…because there’s always a question, and hopefully an answer!

• Technical matters:
  • Does it work with clover? No.
  • Does it integrate with our ILS? No.
    • KitKeeper is an independent reservation system. If you desire, you can add your kits to your own catalog as well as KitKeeper, and loan them out through your ILS with whatever workflow process is best for you. You will need to update in your ILS AND KitKeeper. Some libraries choose not to put their kits into their ILS as it can be confusing. It is much simpler to maintain only KitKeeper. Member libraries are required to have their kits available through Kitkeeper and need to figure out their own work flows to accommodate this.
  • Are kit barcodes and patron barcodes required? No, kit barcodes can be used by libraries but are not required. Patron barcodes will not be used since the service is for librarians only.
  • Can I update my own library’s contact information and kits?
    • Yes.
  • How do I get my library’s kit into KitKeeper?
    • First make sure the committee adds your library to the system.
    • There are two ways to upload records: Send a completed spreadsheet to a committee member, who will submit it to Plymouth Rocket for bulk uploading. This is great if you have many kits.
    • Add a kit manually. This is great if you just have a few kits. You can check out the “How to Add Kits” page to get you started–but please don’t hesitate to ask for help! This is the same interface you will use to update a kit’s information.
  • Whose Email do I use when completing a request form?
    • When requesting a kit, no matter which library or personal name is entered on the request form, the email needs to be that of a staff member who is going to be responsible for keeping track of the kit. This should be the Contact Email listed in your KitKeeper Account. To check your library’s contact information, login to KitKeeper and click on the “Kit Staff” link under the kit reservation area.
  • Can you explain the Kit lending times in more detail?
    • The 9 weeks is the total time the kit will be in use, from the date the host library sends the kit out via the courier to the date the host library receives it back from the borrowing library. The “borrowing time” is 6 weeks. 
    • When placing a reservation the pick up date is the date you want to use the kit. In other words, the date you want to hand the books out to your book club. The system has 10 days built-in before the ‘pick up’ date for shipping, so you don’t need to factor in the timing getting the kit to you, you just need to know what day you will be giving them to your readers. The system has 10 days built in to return the books to the lending library so it cannot be reserved during this time.

• Communication
  • Is there a mailing list?
  • We have started a Google Groups list for discussion around the VT Book Club Kits project.
  • You will need to sign in to Google Groups, and search for VT book club kits, and click on “Apply for membership”
  • Here’s a handy link for creating a Google account for your work email.

• Usage
  • Will the service be accessible to patrons?
    • No, the borrowing library is the ‘patron’. Our service is currently designed for librarian use only. Patrons will still need to speak to librarians to reserve kits through their library.However, patrons can view the list of available titles (but not put them on reserve) through the landing page for KitKeeper: http://www.eventkeeper.com/kitkeeper/index.cfm?curOrg=gmlc
  • Who can request a kit?
    • Only library staff place requests. The two roles in KitKeeper are Admin and Staff. Both roles have the ability to modify kits or their status, so patrons should not be granted logins. We do not have the capability to allow for direct patron requests at this time. You can choose to loan a kit to your patrons, but it is done with you, the library, as the borrower.
  • How can I get a list of kit titles I can share with people outside of the database?
    • You can export the list of titles to an Excel spreadsheet and re-arrange it however you like. See further directions on the How to Find and Export Information page.
  • What if my library has the same kit as another library?
    • That’s okay! One of the goals of the project is to develop a shared collection of book club kits. Some titles may need multiple kits, some may not. If you’re thinking about weeding your redundant copy, please reach out to the other owning library (libraries) to confirm that they intend to keep theirs available.
    • We also have a wish list of desired titles to help the shared collection to grow. Suggestions are welcome!