Hit 2

[Helen Dittmer <hdittme@ix.netcom.com>]

o buy "dumb" barcodes and barcode the collection first, putting the tag
with the # on the SL card. When we sent these cards out, we got back our
MARC records on disk and the numbers were "smartened up" to match.
Either
way, you can't circulate until you have everything done.

However you do it and whomever you use, it takes a while for them to
create
you data, and the later in the school year you send it, the longer it
takes
because they're busier.

Installing the software doesn't take much time, but configuring it does,
at
least with Follett.  You need to define a lot of things.  They offer
(pricey) training - one day workshop with you and your computer.  Our
district had the first wave of schools trained, then we mentored the
next
ones.  Inputting your patrons can be very time-consuming if you must do
it
manually - some school attendance program software can generate a list
which you can them upload.  You also have to assign patron numbers and
you
may or may not want patron cards.  Our HS doesn't have library cards,
they
just call up the student's record by name when they want to check out a
book.  Since our elementary classes come on a fixed schedule and
everyone
needs to check out quickly at one time, we keep a book of patron
barcodes
by class and just scan the card.  (That's a whole other issue for you to
decide)

I can't really give you a timeline, but I spent this last year (with two
volunteers for 1 1/2 hrs. a week) working on automating my second
school.
I'm only there 1 1/2 days, collection ~5000, already heavily weeded but
I
still tossed as I went.  I worked on SL/weeding and had my vols
barcode.  I
sent out E, FIC, B, NF in June.  Brought PBs home - my daughter barcoded
and I did SL.  Will do PROF, REF, AV when we go back.  Follett said they
won't have my data back to me until end of Sept. I had hoped to open as
automated library - oh well.  I'm still posting a favorite sign - "The
card
catalog is closed.  Materials purchased after 6/99 will be found only in
the computer catalog."  Hooray - no more filing/pulling!!!

A suggestion for funding - if possible build in several sub days (if you
must cover classes) so you can have uninterrupted time to work on
collection, and definitely allowed one sub day to set up your system.

Hope this was helpful - GOOD LUCK!!!  It really is fabulous and well
worth
the effort when it's done.
*-*-*
\
Helen,
most automation project I have witnessed run from two to three years...
The last one I finished was in progress for two years before I arrived
...
the length may have been due to the illness of the person who was there
before me and the fact that the library had seen 6 librarians in the
last 7 years...!

In any case, unless you spend gobs of time doing the barcoding (first
step) after
school and during the breaks in the school year, this task will be the
second largest
consumer of time... it is not difficult, just monotonous... you might
have some of your
more reliable students or volunteers perform this task for an hour or
two a day.

The input of the titles might be done completed 'on the fly' (second
step) ... Follett allows the check-out
person to input a title that is not in the catalog at check-out time...
just enough to identify
the book (barcode, title, author, and ISBN) ... these brief records can
also be bumped
against a CD of titles for an automated reconciliation of the brief
titles into complete
MARC records...  Check your software for this feature... if it is
available, you may
use the system to check-out books even before the cataloging process is
complete.

Also, if you have a reading incentive program in the school, it might be
reasonable to
put the information in the MARC record as you enter the item... for
instance, if you use
Accelerated Reader, pick a searchable local tag in the MARC record and
then enter
the points, reading level, and AR book number.  In that fashion, the
students may
search the catalog for a specific book OR if they pick an AR book from
the catalog,
it will display the AR information when the book info comes up on the
OPAC...a very
handy feature for 4th graders+...

If you are like me and want to get it started as soon as possible, you
might do it as soon
as the barcodes are on every item... months perhaps...
If you are a meticulous person and do not want the automation in action
until all the items
are online, years perhaps... don't forget periodicals, videos, records,
games, kits,
and three-dimensional items... and the reference books as well...
If your program permits collection development reports, you will want to
have every
piece of material in the catalog to help build accurate records and
collection development
reports...

Hope this ramblin' helps a bit...  8-)


Helen, clean up the shelf list, definitely. Just as important, WEED,
WEED,
and WEED some more. It really hurts to spend time and money on books
that you
end up discarding sooner rather than later, or that you discover,
through the
great reports your automation system will give you, are shelf-sitters.
I
can't stress this strongly enough. Look at the last check out date of
EVERY
book and weed ruthlessly.

Good luck,
I hope this works out to be the rest of my automation information, thank
you all for your fantastic response, from Helen Dittmer, Redwood Day
School, Oakland, Ca <hdittme@ix.netcom.com>

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