From the President's Desk

Welcome to November… In this month of thanksgiving, we wish to thank all of you for choosing COMPanion Corporation and Alexandria. We consider each of you a part of our family and want to be certain you feel the same. We’re committed to providing the best products, service and support now and long into the future. Thanks again for your outstanding loyalty and please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can improve your experience with us.
—Bill Schjelderup
President ∞

Alexandria Answers

I have decided to change the call number prefix on some books (for instance, PB to FIC.  Is there an easy way to do this?

Yes, Utilities make it very easy to make such changes.

QUICK TRICK:  Before you run a utility, try running a report that will generate a list of the items you want to change.  If you can run a report using the Select By options and get those items, then running the utility and using those same Select By options will make the changes you want to those items.  If it doesn't work in Reports, then it won't work in Utilities.

To globally change a call number prefix:

• Go to File on the menu bar and select Utilities.

• Set the Utility Type to Items, the Operation to Modify Call Numbers, and the second Operation drop-down menu to Replace Prefix.

• In the Replace Prefix field, type the old prefix and, in the With field, type the new prefix.

• Set the Select By drop-down menu to Copy Call Number, then enter the starting and ending call number of the target current call number range in the Starting With and Ending With fields (e.g. PB A and PB Z).

• REMEMBER  —  If you are in a Central Union system, you must also Select By Library.

Collection Cleanup Challenge  —  Using Authority Control

Database cleanup can seem like climbing Mt. Everest  — I'll never make it.  It doesn't have to be that way, honest!  Some of you may be familiar with the Fly Lady website that helps people conquer the chaotic mess at home by tackling it doing 15 minute and 5 minute tasks or routines.  The theory is that you don't have to do it all in one day, just keep doing a little at a time regularly. Those quick "challenges" for each day really do work, so let's apply the same tactics to your Alexandria database using Authority Control.  We'll break you in slowly  —  only three quick challenges for this first month.  You can do it!

Challenge One:

If you are a relatively new user of Alexandria, your indexes were built when your data was imported and you get to go to Challenge Two.  If you were on an older version of Alexandria and updated to the version that had Authority Control and said "yes" when asked whether or not to  build the indexes, you also get to skip challenge one.  If you said "no" or don't know, then this challenge is for you!  Because this is going to take a long time for

Alexandria to accomplish (but not for you), start this on a Friday afternoon just before you leave.  Your Datastation (server) must remain on.

• Go to File on the menu bar and select Utilities.

• Select Authority Control as the Utility Type and Build Indexes from Existing Records as the Operation.

• Click on Run and say "yes" to doing an archive.

• Kiss the computer goodbye and go home.

Challenge Two:

• Go to Edit on the menu bar and select Preferences.

• Set the two drop-down menus in the upper-left corner of the preferences window to Authority Control and Default Local.

• For now, enable School and Library by checking those boxes.

• Click on the Automatically Update Authority Controlled Information and then click on Save.

• Change the drop-down menus in the upper-left corner of the Preferences window to Library Information and Default Local.

• Make note of what is in the Library ID Code field.  It is important that your patron have this in the School field if you are a Central Union district and that is the only code you should have entered in the Library field for your items.

• Exit Preferences.

Challenge Three:

• Go to Show on the menu bar and select Authority Control.

• Change the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the window to Library.

• Look at the Library codes that are listed.  (Central Union folks, just look at those associated with your school and your district person should check to see if there are any in the list that are not valid for other schools).  If your code is there and no other "wrong" codes are there, skip steps.

• If there is an incorrect code, double click on that code and a window will open.

• Change the code to what it should be, then click on OK.

• Repeat this for every incorrect code.

• Change the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the window to School.

• Look at the School codes that are listed.  (Central Union folks, just look at those associated with your school and your district person should check to see if there are any in the list that are not valid for other schools).  If your code is there and no other "wrong" codes are there, skip steps.

• If there is an incorrect code, double click on that code and a window will open.

• Change the code to what it should be, then click on OK.

• Repeat this for every incorrect code.

• Click on Save in the upper-right corner of the Authority Control window. Alexandria will go through your item records and patron records and replace the incorrect codes with the correct ones.

 ∞

Kaaren's Corner

By Kaaren Linton, Librarian/Alexandria Trainer

Collection Analysis and Super Summary

Collection analysis and collection development are critical to providing patrons with a quality collection that provides them with reliable, up-to-date information. Alexandria has many reports that will assist you in performing these functions.

Determining Strengths & Weaknesses of Your Collection

Collection Development begins with analyzing your existing collection on the basis of age and classification to determine its strengths and weaknesses.  Alexandria's regular SuperSummary report is perfect for this.  The report uses three different methods for reporting this information  —  call number ranges, policies, and medium  —  and will generate a table that shows (1) the number of items in your collection and the value of those items, (2) the age of the items in your collection along with the average publication year of the materials, and (3) the life-to-date, past year, and monthly usage statistics for your library. You may also customize the SuperSummary report to your specific needs using the SuperSummary Template Editor.

The information given in the report will enable you to identify areas of your collection that are used heavily and those that have little usage.  Looking at the publication age of those sections, you may decide that age of the collection could be a contributing factor; however, if that is not the case, you will want to consider the reading level/interest level of the materials to determine if they are above or below the reading level of your patrons. If neither of these things appears to be an issue, then, perhaps book talking that section or having an eye-catching display featuring items from that area may increase circulation of those materials.

• Go to Reports on the menu bar and select Item Reports.

• Set Report Name to SuperSummary, Format to Regular, Sort By to No Sort, and Select By to All Items.

• Enter the date that you started inventory in the Inventory Start Date field.

• Click on Run

NOTE:  Take a look at the Iowa report under Item Reports with Report Type set to State Reports as another way of viewing the breakdown and age of your collection.

Weeding to Achieve an Optimum Collection Age

Weeding serves you in several ways.  First, it frees shelf space to accommodate new, more up-to-date articles.  More importantly, weeding out-dated items will raise the average publication year for those sections of your collection as well as for your entire collection.

Alexandria's Weeding List report provides a fast and easy method for identifying items to weed due to age or lack of use. Print the report for a selected portion of your collection indicating a publication date range for items that should be considered for weeding and sorting the results by copy call number.  This list may be quickly scanned and items that should be weeded may be highlighted. Pulling the items from the shelves is quickly accomplished because the list is in shelf list order.

• Go to Reports on the menu bar and select Item Reports.

• Set Report Name to Copy List, Format to Weeding List, Sort By to Copy Call Number and Select By to Copy Call Number and Publication Year.

• Enter a call number range in the Starting With and Ending With fields for the Copy Call Number Select By and a publication year range in the Starting With and Ending With fields for Publication Year.

• Click on Run.

Using Policy-Based Statistical Reports for Usage Assessment

The collection usage is an integral part of the collection analysis and supporting the curriculum standards of your state is a vital role for your library. Alexandria keeps usage statistics based upon item and patron policies, and you may identify areas of concern related to curriculum standards through the Statistical Records reports. Having specific policies based for each grade and each collection area (perhaps even going so far as to having a 000's, 100's, 200's, etc., policy instead of just a non-fiction policy) will provide interesting and valuable information.  The Usage by Item-Patron Policy in the By Month format shows which students are using what parts of the collection, when and how much.

For instance, if your state core curriculum standards mandate that eighth graders learn about biographies in their language arts class, but your usage statistics do not show eighth graders using your biographies section, you may want to take some pro-active steps such as offering to book talk biographies in conjunction with the teachers' biography unit or collaborating with the teachers to provide, teach or direct biography-based lesson plans and activities.

• Go to Reports on the menu bar and select Statistics Records.

• Set the Report Name to Usage by Item-Patron Policy, the Format to By Month, the Sort By to Entire Range and the Select By to All Statistics.

• Click on Run.

∞

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