LM_NET: Library Media Networking

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If your automation software allows you to create different patron "types"
like our's does (Winnebago) then you can certainly simplify this.

Something that our software allows that I'd consider a pre-requisite for
what we do is the ability to zero out last years patron circulation data
(ie, how many a student checked out).

Create a user type for each class, like this:
        TYPE #  NAME
         12     1995 class      (seniors this year)
         13     1996 class      (juniors this year)
         14     1997 class      (sophs this year)
         15     1998 class      (frosh this year)
Leave some empty type numbers after the last one assigned for future years.
Enter this years students as usual. Or better yet, reuse last years barcode
numbers & data and just change the user type to the new one.

At the end of this year simply delete the entire type 12 (graduating
seniors) - after changing non-graduates to type 13 of course. Add type 16
- 1999 class (incoming freshmen)

A time saving trick, if your feeder junior high uses the same software
you do, is to have them export their 8th grade data to a disk that you
then load in to your new type 16. Have your software assign new barcode
numbers to to incoming data as you import the records. You've just saved
a whole bunch of time!

After a couple of years you can rename the old type numbers and reuse
them. You should be able to do with a maximum of about 6 type numbers on
a rotating basis.

Hope this helps. This idea isn't original by any means. It's the method
recommended by Winnebago.

We keep the labels on a picture card (provided by the school picture
company for free) on a rolodex file. For example, I'm using last year's
cards right now while we're waiting for the new ones to come in.

        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Melissa Davis                   Librarian
        Splendora Middle School         Splendora I.S.D.
        P O Box 168                     Splendora, TX 77372
        Internet: mbdavis@tenet.edu     PHONE: (713)689-2853
        CompuServe: 75146,771
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


On Thu, 1 Sep 1994 DDWCHS@AOL.COM wrote:

> In the past, we have issued new bar codes to each student, each year, which
> was to be placed on their ID cards, and then presented each time to check out
> material from the media center.  Here we are, however, facing a new year,
> complete with new ID cards, and not looking forward to the task of starting
> from scratch once again.
>
> Here is the dilemma:  Should we continue to issue new bar codes every year to
> every student?  This is VERY time-consuming and costly.  We go to the trouble
> of assigning all 1900+ students (grades 9-12) a new bar code number into the
> circulation computer, then when they check-out their first book of the year
> we have to stop and find their bar code in the class folders and then place
> it on their ID card.  You can imagine the problems when eight or ten students
> come to check-out with two minutes left in the period, and they all need
> their bar codes first.


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