Follett Gringo....Help!

[Earl Sande <sandes@CODETEL.NET.DO>]

This is our situation :

We are an international school here in the Dominican Republic and I am
quite familiar with other software, but NOT Follett.

Our school recognized that there were some real problems with the school's
library catalog, but you will note our situation :

- we currently operate the DOS version of Follett and have this week
received the Windows version from them.

- we operate from a central server in the computer department and, until
now, have relied on their expertise to maintain the operations.  However,
the person responsible has now accepted a position elsewhere.

- although all our materials are catalogued and circulated with the
program, unfortunately no one seems to be left here who has had any
training in these programs. And, of course, any training manual which might
have existed have long since disappeared.

- careful examination of the data files reveals that previous librarians
have not removed missing items (an inventory in August revealed some 3,000
such items still on the records), no attempt was made to give uniformity to
the author, subject or series fields, some records have re-used MARC
records for completely different titles, and some records contain only
minimal cataloguing (mainly author and title).

The technician's plan was to await the Windows version and then attempt to
remedy the problems involved.

It is our goal to install the Windows version, transfer the existing
records, and then work (VERY) hard to remedy the problems that we have
identified.

I have been reading the Follett Talk newsgroup and have contacted the
Technical Support people at the company, but both tend to be very specific
problem oriented and I discussed with our Headmaster the urgent need to
have all our library staff trained.

Until we figure out how to do this (within our school's budget), I am not
quite sure at what point we could be before such a trainer could arrive,
most of it depending on who is hired to replace our technician and,
therefore, how far along he/she could be in upgrading the DOS version to
Windows.

Are there any kind souls who can assist until we get a trainer?

Our first step will have to be installing the Windows version and
transferring the existing records ; then, we need to eliminate all the
missing items ; next, work on changing the subject headings to current
forms (hopefully, being able to globally collapse all those variations and
outmoded ones).

Step-by-step instructions would be most helpful.

Earl
Earl P Sande
Elementary School Librarian
Director of Library Services
Carol Morgan School
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
e-mail :  sandes@codetel.net.do

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