August 19, 2015

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Topic: 
Circulation & Resource Sharing

Hosts

Lesley ZavediukSue Pearson


 

Lesley Zavediuk: Hi Everyone! We'll be officially starting in about 5 minutes.

Lesley Zavediuk: Welcome to SHARE Chat! Today's topic is Circulation and Resource Sharing. Sue Pearson and I are your hosts. What questions can we answer for you today? Or what would you like to discuss?

Ryan - MTNp: How many people inventory their collection?

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: with school starting up. there are usually a few that keep other books well beyond the due dates and ignore requests and so forth. is reporting them to headquarters are only way to get them to stop?

Mary @ Hayner: Ryan, I'm interested in the same thing. I'm primarily interested in finding out what devices you used to perform your inventory. Laptops? Tablets? Bringing your collection to the desk bit by bit, etc.

Sue Pearson: April - You can call the check-out library or all Chris Dawdy or Traci Edwards at IHLS.

Ryan - MTNp: We have in the past brought the collection to the desk, and unless you have no other choice, I would avoid it. We have an Windows 8 tabler (which sucks) that we use to do inventory, and this year we have a laptop on loan and a coardless scanner.

Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: We don't "inventory", but we regularly run reports for items that aren't circulation and for missing and lost items. We do the clean up then. We do use the Polaris inventory tool on a Windows Surface Tablet.

Ryan - MTNp: I like inventory because it finds things that were "cleaned up" previously.

Bernadette: One of the requirements of PCG is to discuss resource sharing. Does anybody have any creative ideas on how a library can expand resource sharing for its patrons?

Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: True, Ryan. I just don't ever seem to have the time to do a full inventory.

Mary @ Hayner: Our collection is huge (almost 246,000 items). I don't think we could possibly bring it to the desk. I'm interested in using a laptop. I would like to use a tablet but we only have iPads (I think). And from what I've heard, the inventory manager software won't work on Apple products.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: what reports in polaris have people found are the best for inventory?

Anita @ Sherman: Putting finishing touches on our IPLAR and notice that our patron count is much less than last year in spite of new cards going out regularly. Was a purge of patron accounts done at some time during the year? Or is my report way off.

Mary @ Hayner: Are cordless scanners reasonable in price?

Mary @ Hayner: Are there any available for libraries to borrow from other libraries/the System hubs?

Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Mary--I think that you can get bluetooth enabled barcode scanners. I don't think that Polaris works with Mac or iOS--very Windows based.

Sue Pearson: Joe DeVillez is the SHARE contact person for Inventory and I'm certainly no expert. But there is a function on the Checkin workform call Update Inventory Date. For example, you scan a row of items - go to Reports & Notices > Cataloging > Item - there are some reports you can run on the items scanned.

Anita @ Sherman: We have run inventory using a laptop and barcode scanner. It worked except for when the internet hiccuped and we had to start over. A cordless scanner would be very helpful.

Sue Pearson: One is a shelf list, one is on incorrect status, and one is a misshelved list.

Ryan - MTNp: Scanners have to read Codeabar and they are not cheep. Its an antique type of barcode that is mainly used by libraries and Fed ex. Our new cordless scanner was $400 (and trust me we tried cheeper ones). But we love it.

Mary @ Hayner: That sounds like a really good idea, Anita.

Ryan - MTNp: Polaris does not work with MAC because of Active X. You can fool a MAC into running IE but you can not fool Active X. I asked Brant how long before we get away with Active X because Windows 10 and Polaris are a little touchy, and he said only after they get new servers

Mary @ Hayner: Thanks, Ryan. Can you tell what we might be getting ready to do at Hayner...? :)

Ryan - MTNp: I will not lie. INventory SUCKS! but to our patrons and our collection it is worth it. It takes us weeks to do, a little at a time. We event take one day where we close just the children's location to get it all straightened out, weeded, and begin inventory.

Ryan - MTNp: I would probably be willing to lend out our cordless scanner when we are done with it. We purchased it for our Summer Book Buggy program and it is just extra. When I replace my current scanners I am going to make all of them cordless. i love it that much.

Ryan - MTNp: I have 2 resource sharing ideas. Years ago there was a lucky collection that traveled between many libraries. It had books, DVDs, video games, etc.

Mary @ Hayner: So the inventory runs much better if you can get your stacks in the best possible order before you do it?

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: ours would walk off. staff woudl lay it down somewhere and lose it.

Ryan - MTNp: Also, I have suggested this many times, and will suggest it again, but cooperative purchasing. Libraries get to gether to insure that they have a broad collection. So say for DVDs. One library would purchase all HBO series, another all Showtime series, etc. That way not everyone is buying Game of Thrones but no one is buying House of Cards.

Ryan - MTNp: I would not say that you have to have your stacks in order, but our childrens department is so out of order by the end of summer, that it helps us. The rest of the locations are fine. Our childrens area has been shelving, and kids are always shoving strange things in them.

Ryan - MTNp: plus, it is nice to pull most of the items you know you want to weed out ahead of time

Mary @ Hayner: Good to know it's not just us!

Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Ryan is right--weed before you inventory!!

Sandy West - Rend Lake College: Just logged on. Rend Lake College inventories their collection. This is the 2nd inventory we have completed with the PMI.

Mary @ Hayner: Yes, we are weeding now.

Ryan - MTNp: We thought that would happen (heck our cat computers are touch screen and have old corded keyboards because the patrons kept taking the mice) but we have found that to not be the case. We have a computer kiosk where you can check out laptops, and we were for sure that someone would walk off with one. # years, and i still have them all.

Ryan - MTNp: Lesley, I sent you a few emails. Is there a way that we can update metadata on ebooks. for example, the Kingdom keepers books do not come up as part of that series. It would be nice to add that. Or the Peter and the Startcatcher books one 2 come up under Ridley Pearson, and the other two come up under Dave Barry. They wrote them together, they should come up under either name.

Sandy West - Rend Lake College: The great feature in the PMI software is that you can weed while you inventory

Ryan - MTNp: Sandy - Yes it is!

Ryan - MTNp: Just a suggestion to everyone. If you do, or you did use acquisitions but do not know, look over acquations records that transfered over. We had to delete almost 400. We recieved and cataloged the book, but since we no longer use acq. the old Horizon records were still there. We deleted them on Monday

Lesley Zavediuk: Hi Ryan! I got them and will send in the two titles you mentioned to see where they might be. I think I submitted the Peter and teh Starcatchers issue when you first mentioned, but because the publisher metadata comes in that the way - there wasn't a way for 3M to change it I don't think. That was awhile ago - so I can ask again. Unfortunately Publisher metadata just isn't very good all around for eBooks but it will hopefully get better! :)

Lesley Zavediuk: Ok - I just found the email from 3M regarding metadata and it state: "There's no way for us to add to metadata. That is under the publisher's control 100 percent. What I can do is report the issue to Disney and argue that adding the subtitles, etc., will make for vastly improved discovery and sales (I have done it for other publishers)."

Lesley Zavediuk: I'll check in and see if there's any word on metadata improvements since then. :)

Mary @ Hayner: How do we get the Polaris Inventory Manager software?

Sue Pearson: Mary - contact Joe DeVillez. Polaris has to create the login and when it's finished you receive the URL for the download.

Mary @ Hayner: Thanks, Sue. I know I've asked this before but I'm drawing a blank.

Ryan - MTNp: really. I do not use any special software. Just the one I trained on at the beginning of polaris. Its located inthe check in window at the bottom.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: i have never used that or was trainied. how do you use it?

Sue Pearson: By the way...Joe isn't here today because he and his wife have a new baby. A little girl named Libby.

Ryan - MTNp: April, You just click onthe bottom pic in the check in window and start scanning. You pull the reports in the reports manager. The one bad thing is that it enventories by call number. There are instructions on the SHARE Website. i always have to look to remember what reports we need to run.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: We need to do inventory, but still not quite sure how to do it since we still have shelf cards but they are in the other building.

Lesley Zavediuk: You can find the instructions on the SHARE website under the Circulation Tab > Polaris Help > Inventory

Sandy West - Rend Lake College: The PMI software is a bit different than what's inside Polaris. You can load the PMI software on a laptop or tablet and take it to your stacks. It's great. You load your collection (one at a time or all of them), just check a box to states is in or make choice of mishelved or even to weed. Worth it for large collections.

Ryan - MTNp: shelf cards. you poor soul. BTW April - not only did we send you a Girl with Glass Feet, we found your copy today and it is heading back home.

Kyla- Mississippi Valley LD: Congratulations to Joe!

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: Ryan, great we received the book today. we willhold it "hostage" until the other comes in. thanks,

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: Actually having the shelf cards has helped alot, espeically changing from horizon to polaris.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: does pmi cost anything extra?

Sue Pearson: I don't believe there's a charge for the Polaris Inventory Manager or PIM.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: great. we need to do this soon.

Mary @ Hayner: I have a question about text messaging notifications. Does anyone use this function? Do you have to do anything special other than indicate in a patron's registration that this is how they wish to receive their notifications? Will this send notifications when their holds come in as well as overdue notices? Is the text automatically sent as soon as the hold is activated or (like telephony) does it only go out at certain times of the day?

Sue Pearson: You have to have the patron's cell phone number and cell phone carrier. Notices (including hold notices) go out automatically every day just like email notices.

Sue Pearson: I think hold notices are refreshed at least twice a day.

Mary @ Hayner: I know there's a box to check (next to their cell number and cell carrier). But the texts aren't in real time?

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: Our patrons have enjoyed this. But if you have patrons that request many books, they may still want a phone call. they get a text for everybook that comes in for them.

Sue Pearson: That would be a question for Traci but I think the hold notices go out at certain times of the day. Overdue and bill notices are generated each morning.

Mary @ Hayner: I was just wondering how people like using the text notification if it's not in real time. No problems with a patron visiting the library and leaving without checking anything out only to get home and get a text later in the day that their item was on the hold shelf?

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: that still happns, but the savy patrons just check before they leave no matter what. or we grab them.

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: you can always try it with patrons and if they don't like it change back to phone calls.

Mary @ Hayner: Thanks, April. I thought that was the case but I like to get everyone's first hand experiences (good and bad) before we roll it out!

April Jensen Lincoln Public Library: when an item goes on teh unclaim list, we make sure to give them a follow up call. this has helped with a few text message patrrons who may not have gotten the first one.

Brenda Gilpatrick: A lot of our patrons use the texting feature and they love it!

Lesley Zavediuk: Well, it looks like we've made it to 2:00. We'll see you all next time and remember this chat will be archived on the SHARE website.

Mary @ Hayner: Thanks, everyone. Very helpful info!

Sue Pearson: Have a wonderful day everyone!

Kay Burrous South Macon: Thanks.