LIBRARY Automation
Download as PPTX, PDF0 likes55 views
This document discusses various modules and considerations for automating a library. It covers serials control, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, additional equipment like barcodes and scanners, and planning and funding aspects. Planning is important and should involve staff training, regular backups, collection weeding, evaluating multiple vendor options, and ensuring the system meets circulation and reporting needs.
LIBRARY Automation
- 1. AUTOMATION Reported by: JEHN MARIE A. SIMON
- 3. SYSTEMS • SERIALS – Another useful module is serials control. Although serials modules aren’t uniformly purchased because of tight budgets, they can be very useful for larger libraries that have to track many subscriptions. Smaller libraries usually choose some type of paper-based system for record keeping or some type of home-grown spreadsheet file. These can easily track when issues arrive, if issues are missing, and when it’s time to renew.
- 4. • ACQUISITIONS – An acquisitions module for nonserial purchases is also very handy. Although the process is simpler because of the one-time nature of each purchase, it’s still important for record keeping and to ensure that all orders have been filled properly. Some type of physical folder of paperwork alongside a spreadsheet is often adequate for a smaller library.
- 5. – Many vendors also include some type of online material ordering. However, tracking all purchases in one place, separate from the vendors’ lists, is still good practice, instead of relying entirely on a vendor website. – If your library is larger, you might want to consider this type of module. Standard features usually include tracking of material requests, purchase orders, material receipts, budget planning, vendor performance tracking,and overall record keeping.
- 6. • INTERLIBRARY LOAN – A final module to consider is interlibrary loan. Again, record keeping is often already a combination of paper files, spreadsheets, and built into electronic systems, such as OCLC (Online Computer Library). Some type of data recording for the purpose of statistics, keeping track of costs involved, and budget planning is important, yet again for a smaller library and especially for the lower grades might not be utilized that frequently
- 8. • Purchasing the hardware and software for the automation system is the biggest and most expensive decision. There is, of course, additional equipment and materials that you’ll need to fully implement automation.
- 9. BARCODES AND BARCODE SCANNER • Wand type scanners are usually less expensive and require the user to drag the tip over the barcode label. • This has a tendency to degrade the barcode over time because of the physical contact generated between the device and the barcode, and the tip is prone to damage.
- 11. • CCD (charged-couple device) guntype scanner that can either be handheld or placed in a mounting stand. • The barcode is then simply placed a couple inches below the scanner and the laser light reflected back reads the code. These scanners vary considerably in terms of how they read the barcodes, so be sure to read all of the specifications.
- 13. • A portable scanner for inventory purposes is a popular option. Simply carry the scanner and scan every book on the shelf in a single day or two. Then you can plug the scanner into the computer and compare what is on the shelf to what the catalog shows.
- 14. • The barcode labels themselves are relatively inexpensive, although barcoding an entire library that has never been done before can add up to a few hundred dollars. While most vendors will provide information on standard barcode labels, there are competing styles.
- 15. • The most common in the library world is the 14-digit Codabar. The first digit identifies whether it’s a patron or item, the next four provide a unique library ID, the next eight provide a unique ID (whether patron or item), and the last digit is a check digit. See • figure 9.1.
- 16. • Finally, new advances in technology provide more options than ever before. Some libraries are moving ahead with RFID (radio frequency identification) chips in place of barcodes. The convenience here is that the RFID scanner only needs to come near the item for it to be recognized instead of a clear and concise laser scan.
- 19. • Automating a library isn’t cheap, but it isn’t rare and expensive either. Prices have come down so that it’s a reasonable and common expectation for all school libraries, but there are definite one-time costs and ongoing costs to budget for.
- 20. • Initially, there are costs for hardware, software, barcode scanners, utilities, and supplies, such as barcodes. Money also needs to be set aside for training, personnel, maintenance and support for the software, additional barcode labels, and eventual replacement as hardware needs to be upgraded. Grant money can help in this process, and one-time money from the school will also help to get a project of this size moving.
- 21. • However, continual support in the form of the library budget must be calculated and supported by the administration. This should be done through ongoing technology planning.
- 22. • Planning for an automation project isn’t simple, but it’s straightforward. You need to expect the project to take over a year, with a great deal of preplanning and preparation. Beyond the decision of choosing a vendor and purchasing hardware and software, there are additional steps that need to take place and items for consideration.
- 23. • For instance, any time that you’re about to make a major change in the library in terms of automation is the time to do a thorough weeding. Whether this will be a new system or a conversion to new software, don’t take the time to process an item that you don’t want. Get rid of those materials first and it will mean less records to deal with later
- 24. • This is also a good time to clean up the records. Look for and correct records with misspelled words, incorrect or awkward subject headings, and other errors. Don’t let past errors propagate into the new system. This is the time to clean it up.
- 25. • Plan for how you want to back up files with the new automation system. • Don’t wait until the system crashes and all of the work needs to be done again. Make a plan and put procedures into place from day one.
- 26. • If you do the backup yourself, determine how frequently to do the backup and therefore how much you are willing to lose if you don’t follow through, as well as the backup medium. This could range from rewritable CDs to a USB flash drive. Regardless of what you choose, be sure to have more than just one backup, so that you can go back to a prior backup if something happened to the last one
- 27. • Having three or four backups is good practice. It’s also a good idea to test it and see if the backup works. Early on, use one of the backup disks and test it. See if it works properly. Finally, be sure that you keep the backup in a secure and safe place. Don’t leave it next to the server where, if the building were to flood, the backup would be destroyed along with the server.
- 28. • Training for staff is another important consideration. Don’t wait until after frustrations have started to finally start thinking about training. When choosing a vendor, determine if they have training available and how much it costs. Sometimes the librarian can go to a training session in a “train the trainer” approach, whereby the librarian passes the information along to staff instead of paying for costly sessions for everyone
- 29. • It’s also a good idea to be sure that any training materials, documentation, manuals, and websites are kept available and free for everyone to use. Librarians and staff may want to start perusing these materials ahead of time, before any formal training occurs. Then when training does occur, you can focus on the basic features that they’ll use more often before getting to advanced features.
- 30. • In terms of planning, don’t forget to do more than just talk to a few vendors by yourself. While much more will probably be done automatically as part of a district purchase, whether you are on your own or part of a district, you want to include as many people as possible in the decision.
- 31. • This is a major purchase for the library and will have implications for years to come. Be sure that the principal and other librarians and staff are involved in the process. Whether or not you have to complete official RFPs (request for proposals) for your school, ensure that you have all of the information you can get from the websites of the vendors you’re considering and search the literature, e-mail lists, and websites in general for any positive or negative information you can find.
- 32. • Whether the automation system is new or upgraded, this is also the time to consider requirements for how it interacts with the rest of the library. Is the current circulation desk satisfactory? Do you need new wiring? How many OPAC computers do your students need?
- 33. • A final consideration while evaluating automation systems is the type of reports that can be generated. For example, an age report can easily and instantly provide statistics on how old your collection is in certain subject areas, how that compares to what your state requires for school certification standards, and in general what your strengths and weaknesses are in the collection.
- 34. • This is helpful not only for yourself for collection development but also when providing the hard numbers that your principal needs for the library budget. Many types of information can be generated that could never realistically be done prior to automation. Make use of the data to better serve the students.