Previous by Date | Next by Date | Date Index
Previous by Thread | Next by Thread
| Thread Index
| LM_NET
Archive
| |
I am reposting this as one of my sentences disappeared somewhere... I think that Joanne's reasons sum up why I do inventory. I close the library for the last five days of school (or take very limited groups, but most classes have field days and such going on anyway) and do a very quick inventory with volunteers. I don't have a handheld device, but still have one shelflist card per title. If a book is missing, I wait three years to pull the card and take the record out of the computer. (Our homemade internet circulation system has no way to note missing books (or any other bells & whistles), so I still keep up my shelflist. I agree that I inventory because I want my computerized catalog to reflect if the book truly exists. I also need to do some weeding and just get a general feel for the collection once a year. As Joanne says, it is also very helpful when ordering replacement titles. I order a small amount of memorial books each June (community donations) and make my list as I see what needs to be discarded and/ or replaced. I often write notes of ideas that I get for next year's lessons because books turn up (they were actually there all along) that just seem to fit the current curriculum. I often tell the students that I inventoried My Father's Dragon for 15 years and am glad that I finally "discovered" it one June. (I finally got a classroom set after all of these years and my students are enjoying the story tremendously.) I also often think that it would be great to have a classroom teacher help with inventory as he/she would find many items for his/her units! But that is not going to happen. My state is working through the Dewey sections to encourage us to weed and update them (we did the 500s and had state money to help and are now working on the 600s and hoping that the money may follow some day). I try to pay closer attention to those sections throughout the year and during inventory. Back when I had three schools, I could inventory them all in two weeks (about 12,000 books). Now I am glad to get these approximately 9.000 items done in time to be able to tell kids for sure that they really need to be responsible for paying for their missing library books. My job has changed so much in the past 30 years that the yearly inventory often takes a back seat to a technology crisis, but I still feel that it is important to get it done and I get it done. Deb Hendrickson Deborah J. Hendrickson Media Specialist/Technology Leader/Teacher-Librarian Westernport Elementary School 172 Church Street Westernport, MD 21562 301-722-6214 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------