Rotating book service provides diversity

BY SHERI HOLMES
ELLINWOOD — Last month, Sharon Sturgis took me to Great Bend to the Central Kansas Library System (CKLS), where I met Harry Willems and his staff of consultants.  I was very impressed with all they have to offer, and continue to be impressed as I learn how Ellinwood School/Community Library utilizes their services.
Rotating Books, which is headed by Gail Santy and distributed by driver, Ron Sanders, have been popular at our library.  The CKLS Rotating Truck visits six times a year. The Rotating Collection contains more than 13,000 popular adult and children’s books, audio books, and video games for us to lend to our patrons.
CKLS Rotating Books Service:
• Encourages and welcomes suggestions from librarians and readers for additions to the collection.
• Supplements local collections for system libraries.
The Rotating Books Service provides current and popular reading to patrons by extending and supplementing the permanent collection of the libraries. Julie Blakeslee and Michele Martin select the books from the rotating van on each rotation.
Kathy Rippel, heads the Interlibrary Loan Department and is assisted by Holly Regan.
The Interlibrary Loan Department:
• Locates requested material and asks that the material be sent to the requesting library.
• Assists with collection development projects to strengthen collections across the state and to encourage resource sharing among libraries in Kansas.
• Helps the staff of member libraries verify requests using appropriate technologies.
• Oversees training of new interlibrary loan personnel from member libraries and promotes adherence to the interlibrary loan protocols.
• Assists local librarians in securing the return of overdue interlibrary loan materials.
• Assesses interlibrary loan procedures annually and makes recommendations for improvements.
Through Interlibrary Loan Service any library in the state can offer patrons access to materials not available at the local library. Resource sharing among System libraries depends on a local commitment to interlibrary loan. System interlibrary loan services facilitate the transfer of library materials from one Kansas library to another in response to a specific patron request.  Interlibrary Loan Service is offered to all readers in the Central Kansas Library System area through the local public library, or, for rural residents, directly from CKLS by Phone-From-Home Service. Materials not available at the local public library may be requested on interlibrary loan through Michele Martin. Rural residents may call CKLS directly for interlibrary loan assistance. Photocopy requests of periodical articles or book sections may be sent to CKLS. If the request cannot be filled by CKLS resources, it is referred to another library which may charge a reproduction fee for the photocopy.
These are just a couple of the services that we utilize through CKLS.  If you would like to learn more about their services, please visit them on-line at http://www.ckls.org/.
Sheri Holmes is the librarian at the Ellinwood School Community/Library.