LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Dear Friends,
I have delayed this too long, I know, but perhaps it is still of interest
to some of you. Thank you all for responding to the questions I asked on
back-ups and removal of cards. You helped greatly and I appreciate each
and every answer.
I had asked for info on backing up records on the Winnebago system on Mac
as well as the following:
> Also, as I begin circulating, I am wondering what to do with the borrowers
> cards in the books. I started out the week leaving them in because I still
> have some books that need to be manually checked out, but I feel very
> uncomfortable with the k-5 students running around with borrower cards in
What I have done is bought an Iomega Zip Drive 100. The zip drive was the
most recommended back-up.
As far as the cards go, I am removing them as the books go through my
hands. I still do not have everything barcoded so I am encumbered with
some books still with cards. So far I have been saving the cards, but am
now getting to the point where I feel more comfortable with the thought
that I may throw them away.
I did use the suggestion of having a sheet form with Bar code, short name
of book, borrower on it for the times when the computer is not available.
It works quite well.
Thanks again for all your help. Following are some of the comments I received.
Barb 8-)
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When we first automated (also Winnebago) our middle school library, we
too left the cards in. As the books circulated we removed the cards at
check-out and threw them away. Eventually all the cards will be gone. If
you are in a hurry, you could have a volunteer or student go thru each
section pulling any cards they find.
One question that you didn't ask, but may explain your "uncomfortable"
feeling is "What do you do when the circulation computer is down and you
have a flood of students who want to check materials out (or in)?". You
don't need all those cards for that any more!!!
I created a form list on which we write the patron barcode #, material
barcode #, and check the appropriate box for 'check out' or 'check in'.
When (not if) it happens all you have to do is pull out the form (ours has
spaces for about 25 per sheet) and write down the information. When you
get the computer working again you simply enter the info starting from the
top (not the bottom or you may be 'checking in' materials that the
computer doesn't know yet it checked out).
2 practical notes on this: either put a space on the form for the date the
activity took place or write the date in the margin at the first entry
(that's what I do so more than one date can appear on a page); and when
you are able to enter the data in the computer be sure the program thinks
it's really the date the activity took place so the due date will be
correct. That's particularly important if the computer is down over night
(or several days).
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I know some systems don't go down very often, and ours quits much less
frequently than it used to, but I recommend that you pull the circulation
cards and save them for a time, either in shelf-list order or some other
convenient way. There have been very many days when we have again signed out
books by hand because our technology support team was not readily accessible
to handle a wayward system (not the same system you have asked about.
Betty
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When you say back up "everything" what do you mean? When I used Winnebago
on DOS, we put in a number of discs each Friday and do a backup on
materials and circulation. We also had the option of backing up the
program when doing an update.
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Hi,
I would really like to know what kind of backup systems are recommended.
I almost ordered a Zip drive this week, and then decided not to because
I didn't know if it was the best thing to get.
When I automated I would remove the card from the back of the book
when the student brought it to the desk to check out. I stacked the
cards on the top of a bookshelf which is right behind the check out
desk. I would smugly look at the growing stack of cards and think
about how I no longer had to sort them, file them, hunt for them,
and put them back in the books. Then one day, I just tossed them
into the trash.
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I have been using Winnebago on Mac for over 2 years. I used to use Diskfit
Pro and back up on 23 floppies (it took 30-40 minutes :( to complete)
because I couldn't afford a tape backup. Now I have an iomega Zip Drive. In
four minutes the entire database can be copied to a 100mb disk. I love it!
This might be a more practical answer for you than a tape backup.
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I'd highly recommend a Zip drive. I use one personnally and every school
in our district has one.
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I have Macintosh computers, but Alexandria for my library automation system.
I would assume that the backup could be the same. I started out using a
tape backup system - Retrospect, but never really liked it. It would often
freeze up, or just not work at all. At the end of last year, I got a Zip
Drive from Iomega. It is always plugged into the computer, and looks like a
little stand alone drive. You simply put in a disk everyday, and drag and
save like you would any other file. Very simple! I think I am really going
to like it. It's much cheaper than Retrospect too. My husband tells me that
there is a new system out called Jaz that has a much larger memory capacity,
if you would need it. I get my entire collection of 10,000 items on a Zip
Drive quite easily, however. (For under $200). ***** As for your old
borrowers cards, have a class of students go through and pull the cards. I
just tossed mine in the recyling bin, and never missed them! Good luck!
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DONT TAKE OUT THE CARDS!! maybe you will hear different from
somebody else--
here I am, a newbie, still struggling to get my Winnebago system up and
running, forget wonderful support from the company and all of that
stuff--the Getting Started with Your Winnebago system book never arrived.
I never had a visit from anybody or even a how are ya call. The stuff
arrivwed in June. We (20 volunteers and myself) barcoded our brains out
all summer on the 15 thousand volumes. Taking out the cards as we went,
btw, who knew ? Then (school started 2 days ago here) last week I started
trying to get the stuff to talk to each other using the Evil 3 ring binder
the co sent that I cannot understand, I need real basic here, Called the
guy I was told to call who was going to make all my problems go away in
maine, dribbled around about a time he could come thren, several days later
he realizes that I am a mac, not the IBM he thought I was, and says that I
have to go to the MAC guy in another state who will help me (Meanwhile I am
on tech support with the woman at the company I was assigned to but wew are
a construction site and the phones are on and off like crazy and I think
she is getting annoyed with how stupid I am anyway.
I keep asking for the book, the Getting Started one and the Co keeps
telling me they are backordered and will be coming out when Vers 4 does, oh
great ! Finally I practically throw a tantrum because she the techsupport
lady tells me one thing, meantine I am also talking with the Mac guy from
the winnebago place in Mass and he is telling me something else! It is
crazy--meanwhile I now have the 3 computers talking to each other in my
office, the server, the librarians station and the first patron station
(the other two guys have not yet gotten the wires from Apple to put into
the ethernet hub, god knows when they will arrive!(but that's another
story, dealing with the big A) but I do not know how to do any Stuff.
Supposedley Mr Mass. is coming on the 12th of Sept and All Will Be
Explained. Meantime, my assistant's daughter just went into a public libe
in Utica and while introducing herself etc, mentioned that we were going
through the awful process--first thing the woman says--tell them do not
take out the circ cards!! (a little late, I guess!) because sometimes the
system is down, the power is out or something, and you can still use the
cards and check books out the old way. For now, we are writing new cards
in the books people want (actually the kids are (we are pre-6) Thanks for
letting me vent, all suggestions greatly appreciated!
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Most tape backup systems can handle multiple configurations, which have
nothing to do with the program you are backing up. What you are really
doing is transferring the data in ASCII code. Suggest you go to a few
computer stores and ask them for the best. Just make sure that the tapes
are available (I bought one from FutureShop and found that the tapes were
available in very limited areas - - never did get it working)
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Bless you, you sound just like me. Decisions? Who knew enought to make
decisions? I am in the middle of automating and I'm not sure anyone
can know what it is all about until one does it.
May I suggest a zip drive to back up your system? I have just a small
collection (8,000 in one and 10,000 in another) on CASPR and I just
purcased an Iomega zip drive. $200 and the easiest thing to install. The
disk on an Iomega can hold 70 regular disks worth of data and I just drag
my CASPR folder on to the zip drive disk and it copies it all within a
minute. Now, there is a slightly bigger disk drive by Syquest which is
also the same amount of money.
Good luck.
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Barb, I run Library Pro on a Macintosh and back up to an Iomega Zip Drive
(cost around $200.00). We had a power outage last week for a brief time
and it messed up my library Pro but the zip drive allowed me to use my
backup to get myself running again. Before this we were backing up on
floppys and it took about 40 minutes every night.
I left my checkout cards in the books thinking when teachers checked the
books out in the room the students could use them to sign when they took a
book back to their desk but they fall out all the time and we have been
throwing them away as we find them on the floor.
To be continued...
Barbara Weidner,Librarian
Wright City Elementary School
100 Wildcat Dr. Box 198
Wright City, MO 63390
(314)745-7602
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