Store Room Setup

During this past week, my main focus has been to set up our library stack or storeroom. It has seen me work in isolation away from the hum-drum of school life but has allowed me a chance to really learn something in managing a library collection.

This is the first time and the first school where I have been involved in the setting up of a library stack. Being in a temporary location does have it's setback; that there isn't necessarily the full space to stock a full collection as in the past on the main floor of the library. Weeding is not really a fair solution to a space problem as it does consign rather useful resources to their "death".

But then big libraries have faced that challenge. I know from my Study Tour last year the limitations in making a full collection available like the State Library of NSW, where most items are stored in a library stack or offsite and only bought up into the public areas when requested by a person.

I am happy at the fact that a large collection is still being maintained and that the access will be instant. A student or teacher merely has to request the item from the catalogue and within minutes would be located and one can borrow the item.

Also it has allowed me a chance on something that I can be proud of especially at this early stage of my career. Even though I was working mostly in isolation during the week, I enjoyed "building" something even though it was just unpacking boxes and placing it onto the shelves. I recall just a few weeks ago, the rooms were dusty, dirty, stuffy and empty and lacking soul. Now its become apart of the library. A collection of items is now available for use. With my period of employment at the school coming to the end, I can leave feeling that I have done something very positive for the school apart from the other duties which I have fulfilled as part of my role.

I've also made sure that the yearbook collection which had been merely kept in shelves in back of the old AV room were labelled on the shelves just in case someone wants read them. I remember in Year 12 that I was part of a group that enjoyed viewing old school yearbooks mostly to see photos of our teachers as they may have looked in the years gone by. Apart from the school's yearbooks, it also tells me which other schools have provided yearbooks. Labelling makes their location and retrieval much easier.

This week I will have to do a shelf check to make sure all items are at their precise location. I for one want everything in their exact place.

I hope to reflect on some other aspects of the past ten weeks as well.

Library Maps - Easy As

I was asked to do a map of the new library this week and place this on OLIVER. I'm no CAD expert (software you can use to make maps) but I decided to do it on Microsoft Word.

I could not believe that even though it takes a bit of time to draw it (using shapes to represent shelves etc) it was straightforward.

After converting the map to a jpeg file, I then placed markers using the Softlink software in which to do so. I tested it with a few titles using the OPAC and could not believe the accuracy of the markers in determining a books location.

I have to admit that the map feature is probably one of the most underutilised features of OLIVER & the OPAC because it can tell someone where a book can be found and this cuts out the time searching through many shelves.

It will even tell you too if the book is on loan through the map as well (and if you forgot to read the "status" listing!!!

Given we are at a new location, the students and teachers will need to rely on that map. I hope it helps them and I will aim to encourage them to make use of come the time they want to borrow a resource.

I've retained a copy of the word version because if the layout changes, I can move the shelves etc to reflect those changes. The shelving itself is largely movable especially those for the DVD collection. Some shelves are fixed but whats on them can change easily.

I'm looking forward to drawing some more library maps in the future!!!