Thanks to all of you who responded! Wow, what a great response from the
group! I know there a few people I forgot to thank personally--please
forgive me! I was copying, pasting, and replying all at one time and I
skipped a thank you!
I vote just for the barcode written inside a book. Everything else
can be included in the record on Destiny. I sometimes write the call
number inside so a volunteer knows which spine label to put on the book.
I don't even do that if I'll be the one processing the books.
I don't write anything in the book, except for a date on the book
pocket.
The date is when the book was processed and just includes the month and
year. I gives me an idea at a glance when the book was put into
circulation.
Even if the barcode is off, I think we can figure out the number. We
have a
collection of 16,000 items, but we can look up the title and see who
had it
out.
I wonder if some of this writing on the title page began before the
pre-computer age.
Because we always did it that way back in the old days before
computers. Now I stamp our school name on the title page and edges of
the book and call it good. The other information is in the computer and
at my finger tips. It is not like the days of shelf lists and card
catalogs. Cut yourself some slack and figure out what you can give up
because of computerized records.
That seems like a lot of time invested. If you have the information
in Destiny, I'm not sure why it needs to appear on the title page of
the book. We attach two barcodes to our books; one on the outside
and one on the inside of the back cover of the book to help prevent
barcode "rip-offs". The students are also made aware that if a book
comes back with a barcode ripped off or missing, they will be charged
a $20 fine! That seems excessive, but it sure prevents students from
messing with the barcodes. They also understand that if a book comes
back with both barcodes missing, then we have no way to prove that it
was their book.
I put an extra barcode on the title page. That's it
I have not done that ever. If the book is lost you have the shelf
list
card. The only thing I put in the book is call number, barcode, AR
points.
I can replace the dot for AR and the Spine label with the book in my
hand I
do not have to look any thing up.
Title page I stamp the Library address and phone number. Two reasons.
1.
Kid leave a book in another district it usually get returned. I do
this.
2. If the book goes to the bindery and they send it back to someone
else
they know where it goes. I was on the receiving end one time. Also I
sent
off books from 4 campuses and if I did not do this or make a list which
no
one could find when the books came back. This is an easy identifier.
I don't do any of those things (other than writing in the barcode
number),
and I can't say I've ever been sorry. If I were you, I wouldn't
bother.
I'll be interested to see if anyone has a good reason for continuing to
do
things that way (other than because it was done in the past). Some
might
say it's to "back up" the computer, but honestly, if you accidentally
delete a record--big deal. And if for some reason you were to lose
the
information for a lot of records, well, then you've got bigger
problems
than not knowing what fund it came from or the date of purchase.
When I get in new books I don't write anything in them. I put all of
the information in Destiny and place a second bar code inside the back
cover of the book. I haven't had any need for additional information.
Hi Mary - I don't write anything in mine anymore. Even the call number
I
can find by searching the book in the OPAC, and usually I don't have
multiple copies, so I don't do the barcode either. It's just too much
time
to do that to all of those books.
Like you, I questioned the need for all of that info inside the book,
so, I
stopped writing it! We also use Destiny and record all of the
purchasing
information in the Destiny record. I believe that one reason that the
information USED to be recorded inside the book was in case the old
shelf
list record was damaged or destroyed. Since our Destiny records are
backed-up on a regular basis, I see no need for recording the same
information in both the book and the Destiny record. We do, however,
still
record the barcode inside the book. If the book vendor supplies a
duplicate
barcode, I put that on the verso of the title page.
The only thing we do to the book when processing is to write the copy
ID inside the front cover, stamp the front page and the pocket with
the school ID (which includes an address for those books that wander),
and then add the barcode and spine labels. We no longer keep an
accession book, as that just seems to be extra steps to us. Then we
process the book into our automation system. Just for myself, I
usually add a small note inside the back cover of the book, close up
to the spine so it can hardly be seen, about why I bought the book,
i.e. a note about the reviewing source, or if it was a request from a
teacher, etc. I do this just to help me when it is time to weed. We
try to keep the process as streamlined as possible.
One reason I still write that info on the title page is backup.
Sometimes the book comes back without the cover; I only put the barcode
on
the cover. Sometimes the book comes back without the front and I need
that
info. Sometimes the barcode has been deleted as a lost book and I need
that
info then.
I property stamp in two different places, attach the scanning barcode,
spine label, and add the barcode number to the title page (in case the
other one comes off). I wrap jackets if needed. I enter the other info
(vendor, fund, call number) into the catalog.
The only thing I do is write the barcode number on the verso page at
the bottom.
I put only two ownership stamps (inside front and back) and date due
slip. EVerything else is on the online cataloging record. Why waste my
time with duplicity?
I only do the barcode number and the call number--the rest
is just busy work. It took me a while to break the habit.
:-)
We stamp the book with our name and address, check that the cataloging
is correct for our library and put them on the shelves. All the other
information is in Destiny and can be reached by entering the book
title.
Why do we do that? At our school we just stamp our library name and
address
on the title page. We use the extra barcode we get from Follett and
just
slap it inside the back cover of the book. I've never written in that
other
stuff and have never had any need for it.
Maybe we do all that for when the tornado comes into our library and
only takes out the server? ;-)
I stamp my books in several places and write the barcode on the back
endpaper. That is all we do now.
I only write the barcode and the call number. I have stopped stamping
pages,
also. I do regular backups to my system and at the end of the year I
do a
printout of all materials, arranged by sections, which lists the title,
author, call number, publisher and copyright date, barcode number, and
fund,
just to have a paper backup if needed. I do not concern myself on when
I
purchased something, as it is more important to see if it is still
available
if I need to replace it. I include the fund in case I have to do a
report
since we receive government funds and occasionally my principal wants
to
know about donations from alums.
I don't write anything on the books but I do stamp them in several
places,
mostly so that if all the other identifiers are pulled off the book
can
still be returned to the Media Center.
We receive our books fully processed from Mackin (love that company) -
I go through each book so I'm familiar with it and include it on a
list for teachers (which includes descriptions and ways to use it with
curriculum tie-ins). My TA stamps the book with our return address
and gives it any genre labels I've asked for.
1. Put the barcode number on the front of the book (the barcode is
already on the back).
2. Check to see if we have a Reading Counts quiz for the book. If so,
put a red dot on the RC spine label.
3. Stamp the book with the school ownership stamp.
4. Make any necessary changes to the MARC records I get from Follett.
5. Transfer the entry collection to the main collection.
6. Madly check the new books out and in!
Good morning, I was like you, writing all the information in on the
book
until last year when I decided it was a waste of time. The program that
we
use has the fields for all the information and I found that I was going
to
the catalogue to find the information when replacing the book rather
than
the book itself, especially if it is a lost book or damaged by water,
etc
and not readable.
I've stopped doing this at all. I do put the barcode number and stamp
the school name, but that's it. In this day of automation, it is just
not necessary anymore.
We stick on the barcode on the outside and the small one on page 25.
We
stamp it with property of the library. Magnetic strips and adhesive
for
book covers, and they're ready. Writing inside the book was partially
due to shelf lists or ledgers way back. We haven't done this since
automation.
We stopped writing that information on the books, since it is all in
our automated system (we use Alexandria).
Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three
decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.
- Thomas Sowell
Mary B. Simmons
Currituck County High School
4203 Caratoke Highway
Barco, NC 27917
NBCT/Library-Media
msimmons@currituck.k12.nc.us
Visit our Lucy and Ethel blog for high school media specialists at:
www.lucyandethelslibrary.com
*********All email correspondence to and from this address is subject
to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring
and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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://lm-net.info/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
* LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home