KLAS Users' Group

Below is the recording for our October 2023 KLAS Users' Meeting at the APH Annual Conference.

Slide deck: KLAS IRC Users at APH2023 - pptx

References:

• New feature discussion thread
• Font Size / Boldness adjustment instructions

Below is the recording for our October 2022 KLAS Users' Meeting at the APH Annual Conference.

Slide deck: KLAS IRC Users at APH2022 - pptx

On Thursday, November 13, 2025 we hosted a KLAS LBPD Users' Roundtable session focused on Patron Retention moderated by Josh Easter, KLAS Users' Group President.

Session Description:

Our libraries exist to enrich the lives of people with standard print reading disabilities. How do we keep patrons active and coming back? How can we keep people connected and passionate about reading, using our services, and attending our programs? What strategies are other libraries trying? Join the discussion! We have several people on the panel, but it will also be an open floor for discussions.

Panel Participants:

• Lorrie Spoering, Colorado
• Michelle Roossien, Michigan
• Miranda Loper, Mississippi
• JD Burns, Mississippi
• Mary Beth Parks, Pennsylvania
• Moderator: Josh Easter, South Dakota, KLAS Users’ President

Resources shared by JD Burns, Mississippi:

• Borrower's Handbook
  • Borrower's Handbook Video
  • 2025_Borrowers_Handbook.docx
  • 2025_Borrowers_Handbook.pdf
• FAQ
  • TBS_FAQ.docx
  • TBS_FAQ.pdf
• Bard Mobile Video
• Bard Express Video

11/13/2025 Patron Retention Roundtable Chat Transcript - 2025-11-13_Patron_Retention_Roundtable_Chat.txt

11/13/2025 Patron Retention Roundtable Recording

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.

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.

James, Katy, and I hosted a KLAS Users' Group Meeting at the 2025 Northern-Western Conference for Talking Book Libraries. on Tuesday, August 5 to share updates about Keystone and KLAS, future development, allow attendees to ask questions and provide feedback to Keystone staff as well as connect with other LBPD KLAS users.

Below you will find the Presentation we shared as well as the Recording of this session:

• KLAS Users at NLS NW Regional 2025-08 (PPT)
• KLAS Users at NLS NW Regional 2025-08 (PDF)

At the close of the KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, there were two candidates for Vice President of the KLAS Users' Group. Per KLAS Users' Group Bylaws, in the case of two candidates being nominated for a KLAS Users' Group officer position an online election must be held within one month following the KLAS Users Group Business Meeting. The day after the business meeting one candidate withdrew their nomination and threw their support behind the other. However, as the opportunity for vote via voce at the business meeting has passed, an online election open to the full Users' Group is still being held per the bylaws.

May 2026 KLAS Users' Group Vice President Ballot

After you review the candidate's bio and provided statements below, please have your organization select one representative to complete the May 2026 KLAS Users' Group Vice President Ballot.

KLAS Users' Group Vice President Candidate Info

• Candidate's Name: J.D. Burns
• Job Title: Patron Services Coordinator
• Organization: MS1A / Mississippi Library Commission, Talking Book Services Department

About J.D.:

Howdy! My names J.D. Burns. I’m 37 years old and I’m from Jackson Mississippi (and proud of that, btw) where I live with my wife, two children, and five (gasp!) cats. When I’m not working you can usually find me at home hanging out with my kids, or on the off chance gigging or rehearsing with my band. I’ve played guitar since I was 12 years old, and been a gigging musician since 17, and contrary to most I think CD’s are the best way to listen to music. I love to cook and enjoy collecting cookbooks, even though I rarely follow the recipes I find in them. I read all sorts of things, but enjoy comics, horror, politics, and historical non-fiction (typical middle aged dad answer, right?) I love my job and serving our Talking Book Services (TBS) patrons.

What is your experience/background as it applies to serving as a Users’ Group Officer?

While I have not served in any capacity as a KLAS Users Group Officer before, I have consistently attended multiple administrative and users meetings as well as yearly conferences. I’ve also served on some committees within my organization, notably for a short time as interim secretary for our local Friends of Handicapped Readers group, and for about two years as co-president of our organizations events planning committee. In regards to KLAS specifically, I believe as an administrator and daily user of KLAS I have the experience of not only the broad functions but some of its more nuanced features and I’ve worked extensively in most of the modules due to my varied responsibilities over the 7 years I’ve been with MS1A. While I feel like there are always going to be new things to learn, or features I’ve misunderstood/underutilized, I feel confident in my knowledge of the system.

What kind of goals do you have for yourself as an Officer and/or for the Users’ Group?

In regards to personal goals I would love to continue learning about much of the background work KLAS is doing in regards to its daily functions, so as to better understand the system as a whole. I also love learning how others utilize KLAS, what their daily work flow is, how they problem solve or trouble shoot. Sharing tips and tricks to create a better user experience and more efficient routine. My goal would simply to be an asset to the Users Group and to help the group continue moving KLAS into the future as an indispensable tool. I believe I can offer a unique perspective that not only views KLAS as a cataloging, or circulation, or equipment inventory, or patron service tool-but rather all of those things interconnected. How each can have an effect on the other, and on the overall experience, and how that eventually effects the patrons we serve.

The official dates for the 2026 free, online KLAS Users' MiniConference have been set! Please mark your calendars for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 12-13!

Zoom connection information is available below, but go ahead and use the "Add to Calendar" button to save the dates.

• Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87529314606?pwd=Lj83e1SKIjPVxbV2d8pKFfwxSMQAJP.1
• Join instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/87529314606/invitations?signature=icVX-M0uipYwkFtilBrJsFespnbVkhsgMhRft2eNCcs 
  • Meeting ID: 875 2931 4606
  • Passcode: 949243

Check out the conference schedule and session descriptions for each half-day which will include Keystone-presented updates, user-presented sessions, andBirds of a Feather (BoaF) open forum discussions.

Then fill out the 2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference Registration Form at the bottom of the page to let us know which sessions you plan to attend. There is no obligation and you are free to change your mind, but registering with your current plans will help us allocate the proper resources for each session.

Add this event to your personal calendar: 

Breakout Rooms

Other than Wednesday's 1:00 PM Eastern / 11:15 AM Pacific State of Keystone update and KLAS Users' Group Business Meeting, all the sessions for each timeslot will be held concurrently using Breakout Rooms. 

The Zoom link above will take you to the "Lobby" and is good for all sessions. From the Zoom Lobby, you can then select which room to join:

1. Select Breakout rooms from the bottom toolbar of the meeting window.
2. Select "Join" beside the room you want to select.
3. Select Yes to join the room.

 The name of the Breakout room for each session has been added to the schedule below as well as the downloadable version.

2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference Session Schedule & Descriptions

• Download the 2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference Session Schedule & Descriptions (Word) - Updated 5/8 to include breakout rooms

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. 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. To promote open and informal discussion, these sessions are not recorded.

2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference Registration Form

Thank you everyone for joining us for a wonderful 2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference! The recordings from our State of Keystone and KLAS New Features sessions are now available, and the slides from the un-recorded APH Integration Roadmap session are available as well.

Thank you everyone for joining us for a wonderful 2026 KLAS Users' MiniConference! The recordings from NLS and User-presented sessions are now available.

The KLAS Users' Group Officers, Logistics Committee, Program Committee, and Keystone Staff are excited to partner with the Worcester Public Library, Talking Book Services to host the 2027 KLAS Users' Conference March 8-11 in Worcester, MA.

Join the inaugural KLAS Users Reader Advisors Open Forum at 3 PM ET, on Monday, April 20, 2026! Bring your questions, concerns, insights and suggestions to your fellow front line workers.

The KLAS Reader Advisors Forum is held monthly via Zoom on a Monday at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific. This is especially for RAs and others who work with directly patrons to have a place to share, discuss, ask questions, network, and more. Why reinvent the wheel when we can learn some great wheel designs from someone else?!

Amy Elakman, Florida Braille and Talking Book Libraries, and Josh Easter, South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, host/moderate this monthly opportunity for Reader Advisors to come together online and discuss their experiences, issues, ideas, anecdotes, resources, etc. with other KLAS Users’ from other organizations. Be sure to join in!

• What: KLAS Reader Advisors Open Forum
• When: 3 PM ET / Noon PT Monday, April 20
• Where: Zoom!
  • Meeting Link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86336553910?pwd=eQvpDC08zq2wrBAClfHuhaufCDDbUC.\1\
  • Join Instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/86336553910/invitations?signature=E3pt4Lu-fgdWl4dBQxL4-n23c03uoeTOoWnbhCQWH_g
  • • Meeting ID: 863 3655 3910
    • Passcode: 332415
• Who: ALL KLAS Users’ Reader Advisors, staff who work with patrons, or others welcome

Moderated by

• Amy Elakman, Florida Braille and Talking Book Libraries
• Josh Easter, South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, KLAS Users’ Group President

 Add this event to your personal calendar:  

It's that time again! Join KLAS Users' Group President Josh Easter at 3 PM ET, Tuesday, April 21 for the next KLAS Administrators' Open Forum!!

The KLAS Admin Open Forum is held monthly via Zoom on the 3rd Tuesday at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific. This is especially for KLAS Admins to have a place to share, discuss, ask questions, network, and more. Why reinvent the wheel when we can learn some great wheel designs from someone else?!

Josh Easter, South Dakota Talking Book & Braille Library & KLAS Users' Group President, hosts / moderates this monthly opportunity for KLAS Administrators to come together online and discuss their experiences, issues, ideas, anecdotes, resources, etc. with KLAS Admins from other organizations. Be sure to join in!

• What: KLAS Administrators' Open Forum
• When: 3 PM ET / Noon PT Tuesday, April 21
• Where: Zoom!
  • Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81583844348?pwd=JpWDArINdY5WHzYukWbnveYwaTEaqW.1
  • Join Instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/81583844348/invitations?signature=6ekw84yXLmVFDJs2L-pC5ju8gQtkieDeioIqblSJ1FA
    
    • Meeting ID: 815 8384 4348
      Passcode: 369429
• Who: ALL KLAS Administrators

 Add this event to your personal calendar: 

What's on your Spring Cleaning to-do list? Pepper Watson, Oklahoma Accessible Instructional Materials Center, and Marion Campbell, Keystone Systems shared Catalog clean-up items ideal for the months ahead, such as taking inventory, updating WebOrder, and withdrawing Discontinued items such as EBAE titles.

Hear about it all right here!

Referenced resources:

• Withdraw Inventory (locked to logged-in KLAS Admins only)
• Reconcile Inventory

Join Josh and Amy for the May 2026 KLAS Users Reader Advisors Open Forum at 3 PM ET, on Monday, May 18, 2026! Bring your questions, concerns, insights and suggestions to your fellow front line workers.

The KLAS Reader Advisors Forum is held monthly via Zoom on a Monday at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific. This is especially for RAs and others who work with directly patrons to have a place to share, discuss, ask questions, network, and more. Why reinvent the wheel when we can learn some great wheel designs from someone else?!

Amy Elakman, Florida Braille and Talking Book Libraries, and Josh Easter, South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, host/moderate this monthly opportunity for Reader Advisors to come together online and discuss their experiences, issues, ideas, anecdotes, resources, etc. with other KLAS Users’ from other organizations. Be sure to join in!

• What: KLAS Reader Advisors Open Forum
• When: 3 PM ET / Noon PT Monday, May 18
• Where: Zoom!
  • Meeting Link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86336553910?pwd=eQvpDC08zq2wrBAClfHuhaufCDDbUC.\1\
  • Join Instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/86336553910/invitations?signature=E3pt4Lu-fgdWl4dBQxL4-n23c03uoeTOoWnbhCQWH_g
  • • Meeting ID: 863 3655 3910
    • Passcode: 332415
• Who: ALL KLAS Users’ Reader Advisors, staff who work with patrons, or others welcome

Moderated by

• Amy Elakman, Florida Braille and Talking Book Libraries
• Josh Easter, South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, KLAS Users’ Group President

 Add this event to your personal calendar:  

Join KLAS Users' Group President Josh Easter at 3 PM ET, Tuesday, May 19 for the next KLAS Administrators' Open Forum!

The KLAS Admin Open Forum is held monthly via Zoom on the 3rd Tuesday at 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific. This is especially for KLAS Admins to have a place to share, discuss, ask questions, network, and more. Why reinvent the wheel when we can learn some great wheel designs from someone else?!

Josh Easter, South Dakota Talking Book & Braille Library & KLAS Users' Group President, hosts / moderates this monthly opportunity for KLAS Administrators to come together online and discuss their experiences, issues, ideas, anecdotes, resources, etc. with KLAS Admins from other organizations. Be sure to join in!

• What: KLAS Administrators' Open Forum
• When: 3 PM ET / Noon PT Tuesday, May 19
• Where: Zoom!
  • Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81583844348?pwd=JpWDArINdY5WHzYukWbnveYwaTEaqW.1
  • Join Instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/81583844348/invitations?signature=6ekw84yXLmVFDJs2L-pC5ju8gQtkieDeioIqblSJ1FA
    
    • Meeting ID: 815 8384 4348
      Passcode: 369429
• Who: ALL KLAS Administrators

 Add this event to your personal calendar: 

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the intricacies of managing local collections. The panelists will discuss the types of local collections held by their libraries, the frequency and significance of their usage within the community, and the lifecycle of managing these collections—from selecting new items to daily management and weeding practices. There will also be time for a Q&A session with the audience.

• What: KLAS Users' Roundtable: Managing Local Collections
• When: 3 PM Eastern / Noon Pacific, Wednesday, August 20
• Where; Zoom!
  • Meeting Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85715838990?pwd=9q4KtHjR8c8FWxkcYwYm7hTPc9aX4V.1
    
    • Meeting ID: 857 1583 8990
    • Passcode: 541822
  • Join Instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/85715838990/invitations?signature=NAaAmF99s3b_7BId0uqKO-s3Fhp1Q02IO9S3LFJ4Hj4

Add this session to your calendar:

Items, Copies, and Consumables (oh my!)

Do you know the difference between the Item Tab and the Item List Tab, between Tracked and Consumables titles, and between a Copy and an Item? Do you know how to use Batch Add Items for tracked titles and consumables?

If you maintain physical, non copy-specific inventory at your library (that is, inventory where all copies are interchangeable), this reference is for you!

Contents

• Tab Overview
• Tracked vs Consumable
• Copy vs Item: What is the difference?
• Add a Holding
• Batch Add Items - Tracked titles
• Consumables Inventory

Download

Please log in to view available downloads. Thank you!

Remember: You are always welcome to call or email Keystone Customer Support with questions! 

Headings are used to ensure that author, narrator, series and subject entries are consistent from one bibliographic record to the next. Heading Maintenance allows you to add, merge and delete heading authority records.

Note: This function is intended for catalogers and KLAS admins. If you are not sure whether you have the authority to make these types of changes for your library, please clarify with a supervisor before making any changes in Headings Maintenance.

This document includes instructions on: 

• Finding Heading Maintenance
• Adding a new Author or Narrator Heading
• Adding a new Series or Subject Heading
• Modify a Heading
• Merge Headings
• Delete Headings
• Adding MARC Data
• Dewey Decimal Mapping

Download:

Resources:

For instructions on adding or removing a Subject Heading from a batch of titles, see:

• Change Headings by Query Set

How do you use Headings Maintenance? Share your tips in the comments--or let us know if you have questions!

As we head into the new year, is there a habit you want to work on or something new you’d like to try? Here are a few ideas for KLAS Resolutions you might want to give a shot this year:

Learn a new Keyboard Shortcut

Keyboard Shortcuts are a great way to speed up your workflow, and KLAS has a lot of them! Don’t get overwhelmed trying to learn them all at once. Instead, pick one or two functions you use regularly and make a habit of using the keyboard command to open or perform the function instead of the toolbar or Menu items. 

You can browse this reference of available commands, or keep an eye on the Menu: any function with a direct keyboard shortcut will list it as part of the menu item.

Read the confirmation messages

How often do you hit that “OK” button only to realize that you have no idea what the message you dismissed actually said? I’m guilty of this one myself even though I know our programmers put in Confirmation messages for good reasons, and I’ve seen plenty of “whoops” messages come into Customer Support needing something restored. Don’t feel bad if you need to send one of those messages. We’ve all done it… but that means we can all work on slowing down just a little bit to read the message and make sure it’s really OK before we hit that button (especially for Bulk functions).

Post something to the forum

Is there a question you want to ask your fellow KLAS users? A resource you’ve created for your staff or your patrons? Something new you learned to do in KLAS that’s helped you out? 

Share it on the Forums!

Whether you post a new thread, reply to someone else’s, or post a comment on any article–we’d love to hear from you on the Forums this year. 

Review your OPAC’s Browse page 

Does everything work? If you have a “Staff Picks” browse, have you added new titles to it lately? If you haven’t updated the Browse page on your WebOPAC lately, now is a great time to review it and let us know if you want to add or remove any browses. Staff Picks are usually set using a local subject, so it’s easy to add to the books your staff enjoyed last year (or remove if you want to trim up the back of the list a bit). If you aren’t sure the subject heading to use or the list doesn’t appear to update, we can take a look at how yours is set up specifically.

Want some ideas? Check out your fellow KLAS users' OPACs.

Record patrons' positive feedback--and share it!

We know how important you and the services you provide are to your patrons. When you get that good feedback, what do you do with it?

This year, make sure to jot it down in the Comments under a specific (query-able) Subject line or, better yet, a specific Note Type. If you don’t have Note Types set up yet, just let us know what you want and we’ll add them for you. For example, some states use “Smile” for recording positive feedback.

Being able to search for these comments doesn’t just give you a nice boost on tough days–you can share your favorites with your coworkers, your funding agency, and your representatives.

What new habits are you trying to bring into the new year? Let us know your KLAS Resolutions in the comments!