centralized processing vs. pre processed materials

[Michele Missner <missnerm@ATHENET.NET>]

We are a school district with 26 schools and 14,000 students.  Presently
we use OCLC for cataloging and dump the records into DRA which is our
circulation/opac system.  Our centralized processing staff basically
consist of a cataloguer/system person, 1 secretary--full time for
processing, a .5 educational assistant, another secretary who does
textbooks half time.  Last year 85,000 items went through centralized
processing--this includes checking materials in, barcoding, stamping,
covering books, labeling, and cataloging.  Our superintendent is not happy
with this system and feels that preprocessed materials would be much less
expensive.  He also does not want media staff doing these 'menial tasks".

We have a lot of questions about what other school districts are doing and
I know that you are all busy but any help would be appreciated in
answering our questions.

1.If you are getting your materials preprocessed
        a. What percentage can you get predone
        b. How accurate are teh records
        c. If the materials cannot be received preprocessed what do you
do then?  Do them yourselves?  Outsource?

2.  Are your records on OCLC?

3.  Are your circulation and holdings catalogs automated?
        A. what vendor do you use?
        B. Are all of your schools on the same system--meaning no stand
alones and you can access all of the district records?
        c. Do you actively interlibrary loan among the schools in your
district?

4.  Have you done any cost/benefit analysis to see if preprocessed
materials or centralized processing is most cost effective?  If so, would
you share your results?

5.  If you have centalized processing
        a. what services are provided--checking in materials from
companies, catloging, stamping, covering, labeling, etc.?
        b. How many people are involved in your centralized processing?
        c. What is the size of your district--schools, students, number of
items purchased per year?
        d.  What is the time approximately between when an item is
received and when it gets to the schools to go on the shelves?

6.  If items are preprocessed
        a.  How ar they entered into your system?
        b.  Do they come shelf ready?  If not who prepares them?
        c.  What is the cost of purchased records, preprocessing?

7.  If you are a DRA school district how do you handle the processing of
items?

thank you in advance for your time.  Any help from you wonderful people
out there will be appreciated.  Michele




Michele W. Missner,
Program Leader for Media Services       Library Media Specialist
Appleton Area School District           Appleton West High School
Office phone: (414) 832-4899            610 N. Badger Ave
Einstein Middle School                  Appleton Wi. 54914
email:  missnerm@athenet.net            phone: (920) 832-4162-work
(920)   730-0768 -home                   (920) 832-6239-fax
(920)   832-4899 (media center)
http://www.athenet.net/~westfive

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