The time has come: Talking Book Topics (TBT3 / TBT4) is being handed over to the network libraries for duplication.

Per our previous article on the topic: you have two options for distribution.

• The quickest, easiest, simplest option is to send it with your other NLS serials (usually as the DS medium). If many of your TBT subscribers also get other serials, they can travel on the same cartridge to save you some labor.
• The option that will give you the most control and the best statistics is to give it a unique medium (such as TBT). This option allows you to send the TBT on a different day of the week from your other serials, and ensures that a patron already at cutoff for serials can still get the new TBT so long as they’ve returned the previous one.

Let us know which medium you want to use, and we’ll get the Serial title set up for you. Either way, new issues will load automatically ready-to-duplicate just like all the former MOCs.

The rest of this article discusses options for reviewing and weeding your subscribers list, sending a form letter, handling the TBT Order Form, and available support. 

You have options for how to move forward depending on how hands-on you want to be: if you can invest some time and/or send an Opt-In form letter now, it can save you time duplicating TBT issues for patrons that won’t make use of them. 

Reviewing your Subscribers

As discussed in the previous article, we recommend reviewing your subscriber list to make sure that you are only duplicating the catalog for patrons that actually want it. 

If you only subscribe patrons to TBT on request and are comfortable duplicating TBT for your current active subscriber count, we can copy that subscriber list to the new serial. On the other hand, if you have a high number of subscribers, and if you have previously subscribed people to TBT by default, you might want to send a form letter (discussed below), and / or do some review and weeding of your subscriber list. 

But how to go about doing that?

Patrons to Subscribe: 

If you are going to send Talking Book Topics as a DS, you can leave anyone already getting other DS serials subscribed to it without any extra work. To find these patrons, Query in the Patron module for:

Quick Search

• Main Status | Equals | A
• Pat Medium | Equals | DS
• Medium Status | Equals | A
• Last Served Date | Is Between | 12/01/2025 | 02/26/2026
  [optional parameter to narrow results to patrons that have gotten something in the past three months]

Advanced Search

• Subscription | KLAS ID | Equals | SER-TBT4
  [or may be SER-TBT3 in your database]
• Subscription | End Date | Is blank

Additional “Patrons to Subscribe” query options:

If your staff adds TBT requests to the Request list instead of directly to the Service Queue, requests can be queried (although the time elapsed since the last TBT makes these more likely to have all gone out by now):

• Media | Pat Medium | Equals | DB
• Media | # Requests | Does not Equal | 0
  

You could also try Querying for all subscribers with recent DB activity (just sub DB for DS in the first query in this article).

Patrons to Review:

Use Merge Queries to remove the above results from the full subscriber list to see who’s left. Start by running the above query and opening the Query Set by double-clicking any result.

Then query for all active patrons with a subscription to TBT4:

Quick Search

• Main Status | Equals | A

Advanced Search

• Subscription | KLAS ID | Equals | SER-TBT4
  [or may be SER-TBT3 in your database]
• Subscription | End Date | Is blank

Again, make sure to open the Query Set instead of just exiting the results screen.

Finally, use the Queries menu to select Merge Queries, and set the following:

• Query A: your most recent Query, with all active subscribers
• Query B: second most recent Query, subscribers that are already active in DS (or one of the other “patrons to subscribe” queries.
• Merge: in A, not B

Export this list to Excel with a high enough Max to include all the Merge results, Visible Fields only, for a list you can divvy between staff and/or make notes on.

Double-click any result in the table below to open the Query Set to print Labels for a form letter, to do another merge to subtract another “patrons to subscribe” query from these results, or to start reviewing results in KLAS.

If this still gets you an overwhelming number of results, feel free to get in touch with Customer support to talk through your options!

What to Check For:

Once you have a list of patrons to review, what are you looking for?

Other than general activity and known patron preference, check for signs that the patron has actively been requesting titles. In addition to the Requests tab, you can look at the Items Tab “Selected By” column for QuickRequest or Web. If a patron has just been getting titles by preference, and particularly if they have been requesting titles via the WebOPAC, do they really need or want a recorded catalog? But if they’ve been getting a lot of titles from Quick Request, they got those numbers somewhere–and TBT is a likely source.

You can also watch for BARD patrons. While just having a subscription to SER-DDB9 doesn’t mean the patron is comfortable using BARD, you can check for downloads on the patron’s Items tab as well. If you use a Serve Type of BARD or OB for your download-only patrons, they can easily be excluded from your subscriber list.

Finally, watch for blocks. If a patron just has a temporary block to hold their books while they are on vacation, that doesn’t need to impact your decision. On the other hand, if they have a block for returned mail and no one has been able to contact the patron for over six months, you probably don’t need to duplicate the TBT for that patron just for it to be returned to sender.

Form Letter

You may wish to send notification to all TBT subscribers, or just those targeted for review, letting them know about the change in distribution and asking if they want to remain subscribed.

Simply making the duplicated version of the TBT strictly Opt-In rather than trying to decide which subscribers to keep may be the best option for some libraries, although it does require a print cost for the mailing itself, and it places the burden on patrons who may not be able to easily read and reply to a letter or postcard.

For sending a letter, you can filter the SER-TBT4 subscribers tab to only show Active patrons, and export to excel with All Fields for a mail merge. 

Or you can use either the all Active Subscribers query above or the merged query set with the Patron labels function. While in the Query Set, use the Functions menu to select Labels. Switch the radio button to “Entire Query,” and contact us if you need a new Label Stock set up.

About the Order Form

Do you want to print and mail the order form to your patrons? Or only to patrons that request it?

We can add a new Large Print serial for the TBT Order Form, allowing you to subscribe only the patrons that actively want the order form. The downsides of this approach:

• Timing: the new issue of TBT will show up and start going into orders as soon as NLS distributes the file, even if the order form isn’t posted or printed yet.
• Once the order form is available, you would need to manually add the new Issue as you would for a local serial. 

Available Support

We will be getting the serial record added for all KLAS libraries. If you want it as a new Medium, we are happy to do all of that set-up as well.

Once you have the new record, you can start adding the subscribers you know you want to keep. If it’s an extensive list even after the review and curation above, we may be able to help.

There’s no particular need to cancel or remove the subscriptions to the SER- version. As with the big MOC transition, I’d recommend leaving them for now so you have the information available to reference. If you want them cancelled for cleanliness sake later on, we can do so.

Finally, remember that the forums are here to help you all help each other! If you create a form letter (or recorded announcement), have other ideas of criteria to check for (either for the “to subscribe” column or the “don’t subscribe” column), or have other strategies and ideas for serving your patrons better for this transition–please share in the comments below!

Learn the basics of KLAS in this introduction webinar for new users, or those looking to fill in a few gaps in their foundation. Topics  include standard toolbar functions, using browse tables, and comments. These fundamentals are useful throughout KLAS, for both Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) and Instructional Resource / Materials Center (IRC/IMC) users.

Resources & References

• KLAS Keyboard Shortcuts
• Adjust Font Size in KLAS
• Reader Advisor Manual or Front Desk Service

Hands-on Practice Worksheet

• NewUser-0-NavigatingKLAS (docx)

Session Recording

Timestamps of Topics Discussed:

• 2:30 Logging into the KLAS Training Database
• 6:38 KLAS Header Info
• 7:29 Using Find
• 9:56 "Begins" Searching
• 11:09 Searching for a phone number
• 13:10 Recent list
• 13:28 Comments function
• 14:47 Browse Tables
• 16:53 Sorting columns in a browse table
• 17:59 Filtering a browse table
• 19:00 Moving columns in a browse table
• 20:00 Saving browse table column positions
• 21:20 Exporting data to Excel from a browse table
• 25:12 Resetting browse table column positions
• 27:40 Transaction Buttons (Add, Update, Delete, Reset, Cancel)
• 39:22 The Functions Menu
• 43:50 Example function: How to erase Has-Hads
• 50:35 About KLASusers.com 

The PIMMS error report is sent nightly to alert you to any errors returned by the PIMMS sync. These errors prevent any changes to the record from syncing, so they must be addressed to allow the patron or machine information to be updated. Errors remain in the report until they are corrected and the patron can successfully sync with PIMMS.

If an error is not listed below, or if the included recommended action / things-to-check do not clear the error, please contact Customer Support with the full row information from the report, including the Patron or Machine ID and the full error text.

Note that one line may include multiple errors. For example: “MaintainPatron - Edit Failed
First name must be a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 255 characters
Last name must be a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 255 characters
Individual patrons must have a 4 digit birth year (YYYY), or a full birth date (YYYY-MM-DD)”

If you need to change who at your library receives this vital report, contact Customer Support at

• Download the PIMMS Error Listing (docx)
• Download the PIMMS Error Listing (PDF)

The following MARC records have had diacritic marks or other issues corrected. Please upload these files in place of the NLS version.

For more information on uploading MARC Records, see Are Your Records Up-To-Date? on the forums.

Note: You must be logged in to view and download these files.

Latest Updates

The second February files were uploaded 2/27/2026.

The Jan/Feb TBT Query Set was uploaded on 1/23/2026. 

Please log in to download content. Thank you!

For patrons not in compliance with the NLS Parental Acknowledgement requirements, KLAS can automatically Block the accounts until the acknowledgement is corrected so nothing is sent to them. However, these Blocks are NOT communicated to NLS. Rather, they're a warning flag and a temporary measure while correcting data entry issues.

If you don't have these Blocks set up yet, please contact Keystone Customer Support, so we can enable them for you! 

Once the Blocks are in place, use the Blocked Patron Report to easily find these patron records for review and correction.

1. From the Patron module, select Reports - Activity - Blocked Patron Report 
2. Select one or all of the Acknowledgement-related Block Types: 532 - 535
3. To get the current results now, use the Run button
   OR, To automatically get the report on a routine basis, set the Output Parameter to Email, enter your address, and select Run As Batch Job.
   Set the Frequency to Weekly, check the day or days on which you want the report, and enter the time to run the report in 24-hour format (for example, 1pm would be 13:00).

Records with any of these Blocks should be either corrected or Suspended immediately. If you find you cannot correct a record or have questions about it, please contact Customer Support with the patron’s name and ID. 

We are seeing that many of the Active records not in compliance are cases where only part of the Acknowledgement is missing. For example, a patron may have a "Yes" answer but the Parent/Guardian Alt Contact is missing. There are different blocks for each part of the acknowledgement (Birth Date, Acknowledgement Answer Property, and Alt Contact), so patrons with only one of these Blocks are usually a quick fix! 

On Thursday, January 22, 2026 several Library for the Blind and Print Disabled network libraries shared about the programming they do to engage library patrons in-person or virtually. Engaging our patrons is an important way to retain them and keep patrons connected to the library and their fellow library users.

This session included a discussion of partnerships with public libraries, including Florida’s Ambassador Program and New Mexico’s Scribe Mini DOD systems in public libraries.

Panel Participants:

• Maureen Dorosinski, Florida Braille and Talking Book Libraries
• Jennifer McGill, New Mexico Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
• Ann Minner, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Talking Book Program
• Abby Chumin, Indiana State Library, Talking Book and Braille Library
• Moderator: Josh Easter, South Dakota, KLAS Users’ President

Panelist Presentations & Resources

• Maureen Dorosinski's Presentation & Resources
  • Google Drive Folder with all below files.
  • Ambassador_Program_inquiry_letter_text.docx
  • Ambassador_Slides-Suwannee_River_Regional_Library_System.pptx
  • BARD_Demo_Books.docx
  • Email_Example_FL_Ambassador_intro.pdf
  • Instructions_for_waking_up_and_demo-ing_the_ereader.docx
  • Patron_Referral_Code_Query.docx
  • Publicity_List_for_Ambassadors.docx
  • braille_ABC_cards_Avery_label_5160.pdf
  • fun_with_braille_Avery_label_5161.pdf
  • referral_on_app_-_return_envelope.pdf
• Jennifer Finley-McGill's Resources
  • Google Drive folder with all below files and "Scribe Mini Signs Unit 10.pub"
  • Scribe_Mini.jpg
  • THATALLMAYREADa.pdf
  • Book-Refill-Station-Rio-Rancho-242x300.png
  • 2023_LBPD_Brochure_Outreach.pdf
• Abby Chumin's Presentation & Resources 
  • Google Drive Folder with all below files
  • NLS_Jan_21_and_KLAS_Jan_22.pptx
  • Packet_1.docx
  • Packet_2_adults.docx
  • Packet_2_Children.docx
  • Summer_Reading_Board_Kids.pdf
  • Application_2026.docx
• George Martell's Scribe Micro Presentation
  • Scribe_Micro_-_2025-01-22.pptx
  • Scribe Duplication System Specs & Cost Information
• Jennifer Finley-McGill's Resources
  • Google Drive Folder with below files & "Scribe Mini Signs Unit 10.pub"
  • Scribe_Mini.jpg
  • THATALLMAYREADa.pdf
  • Book-Refill-Station-Rio-Rancho-242x300.png
  • 2023_LBPD_Brochure_Outreach.pdf

Session Recording & Chat

Chat Transcript: 012252026_Programming__Partnerships_Chat.txt

As NLS makes sure that the "I"s are dotted and the "T"s are crossed on all the open collection acknowledgements, here's a run-down of all the required fields:

1. Patron Main

On the Main tab, the relevant Patron Types are:

• IP or IS for Institutions (make sure that Individual checkbox is blank)
• For juveniles, any patron type that begins with P will be checked for for the age (make sure that Individual checkbox is marked)

2. Contact tab

On the Contact tab, make sure the Alt Contact is present and complete:

• Legal for Institutions
• Parent or Guardian for juveniles
• Title in Description field for Institutions
• Full Name for either
• Phone and email for Institutions (corrected 2/17/26. Phone and email are optional for juveniles.)

2b. Contact Preference

If there is more than one Alt Contact of a relevant SubType (such as two Parents on a juvenile's account), you need to specify which one to sync to NLS as having provided the Acknowledgement Answer.

Do this by setting a Contact Preference for the ParentalAck.

Finally, you need the Property record (aka Preference) recording the Answer and the Answer Date.

• For Institutions, the Property Type is Legal Acknowledgement
• For Juveniles, the Property Type is Parental Acknowledgement
• Either way, the answers are likely worded as "Parent Does Acknowledge" etc.
• Include the Date Answered

Questions & PIMMS Error Report

If you aren't sure why an account is included in NLS' list of non-compliant records and/or in your PIMMS Error Report, please check each of the above fields, and let customer support know the Patron ID if you still need help! If the record was in your Error Report, please include the text of the error as well.

On Thursday, December 11, 2025 Marion and Katy presented a free, online KLAS IRC-focused webinar. During this session, they discussed and demonstrated KLAS functions that can help you prepare for and complete the 2025 APH Census as well as other reporting tools.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, do you know who was included in your last APH Census? Who is in your database but wasn't in the Census? Is your WebOrder Census section set up correctly to give errors and information that is useful to teachers? Do you have an up-to-date Help page with the FAQs and downloads you want to provide?

Hear about and learn all those end-of-year tasks, and any other reporting needs.

Resources mentioned:

• WebOrder User Docs
• Lines by Patron Role Report

Recording:

The workflow you use to add new Copies and Items to inventory depends on whether they are Copy-Specific or Non-Copy-Specific.

Add Local Titles

If the new inventory is for a new Title, follow this guide to add a new, non-NLS monograph to your catalog.

• Add Local Title - 2025 (doc)
• Add Local Title - 2025 (pdf)

Copy-Specific

When Items come with a suitable barcode already in place, or if you apply barcodes from a pre-printed label sheet, the Items then need to be received into KLAS individually so that KLAS knows which barcodes belong to the Title.

Using copy-specific barcodes on each Item allows you to track each specific Item’s status and history separately from any other copies of the same Title.

• Add Barcoded Items - 2024 (doc)
• Add Barcoded Items - 2024 (pdf)

Non-Copy-Specific

When Items come without a suitable barcode already in place, or if you do not use unique barcodes on your Items (non-copy-specific), the Items can be received into KLAS using the Batch Add Items function.

• Add Un-Barcoded Items - 2024 (doc)
• Add Un-Barcoded Items - 2024 (pdf)

Need more information about catalog inventory, such as the difference between a Copy and an Item, or how to add Consumable inventory? Please see Catalog Inventory.

The Lines by Patron Role Report returns all of the Material Request lines that meet a flexible set of criteria for a given time frame, grouped by Patron Role. This report replaces the Students Served report previously run by Customer Support.

The document below includes instructions followed by examples:

• LinesByPatron-2025.docx
• LinesByPatron-2025.pdf

Use the Reference Worksheet to record which parameters you use for easy reference the next time you run the report:

• LinesByPatron-Worksheet (docx)

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

Katy and Katharina hosted a KLAS Users' Group Meeting at the 2025 Midlands-Southern Conference for Talking Book Libraries on Tuesday, September 16 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 MS Regional 2025-09 (PPT)

During this session for Library for the Blind and Print Disabled KLAS Users, Katy shared information about your end-of-year reporting process, including updates to Mitake's "Circulation Summary" spreadsheets, the new report for NLS's officially requested statistics, queries for Referral Source and Inactive Reasons, and a brief look at Batch Patron Status Review (BPSR) and how it helps keep your database clean and your statistics accurate.

Slides:

• EOY Reporting 2025 (PPT)
• Note: these slides have been updated to include (tested and verified) example queries. I believe the queries that did not work during the session were due to an error on the Basic Tab. 

Recording:

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)

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:

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

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

Instructional Resource / Materials Center staff who use KLAS were invited to attend the KLAS IRC Users' Meeting on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 prior to the start of the 2025 American Printing House for the Blind Annual Meeting.

Slides:

• KLAS_Users_at_APH_2025 (PPT)

Recording:

The Batch Receive function allows you to easily add Equipment inventory in KLAS.

To add a Range of machines, they must be a complete sequence (common for boxes of new equipment), and must have numeric serial numbers, not alpha-numeric such as the EBZ braille readers. For non-sequential and/or alpha-numeric equipment, the Single option must be used.

Download

Please log in to view available downloads. Thank you!

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

The Customer Support team is always happy to answer questions--but sometimes you just want to sit down with a KLAS expert and take a look at something. On Wednesday, June 18 we invited KLASUsers to challenge Katy's KLAS knowledge and get the answers to all their nagging questions during this informal webinar.

Didn't make it? Don't worry--this webinar was recorded and posted to KLASusers. Below are the chat, links to articles with more informations about some of the topics we discussed, and the webinar recording.

Chat

• KLAS_Q&A_with_Katy_Chat_2025-06-18.txt

Relevant Articles / Forum Posts

• How to adjust the font size in KLAS
• KLAS Keyboard Shortcuts
• Readership and Circulation Report info
• Rush Item Update - discusses allowing Patron WebOPAC "Rush" requests pushed to the top of patrons' Service Queues!
• Getting Smart about Series - options for how KLAS' Nightly AutoSelect could better approach assigning series
• Auto-adding Service Queues Forum post
• KLAS Admin Training Info

Webinar Recording

On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 18, David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer, Minnesota State Services for the Blind presented a hybrid session titled "Braille: A Format for the Future" during the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference. 

This session provided an overview and brief history of paperless Braille devices, explored the evolution of the eBraille format, including the who, what, when, where and how, as well as the development of other formats, such as DAISY and ePub which led to it. David then spoke about about the implementation and what the future looks like.

For those unable to attend the conference or the session, you will find the recording of David's presentation below:

Below are the slidedecks and recordings of the libraries for the blind and print disabled (LBPD) and instructional resource / materials center (IRC / IMC) KLAS New Features Sessions held on Tuesday, May 18, 2025 at the 2025 KLAS Users' Conference.

LBPD New Features in KLAS

• KLASUC2025-Patrick-NewFeaturesLBPD.pptx
• KLASUC2025-Patrick-NewFeaturesLBPD.pdf

IRC / IMC New Features in KLAS

• KLASUC2025-Honeycutt-New_Features_for_IRC.pptx
• KLASUC2025-Honeycutt-New_Features_for_IRC.pdf