knowledge & learning services annual report 2012-2013
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7/27/2019 Knowledge & Learning Services Annual Report 2012-2013
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KnowledgeandLearningServices
AnnualReport
2012-2013
To: LouiseBerryFrom: SallyIjams
Date: October1,2013
TheKnowledgeandLearningServicesDepartmentandtheHelpDeskarebestknownforproviding
referenceandtechnologyassistancetotheDariencommunity,allwithaneyetowardextremecustomer
service.Thisyearweworkedhardbothwiththepublicandbehindthescenestomakesurethatevery
encounterattheLibraryisbetterthananticipated,alwaysaimingtogoaboveandbeyondthehigh
standardswesetforourselves.
Overayearagowebegancross-trainingstaffbetweentheKLSDepartmentandtheHelpDesk,hopingtoseamlesslyofferawiderarrayofservicesateachservicepoint.Servicesthatwereoncerelegated
exclusivelytotheHelpDeskfaxingdocuments,assistancewithvarioussoftwareprograms,andloading
upnewe-readersarenowalleasilyavailableonthesecondlevel.Ourgoalistobringtheservicetoour
users,ratherthanhavethemmovingfromonedepartmenttothenextinsearchofassistance.
AttheendofNovemberweintroducedournewonlineresourceguides,locatedontheResearchpageof
ourwebsite.Aimedatthegeneraluser,eachsubjectguidehighlightsdigitalresourcesandmaterialsin
theLibrary,aswellascommunityresources.Reflectingtheorganizationofourprintmaterials,the
guidesaredividedintogeneralareasofinterest.Becausetheyaresoeasytocreateandmaintain,we
areabletobuildguidesforspecificeventsandindividualinterests.Thefirstpublishedguidearriveda
fewweeksbeforethegeneralrollout,theperfecttoolforafastresponsetoSuperstormSandy.To
addressthebasicinformationalneedsofthecommunity,wecreatedanonlineguidetorecovery
resources,highlightinglocal,state,andfederalinformation.Weincludedanswerstothemost
frequentlyaskedquestions:Howlongwillmyfoodstaycoldinarefrigerator?Doyouhaveratingsfor
generators?WhatinformationdoIneedtofileaninsuranceclaim?Wecontinuouslyupdatedtheguide,
addingnewinformationasitbecameavailableandremovinglinksastheybecamenolongerrelevant.
TheAmericanTaxpayerReliefActof2012,passedintheearlyhoursofJanuary1st,hadanunexpected
impactattheLibrary.Traditionally,federaltaxformsstarttoarriveinDecemberandeverythingisin
placenexttotheReferencedeskbymid-January.Notsoin2013.Thelatepassageofthelawandthe
subsequentdelayinprintingresultedint hebulkofthepapertaxformsarrivingattheLibraryinmid-
March.Thisyear,inanefforttomakethemimmediatelyavailable,wetooktheopportunitytorelocate
themtothefirstfloor.Inyearspasttheywerekeptonthesecondlevelwiththeunderstandingthattaxquestionscouldeasilybeansweredbyanearbyreferencelibrarian.However,wediscoveredourgood
intentionswereactuallycreatingabarriertoservice:manypeopledidntknowwecarriedtaxformsand
thosewhodidhadnochoicebuttogotothesecondleveltoretrievethem.Wesimplifiedtheprocess
bymovingtheformstoatablenearthemainstairwellonthefirstfloorandputtingupasignindicating
additionalassistancewasavailableattheReferenceDesk,andvoila!Easyaccess,highvisibility,and
betterservicecreatedbyonesmallmove.
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May1stmarkedthelaunchofZinio,anewdigitalplatformthatletsreadersdownloadandsavepopular
magazinestotheircomputer,tablet,ormobiledevice.Digitalmagazinesarefull-print,full-color
duplicatesoftheirprintcounterpartandmanyissues(mostnotablyNationalGeographic)alsoinclude
interactiveelements.ThefirsttendaysofMaywesignedup42newuserswhodownloadedatotalof
244individualissues.Whataretheylookingat?ThemostpopulartitlesthusfarareConsumerReports,
TheEconomist,CarandDriver,ESPN:TheMagazine,FamilyHandyman,HouseBeautiful,Martha
StewartLiving,andNationalGeographicInteractive.
Theprintperiodicalcollectionalsoreceivedspecialtreatmentthisyear.Themagazineswere
reorganized,movingthepopulartravelmagazinesinamoreprominentpositionandnew,clearly
readabledisplaylabelswereinstalled.Currentissuesarenoweasilyidentifiedbynewplasticcovers,
witholderissuesconvenientlylocatedandavailableforcheckout.
DarienLibrary,aswellaseverypubliclibraryintheState,transitionedfromGale/CengagetoEBSCO
databasesonJuly1st.WhiletheresourcesprovidedbytheStateareoftremendousvaluetous,thenew
packagedidnotoffersomeoftheoutstandingdatabasesourusershavecometodependon.Toward
thatend,wearenowpayingdirectlyfortheGale/Cengagehealthandbusinessdatabases,productsthat
EBSCOdoesnotoffer.Onthepositiveside,EBSCOoffersaccesstoallNolopublications,thebestresourceforconsumerandsmallbusinessquestions.Thetransitionwasalsotheperfectopportunityto
refreshtheResearchlandingpage,thistimeincludingiconstoindicatewhichdatabasescanbeaccessed
fromhome.ThemostpopularpremiumdatabaseswithremoteaccessareReferenceUSA(business
informationandup-to-dateresidentialwhitepages)andNetAdvantage(Standard&Poorscorporate
researchandanalysis.)
Ourdedicatedvolunteerscontinuetobeavitalcomponentofcollectionmaintenance,andthisyearsaw
anoticeableriseintheyoungerranks.Wearenowadestinationforhonorsocietystudentswhoneedto
volunteereighthoursamonth,aswellasprospectiveEagleScoutswhohavesimilarrequirements.We
alsohelpstudentswhoarefulfillingcourt-orderedcommunityservice;however,youwouldbehard-
pressedtopickoutwhichvolunteersarehereunderless-than-idealconditions.Thestudents
understandtheyareprovidinganimportantservicetothecommunity,helpingusmakeourmaterials
botheasilybrowsableandaccuratelyshelved,andtakewell-deservedprideintheirwork.Withtheir
helpweconductedaninventoryoftheadultcollection,identifyingmaterialsthatwemisshelvedor
incorrectlycataloged.Theresultsareafresherlookingcollectionthatiseasytobrowse,withan
assurancethatbooksareontheshelfinexactlytherightplace.
ThisyeartherewereanumberofstaffingchangesatboththeKLSDeskandtheHelpDesk.KLSsaid
goodbyetoJessicaSchneiderandElizabethNeligan,bothfamiliarfacestooureveningandweekend
users.WewerefortunatetohaveMalloryArents,astudentattheSchoolofLibraryandInformation
ScienceatSyracuseUniversity,onourteamfortenweeksduringthesummer.TheHelpDeskstaffsaid
farewelltoLouieDurango,JaredGarner,andTylerJayson,andinturnwelcomedBrianJacobyand
AkshatMisra.Finally,inMarchGretchenCaserotti,theAssistantDirectorofPublicServices,leftDarienLibraryforanewpositioninIdaho.Sheleavesalegacyofprofessionalism,enthusiasm,determination,
andhumorandismissedbyall.
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