Thursday, August 12, 2004
Library should be fully open end of September
- Fiction 99% lableled
- Non-Fiction 60% labeled
- Biography 99% labeled
- Easy Reader 5% labeled
- Picture Book 5% labeled
The labeled books can be barcoded as soon as the sheet of barcodes has been printed (by Mr. Flint). The barcode is the book's accession number - its unique identifier - that allows us to track it and tell when it has been borrowed. This info can be typed into the catalog when the book is being borrowed, but scanning a barcode is much easier and less prone to mistakes.
The big push now is labeling the Easy Readers and Picture Books. These have to first be divided between ER and P and arranged alphabetically by author in anticipation of the spine labeling process. Instructions to this effect are in the library on the desk. I need to look into the order that the catalog sw prints out spine labels to see the easiest way to finish the spine labeling.
I will be in Chicago on family buisiness next week (Aug 17-22). This means less manpower so it doesn't look like our original goal will be met. I think we will be making good progress to have the ER and Picture Books spine labeled by school's opening. The barcoding is a new process to us and so allowing time for glitches - assume we will be fully barcoded by end of September.
To help me keep track of how well I establish goals, I need to analyze the reasons when we fail to meet them. Unexpected events that slowed us down were: taking the time to physically move and rearrange the library, losing our Simmons volunteer earlier than anticipated, and needing to re-work many entries in the catalog. I hadn't really accounted for that at all, but it takes time to assign useful, correct subject headings and dewey decimal numbers. This tricky process is what librarians call "cataloguing"; "Real" cataloguers are a gifted bunch - please send us one, Lord because you know that is not my strength!
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