1. Laura Levy
LIS 60613
March 24, 2019
Assignment # 3
Background & Problem
Kent Adhesive Product Company (Kapco) operates under 4 different sections under the
main company Kapco Corporation. The adhesive industry is varied, but Kapco focuses
on library products, print materials, and custom coatings. The company has several
facets that need the attention of an information professional. Kapco owns several
patents, holds ISO certifications, and some employees work with materials requiring
MDS information to be on-hand. This is in addition to the many products that are sold
online and through its catalog and business accounts. Unfortunately, all of these
different parts of the company are contained in separate departments without a central
method of management of information present at the current time. The lack of
consistency and with important information being held in several departments can
negatively impact a company, both in sales and productivity.
Solution
Kapco would benefit from the services of an information professional with an MLIS
degree. The librarian would be integral to helping Kapco increase productivity and
improve their current data management style. The librarian would:
Create a metadata set for the current products using industry-wide nomenclature
Create a digital and print library of materials and products currently in-use by
Kapco as well an an archive of previous materials.
Create an online portal for employees to access MDS information and related
training in order to create a safer work environment that would minimize delays in
production.
Archive the materials that are used in sales material in order for the sales team to
have quick access to materials by date, location, and products by creating
keywords and metadata that makes it easier to search for materials.
Create a patent library with relevant information relating to current patents and
research future patents based on products created by the design team.
Archive and preserve any ephemera that relates to the proud history of Kapco
and its employees.
Create a blog or similar format to house relevant publications of interest to the
various departments
Train relevant staff in the Kapco building to access the information and train key
individuals to maintain the databases and collections curated.
Provide updates and supports as-needed and defined in the created contract.
2. Create a survey that would gauge the information needs of the various
departments and create a plan to implement solutions to meet those needs.
Budget
1. Initial assessment
a. A thorough survey of current information behaviors will be given and
analyzed. Subsequent solutions will be created and presented to senior
staff. $1,000
2. Implementation
a. Fees are based on an a-la-carte style basis.
i. Database creation from the ground up (including software and
installation, tagging and indexing of current materials as well as a
training manual & in-person training). $2500
ii. Archival and storage of the 75 items currently located on Kapco
grounds (including materials and labor and digital archiving) $1,000
iii. Patent research and organization $500
iv. Metadata and indexing of current research and products $2,000
plus the cost of software (to be chosen at a later date).
3. Future Support
a. One-time training for new employees
i. Virtual - $500 for 6 hour session
ii. In – person 6 hour session – rates to TBD
b. Phone or internet support
i. $15 per hour, billed to the nearest 15 minutes
Execution and timeline
This project should take from 4-8 weeks depending on which options Kapco chooses to
utilize. The initial survey of information needs can be performed remotely and would
only require a few moments of each employees time. The resulting analysis and
recommendations would be performed within a week. Upon signing of the contract I
would schedule a time for me to come and work in the designated space on-site and
stay until completion of the project. I will provide updates on the projects being
completed through e-mail and a project management website.
Conclusion
Kapco would highly benefit from the use of an information professional since they
currently have a disorganized system of information management. Archiving is
incredibly important to a business that creates a product, it speaks to the history of
successes in the adhesive products world. Kapco needs a central location for its MDS
information, patents, industry research, and archives. By hiring a professional librarian
to complete these tasks you will be receiving evidence-based practices implemented by
a master’s degree qualified librarian. I personally am vested in the success of each
company that I work for, my goal is to leave each place that I work with a sense of
3. success. That success comes from knowing that I have put proven materials into their
space and more that adequately trained key employees to be self-sustaining in
organizing your information needs.
Kapco is a great local company that already has a large amount of success.
While data management isn’t a new product or even a new concept, it’s a tried and
tested method of improving efficiency and helpful in housing important information. You
might be thinking that you are fine the way that you are, and you might be right… but
what if things could be improved?
ill be expected to combine the skills of an information professional with the mindset of
the business world, even in nonprofits. In every setting, the purpose of your information
skills will be to help the organization meet its strategic goals, including increasing profits
and decreasing expenses. But those goals might also include increasing membership,
or finding a higher-level donor pool, or researching prospective acquisitions targets –
assume they’ll be different for every organization, so you’ll need to become adept at
aligning what you can do amazingly well with what the existing need is.
The intention of this assignment is to provide you with experience in 1) writing for a
business, rather than academic or library, audience; 2) selling, promoting, and
defending the value of your information skills; and 3) going through the process of
budgeting by identifying costs necessary to achieve your proposed solution.
