The library itself has been serving the Shelby County community since 1903 , ringing in its 120th year this year ! Of those 120 years , Janet has been there for 42 , so although she wasn ’ t around when the library offered $ 1 showers to its patrons , she has seen a lot of changes during her tenure . When it came to technology — perhaps the biggest category of change aside from physical building renovations — the library needed help . Luckily , they connected with AVC Technology all those years ago and hasn ’ t looked back since .
The connection came because the library needed a computerized accounting system in the 1980s . As the accounting team was trying to transition payroll , monthly reconciliations , and other processes to a digital solution , AVC Technology stepped in with advanced accounting software . Now , decades later , the library still uses AVC Technology ’ s accounting software .
To Janet and the rest of the library staff , AVC Technology ’ s commitment to listening to their customers is what sets them apart . “ Every year they have a user group for our accounting and payroll system , and they ask , ‘ What can we do to improve ?’” Janet shared . “ They adapt the tools to our needs ,” she elaborated , “ and you don ’ t get that with a lot of these systems .” Although the dynamic partnership between the Shelby County Library and AVC Technology came to life because of the accounting department ’ s needs , it has blossomed into a full-service IT provider relationship in the last 40-something years .
Libraries have played a central role in communities for hundreds of years . Most people only think of checking out books , but library staff are passionate community leaders and spend their days curating a communal space that can be enjoyed by everyone . For the 40,000 residents in Shelby County , the library is meant to be a safe place of expression , art , learning , and collaboration . In today ’ s technologically advanced world , it ’ s not possible to provide all those benefits without the right IT infrastructure . “ We ’ re a more community-based library , and as a result of that , we have done a lot of upgrading with technologies and using AVC throughout the years ,” Janet explained .
Just think about it — no other small business offers free computers to the community to use for professional , academic , or personal needs . “ We have a free computer lab for people to come in and look up whatever they need to look up — even if it ’ s Facebook ,” Janet explained with a chuckle . Small businesses spend hours every year teaching their employees how to navigate the internet safely , showing them what to avoid clicking on and where to report suspicious behavior . But with a library , there ’ s no guarantee that members of the public know about cybersecurity and internet safety , making the right cybersecurity measures incredibly important .
“ We even have a kiosk that provides legal forms to our patrons , and eventually , we hope to be able to connect them to real lawyers for consultations ,” says Janet . When working with sensitive information and private legal matters , keeping that information secure is critical to keeping the Shelby County community safe . AVC Technology has continuously proven that they are up for the challenge by proactively recommending new solutions , staying up to date on new regulations and requirements , and fixing problems before the library staff is even aware of them .
In Indiana , the State Board of Accounts is the governing body for more than 240 libraries . It sets regulations , updates compliance policies , and dictates rules that libraries must follow in order to stay open . Especially now , as libraries around the nation face increased scrutiny , the regulations set by the Indiana State Board of Accounts are changed regularly , making it hard for library staff to keep up with changes . AVC Technology goes above and beyond as an IT service provider because Lisa Johnson , the co-CEO of AVC Technology personally attends the workshops hosted by the SBOA to ensure all library clients in the state are in compliance .
When browsing the AVC Technology website , there ’ s a small banner at the top of the page that says , “ Are you a library ? Click Here .” When clicked , the link takes visitors to a suite of resources tailored completely to libraries . They ’ ve created a customized set of solutions for libraries . Everything from IT security to VoIP phone systems and accounting solutions are well within the realm of what AVC can help with . Librarians are passionate about what they do , and they need an IT service provider that matches that level of passion , which isn ’ t always easy to find .
From the small stuff to the big stuff , AVC has been with the Shelby County Library every step of the way . “ Our phone system got messed up on Saturday and it was working on Monday when I arrived . They fixed it over the weekend ,” Janet beamed . “ If you want a local group that listens to what you need , AVC is the place to go . They are a mom-and-pop organization , but they do efficient work and have high standards for themselves . I would recommend them to anyone , and in fact , their accounting software is already in a lot of libraries in the state .”
For the last 42 years , Janet has given herself to the community . As she wraps up her last year as the Library Director , she has a lot of people to say goodbye to . “ I ’ m retiring at the end of the year , and those types of people [ AVC ] are going to be the people I will miss because I won ’ t be connecting with them regularly .” Building a functional community space that changes and adapts with the needs of the community is a team effort , and for Shelby County Library , AVC is an integral part of that team .
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