Re: LM_NET Digest - 18 Nov 1994 - Special issue

[Lynn McCree <lmcc@TENET.EDU>]

We also have SIRS on our rom network--it is the only one that has such
long articles that I hate to print them out.  Fortunately, it does allow
you to specify lines you wish to print and this is what we do.  With
Infofinder we specify sections.  I just ask the kids not to print more
than they want to read and limit them to 200 lines.  I, too, charge for
the copy machine--a dime a copy.  Hope this helps.


Lynn McCree, Librarian
Martin Junior High
Austin, Texas
Lmcc@tenet.edu


On Fri, 18 Nov 1994, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> There are 5 messages totalling 184 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics in this special issue:
>
>   1. BLOCK SCHEDULING & TEXAS
>   2. Australian netters
>   3. HIT-> Unison Conversion
>   4. Target> Copies and Printing
>   5. ?Evaluation methods for High School libraries
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 18 Nov 1994 14:58:00 -0800
> From:    Pat Wilber <WILBER@4J.LANE.EDU>
> Subject: Re: BLOCK SCHEDULING & TEXAS
>
> Block scheduling and math: Why not do what we do; let everyone block their
> classes, and let the math department stay with singletons? In fact, our scienc
 e
> department balked at blocking, as well, so they still teach un-blocked classes
> for this year. They will probably switch to blocking next year. Even our
> students wanted the math classes to remain single periods every day.
>
> Pat Wilber
> South Eugene High School
> Eugene, OR
> WILBER@4j.lane.edu
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 18 Nov 1994 18:06:39 EST
> From:    "Judith A. Phalen 305 341-0460" <PHALENJ@MAIL.FIRN.EDU>
> Subject: Australian netters
>
> Dear Fellow Netters,
> The PTA (parent teacher assoc.) at my school has made arrangements for a
> story teller to visit with our students on Nov. 28th and Nov. 29th.  I am
> not sure if he actually hails from Australia or not, but his program is
> suppose to feature Australian folktles and myths.  I was hoping that a few
> of you who live in Australia might be able to send us a greeting or a fact
> about your city, town etc. which we could display in the mdia center.  I
> thought this might be a wonderful way to connect the "older traditional
> story teller" to the newer high tech telecommunications story teller.
> Thank you for any message you might have time to send.  Please send your
> messages to:
>   phalenj@mail.firn.edu
>
> Thank you!
> Judy Phalen
> Country Hills Elementary
> Coral Springs, Florida, USA
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 18 Nov 1994 18:32:19 -500
> From:    Stew Bottdorf <bottdos@SNOOPY.TBLC.LIB.FL.US>
> Subject: Re: HIT-> Unison Conversion
>
> On reflection, I need to say some positive things about Follett's
> Unison library automation package. Several people have reported
> negative things on LM_Net this week and maybe I can add some perspec-
> tive since I work in a large school district that has over 120 Follett
> systems ranging from stand-alone Apples to Unison Novell networks and
> now are very successfully beta testing the new MacCirculation /
> MacCatalog on a Cabletron network.
>
> Several years ago we explored the future of our stand-alone systems
> and many large vendors criticised the Follett package since it did not
> store true MARC records. This was evident in the Apple and old DOS 6.2
> versions where a few limited fields could never supply richness to a
> title nor was the computer operating system large enough to build
> complex multiple indexes. Circulation Plus v7.77 corrected some of
> these problems but the MARC standard grew to be more complex and
> Follett records were still not compatible with large mainframe catalog
> systems. The latest networked CircPlus (v7.8n) corrected some of these
> deficiencies and finally allowed excellent search possibilities within
> the database and allowed the import of USMARC records.
>
> UNISON was a new product to finally make Follett records compatible
> with evolving MARC standards (I am convinced that no two companies can
> ever decide what a true MARC record really is). It is much more complex
> than prior versions of Follett products and indexes many more fields
> in the MARC database. Complexity has made the product harder to use
> too but that was to be expected.
>
> We still have people in our district that use the Apple and early DOS
> versions because they are "easier" and we have others who are afraid
> to switch to UNISON because they know it is more difficult or will at
> least take some block of time to relearn things they know how to do on
> older systems. This is normal and a fact of life that technology will
> always be changing. As professionals managing technology we need to
> stay current and resist complacency.
>
> UNISON offers many new features that people using it really like. They
> can print spine labels without purchasing another program and never
> need to relink categories or run keyword builder or diagnostics after
> editing records. UNISON can run on any DOS computer regardless of hard
> disk size or DOS version without partitioning or using setver commands.
> The greatest benefit will be if your district decides to make a union
> database for resource sharing. All these features are worthwhile and
> were supplied to current Follett support users for free.
>
> Yes UNISON does require up-to-date hardware. In this technology age we
> are going to need to figure-out how to fund this but count on five
> years as the effective life of hard drives, printers and such. We have
> automation systems running on hardware eight and none years old and
> these systems are not reliable and are very slow.
>
> Follett has had support problems this fall introducing UNISON. I have
> found a good way to access support through the Internet address and
> have received phone calls in the evening to help answer my problems
> (Becky has been great and has referred calls to higher support when
> necessary). There are some bugs in the product too, I think I have
> stumbled on each one of them <grin>. Work-arounds do function till a
> revised version is released.
>
> Specific to the comments published in Lorna'a posting: we have had no
> problems with CCD scanners and kids really love them after the barwand;
> we do not have check-in errors or negative checkouts to patrons; our
> MARC records are not corrupted (we did add UPS power supplies to our
> hardware when updating to UNISON); books classified as music can be
> easily corrected in the MARC record leader and nobody has complained
> about speed but we updated hardware to minimum Follett standards (I
> heard the same thing when we went from v6.2 to v7.77 years ago. Wait
> till you see the speed when adding a GUI to the user interface).
>
> This week I talked to all nine of our UNISON users (6 networked with
> Catalog Plus and 3 standalones) and asked them how they had adjusted
> to the new product. In all cases they are thrilled with the features
> they have found within UNISON. I installed and added data to all these
> systems and have learned much from the experience. Luckily our district
> is large enough to provide this support so the media specialists can
> concentrate on using the product and not worry about installations.
>
> I just had to say this. I hope current Follett users will try UNISON
> and see what a good product it is.
>
> Stew Bottorf
> Pinellas County Media Services
> bottdos@snoopy.tblc.lib.fl.us
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 18 Nov 1994 18:39:22 EST
> From:    Cathy Cheely <ccheely@LEO.VSLA.EDU>
> Subject: Target> Copies and Printing
>
> I am trying to develop some sensible policy about making
> photocopies of print matierials and printing from electronic sources.  We have
> always charged to make photo copies of magazine articles,
> encyclopedia articles, etc.  It hasn't been much - 5 cents a
> page and we waived it if a student really couldn't pay.  When
> we networked our school, I also charged 5 cents a page to print
> out from our electronic resources.  I always have told the kids
> they could go to a teacher's room to print out if they didn't
> want to pay (we have networked cdroms and card catalog).  I
> didn't do this for the money but did it so that Information
> Finder didn't get printed out twice a day.  Quite frankly, it
> is a hassle to collect the money.
>
> Our printers are VERY noisy - Okidata 380s - and our kids have
> a tendency to print out the materials whether they need them or
> not.  In fact, they seem to print out rather than read the
> article(s).  I have talked to some folks and they say they
> print for free but limit it to 2 pages a day.  I am not sure
> that would work.  What happens when the SIRS article is 10
> pages long and they want all of it?  What about copyright?
>
> This seems like such a little thing but it is a struggle to
> figure out the best route to go.  Help!
>
> If you charge for one and not the other, I am very interested
> in your rationale.  The University where I am taking classes
> lets you print out for free but charges for photocopies.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> Catherine Cheely - ccheely@leo.vsla.edu
> Library Media Specialist,Brunswick Senior High,Lawrenceville, Va.23868
> 804 848-6287  (fax) 804 848-2796
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 18 Nov 1994 17:38:52 CST
> From:    judi prosser <C631504@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
> Subject: ?Evaluation methods for High School libraries
>
> I'm a graduate student in Library Science at Mizzou.  Can anyone tell
> me what methodology they use to evaluate  their high school library
> collections?  I'm writing a paper on this subject.  Thanks!
>
> Judi Prosser
> C631504@mizzou1.missouri.edu
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of LM_NET Digest - 18 Nov 1994 - Special issue
> **************************************************
>