I sent in a question about what to do when the librarian is not present and the students want to sign out books in an automated library. Many people requested that I post the responses. Some are below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have instituted a self check-out system for those times when the library is not staffed. We have the patron sign a book card, found in the back pocket of the book, stamp the card with the due date (on the stamp) & place the card in a lucite holder. Then, we enter the books in the computer when we come in. This system has worked well for us. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I created a form asking for Patron name, Library Card #, Book Title and barcode. Students and teachers are on the honor system to sign out materials when I am not there. I enter the information on the sheet when I return. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are automated, but as I can't be here 7 days a week, we have unattended checkout forms which we desgned for library patrons to fill out and leave us, then we input their inofrmation when we are here. The forms are a half sheet size, with the name, address and phone number at the top, then a line for the patron's name and one for their phone number on the right hand side. Under that it says "Titles", with lines underneath for them to write the titles and bar codes of what they checked out. On the right had side is an example of a title wnd bar code label from a book, showing them how to write the last 5 digits of the Temple barcode from the back cover of the book. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --I am a part-time librarian in a synagogue library, and while I am here for most of the religious school classes, I am still only here 22 hours a week. I do not want to discourage people from taking out books when the room is being used for something else, so when I automated the library, I retained the book cards. Now, if someone takes out a book when I am not here, they sign their name to the card and leave it on my desk. I have been here five years and it seems to work well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --This is a very typical problem in schools where we do not have full-time librarians. In my past life, I ran both elementary and secondary school libraries, though not at the same time. I have successfully used parent/grandparent volunteers in the elementary schools. I always had to schedule at least 2 for the morning and 2 for the afternoon to insure that someone was always there. But I suggest checking with your school administration first as some schools do not want parents in the school. Do you trust some of your teachers to work the system, if you trained them? If not, would you trust them to write out manually which book each student borrowed (along with the barcode) and then enter the titles in the system the next time you are in? There were some teachers I allowed to do this, and it actually worked quite well as they then understood how the library worked. This would only work for scheduled library visits and not for "drop-ins". I also had grade 5 and 6 student volunteers, but they cannot be left alone in the library. In the high school, I formed a Library Committee and the students helped out before school, after school and at recess and lunch hours. To encourage students to join, I designed a "Volunteer Award" that was handed out each Spring during the school's annual award evening. I would also procure free movie tickets from one of my local bookstores and pull names out of a "hat" for my volunteers to choose someone to attend. Bookstores often get free tickets for movies that are based on books. You can also ask your suppliers for advanced editions of books that you can then give to your volunteers. (they get these free books regularly, and you'd be surprised at the wonderful books they have) Of course, the students also had first chance to see and borrow the new books as they arrived, and were the first to get to read the newspapers and magazines; another perk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Our school is also doing the automated thing for the first time. At the moment, when I'm not here, I ask a teacher or parent to be in the library at the end of the school day to check out books for anyone who wants to check out. In the future, however, I think I can configure the software on an additional computer so that everyone can check out books to themselves (only). Perhaps the security on your program (ours is Surpass) will allow the same thing. My other idea is to sllow (with security settings) teachers to check out books, and have them do it for their students. Good luck! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Sometimes our rabbis or staff need to take out library books when I am not here. This is how we do it: 1) Buy barcodes with an extra strip, containing the barcode number. 2) Maintain cards/pockets in the books as in pre-automation days. Put this barcode strip on the book cards. 3) If a book is checked out when no staff or volunteer is present, the patron signs his name to the book card and leaves it in a specified container on the circulation counter. 4) When staff comes in, he/she can then enter into the software that the book (barcode # on card) is checked out to patron X. 5) File the card. Now the tricky part! How will you know, when the book is returned and scanned in, that its card is filed away in the box? Here's what one of my clever volunteers designed. Create a bogus patron in your patron database. You can name him Mr. Cardbox. Before you file the signed book card, put the book "on reserve" for Mr. Cardbox. Then when you scan in the returned book, your program will alert you that "Mr. Cardbox" is waiting for the book. That tells you to retrieve the card;then you remove the Reserve/Hold on that book. (=== On the other hand, some automation programs now have touch-screen kiosks that allow patrons to check out - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just leave a sign-out chart with instructions for people to put their name and the barcode of the book on it, so it's the honor system. When I come back, I just check them out in the system. For the most part, they're pretty trustworthy... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -We always have a presence in the library during the day, but teach children Grades 2 and up how to check out books for themselves. We keep a little booklet of all their numbers one grade on a page and then classes within right by the checkout station. We also keep a pad of post-its there, and people sometimes leave us their patron id or name and book id that way after we leave for the day. We do lock the station. If a child does not have overdues they can usually check out by themselves without needing the librarian to come with a password; it's a good incentive. Hope this helps. I wouldn't leave the computer open on days neither of you is there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -When we automated our library we printed 2 barcodes for each book. We place one on the inside cover of the book and one on the old-fashion sign-out card (in a pocket in the back of the book). People still sign the books out using the cards, place them in the box, and then when the staff person comes in they enter the checked-out books into the computer. Obviously, this doesn't prevent anyone from taking out a book without signing it out but it has worked well for us over the last 10 years. Good luck! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
