Testimonials – TEST

“This year, I had the opportunity to work with Mackin as I opened a brand-new high school library. I was thrilled when I was chosen for the librarian position. However, I was immediately overwhelmed with the job I had before me.

A Mackin representative, Jenn Maydole, reached out to me and told me about the company and services they provided. I hadn’t heard of them before, so after that initial phone call, I checked out the website and did a little research. I was impressed with what I saw. I went on to do a little “internet stalking” and called a librarian out of state who had recently worked with Mackin to get her thoughts on her experience. She was very straightforward and I got the feeling she was genuine and honest in her praise for Mackin. (Now being on the other side, I completely understand!)

Our district requires at least two bids when spending over a certain amount of money, so I went with Mackin and another company with whom our district had previously used. I appreciated the process Mackin used to gather information about my library/school demographics. The form I filled out was detailed, but I didn’t get bogged down with too many specifics. After that, the follow-up interview was even more helpful. Not only did it help them develop a meaningful collection, it also helped me develop a greater vision for my library.

By this point, I was quite certain that I wanted to move forward with Mackin, but was concerned that the quality of services they provided would be too expensive and my district would decide to go with the other company. Once I received the two bids, I was thrilled to see they were extremely competitive with their pricing. And if that weren’t enough, the collection they presented was fantastic. Just about every title I wanted was already included, and they had all the award winning titles I’d requested. (I still get a thrill when a student comes looking for a book and lo, and behold, we have it!) The small amount of adding/deleting to the collection was exceptionally easy to do.

Once the collection was finalized, Mackin worked with me to start the planning process of getting the books shelved. Their expertise was invaluable as they provided plenty of tips and suggestions on the logistics–shelf placement, organization, recruiting volunteers, etc. It was obvious they had done this many times before, and the entire process was completely painless.

As I went through this process, all the overwhelming feelings I had at the beginning gradually eased. I felt confident Mackin wanted to make this as easy as possible, and they were well equipped to make it happen. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to work with them and continue this relationship for my future library needs. I wholeheartedly recommend Mackin for any of your library needs, but most especially, in starting a brand-new library.”