Re: magazine check out

[janet perry <perrybros@HOTMAIL.COM>]

I know the hit has already been posted, but here's my two cents anyway.  I
should start by saying that I work in  K-12 library where grades K-8 come
basically weekly.  Grades K-5 NEVER have drop ins because they are across
the street and across the field.  My magazine policy covers these grades,
and there are about 300 students here.  I do not barcode magazines.  There
are too many of them that never circulate to make taking any time doing this
a waste.  I have no help, except a few HS students who do the checkin
/checkout for me so a lot of my circulation policies are made based on my
belief that I am a librarian, not a library clerk, and lots of circulation
"stuff" is clerk oriented.  I bought a cheap spiral notebook for each class.
  I color coded them by grade.  On the outside of each notebook I put a
sticker with the teacher's code on it.  1-C blue sprial for Casner, first
grade; 2-H green spiral for Helm, second grade, etc. When the class comes in
and a student wants to check out a magazine, I get out the spiral for that
class, and write the DUE DATE (one week) on the top of the page. (I have a
little sticky calendar attached to my computer).  Then I write the student's
name, the magazine name (using shortcuts such as AG for American Girl) and
the issue on the first line. For Zoobooks and Kids Discover I write "issue
titles".  Then I put the magazine in a brown envelope to help protect it. I
write the due date, and class (1-C) on the outside of the envelope to help
know which spiral to look in when it is returned. When a magazine is
returned, I take it out of the envelope, and cross it off the list.  I
recycle envelopes I get in the mail.  I also don't worry about if envelopes
get ripped.  But, it does keep the magazines nice longer.  If a magazine
doesn't ever go out, I haven't wasted any of my precious time on it.  Yes,
it takes awhile to check them out, especially if I get a class of magazine
fans, but, at least it is productive time. I really do think sometimes we
get bogged down in the importance of "statistics", and, unless someone is
asking us for them, they can take up a lot of time we could be doing the fun
stuff. Just an idea.



Janet Perry, Librarian
Cerro Gordo CUSD 100, Cerro Gordo, IL
perrybros@hotmail.com



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