Historical March 1987 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
This month introduces a change in the library column offered by The Times.
As an experiment, the content of the articles will focus on the various services available through the Kingsbury Kiosk, its homebase – the Cabanne Branch Library, the St. Louis Public Library System and ultimately, the Library Network. Size, technology, and time are the three factors involved in providing service to our patronage. Primarily, the Kingsbury Kiosk with its librarian, Mary Ann Shickman, should be considered a conduit to the St. Louis Public Library System.
The Kiosk’s size precludes it from being more than key to the systems entry-way.
In today’s society, even larger collections must seek outside sources to fulfill patrons’ requests. Therefore, the Kingsbury Kiosk uses technology to answer loyal patrons’ needs.
The telephone and the data base are the Kiosk’s lifeline to the information system. Available at the Kingsbury Kiosk is an on-line data base which can be called upon to search by exact title the holdings of the entire citywide collection.
If an author, title, or subject search is necessary, there is the microfiche catalog that is accessible in the Kiosk.
If a patron has a correct title, the library system has the ability to search through the City, the region, and the network libraries and to have the material delivered to the nearest branch library. Of course, the more detailed the search, the longer the time-frame involved in the search and retrieval of the desired information. I would encourage patrons, who don’t have time to stop and browse, or desire a particular piece of writing, to call the Kingsbury Kiosk, 726-2653.
The patron will either be placed on RESERVE if the material is in circulation, On an ON ORDER waiting list, or told to come in and pick up the material that day or the next. Again, transportation time is a factor in retrieval from other locations. More, next column, on the information the patron-wants.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, March 1987.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1987_03.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
