INFORM - CONNECT Library Services May 2021

LIBRARY SERVICES EDITION Digital Magazine | May 2021

C NNECT Connecting you with Technology

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LIBRARY SERVICES

It’s Spring - All Signs Point to Inventory!

By Lori Slingerland, Lead Support Specialist, Library Services

During the past year, we have had many districts decide that it was time to conduct a complete inventory of their collection. Using the Inventory process ensures that the items that display in your library catalog are an accurate reflection of the items that reside on the shelves of your library. An inventory, properly done, provides you the opportunity to physically examine each item on the shelf to check for condition and relevance and ensures that your collection is up-to-date and attractive to your patrons.

The examination of materials is known as weeding and is part of a successful inventory. INFOhio has an excellent collection of weeding resources available to assist you with the weeding process: https://www. infohio.org/library/automation Neither weeding nor inventory are simple nor easy tasks. They are time consuming, require planning, attention to detail, and perseverance. With a little bit of planning, good record keeping, and a little elbow grease, you can perform your inventory and feel confident in understanding the procedure and conducting a successful inventory!

Inventory in a Nutshell Even though we all know that one of the most difficult pieces of an inventory is scanning all your library materials, it is not the most important part of an inventory. The most important part of the inventory occurs after you scan your items and we often refer to this process as reconciliation. In order to understand this a little bit better, let’s take a look at inventory in a ‘nutshell’.

10,000 items owned by your library - 500 Checked out items - 200 LOST, LOST-CLAIM or MISSING 9,300 for which Sirsi cannot account

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The Sirsi Workflows database can account for the the number of items associated with your building because each item has a unique barcode. This allows Sirsi to identify items that are checked-out, lost, or missing.

The chart in the lower left shows that this particular library has 10,000 items; 500 of them are checked out and another 200 have a status of LOST or MISSING. What does this mean? It means that Sirsi Workflows is expecting me to locate and scan the remaining 9,300 items into inventory. Any items that are not scanned will be made ‘MISSING’. Sounds easy, right?

The Reality Books walk. They get damaged or torn and end up back on the shelf. You delete an item from the system but then get busy and accidently put it back on the book cart and it gets shelved. You get the picture. So, even though you need to account for 9,300 items, that may not be the reality once you get out to your shelves.

That is the purpose of inventory.

Before you begin your inventory: 1. Review the inventory documentation from the INFOhio Handbook. The documentation is available as both printed documentation and video tutorials.

Documentation: https://www.infohio.org/library/ workflows-handbook/category/inventory Video Tutorials: https://www.infohio.org/library/ workflows-handbook/category/inventory-2 2. Create a plan. How you are going to tackle your inventory? Are you going to inventory your entire collection? Are you going to perform inventory cyclically – say all fiction and picture books this year, nonfiction next year, etc.

3. Use the form for organizing your inventory, located on the INFOhio website here: https:// www.infohio.org/images/ZOO_DOCS/ wfhandbook/SpecialTasks/Inventory/SPECIAL_ INVENTORYWorksheet.pdf

4. Write down the date that you start your inventory – this is the ‘Start Inventory Date’. You will be required to enter this date in each report that you generate to finalize your inventory – don’t guess.

5. Once you are confident on how to proceed, you may begin scanning your collection.

How Sirsi Workflows Inventory Reports Work: Working with the Sirsi Workflows Inventory reports is what makes the inventory process more streamlined.

However, if you don’t pay attention to the data that is being written to the reports, your inventory can become an act of futility.

In general, when viewing inventory reports, you will want to view the entire report; in other words, when viewing the finished report, you will want to view the log, the result, and the formatted report.

The logs can be difficult to read in the beginning but they can help you determine things such as the date you used to create the report, the number of items reported as missing, etc. This information helps you to get a snapshot of exactly what is going to be made missing and is part of the important reconciliation process.

Pre-Inventory Reports: These reports give you one last chance to clean-up missing items from previous inventories and/or any items that may be in transit before you begin scanning into inventory.

Step 1 – Set Date -- *Save the Date* This step ‘initializes’ your database. That’s a fancy way of saying that Sirsi accounts for all items that are checked out, missing, or lost – the report actually inventories each of those items. Think of this report as your ‘Save the Date’ card for a fancy party because the date you generate this report is going to be used in each subsequent report.

Step 2 – Scan Items This is the hard work of scanning your collection; however, it is not the most important work. Try to develop a methodical plan for scanning your library and don’t forget areas like display cases and workrooms.

Step 3 – Verify If Missing The Step 3 Report, when generated with the correct date inventoried date, will provide you with a list of ‘possible’ missing items. The librarian should take this

report to the stacks and try to locate items on the list.

Once an item is located, the item should be scanned into the ‘inventory item’ wizard and crossed off the list.

This report may be generated multiple times, each time trying to whittle the list down and distilling the list to the items that are truly missing. This is what it means to ‘reconcile’ your reports.

Important: The ‘date Inventoried’ should be configured like this: <05/15/2021 (including ‘less than’ sign) Why is the date configured in this manner? Essentially, you are directing Sirsi Workflows to bring back a list of anything that was scanned BEFORE 5/15/2021. Why would I want to do this? If an item was scanned prior to the set inventory date (in this case 5/15/2021), it was part of a previous inventory – meaning it wasn’t scanned during the current inventory. Therefore, the items that it brings back will be items that were not scanned in the current inventory.

Note: Improper configuration of the date is one of the major mistakes that is made during the inventory process and can cause hundreds, sometimes thousands of items to be made MISSING that are actually part of your collection. ***Step 4 – Set As Missing*** Of all of the inventory reports, this report is the most powerful and the one where you can inflict the most damage, as this report actually interacts with your data and can change the status of your items.

When you create this report, you should save it as a template before you generate the initial report.

Why? This report is generated twice. The first time you generate this report, review the contents to ensure that the items you are about to make missing are items are truly missing. The second time you generate this report, you are going to actually make those reported items MISSING by placing a check mark in the box labelled ‘update database’.

This is not a report to skim. Take a good look at the report. Are there in-transit items on the report? Are there items that are checked-out on the report? Are there DISCARD items on the report? Does the content of this report correspond with the contents of your Step 3 report? If the step 3 report indicates you are going to make 50 items MISSING and your Step 4 report says you are going to make 1,000 items MISSING, something is wrong. Whenever the reported data is unexpected, it is your cue to STOP. continued on page 4

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If you find anomalies in this report, it should be your clue to take a look at your template to ensure you have configured the date properly, to ensure you have selected the proper item groups, etc. Correct the offending information in the template and regenerate the report without checking the ‘update database’ check box or contact Connect to review your findings and your template.

If your trial run of the Step 4 report matches your findings from the Step 3 report, it is your indication that all is well. At this point, you may then confidently generate the report the second time, selecting the

‘update database’ checkbox which will actually update the database to make items missing. Once you have generated this report the second time, your inventory is complete!

Inventory in Sirsi Workflows can be a fun and satisfying project when you follow the INFOhio documentation step-by-step. Should you find you need assistance at any time with the inventory process, Connect Library Services staff is just a phone call, e-mail, or Cherwell ticket away - we have experience with the inventory process and are happy to assist!

LIBRARY SERVICES

General Updates Fetch - Will replace CAT Jr. for the 2021-22 school year On March 1, Fetch, the new INFOhio OPAC for K-2 students, was made available to all libraries that currently use CAT Jr. Fetch appears as a small icon next to CAT Jr. on the library welcome page (see screenshot below). Fetch will replace CAT Jr. for the 2021-22 school year but is being made available now to allow your library to use Fetch before the summer break. Please take this opportunity to use Fetch and share any questions you may have. An INFOhio Campus training course for Fetch will be made available in July.

Free INFOhio Conference Opportunity INFOhio’s One-Day Conference: Instructional Materials Matter https://www.infohio.org/blog/item/infohio-one-day-conference-instructional-materials-matter Join INFOhio online on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10 a.m. for INFOhio’s One-Day Conference: Instructional Materials Matter. This no-cost conference will begin with a keynote session on why instructional materials matter from the Ohio Department of Education with additional sessions throughout the rest of the day on quality INFOhio resources, web tools, and professional development. All webinars during this one-day conference will be recorded and links will be posted.

Registration will be coming soon! Stay tuned!

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LIBRARY SERVICES

Summer School - Learning with INFOhio Campus

By Lori Slingerland, Lead Support Specialist, Library Services

Do you or does someone you know in your school community need contact hours or college credit?

Wondering how you will get it all done? Then why not check out INFOhio? INFOhio Campus offers flexible, personalized training opportunities, available wherever you are and wherever you go!

The courses offered from the INFOhio Campus can help you learn new searching and teaching skills utilizing the INFOhio digital resources or hone existing skills that need refreshing, and all the classes can help provide you with greater confidence when using the INFOhio digital resources.

Would you like to know which INFOhio digital resources to recommend for specific topics? Where to direct students and teachers to further their research? Where to find biographies, video recordings, games, web quests? Want to direct teachers to tools and lesson plans to enhance their lessons? Then INFOhio Campus has just the resources that you need right at your fingertips!

Those working with older students will be interested in the ‘6-12 Digital Content Learning Pathway’, worth 18 contact hours upon completion. This course of study includes such topics as: What is Inquiry?, World Book Student and Advanced, IWonder, Explora for grades 6-8 and Explora for Grades 9-12, ISearch for Inquiry, Points of View Reference Center, and Sanborn Insurance Maps.

In addition to grade appropriate learning pathways, INFOhio also offers a course entitled ‘Building Your Digital Curriculum with INFOhio OER Learning Pathway’ which includes: OER and the 5P’s, Educator Tools, ISearch for Teachers, Open Space Basics, Open Space Collaboration and Creation, EdReports, and Building Your Digital Curriculum with INFOhio OER. Once completed, this course provides 15 contact hours of credit.

Here is just a sample of some of the course offerings and some of the topics included in those courses that are available from INFOhio Campus:

Finally, if you are interested in becoming proficient using BLUECloud, INFOhio offers the ‘BLUECloud Learning Pathway’ which includes the following courses: Introduction to Cataloging, BLUECloud Cataloging, BLUECloud Circulation, and ISearch for Librarians, and MobileStaff. Successful completion of this course provides 16.5 contact hours.

For those working with our youngest INFOhio users, you might wish to consider the ‘Age 3-5 Digital Content Learning Pathway’; when completed it is worth 10 contact hours. It covers such topics as: Introduction to INFOhio, Using Technology with Early Learners, INFOhio Early Learning Portal, BookFlix, and World Book Early Learning.

In addition, there are training modules on becoming an ICoach, Learn with INFOhio Webinars which include upcoming live webinars and recorded webinars with which to watch and earn credit, and much more. To get started, please visit the INFOhio Campus at: https:// www.infohio.org/campus and find out how easy it is to begin learning from wherever you are!

Or perhaps the ‘K-5 Digital Content Learning Pathway’ works better for your needs. When completed it is worth 18 contact hours and includes some of the following topics: BookFlix, World Book Early Learning, Explora for Grades PreK-5, Gale in Context: Elementary, World Book Kids, and Reading on the Screen.

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ASK CONNECT

Library Services Questions & Answers QUESTION:

What information do I need to provide to Connect before I leave on my summer break?

ANSWER:

To ensure that your Sirsi Workflows database is up-to-date when you return from summer break, Connect Library Services requests that you provide the following information: • A School Calendar, including the following information: » Will you be circulating materials over the summer? Let us know. » CRD (compulsory return date) for next year. » Tracking Date (If your seniors leave the building before the rest of the students, please provide us with that date (tracking date) and we will enter into your database).

• Patron Update Forms » Available here: http://www.ohconnect.org/library/helpdocs/ » Or here: www.ohconnect.org  HelpDocs  Beginning and End-of-Year *If you need assistance completing these forms, please contact us at library-support@ohconnect.org

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Useful end of year documents.

• Here is a visual of where you may locate the ‘Beginning and End-of-Year’ documents from the Connect webpage (https://www.ohconnect.org/library/helpdocs/):

QUESTION:

Please help me! My library staff and I made sure books went out to our students before schools shutdown. This year, with libraries being in such a state of flux, we try to circulate to students when we can, but without steady hours and everyone being in the building, a lot of our materials have not made it back. I can send out overdue notices, but we are not sure we want to bill students for these long overdue items. What can we do? Should I just bill students and then forgive them? Should I just mark these items Lost or Missing? What if our administration wants a total number of materials lost, including price? Can you please help?

ANSWER:

Every library has faced a unique situation and will require a unique solution. Please do not hesitate to contact your friendly Library Service Specialists at Connect. With the tools at our disposal we can create a plan that works for your library and district to get your library back in good standing and working order. Do not allow any mess to cause you undue stress. Reach out today.

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ASK CONNECT

Library Services Questions & Answers QUESTION:

With making sure checkouts went out before schools shut down, curbside pick-up being offered, holds being fulfilled and items not making their way back, I think I need to perform an Inventory this year.

Where should I look for help on how to get started?

ANSWER:

As we are working towards returning to some semblance of normal, now is the perfect time to make sure your collection accurately reflects the titles you have in your library. Familiarize yourself with the Inventory Process by checking out INFOhio’s Video Tutorials in the Workflows Handbook. These videos will walk you through the entire process, allowing you to follow along and pause as necessary. These videos can be found by visiting www.infohio.org, selecting the Workflows Handbook, and navigating to the Video Tutorials heading.

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LIBRARY SERVICES

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Library Liaison Meeting May 5, 2021 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. via Zoom

CLICK HERE to register.

LIBRARY SERVICES

REMINDERS • Looking to clean up your Sirsi Workflows database? Connect has a self-driven Database cleanup agenda available from the Connect Library webpage, here: http://www.ohconnect.org/library/ helpdocs/  scroll to ‘Database cleanup agenda’ • If your district is a subscriber to Mitinet, it might be time for an update! Please be sure to notify Connect Library Services if you need a Mitinet update for your library database.

• Save the Date! - Free INFOhio Conference Opportunity: INFOhio’s One-Day Conference: Instructional Materials Matter https://www.infohio.org/blog/item/infohio-one-day-conference-instructional-materials-matter Join INFOhio online on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10:00 am for INFOhio’s One-Day Conference, Instructional Materials Matter. This no-cost conference will begin with a keynote session on why instructional materials matter from the Ohio Department of Education with additional sessions throughout the rest of the day on quality INFOhio resources, web tools, and professional development. All webinars during this one-day conference will be recorded and links will be posted.

Registration will be coming soon! Stay tuned!

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STAFF PICKS LORI SLINGERLAND - “A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW”

JOSHUA PEASE - GEAR UP VELO!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Publisher : Viking; 1st edition (September 6, 2016) Language : English Hardcover : 480 pages ISBN-10 : 0670026190 ISBN-13 : 978-0670026197 What would it be like to be sentenced to house arrest in a beautiful hotel for the rest of your life? This is the story that unfolds for us as we are introduced to Count Alexander Rostov and learn how he conducts his life from his little attic room in the luxurious Metropol Hotel across the street from the Kremlin in 1922 Russia.

“If you’re looking for a summer novel, this is it.

Beautifully written, a story of a Russian aristocrat trapped in Moscow during the tumult of the 1930s.

It brims with intelligence, erudition, and insight, an old-fashioned novel in the best sense of the term.” — Fareed Zakaria, “Global Public Square,” CNN It is a story that is chock full of old-fashioned charm. I highly recommend ‘A gentleman in Moscow’ and hope that you will include it in your tote bag of summer reads – I didn’t want the story to end!

(Bookcover creative commons licensing from Google Images  Amazon)

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Gear Up Velo!

6596 Brecksville Rd, Independence, OH 44131 Phone: (216) 232-4300 https://www.gearupvelo.com/ Get the gear you need at Gear Up Velo! Located in downtown Independence, this local bike shop will have everything you need to get you and your family rolling. If you are looking to get your current ride all tuned up, they also offer full service and repair. From bikes to tires and bells to bags, Gear Up Velo will have everything you need.

Follow us on social media! @ConnectOH

@Connect_OH

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A Strong Alliance to Serve our Members Providing support and leadership that enables local schools, agencies, governments, and communities to achieve their objectives through innovative and cost-effective shared technology solutions.

Increased strength • Unwavering service Reduced costs • Effective & Efficient Information Technology • Greatest educational experience possible for your students

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ESC of Northeast Ohio ESC of Lorain County ESC of Medina County Ohio Schools Council Connect There is no wrong door to enter when you need service!

A Strong Alliance to Serve our Members ESC of Northeast Ohio ESC of Lorain County ESC of Medina County Ohio Schools Council

There is no wrong door to enter when you need service!

5700 West Canal Road Valley View, OH 44125 216.520.6900 1885 Lake Avenue Elyria, OH 44035 440.324.3185 www.ohconnect.org

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