StackMap Brings Efficient Signage and Staff Training along with Maps

At Mount Saint Mary’s College, the library plays a central role in supporting a vibrant community of students, many of whom work part-time in the library itself. With around 45 student staff members rotating through 5–10 hours of work each week, quickly understanding the layout of the library and the organization of its collections is essential. We spoke with Alicyn Schiafo, Circulation and Student Staff Coordinator, to learn how StackMap has enhanced both student training and the library's range sign system.

“When I first stepped into my role, StackMap was already in place,” Alicyn explains. “It didn’t take long to realize its potential as a training tool. Our student staff need to become familiar with the library space very quickly, and StackMap has been incredibly helpful in giving them a visual, intuitive way to learn where collections are located and how to navigate the building.”

StackMap gave student workers the confidence to assist patrons more effectively, reducing the learning curve that often comes with such a large and dynamic library environment.

Over the last eight months, Alicyn also took on the responsibility of maintaining the StackMap records and the library's OPAC. During this time, the library underwent a comprehensive overhaul of its physical layout—including updates to call number ranges and a complete refresh of range signs.

“Our old process for range signs was incredibly manual,” says Alicyn. “We were typing everything by hand and needed several staff members to help keep everything updated. It was time-consuming and prone to errors.”

With renewed collaboration between the library and the StackMap team, Mount Saint Mary’s was able to take full advantage of the platform’s dashboard tools.

“Once we revisited what the StackMap Dashboard could do, it opened up a whole new workflow,” Alicyn shares. “We worked with StackMap to customize the automatically generated range signs so they matched our library’s formatting standards. It was seamless—and it’s already saved our staff countless hours of work.”

Thanks to StackMap, Mount Saint Mary’s College Library has not only improved its staff onboarding and training process but also brought efficiency and clarity to its signage. For a library that’s constantly adapting to the needs of its community, StackMap offers the flexibility and support needed to evolve with confidence.

– Alicyn Schiafo, Circulation and Student Staff Coordinator, Mount Saint Mary’s College