering system. We know many of you are excited and anticipating the completion of this integration project (as are we) because it means much less data entry and duplication of effort for your staff.

I asked Kyle Honeycutt, Manager of Software Development, for any additional updates he may want to share with our IRC / IMC users. This is what he said:

Using a tool called "PostMan," I have been able to successfully retrieve catalog information, post orders to their test system, and retrieve status of orders. I am in contact with APH and their contractors regarding what information is mapped in which fields, and what criteria to query on to retrieve exact catalog availability. Once all these questions are answered, the next step will be adding calls to these services within the KLAS programs.

Basically, we are using a known testing tool to confirm that the services work as expected, and that we know exactly how to consume them. Then we will introduce the complexity of consuming the processes from within KLAS.

What that means is: we're making good progress and using known tools and processes to accomplish the integration. At this point, our development needs to verify the item information being pulled from APH's catalog is identified correctly and then setup the service to pull it into KLAS in a logical manner.

New IRC Installation

Finally, I want to welcome a new instructional resource center to our KLAS Users' Community!

The West Virginia Instructional Resource Center began their implementation of KLAS this week with an onsite visit from Marion and Mitake. We're excited to work Debbie and her staff in the next few months as we learn their workflow, policies, and process and how to best make KLAS work for their organization and clients. 

We're excited to have them on board, and hope you'll join us in extending a warm welcome.

The minutes of the 2021 KLAS Users' Conference which occurred on Thursday, June 10 at 11:30 AM Eastern Time / 8:30 AM Pacific during the 2021 KLAS Users' Conference are below.

• 2021_Business_Meeting_Minutes.docx
• 2021_Business_Meeting_Minutes.pdf

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

All attendees of the 2021 Online KLAS Users' Conference will access the conference via PheedLoop's Virtual Event Portal. Here, you will find opportunities to network with speakers and other attendees, browse, search, and add sessions to your personal schedule, access all sessions and their related resources such as PowerPoint presentations, handouts, etc., and more!

Lobby

First, let's take a look at the Lobby area. Here you will find the public and private chat functions, recent event announcements, our virtual photo booth, and more.

The page is organized into four columns:

• Main menu: use this to navigate the conference
• Social area: the Event Feed will display social media posts that tag #KLASUC2021. Need a great selfie for that conference post? Launch the photo booth for a fun background - it's not quite the same as travel photos, but we hope it'll make you smile.
  Finally, the Private Chats widget is hanging out at the bottom of the column. You can use the Private Chats feature to follow up with peers after a session, reach out to a new attendee to introduce yourself, or otherwise get to know each other. The widget will stay in place as you navigate the site, so you can use it from anywhere. Start new Private Chats from the recipient's speaker or attendee profile.
• Announcements: watch this area for any posts as things come up during the conference.
• Lobby Chat: Get that "around the coffee station" feeling by chatting with all your fellow attendees here (you'll need to supply your own coffee or tea though). Also, don't miss those icons right above the lobby chat!

Finally, there a couple important things in the top corner. In the upper right of the screen, you will find notifications, language features, accessibility controls, and a count of total attendees currently online. Use the accessibility icon (a circle with a person's silhouette) to bring up the accessibility menu, where you will find preset profiles and a bunch individual controls.

Backstage (speakers only)

Next on the main menu, speakers will find the "Backstage" menu option. If you are presenting a session using PheedLoop's Meet & Stream, go here to start the session. If you're presenting in Zoom or using a pre-recorded session, there's no need to use the backstage. Make sure you schedule a dress rehearsal / practice session so you know where to present your session from, and you're comfortable with all the back-end "stuff." 

Sessions

The sessions area displays a list of all the conference sessions, with an expanded view of the selected session to the right, then finally the session chat.

Session list: You can search for sessions or use any of the preset filters (including day, track, speaker, personal schedule, and live now) to browse the list. Use the calendar icon to access the advanced schedule views. As you find sessions that interest you, add them to your personal schedule by selecting the plus sign next to the session title. 

Session Details: This is where you will attend the session when it goes live! You can also share it via social media or email, or add it to your digital calendar (Outlook, etc). 

Session Chat: The session chat box has the same look and feel of the lobby chat, but is specific to that session. The chat will remain in place for as long as the event portal is live, not just during the session - so you can ask questions ahead of time or refer back to information shared there even after the session is over. 

Speakers

The Speakers area is just like Sessions--but for people. You can browse or search the list of conference presenters, see their bio and other info, review the sessions they're presenting, and even start a chat with them.

Networking

Networking is a great place to connect with other attendees. Here, you can find all conference attendees' profiles. There are also options to join in or create a group chat around a specific topic. Finally, you can send a private message to any fellow attendee (which you can both view and reply to in the Private Chats widget).

Account

You can view attendee profiles in Networking--but where do they come from? From the attendees themselves! Go to the Account menu item, and here you will be able to edit and add all the info you need to - your profile picture, everything other attendees see when they access your profile, and files you want to share. There's also controls for how you receive event notifications and the option to change your password.

Please take the time to fill in your profile, so your fellow KLAS users can get to know you!

Don't feel pressured to share any info that you don't want to, but some things to consider adding: your pronouns, what your role is at your organization, how long you've been using KLAS, and links to social media you use professionally. Finally, as you can see, the photos are never shown very large, and it can be very helpful to put a face to the name. A simple headshot is best! However, if you decide not to share a real photo, a pet or something iconically "you" will still help other attendees recognize and remember your profile. 

We hope this brief tour of the KLAS UC 2021 Virtual Event Portal will help you get acclimated and have the best experience possible during our very first fully online conference! We're so excited to see you all there!

Keystone Systems wishes to recognize the support that volunteers and staff provide to their organizations. We do so with the Julie Klauber Award. Each organization may nominate one staff member or volunteer. Please use the Julie Klauber Award Nomination form to do so.

Nomination Deadline: Friday, May 21

Award nominees should:

• Work with KLAS in their daily job functions
• Show an outstanding service to their organization and / or their community in the spirit of Julie Klauber during his / her time with the library.

The Julie Klauber Award Recipient will be honored as part of an online award ceremony held Tuesday, June 7 during the 2021 KLAS Users’ Conference and receive a personalized plaque to commemorate their achievement. For 2021, we especially wish to recognize someone who went above and beyond during the last year’s challenges.

Award finalists will be selected from all nominated individuals by a selection committee¹. James Burts, Keystone Systems, will determine this year's recipient after consulting all the finalists' supervisors.

Printable flyer and online award nomination link:

• 2021JulieKlauberAward.pdf
• Julie Klauber Award Nomination Form

Who was Julie Klauber and why is this award named after her?

Valerie Lewis sent the below text in an 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

 2021 Julie Klauber Award Committee Members include:

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

As announced yesterday (and clearly visible from visiting the site) KLASUsers.com has undergone a pretty big redesign and refresh. We've added new features and functionality, but also reassessed how we organize content to make it easier to find and use. Some of the most important things to know about the redesign are:

1. The new Knowledge Base & KLAS News menu items
2. Logged-in users can now comment on articles
3. Using article tags to find what you need
4. The site's enhanced search functionality
5. The log-in function is now available from every page, and won't redirect you from whatever you are currently viewing
6. A Support button on all pages gives you a quick shortcut to contact Keystone Customer Support anytime you need help

Today I want to talk about the first four on the list... 

Knowledge Base & KLAS News

All still-relevant articles from the old klasusers.com are still available, but the old menu items have been collected under the new overarching categories of Knowledge Base and KLAS News.  This simplifies the Main Menu, and should keep you from needing to guess whether the info you need is in a document or a recording.

The main page for each of the new menu items will display the most recent articles in that general category, and a link to the related subcategories can be found at the bottom of the page.

Under Knowledge Base, you will find two subcategories:

1. Recordings, including general and customer specific training and webinars
2. Documents, including MARC Record Updates, Release Lists, and quick reference

KLAS News' subcategories include:

1. Key Notes Blog posts
2. Events
3. KLAS Users' Group info

The five most recently added or updated articles in each category are also listed in the site's footer, so you can easily jump to the new content from any page. We hope this reorganization will help you get to the content you want quicker and easier, without needing to remember where things are filed away.

Article Commenting

We're excited to see how this new feature adds to our site! Logged in users now have the ability to comment on any article on KLASUsers.com.

If you aren't logged in, you can still view any posted comments, but to add a comment you will need to log in, either from the comments section or the link at the top of the page. All comments can be viewed from the article page itself, or in the forum, so it's easy to find the latest discussion! New comments are visible right away with no approval necessary, although our site administrators can moderate comments if needed.

We hope you will find this a great new way to ask for more information or provide feedback--we'd truly love to hear when you find an article interesting or useful, or if there's something you'd like to add to the discussion. We challenge you to make this the first article you comment on!

Article Tags

You will now see subject Tags listed on all article previews and at the top of all full articles. These words or phrases are ways of categorizing articles and such with similar content. For, example you can select the "duplication on demand" tag to see a list of all articles with that tag applied.

We have actually been tagging articles all along, but the new site puts them "front and center" so you can easily spot them or quickly click through to a category you want to browse more of. We've also reviewed the tags we used previously to streamline them and make sure we're using the feature in the most useful way. If you find examples of misapplied or missing tags, please let us know. Also, don't be afraid to speak up if you feel we need to add a new tag!

Enhanced Search Capabilities

This might be the thing I am most excited about (unless it's article comments... we're really excited about the comments). I love when I can easily create and execute a search to find just what I'm looking without any muss or fuss. The search bar allows you to seamlessly search for anything from anywhere with a simple keyword search.

You can also choose to employ additional Search Options such as looking for all (or any) instances of the word or the exact phrase as typed to narrow down the results to exactly what you want to see. You can also choose how you want your results displayed. Options include: Newest or oldest first, most popular, alphabetical, etc. If you only want to look in a certain area of the site, there's also options to limit your search that way. Finally, you can also control how many results you see on each page using the "Display #" drop-down.

We know y'all are busy, so the faster and easier it is to find what you need, the better. We hope the new site search will allow you to jump right to the info you need.

Final Notes

We've put a lot of thought and effort into the refresh, but with increasing "technical difficulties" from the old site, we went live before we had the chance to test the site as well as we would have liked. If you encounter any problems with the new site or spot something we missed! In particular, if something is not accessible, please let us know! The reorganization and the big changes to the look and feel of the site may take a little getting used to, but we hope you'll all agree that this is a big step forward for KLASUsers.com.

Upcoming Webinars & Roundtables

New Webinar & Roundtable Platform: In an effort to provide a better experience for online training, webinar, and roundtable participants we are moving from join.me to Google Meet. You will NOT need a Google account to join a Keystone hosted Google Meet. We hope this change will address some of the bandwidth and other issues we know some attendees have experienced with join.me. As an additional bonus, Google Meet offers auto closed captioning.

2/18/2021 KLAS New Features with Katy

3 PM ET / Noon Pacific Thursday, Feburary 18

During this session, she will describe and demonstrate new features and functionality added to KLAS. If there's something specific you wish her to discuss or demonstrate, feel free to email your question to  

Google Meet Link: https://meet.google.com/rwk-bpmz-oco
Join by phone: +1 314-226-1417‬ PIN: ‪769 402 631‬#‪

Previously Held Webinars & Roundtables

Recordings and / or PowerPoints from the below previously held webinars and KLAS Users' Roundtables are available. You must be logged into klasusers.com to access any of these articles.

• 12/15/2020 KLAS Users' Roundtable: Duplication on Demand Updates
• 11/19/2020 Keystone Webinar: Reports
• 10/22/2020 KLAS IRC Users' Roundtable
• 09/17/2020 KLAS Users' Roundtable: Virtual Programming
• 8/12/2020 KLAS New Features Update
• 05/19/2020 KLAS Online KLAS Users' Group Meetings
• 4/23/2020 KLAS IRC Users' Roundtable
• 03/19/2020 KLAS Users' Roundtable: Duplication on Demand
• 02/20/2020 KLAS Q&A with Katy

"Duplication" is the word of the day / week / month / year for National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled network libraries. Whether you've already made the fundamental shift to providing duplication on demand materials for your patrons or are still trying to make decisions about how to shift your library to a duplication on demand service model, there's many questions, decisions, and challenges faced during the process.

With this in mind, the KLAS Users' Group Program Committee is providing another opportunity for KLAS Users' to come together in a session focused on this topic. Go ahead and mark your calendar now for the upcoming KLAS Users' Roundtable: Duplication on Demand to be held on Tuesday, December 15 at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific.

Note: We expect this session to last two hours rather than the usual one. Also, we plan to record this roundtable and post it to klasusers.com for later reference.

During this roundtable, three representatives of libraries using Gutenberg and three representatives of libraries using Scribe will each discuss their experience implementing duplication equipment, decisions regarding policy and staff changes, and more! After each shares a brief description of their process, there will be an opportunity to ask questions, discuss issues they've brought up, etc.

Gutenberg Panellists:

• Hope Williams, Nevada Talking Book Services
• Elke Bruton, Oregon Talking Book & Braille Library
• Ricardo Cisneros, San Francsico Public Library - Talking Book and Braille Center

Scribe Panellists:

• Connie Sullivan, South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library
• Angela Fisher Hall, Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
• Nancy Holt, Idaho Talking Book Library

Before the roundtable...

To help you prepare for this roundtable we encourage you to review Duplication Info Quick Reference page where you will find articles, quick tips, how-to documents, and more related to using either Gutenberg or Scribe. Several of the documents have just been updated to reflect changes in recent versions of KLAS, so make sure to check those dates to make sure you have the most current info!

You can also help our panellists prepare for this session by posting questions to this KLASUsers Discussion Forum post. Of course, day-of questions are also welcome, but posting your questions ahead of time will ensure that we get to them (even if you can't make the session itself) and that the panellists will be able to consider their answers.

Access Info:

Tuesday, 12/15/2020 @ 3pm Eastern Time / Noon Pacific

To connect:
Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/rmv-fgvs-eba

Dial-in audio option:
‪US‬ ‪+1 575-459-0037‬
PIN: ‪950 920 249#‬‪

Drea and I are in Washington, DC exhibiting at the ASAE TEC 2019 trade show, meeting Association KLASusers and potential users. We'll be back with a regular blog post next week!

Join us next Tuesday for our regularly scheduled Key Notes blog posts.

Why do you attend the annual KLAS Users' Conference? Here is what some our of conference attendees had to say:

• "I attend because it's my one opportunity to share face-to-face my issues and triumphs with others in a way that email and online just can't." - Craig, NC
• "I attend the KLAS Users' Conference to network with other Talking Books Libraries, which provides me with new ideas to serve the visually impaired." - Sarah, FL
• "Through collaboration with colleagues and Keystone staff, I learn new, better, and more efficient ways to utilize KLAS that I can bring back to my co-workers." - Teresa, CO
• "Learn about new features in KLAS. Network with other users and discover functions you have not tried before." - Edith, CA
• "I go to talk to the other attendees and see what's going on at their libraries." - Erin, OK
• "I like to attend the conference because I like to hear about the different ways other libraries handle their workflow. Always come back with some good ideas to shake things up." - Sharon, IL
• "As the only staff librarian in Oregon, I often feel like I work in isolation. The work LBPH libraries do doesn’t translate very well to other library work and relating to my in-state colleagues leaves me unfulfilled. The KLAS Users’ Conference is a great way for me to recharge my batteries and other professionals who can relate to the joys and challenges of LBPH work." - Elke, OR
• "Attending the KLAS Users' Conferences provides me the opportunity to encounter awesome ideas and tips...tangible ideas I can take home to improve my library's services...from Keystone staff and personnel from other libraries for the blind." - Andrew, OK
• "The KUC is a chance to get together. We gather to discuss issues technical, and mundane. We laugh, we confer, and we hear from the staff at Keystone. Moreover we are exposed to new places (new to some), new ideas, and new ways to do things." - James, MA
• "The KLAS Users group gives us an opportunity to learn more about our ILS. We can do a better job for our library patrons if we can make the best use of the catalog." - Pat, GA

We hope you join us for June 3-6 for the 2019 KLAS Users' Conference hosted by the Palm Beach County Library Talking Book Service in West Palm Beach, FL!

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)