State Public Library System December 2007 State Librarian Schindler HSPLS to Conduct Customer Satisfaction to Retire Dec. 31 Survey By Paul H. Mark he Hawaii State Public Library Sys- o Ann Schindler, who has served with distinction as the State tem began conducting an online cus- Librarian of the Hawaii State Public Library System from tomer satisfaction survey last month January 2004 - December 2007, will retire on Dec. 31, 2007. to obtain feedback from library users She will be succeeded by Richard P. Burns, current Library T Schindler about its collections and services. Manager of Kapolei Public Library, in January 2008. J Born and raised in Hawaii, Schindler, the former Jo Ann Tanouye, served as Through the services of Counting Opinions (http://www.countingopinions. Acting State Librarian following the retirement of former State Librarian Virginia com), the library system will be able to Lowell in June 2003. Prior to that, Schindler served for a year as Hawaii State Library evaluate performance historically and in Director, and for more than 15 years as head of the flagship library’s Business, Sci- comparison with peer library systems in ence, and Technology Section. the U.S and Canada. During her tenure, which has been characterized by stability and the rebuilding of In addition to standard questions, the infrastructure, “Schindler’s List” of noteworthy accomplishments and awards include: customer satisfaction survey will include • Selected as the 2007 Librarian of the Year for the Hawaii Library Association. additional questions which the Hawaii • Honored and recognized by the State Senate in April 2006 for her outstanding State Public Library System needs to leadership of the Hawaii State Public Library System. obtain data for the annual Federal Library • Opened the Kapolei Public Library in August 2004; the newest and 51st library in Services and Technology Act (LSTA) the HSPLS. report. The survey will be accessible con- • Decreased staff vacancy count to 81 (as of Oct. 31, 2007) from a high of 135 tinuously via links on the HSPLS website vacancies in August 2004. (www.librarieshawaii.org), enabling • In response to a staffing shortage, initiated a number of self-service options and library administrators to review customer expanded the number and variety of authoritative online resources with federal Li- opinions continuously rather than only brary Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding. Customers with valid library once or twice a year. cards may use this wide variety of electronic databases 24/7 free of charge. Customers will be able to complete • Implemented a new daily request tracking program in FY06 for books and other the survey on computers in the librar- library materials which yielded, for the first time, an incredible 80,000 requests in ies as well as from home by logging on one month’s time! to http://www.countingopinions.com/. • Implemented a Special Needs program to provide grants to individual libraries In 2008, after an initial testing period, which identified underserved target populations in their communities. HSPLS plans to offer paper versions of See Retirement, back page the survey to customers who choose not to complete the survey online. Florence Yee, Director of the Hawaii Mark Your Calendars State Library since 2004, was honored last month by State Librarian Jo Ann Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve, most librar- Schindler (right), staff, and other guests ies will close at 5 p.m. at a Surprise Retirement Party. Yee, who Dec. 25 – Christmas Day holiday, all has served for 40 years with the Hawaii libraries closed. State Public Library System, will retire in Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve, most librar- December 2007. She previously served ies will close at 5 p.m. as East Library District Administra- Jan. 1, ’08 – New Year’s Day holiday, tor; Assistant Administrator of the Public all libraries closed. Libraries Branch (temporary assignment), Call your local library for public service Kaimuki Public Library Manager, and in hours or visit: www.librarieshawaii.org. other managerial and staff positions. 2 • Holo I Mua • December 2007

Retirement, from front page and emerging technologies which nahou High School. As a college student, have become standard in our librar- she served as a library volunteer, student Served on the steering committee of • ies and to provide clearer statements helper, and library assistant at the Hawaii community partners for The Big of library policy for both customers State Library. Read in Hawaii, a statewide celebra- and staff. A member of the American Library tion of reading, discussion, and spe- • Expanded training opportunities in Association and the Hawaii Library As- cial events all centered around “The office automation, specialized sociation, Schindler was selected as the Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan. technologies, Internet scheduling 1999 Hawaii State Public Library System Implemented an eBook and down • and print management, and emerg- Employee of the Year, and in 1998, she loadable audiobook service, which ing technologies for libraries using a was chosen as MCI Cybrarian of the Year allows customers with valid library 3-year Bill and Melinda Gates grant. for the State of Hawaii. cards to access materials 24/7 from • Provided staff training and system- A fond aloha and mahalo nui loa to their home computers, burn CDs, or wide networking opportunities such State Librarian Jo Ann Schindler; enjoy transfer contents to MP3 players and as workshops on the Future of Public your retirement! other portable devices. & School Libraries, Collection Launched JAWS (speech synthe- • Development Trends, and Improving sizer) and ZoomText (display magni- Customer Service. fier) at six pilot public libraries: Ha- LIBRARY • Initiated a Customer Satisfaction waii State Library, Kaneohe, , Survey program to obtain continuous Molokai, Pearl City, and Waianae. feedback from library users to assess TOONS! Both programs have enabled visually By Wayne Kaneshiro, LBPH and improve collections, services, impaired users to access computer and facilities. information within HSPLS libraries. Schindler’s first HSPLS librarian Implemented self checkout units as • position was library manager of Thelma pilot projects at Kapolei Public Li- Parker Memorial Public & School Library brary and at Hilo Public Library. on the Big Island, and she has served Implemented SAM (Smart Access • in other libraries and headed the former Manager), a web-based Internet Research & Evaluation Services Section. scheduling and print management In addition, she has worked for the San “Hey wait a minute! It’s supposed to be software product, in all 51 libraries Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Francisco Public and Los Angeles County statewide. SAM allows users to re- Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.” Library Systems. serve and register for Internet sessions Schindler, who received her Masters and provides maximum use of public degree in Library Studies at the University Internet computers and maximum of California at Berkeley, also attended the number of different Internet users. University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she Initiated a reorganization proposal • was enrolled in the Graduate School of to create district administrative of- Library Studies, and received her Bachelor fices on the islands of Hawaii, , Holo I Mua (move forward, advance) of Arts degree in Psychology. In addition, , and Oahu to rebuild infrastruc- is published monthly by the Schindler briefly attended Reed College ture which was lost in the mid-1990s. Hawaii State Public Library System in Oregon, majoring in Sociology. While Library Development Services Initiated an Administrative Rules • growing up in , she attended St. 680 Iwilei Rd., Suite 528 revision process to incorporate new Andrew’s Priory and graduated from Pu- Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Tel. 587-8397 / Fax 587-8396 Website: www.librarieshawaii.org Jo Ann Schindler, State Librarian A staged readers theatre-style Paul H. Mark, Editor performance of “The Joy Luck Club” featuring local actors was Board of Education: hosted by five public libraries For info. visit: www.boe.k12.hi.us statewide from Oct. 16-Nov. 7, Karen Knudsen, chairperson including the Hawaii State Library John R. Penebacker, 1st vice chairperson on Nov. 3. From left, Yvonne Herbert Watanabe, 2nd vice chairperson Chang, Salli Morita, Dann Seki, Dr. Eileen Clarke Dr. Lei Ahu Isa Janice Terukina, and Nyla Fujii Mary J. Cochran Kim Coco Iwamoto Babb gather for a group shot, Maggie Cox Denise Matsumoto along with UH-Manoa professor Breene Harimoto Garrett Toguchi Frank Stewart, who led a Q & Cec Heftel Jonathan Allen, A session following the perfor- Donna Ikeda student representative mance.