TARGET Winnebago automation

[RMick <rmick@LLNET.NET>]

Dear LM_NET

I am a new librarian in a middle school which purchased the
Winnebago/Spectrum automation system about 3 years ago and has yet to see it
even begin to be implemented.  I'd like some info on  how to best go about
attempting to get something accomplished this year. Here's the
background.....
When I arrived I found that the non-fiction had been done.  Shelf list cards
for A-C of the fiction had been sent off and barcodes and lists of titles
were in the library.  D-Z has not been sent off, and I may have to manually
input this range because of budget constraints, as full MARC records and
barcodes cost 0.55 per item.  Barcodes in this system must match a book,
they are not generic, by the way, which I had not encountered previously.
My questions are these:  should I convince the administration that it would
behoove us to send the shelf list as there are only around 3,000 items which
would cost less than $2,000? with the library open it is difficult to find
time to manually make MARC records.  What is a good way to manage the
barcoding regardless of method used when books are circulating?  Will the
printed shelflist be needed once automation is accomplished?  The shelflist
in the library is a mess, nothing matches. Which would mean we'd have to
clean it up completely if we send it off.  If we do make our own barcodes
and MARC records, can we make brief records now and edit them later, if so,
what is the best way to do that?  I'm not sure how to approach this and
would like to make something happen soon, as it's been 3 years and still
nothing to show.  The library has had several librarians in the last 5 or so
years and the shelflist has not been kept up well at all.
Any comments would be appreciated.

Renee Mick, Librarian
Franco Middle School, Presidio, TX
rmick@llnet.net

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