HIT: Circulating Magazines 2

[Shayne Russell <srussell@OMNI.VOICENET.COM>]

You're right about the temporary barcodes, but you're also right about
not barcoding each issue.  A possible solution (one I haven't used, so
I don't really know how well it works) would be to designate a range of
temporary numbers for each title.  For instance, 0001-0050 for Sports
Illustrated, etc., then pulling those statistics at the end of the year.
However, I personally don't circulate magazines (except to teachers) for
the simple reason that the magazines either don't come back or they come
back in such bad shape they can't be used.  I did try, but...
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I circulate all periodicals.  I give them a dummy barcode and create a
temporary record and a date due slip (sounds hard, but it takes a
second).  I put each magazine in a large envelope when it goes out. This
just helps protect the magazine, sometimes I put the date on the envelope.
I have very few magazines lost and the kids are glad
they can take them home, especially since out school does a lot of research.
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I barcode all magazines, just put title, date, and material
type.  I can always delete it when I want to take it out of
circulation.  If there's an article that ties in with a grade
level's curriculum, I'll put a subject heading in.
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For circulation you might try using a check-out card - use the title of
the magazine at top of card and bar code the CARD.  Then when you check out,
note on the card (signature line) the date of the issue checked out.  You=20
should have
several cards for popular titles.  The magazine title will show up on
patron's record until magazine is returned.
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I put my magazines in large manila envelopes which I laminated to help
them last.  I affixed a barcode first and the system asks me to create a
tempory item and I do that.  I inform the students that they must return
the envelope in order for the magazine( or vertical file item), to be
checked in off their record.
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        For information on the magazine circulation, you may want to check
the archives.  I did a request for info on that topic several months ago and
received lots of good suggestions.  I posted a hit, but have deleted since
then.  Good Luck!
***=7F
I barcode all magazines, but enter only title and date.  I keep only three
years worth out (but then it's an elem. school).
When I get ready to "retire" a year I reassign the new year's dates to the
barcodes from the discarded ones, run the barcode labels again and voila. It
does make it much easier to keep tract of circulation and I also use it as a
method of checking in the magazines (from the publishers, not the students)
- I put the status as on order and change it to on shelf when I receive it.=
=7F
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