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This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing


Jacqueline Winspear, author of the wildly popular Maisie Dodds series, titled her recent memoir This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing, quoting her father’s comforting words during World War II in England. Here at Quipu, we hope that is the case for all of our customers, family and friends. If there ever was a time in which a taste for ambiguity has been required, it is now. And never have we seen our libraries and staff be more resilient and resourceful. Beside the usual “What’s New” stuff, we’re going to share some stories from our customers on thinking about how processes and tools can be reimagined to deal with change. Stay well, stay safe, wear your mask! - Melissa, Scott and Robert
eCARD - The Cool Kid Suddenly Got Hot!

As you can imagine, Quipu Group was flooded with inquiries for an online library card registration system. eCARD became the star at many of our customer’s libraries, allowing new cardholders to get immediate access to online resources, from streaming video to genealogy databases. Anne Fischer of the Metropolitan Library System (OK) got in touch with Quipu during COVID-19 lockdowns - "Thanks for all you do to help us out. The online registration has been working very well during this time of closure. We've registered over 1200 users as of this morning in just three weeks time so I think it has done extremely well!"

Lynn Hoffman set up a #BeSafeAtHome public relations campaign for Somerset County Library System of New Jersey which ingeniously tied in eCARD online registration.”Our Board and the County Board *love* the BESAFE initiative,” shared Hoffman. “We've had over 150 successful signups of non-residents since March 16, and going on 600 regular ONLINE registrations, and those are numbers that are really great for us to be able to report. So thanks for helping make that happen!”

King County Library System (WA) made library card sign-up the “gotcha” in this short video they produced to let their customers know “KCLC Is Still Here For You.” 

Since early March, Quipu Group has set up many new library systems with eCARD in a response to building closures and lack of access to collections. After all, it’s the best way to keep access open even when doors are closed!
Quipu Group Becomes HALO Fund Partner

In early April, EveryLibrary Institute reached out to Quipu Group for a challenge match of $1000 to help fund grants to help a library worker out. With an original goal of $25,000, HALO funding has now hit $65,000! All tax-deductible donations will be bundled-up and will go to qualified library workers, librarians, and staff from public, school, and academic libraries who need help with household expenses and other needs due to COVID-19 closures. Funding is focused on library workers, librarians, and library staff who have an urgent financial need. Quipu Group is proud to support this initiative, and invites you to visit the HALO website for more information.
One More Time… This is Quipu

Of course we were over the moon to read about Cecilia Vicuña’s art installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, ”About to Happen,” the Chilean-born artist’s first major traveling exhibition in the United States. Why? Quipus! People IN quipus! A reviewer calls her work resurrectional and archeological - so please take a look. We’re especially intrigued by the idea of the human quipu - perhaps something to try at a future user group meeting?
ePASS Reimagined?

Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) has been looking into the possibility of using Explore More Illinois as a way to allow patrons to make reservations for being at the library once they start re-opening. The first library that brought this up decided not to use it because the people would have to have a library card to make a reservation, but that’s where eCARD comes in! We’re not sure if this will come to anything but we like the way you’re thinking, RAILS!

Several ePASS cIients have begun looking at using the system for registering for limited attendance/access virtual tours, trainings and classes for library customers. Being in a fluid state, museums, zoos and other cultural institutions are looking for ways to connect to their customers in new ways, and ePASS offers the flexibility for each site to “open” in their own way. 

PITS = Happy Staff

We are big fans of making life easier for frontline library staff here at Quipu, which is why we are delighted to share this fan mail from Justin Stevenson, Digital Services Librarian at Siouxland Libraries:

“The Siouxland Libraries staff have loved how PITS brings together disparate logs from all of our branches into one central location. Having perpetrator details in the same place as incident descriptions, photos, and other documents speeds up the reporting process and saves staff time.”

Thanks Justin! And here’s more good news - two new PITS customers have joined the ranks, and we’d like to officially welcome Metropolitan Library System (OK) and Laramie County Library System (WY).
 

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