NLS Staff Present:
Karen Keninger, Director
Isabella Marques de Castilla, Deputy Director
John Bryant, Head, Production Control Division
John Brown, Head, Engineering Section
Jane Caulton, Head, Publications & Media Section
Margaret Goergen Rood, Assistant Head, Quality Assurance Section
Vickie Collins, Network Consultant
Pamela Davenport, Network Consultant
Paula Bahmani
Alina Twietmeyer, Student
Network Chairs:
Debbi MacLeod, Western Conference
Craig Hayward, Southern Conference
Sharon Ruda, Midlands Conference
Adam Szczepaniak, Northern Conference
NLS Updates
TBT MOC – experiencing more issues when TBTs go out in MOC, messages have now been changed (read quick or die), confusing patrons because they think it’s a catalog and don’t understand the need to return, much longer to read through it (250 titles). We wonder if it can’t be treated like a book instead of a magazine. Patrons don’t seem to get the order form at same time (before or after the actual magazine). NLS may change the wording on order form to reflect that it may arrive separately at various times.
Local Materials on BARD – conducted survey, need to work on processes, they have selected 2 libraries from each conference to work through a pre-pilot. Libraries have not been notified yet. They filled out survey first.
iPhone App - in BETA in a couple of weeks, to provide support for the app: notice that lists the types of devices that will be able to be used, documentation will be available, video and promotional videos will be available. Will have high-level support available from NLS.
It was suggested that libraries have one of these devices in order to help with troubleshooting from their end and to get familiar with Voiceover and Zoom. Anticipated arrival of app is sometime in the fall.
Conference Chair Questions and Issues:
Chairs: Stock labels for cartridges back ordered and people having problems with peeling, why unavailable and when will be and are you aware of quality issues?
NLS Response: John Brown explained that they are working through procurement channels, looking at different stock, different adhesives and glad to know about quality issues. Steve Prine said NLS has never planned to provide all labels for all libraries, only a representative quantity to help out. John Bryant wants to know about the quality issues so have libraries having those experiences contact their consultant.
Chairs: CMLS issues with lists sent to libraries
NLS Response: working on it. Steve explained that there was an issue with someone new creating them. They are working on a better way to provide it going forward. Will send out revised documents by the end of the week of July 26.
Chairs: Is NLS partnering with Perkins on a technology project?
NLS Response: Karen explained that NLS has offered to advertise what’s happening but that’s as far as any collaboration on that project.
Chairs: Updated list of staff, and a who’s who and what they do.
NLS Response: They’ll consider this, but for now just go to network consultant for new list. Right now NLS is in flux at several staff position with John Brown and Margaret Goergen Rood in acting positions.
Chairs: Time line for cartridge vendor
NLS Response: Some NLS being shipped in July and Aug and after that will be for us probably in September. Back orders will be done first – those placed with Northstar. Please let us know because there could be fiscal problems.
Chairs: Appreciative of introductions of staff at phone conference calls, could there be an out of office message for emails when consultants traveling?
Chairs: Midlands thanked Karen and NLS for having the Braille Summit at Perkins. We would like to have more information about it at the National Conference. Karen will try to have it as an agenda item at the 2014 National Conference.
Chairs: Happy that issues addressed at last call were addressed.
Chairs: NLS please do annotations of commercial books.
Chairs: Permanent ILL copies not coming: perhaps estimated date of delivery of orders, increase quarterly limits to 200 and stagger orders like XESS.
NLS Response: John Bryant explained that MSCs ran out of cartridges and containers and that’s why there was a delay. They were sent some last week and hope to get back orders to libraries.
Chairs: Problems with patron delinquent list for MOC from the flood of daily emails. Would prefer a way to de-duplicate multiple entries of the same patron to prevent sending excessive overdue notices.
NLS Response: will try to go to a weekly list to improve things. Lots of programming needs to occur to change how list is made and to provide de-duping capability. For now filtering is available and you can sort the list as needed. This shows up as a webpage.