Re: circulation systems

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

> families).  I have a system of name cards that helps me, the kids and
> teachers keep track of who took what book, the card has name, grade and room
> number on it and stays in the book until it is checked in.  I file the book
> cards by class.  The main problem is books for which we can't find cards.
> Another problem is the time it takes to pull name cards and put the book
> cards back in (I guess I was spoiled last year with an automated system).

I'm not sure that this will help, but it worked fairly well last year
since we were not automated either (at Middle School).

Our books had regular circulation cards that had to be signed by students
and we filed them according to date due and within each date according to
classification numbers and authors' last names (fiction).....the standard
procedure.  What we did to help us keep up with how many books students
had checked out and dates due, was to color code three-column cards that we
bought from a library supplier.  For example, sixth grade had yellow;
seventh had blue; and eighth had salmon.

The language arts teachers took blank cards and had students print their
names, last name first (to make filing easier) and then had students write
their normal signature under the printed name on the second line.  We
filed each grade level's alphabetically with tab cards separating the
sections.  They were all filed in a drawer that fit right into the
circulation "well" along with all of the other files.  The difference was,
*that* drawer was placed facing the students instead of the inside of the
circulation desk.

As a class checked out books, they would line up and find their own cards
(an excellent practice for alphabetizing) and then move into a second or
third line to have books and circulation and color coded cards stamped.
If a student checked out of school, he/she pulled his/her card and we
could tell immediately how many books were out (there was a date stamp for
each book checked out).  Even though we might have to search through a
day's cards....at least we had *some* idea of where to look!

If students came individually, they did the same thing.  They just didn't
usually have to wait in line.

We didn't do that in high school this year.  If we weren't planning to
automate this spring, I would order color cards for next year because we have
allowed some expensive books to get away with students who moved.  (Our
circulation is large enough that we don't have time to look at every
card...consequently, sometime we accept the student's word for it which is
also sometimes a mistake.)

If all of that needs clarifying, let me know.  Sorry for posting to the
group.  I pressed "Y" instead of "N" and don't have the energy to re-do it!

Betty
                            bhamilt@tenet.edu
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