LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Thanks to Peter Milburry, who responded to my plea for help, I am able to
upload the file so all can read it. Big Sigh. Thanks to most of you for
understanding that there is a first time for all of us!
===========================================================
Please accept my humble offering of this HIT file as a
compilation of the responses received....minus a few that fell
prey to loose fingers --mine! I have tried posting hits before
without any luck...I hope this one works! Thanks to everyone who
responded. Interestingly, everyone said basically the same thing
and only one person is retaining circulation cards - which is
what I thought I MIGHT do....Thanks again, Roselle
>From sandyscr@tenet.edu
Yes our computer gave us days of grief when it had to go into the
shop for major problem. We went four days without a way of
checking in books so they piled up everywhere we had any space to
stack them. Our students have managed to lose many of the check
out cards so all we could do was record the patron number on a
tablet and the title numbers under that patron number. When the
computer came back it took us a couple of days to get all the
checkouts entered by hand into the computer in our "spare
moments" of computer inactivity. One teacher suggested that we
write everything out in long hand and cross it off when it came
in.
Ha!Ha! I would love to see her handwrite the 1000 titles and
patron names that were involved in the one week of circulation.
We could have used our PhD to check out items but my assistant
didn't know how to use the thing and that stressful time wasn't
the time for her to learn!! I think if it ever happens again, we
can use the Phd.
Sandy Scroggs Kate Schenck Elementary School
Librarian 101 Kate Schenck Avenue
sandyscr@tenet.edu San Antonio, Texas 78223
1-210-333-0611
>From asefcik@tenet.edu
Roselle, Computers can go down when you least need it to happen,
but you can always write down names and barcodes and enter them
when you come back up. We've been doing it for three weeks now
since 90% of our titles didn't transfer when we did a conversion.
Don't panic. Good luck!
Ann
>From guusje@tenet.edu
This happens to me several times a year...mostly due to MA
Bell..the phone lines go down...anyway..this works for me....
I get a big stack of yellow stickies and write the books bar code
# on the stickies and stick the sticky to the kids library card
(that also has a bar code on it)...then when the computer goes
back up I scan in the kids card # and hand key in the book's bar
code #. it works for me. Other librarians in my district hold
the books till the computer comes up and then check them
out...but the logistics of book delivery anget
complicated.....but it's better tohave a plan before it happens
than it is to make it up when you have too!
Guusje Moore
Librarian, Housman Elementary School
Houston, Texas
guusje@tenet.edu
>From lramsey@bigcat.missouri.edu
Dear Roselle,
We keep a notebook handy. When the electricity is off, we
write down the student barcode numbers with the book barcode
numbers. Then we worry about entering it all later.
Regards,
Linda Ramsey <lramsey@bigcat.missouri.edu>
Centralia High School Library
Centralia, MO 65240
314-682-3508
>From mbdavis@tenet.edu
Worst Case Scenario: take a notepad & record the patron barcode #
and the materials barcodes and whether they're being checked in
or out.
Not Quite So Bad Scenario: buy a portable barcode reader (the
kind you can also use to take inventory) that will record
circulation actions.
Best Case Scenario: the CMOS is on the circ computer attached to
a network - simply move to another network station and continue
business as usual (except you'll have to type in the barcode
numbers because your barcode scanner isn't attached to this
station)
The _real_ nightmare (in 1 & 2 above) is how do you locate any
materials -your catalog just went south!! (in case your sleep
wasn't disturbed enoughby the original post <BG> )
And for a totally sleepless night - the CMOS was on your network
fileserver!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From KWO_GILL@MEC.OHIO.GOV
Hi from OHIO!
We have had this type of situation occur due to outages that beat
up even ourwonderful UPS.
When that happens, we go to a ONE BOOK/ITEM only check out per
person and do a paper list of patron's name, id/barcode # from
their picture id ("sorry nocheck out without picture id in this
case"), title of item, and barcode ofitem. When the system is
back up, we enter the info but retain the paper copyin case of
human error in entering info!!
Hope that helps.
Good luck.
Pat Gill
Worthington Kilbourne H.S.
1499 Hard Rd.
Columbus, OH 43235-2169
614-431-6220 X2017 FAX 614-431-6238 EMAIL
KWO_GILL@MEC.OHIO.GOV
>From KEELORNA@VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU
Write down the bar code numbers for the books and the matching
students.When you are back on-line then type them in.
Not fun and time consumming but you have to do what you have to
do.Lorna Kee Keelorna@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
>From ny001001@mail.nyser.net
You can simple make a list of the barcodes (book and student) and
when it comes back up; check them out officially from the list.
It happens, and it is not a disaster. Research shows that 80%
of the books would come back anyway, even without being check out
Think of it this way? What's the worst that could happen?
Probably, it's May and you have lost all of the entire year's
circulation. Now, think through that. What would you do? Most
likely you would get almost all o the books back simply by asking
kids if they had any out (and looking like you knew and were just
seeing what they would say). You would tell your principal, and
suggest that if you had X amount of bucks it probably wouldn't
happen again. He/She would be impressed by your calm handling,
there is a slight chance you could get the money, and life would
go on.
Gail Dickinson
Union-Endicott Central School District
Endicott, NY 13760
>From pmcalli7@ua1ix.ua.edu
I keep a big check-out book with pages with 6 columns. 1st, 3rd,
5thcolumns are labeled "Student Number". 2nd/4/6 columns labeled
"barcode #)Students write student number on first line under Stu
# and then write thebc numbers of the books they are checking out
to the right of their Stu#,listing them one under the other.
After the first two columns arefilled up, we move back up to the
top of the page and start over. Theteachers also use this book
when they come in late in the afternoon or onthe weekends to
check out books. Oter all the stu #'s and Bc's when the computer
getsgoing again. This also means that when books are turned in
they have tobe "warehoused" until all the barcodes have been
entered for check out and*then* they can be checked back in.
It's not a pretty sight, but it hasworked for us (K-5 school).
BTW--I use very short student #'s so that thekids can learn them
easily. No SSN's. Hope this makes sense!
>From EileenT504@aol.com
It hasn't happened to me but it has to 2 librarians in my
district. At theelementary the librarian just let the kids borrow
books on the "honor"system. The HS librarian had kids sign name
and bar code #. It was horrendouschecking them back in. I've
heard most of the time you can recreate your data
base. I back mine up regularly on 2 sets of disks and back up
monthly on aset I keep at home for the rest of the month.
Eileen Thompson
Pine Tree Elem.
Lake Orion, MI 48362
>From lwalters@bigcat.missouri.edu
Roselle,
I have had several hard drive crashes in the past and been down
several days each time.
The best I can tell you is
1. Don't panic (easier said than done)
2. Get a legal pad and make several columns
a. name student and student number
b. barcode number
c. First word of title (double check when hand enter
later)
d. teacher (in case you need to find kid later)
This will work.
If you are done more than a day, you can also write down
checkins in a similar way. I also include the date turned in.
When your system is back on, enter all checkins first. We
found this saved problems later. Now checkouts entered.
Good luck.
Lisa Walters Media Technologist e-mail:
lwalters@bigcat.missouri.edu
Rock Bridge H.S. 4303 S. Providence Rd. Columbia, Mo 65203
314-886-2565
>From DAN@info.hwwilson.com
Roselle,
I can't help with contingency plans since I'm not in a
library, but I can suggest a couple things for your PC's.
First, you should have a plain boot disk for your machines. It
should be upgraded when you upgrade DOS. Simply take a floppy
sized for your A drive and format it with the /s option. This
puts the system information on the floppy. Reboot with the
floppy in the drive and your machine should start.
Second, most good utilities provide a way to save CMOS
information. It is usually saved on a bootable floppy. In this
way you can boot using the above technique and recreate your
CMOS. There are also shareware programs that will do the same
thing.
After your CMOS is back, the information can be restored. BTW,
the most likely cause for a dead CMOS is a dead battery.
Good luck,
Dan Robinson
dan@info.hwwilson.com
>From DonnaMeyer@aol.com
Nightmare on-line: Yes, this has happened to me! I quickly
whipped out alegal pad and wrote the students bar-code followed
by the bk barcodes untilwe were back up and then typed them all
in.....no fun at all since we usuallycheckout about 200 items a
day! My CMOS has also screwed up. I now have ahard copy of CMOS
and my tech expert walked me through how to rescue the
computer from cosmic failure. I keep hard copies of config.sys,
autoexec.bat,and the printouts from a shareware program called
InfoPlus in a binder foremergencies. My automation program
(MOLLI-ATENA) is well supported by thetech dept. at Nichols
Advanced Technologies and they have often held my hand
through the darkness of being down. Good Luck! DonnaMeyer@aol.com
>From Gooselak@po-1.star.k12.ia.us
I have a sign-out sheet on the desk and I enter the data into the
computerlater. The student signs their name and wrties down the
bar code of thebook. It works great.
Kathy Geronzin,
Jr.-Sr. High School Librarian,
Northeast Communit School District
Goose Lake, IA 52750
Don't criticize the coffee, you might be old and weak someday
too.
>From mbedle@strauss.udel.edu
I have had two hard drive crashes on my circulation plus
computer---and both on Monday mornings!!
What I do is have one sheet of paper for returned books on which
I just write the barcode number. THen I have a second sheet for
checking out. On this paper I have one column for the patron
number and one for the book barcode number.
I went four days once. Make sure you date the papers. Then when
your system is running again you must enter the returned books
first and then the circulated books. Do this in date order. I
don't believe that there is an absolute foolproof way, but this
system works the best.
Good Luck!
Margaret
>From s_lochhead@mentor.unh.edu
Be brave, Roselle! All is not lost when the lights go out -
assuming they aren't out for weeks!
When power interruptions bring down the circ and catalog systems,
wedo circ manually by having the kiddos (grades 7-12) write their
namesand the barcodes of what they are taking away on a sheet of
paper. (We keepa clipboard handy, and have used it maybe 3-4
times a year for one reason or another.) And we just let the
returns pile up.
When the lights are back on, we enter by hand the checkouts, and
thencheck in the books in the book drop, and we're on the road
again.
For the catalog, we use our brains - with mixed results!
;-)
Shelley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
Shelley Lochhead, Librarian ____/|
603-746-4167 x230
Hopkinton High School \ o.O|
S_Lochhead@mentor.unh.edu
297 Park Avenue =(_)=
htbo@lilac.nhsl.lib.nh.us
Contoocook, NH 03229 U AOL:
SLochhead
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
>From K12OCKZR@vaxc.hofstra.edu
Date: Thu, 01 Sep 1994 15:54:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Rita Kaikow (Oceanside High School)"
<K12OCKZR@vaxc.hofstra.edu>
To: r_weiner@SACAM.OREN.ORTN.EDU
Subject: Re: Librarians horror (not for the faint hearted!)
>automated and you no longer print pockets and cards and your
computer
>goes belly up??? What do you do when all the students are
milling about
>trying to check out their books and not be late for classes....
>What are your contingency plans. Has this ever <shudder>
happened?
>From time to time, we need to do things on the network that
require all
stations be down. To take care of circulation at these times, we
photocopy
student ID card and pertinent information about the books to be
borrowed, e.g.
barcode label, title page or (since we still have book pockets)
book pocket.
Then when the system is back up, we enter the information into
the database.
We instituted this process when handwritten information proved
inaccurate.
--
=================================================================
========
| "A Puppy's
Lament"
Rita Kaikow, Library Media Specialist | The world is so big
Oceanside High School Library | And I am so small...
3160 Skillman Avenue | Without you beside me
Oceanside, NY 11572 | I won't make it at
all.
[Phone: 516/678-7534] | **********
K12ockzr@VAXC.HOFSTRA.EDU | HAVE A
HAPPY :-)
=================================================================
========
>From k_klein@mv.MV.COM
We have a laminateed sheet with space for patron ID number
followed by spaces for bar code numbers with washable markers.
It's taped to the counter top so partons can always use it for
self check out. When we're not available it keeps folks from
just walking away and things are easilyentered when the computer
is back up. It's just wiped off and used over without wasting any
paper. We also pray a lot that we won't have a computer failure
and we keep several sets of back up discs.
>From smckee@nueva.pvt.k12.ca.us
roselle, i had a whole year with a new library computer ready and
nocomputers. of course they kept telling me it would be soon, so
i didn't even make temporary cards. what i did was copy class
lists (enlarging them so i could read the names)then i wrote the
book next to the kids names and crossed them out when returned.
used a new class list everyweek and just carried over the
overdues. it took forever but it worked. school started yesterday
and i just got the training today-so library will beclosed until
i can barcode books and patrons. but i will keep some class lists
as back-ups just in case.
Sharyn Udell Mckee
Turnbull Learning Academy
San Mateo,CA 94401
smckee@nueva.pvt.k12.ca.us
>From KBW_INGLIS@MEC.OHIO.GOV
First, you don't panic. You let the students know that for the
momenteverything must be manual. Second, you tell them that they
may have to comeback at the end of the day but that the materials
will be held for them. Thenyou take care of the ones you can
manually, noting their last name, barcodenumber, and the items'
barcodes. (This is a great way to use old catalogcards.) This
has happened in our public libraries at times - we have been
lucky ourselves to escape the problem so far. The world will not
end ifchecking out takes a few more minutes. It will still take
less time than itused to. Besides, the kids should have managed
their own time, also. Goodluck! Kari Inglis Columbus, OH
>From jthomas@tenet.edu
Roselle,
When my computer is down, I use a form that I created. It has
several rows of double columns. One column is for the patron bar
code and the other colomn is for the book's bar code. You can
expand this form toinclude full name and title if you want. I
find the two columns fasters checking out books. The only
problem is that whoever is checking out the books must be VERY
accurate when recording the bar code numbers.
As far as checking in returned books, I let them pile up until my
computer is back on line. My technical support is very good, so
the books don't have to pile up for very long.
When the computer is back on line, I simply use the information
recorded on the form to manually input the bar code numbers to
check out the books.
I hope this helps you.
Jan Thomas
Bowie High School
Arlington, TX
jthomas@tenet.edu
==============================
Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. All best,
'Roselle
American School for the Deaf
r_weiner@sacam.oren.ortn.edu
LM_NET
Archive Home