Tuesday, December 3, 2002, 6:38:25 AM, you wrote:

IW> inventory.  One difficulty you find with such an implement is that
IW> the Innopac system may freeze as you are attempting to download
IW> your collected data.  In such circumstances, the data you have
IW> collected is lost.

That has never been a problem with our non-Innopac system.  We're
quite sure it won't be with our future non-Innopac system either.

IW> Also, the circulation statistics function credits the collected
IW> data to the time at which you downloaded the data, not the time
IW> at which it was input into the portable scanner.

That hasn't been a problem, since we don't care what time of day they
were used.  I'm not sure why we would care, in fact.

IW> If the monthly statistics are salient to you, you must remember
IW> to download your data within the month you collected it.

No problem.  We do that daily.  And of course same is true for daily,
weekly, etc.

IW>         Our institution used to make use of barcodes on shelf
IW> labels in a matter similar to that referred to by Mr. Lester.

My goodness.  I've not been called that in years.  Mr. Lester was my
father, who died over 40 years ago.

IW> In addition to the troubles noted above, these labels disappear.

That hasn't been a problem.  They're thoroughly stuck on the shelves,
and the library assistant who supervises the current periodicals area
handles the rare problems.

IW> Our student workers do not typically manifest the initiative to
IW> actually inform the staff of anomalies and impediments such as this.
IW> We thus removed these labels and relegated the portable reader to
IW> tasks of inventory control.

We have seven portable scanners and scan all items picked up anywhere
in the building.

IW>         At this point, we have a print title list kept in some big
IW> honkin' looseleaf binders.  For each title, there is a barcode
IW> attached to a dummy item record which functions as a deposit for
IW> use statistics.

We do that for microform sets and serials.

IW> Mr. Lester's system requires such a dummy record as well.  Before
IW> shelving, our student workers arrange the mass to be shelved in
IW> alphabetical order and then locate the barcode for each title in
IW> the register, making one stroke across the appropriate barcode
IW> for each item of a particular title to be shelved.

Then you have to take the issues to a central location to scan,
instead of just reshelving as you go.  Or else you must haul that big
honkin' binder around with you while picking up things.

IW>         Lists such as this do require maintenance.  New titles
IW> have to be added.

True enough.  Just as new titles have to be added to the catalog, the
current periodical shelving area need new labels, and so forth.

Of course either system, and undoubedly some others not mentioned,
could work for a given library.  One of the good things about a list
like this is to see the wide variety of ways a problem can be solved.

cheers

dan

--
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan@RiverOfData.com 208-283-7711
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
www.riverofdata.com  www.gailndan.com  Stop Global Whining!