A new four-color digital offset press has allowed the King County Library System to bring outsourced work back in-house.

By Cary Sherburne

Keeping Staffing Levels in Line

Like most in-plants, particularly in the public sector, the King County Library System needed a solution that could be implemented without adding additional staff. At the time the system was acquiring the press, its press operator retired. This left J. Tarner, manager of the graphics department, looking for a replacement.

He turned to Tamara Burke Crain, who had previously worked for the Library System in the shipping and graphics departments, as well as in production doing copying and finishing. She was not a professional press operator.

“The DI is a different learning curve than a conventional press,” says Tarner. “You have to know more about the computer. However, someone who is computer savvy and willing to learn can operate the DI; and that is much different than it was 10 years ago. Tamara had the right combination of computer skills and enthusiasm about printing, and it has been a good match.”

THE STATE of Washington’s King County Library System is reportedly the second busiest library in the nation. As the county continues to grow, the library system is being called upon to expand its collection and to provide more resources for its 43 community libraries.

J. Tarner manages the five-employee graphics department in Issaquah, Wash., part of the public relations team for the library system. The team develops concepts, creates graphic design and manages print production for a range of promotional and program support materials.

Busy Library Checks Out DI Press