I agree with Debra...weeding is the first priority. You will need to do
this before you automate and it will allow you to see what you need to
purchase.
In the meantime, you can still use the manual check-out system to start the
school. If the system that should have been used is capable of being used
(or upgraded), check with the company to see if they can send someone to
assist you with it. (What program are you using?) If it can be used with
some minor upgrades, this can be a great starting place. If not, check to
see if a new system can be installed---if not, start looking for some grant
money for libraries! (Check with your state department of education, the
department of libraries, and the ALA website!)
It sounds like the large notebook is a portable "shelf list" that the
librarian had. I would keep it around just to give you some basic
information, but it won't be useful for much more than a reference to what
is owned.
Because you don't have an actual card catalog right now, I think that one
way you can do two things to benefit you and the students would be to
purchase a copy of MARC Magician---costs about $120 or so. This will allow
you to use do some copy cataloging---download the records of the books that
your library owns from resources such as the Library of Congress (or a local
union catalog, if it is available) while creating a temporary database of
records that you can use to locate books on the shelves for the students
(you use this program only)--you can see the entire list of books with the
subject headings listed alphabetically. The software program will then also
be a copy of materials that you can export to an online catalog at a later
date (hopefully Follett is what you have available, if not, I agree with
Debra that it is a great circ / cat program). You can use the program to
create the labels for the books and you can generate cards, if necessary.
I would definitely desegregate the biographies. Arrange the library
according to Dewey standards. Purchase some of those Dewey Decimal posters,
instruct the students in how the library is arranged, and allow them to
practice. You might be able to find some students who are eager to help you
in this Renaissance of the library, so create some "volunteer request"
posters to get those who might be interested a chance to help (they do very
well in removing the older books, marking out information, and boxing them
for recycling).
Remember to keep a count of the number of books that you remove (just a
number count would be fine since you don't have any way to actually have
titles available when you discard). When you finish the weeding, start the
"new catalog" with MARC Magician. In the meantime, push hard for the new
automated system to be repaired or replaced.
If you are involved in a local, district or state library association,
contact someone to see if there are "volunteer librarians" who might be
willing to offer you some help in getting the library working. Sometimes
there are people in your community who have just retired but still want to
make a difference by helping in libraries--- especially if they can do what
they love to do without the headache of being in charge of the whole thing!
Remember that you are the one who was selected to teach and to administer
the library program. Your first duty is to the students, so continue to
involve yourself with collaborative efforts with your teachers. Offer
students library orientation, information literacy skills, and bibliographic
instruction---they've been denied the right to have a great library and
you're the one person who will make an impression with them with the
changes. You will be the one who opens their door to a world they never had
before. Once the door is open you will see that there are many who will
become excited about what is happening and may offer to help!
Later as you get a handle on the program and the collection, remember to
write a selection policy to protect you and the collection from those who
might have questions regarding the materials you've chosen. A policy and
procedures manual is also something that you might want to pair with this
document. It will give you guidelines and it will help the next person to
understand what you are / were doing! (It's the "Johnny Appleseed" concept
of leaving the place better than you found it...plant a few trees, move
on....and the future reaps the rewards of your efforts!)
Let us know what is happening and if others have suggestions, post the
information on the list for future librarians who find themselves in the
same situation! (I know this situation from experience...only I was in a
library for blind students and the card catalog was outdated by 30 years, it
was only in BRAILLE --too bad for those students with some vision and the
librarian who had 20/30 vision-- and it contained only author and title
cards!!!) I kept the catalog, got a grant, purchased a circ / cat program
and started from that point forward!
Good luck!
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerol King" <jerol4@MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 8:29 PM
Subject: Help! There is so much to do!!
> Hello Everyone:
>
> I am experiencing a "project overload." :-) I am starting the year at a
> high school media
> center, which is a new position for me, having left a middle school media
> specialist position with a different school system.
> When I say there is much to do at this school's library, there is MUCH
MUCH
> to do!!
> I don't know where to place my energies first, it is so mind boggling:
>
> 1) This high school library has been MANUALLY checking out books for the
> last four years
> because the previous media specialist(s) have not been able to get the
> automation system working for one reason or another. Resources that are on
> the shelf are fully processed with spine labels,
> pockets, etc. When students have wanted to check out a book, they would
> bring the book to the front desk and leave the card that was in the pocket
> with the media specialist.
>
> 2) There is no meaningful inventory available
> When I say no inventory I mean no meaningful inventory of books, videos,
> equipment, software, magazines that would tell me the the age of the
> collection, what's missing or lost, what sections need to be "shored up"
and
> what sections they have enough material in. There is one massive notebook
> with print outs of things the library owns, but I don't know how accurate
or
> current it is and it probably does not list the copyright dates.
>
> 3)Students have no way of looking up resources in the media center,
manually
> or otherwise. I think the media clerk said students come to her to ask
where
> certain sections are. There is not
> even a poster of the dewey decimal system for students to use. (When the
> media center was beginning the roll out of this now non-existent
automation
> system they assumed everything would be working okay, so the entire card
> catalog was discarded, so the
> students nor myself even have that to fall back on.
>
>
> 4) And perhaps worst of all, the way the sections are organized are trully
> questionable:
> There is a separate section for Black biographies and a separate section
for
> white biographies
> A person could not come in immediately and know which sections are which,
as
> there is minimal
> labelling and signage.
>
> 5) Items are not shelved accurately accordingly to dewey decimal system.
>
> This library program is trully a case of the worst media practices, and
> obviously has very
> low standards and expectations set for its users to be self sufficient
media
> center users.
>
> As you can imagine I have my hands full!! I am prepared to push on with
> this school year with or without automation. Where would some of you begin
> tackling these issues???
>
> P.S. Contacting the previous media specialist is not an option, because
she
> has not returned
> my phone calls to date. We do however, have the help of the media clerk
who
> is returning.
>
>
> Jerol King
> Media Specialist
> Washington High School
> Atlanta, GA
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-
> All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
> To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
> In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
> 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
> LM_NET Help & Information: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
> Archive: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
> LM_NET Select/EL-Announce: http://www.cuenet.com/archive/el-announce/
> LM_NET Supporters: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ven.html
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-
>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-
All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
LM_NET Help & Information: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archive: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
LM_NET Select/EL-Announce: http://www.cuenet.com/archive/el-announce/
LM_NET Supporters: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ven.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-
LM_NET
Mailing List Home