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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.