In big city libraries with lots of branches and bookmobiles and fancy stuff, there is an ILS (integrated library system) that connects them all to one another. If you were to go into the Springvale branch, the computerized card catalog could tell you that Gone With the Wind is checked out at Springvale, but both the Dakota City and Jerry Hatcher branches have a copy on the shelf. Those big libraries will also use the ILS to order books, catalog them (put the records of the book into the card catalog) and keep track of how many times Gone With the Wind is checked out.
We aren’t so backward that we don’t have an ILS; we’ve had one in Humboldt since 1992. We just haven’t had a very modern one with all the bells and whistles. Not only is our system of the bare bones variety, the company that sold it to us not longer supports it---the warranty is up. No more customer service. Lots of libraries in our part of the state are in the same situation. We could replace our systems for around $5000 per library. Multiple that by about 50 libraries and we are talking REAL money. Enough money to buy one of those fancy systems. In addition to all of us public libraries, there are many, many schools with the same outdated system.
Hey! Let’s pool our money and buy a real Cadillac of a system! We called our baby BEACON. The schools, including Fort Dodge, began using it last August. Now, it is time to begin to merge the public libraries into BEACON. Every library is different, different books, different movies, different checkout times, different library hours, different everything. Some pretty sophisticated computer programmers were required to make it all work. Now the time has come that we cannot enter any more books into our old system. And, we can’t enter any books into the new system until mid-April.
We add around 300 new items every month. We don’t have enough storage space to stack up boxes and boxes of new books, magazines and movies until April, so we came up with a sort of work-around method to carry us through. It is very old fashioned and not at all without flaws. We will probably create a real muddle to pull ourselves out of come spring.
The Bestsellers Club is a program at our library that allows readers to sign up for every new book written by particular authors. Just fill out a short form and we will always put you on the waiting list for a new James Patterson or Danielle Steel book. You will never miss a new Nicholas Sparks or Stephen King again.
Are you beginning to see our problem? Since we won’t be able to enter new books until BEACON is up and running, we won’t be able to put your favorite books on reserve for you. We don’t want to just stack them up in a corner and deal with them in April-we buy books so that people can read them. For the duration, all Bestsellers will be up for grabs. We will try to shelve them together in one spot for you. There will be no new waiting lists. If you are on the list for a book that we already have in the library, great. We’ll call you when it’s your turn. But, if a new book comes in that should have a waiting list, it won’t.
If we could figure out any other way to do this, we would. We are going to have to ask your patience through this process. We will keep a list of books that should have had a waiting list. When BEACON is going, if you’ve missed one, just ask. We will put you on reserve for it.
Meanwhile, have patience. I promise that Beacon will be worth the wait. By the time May rolls around, all 100+ libraries will be linked with shared system. Change happens. @your library.
We aren’t so backward that we don’t have an ILS; we’ve had one in Humboldt since 1992. We just haven’t had a very modern one with all the bells and whistles. Not only is our system of the bare bones variety, the company that sold it to us not longer supports it---the warranty is up. No more customer service. Lots of libraries in our part of the state are in the same situation. We could replace our systems for around $5000 per library. Multiple that by about 50 libraries and we are talking REAL money. Enough money to buy one of those fancy systems. In addition to all of us public libraries, there are many, many schools with the same outdated system.
Hey! Let’s pool our money and buy a real Cadillac of a system! We called our baby BEACON. The schools, including Fort Dodge, began using it last August. Now, it is time to begin to merge the public libraries into BEACON. Every library is different, different books, different movies, different checkout times, different library hours, different everything. Some pretty sophisticated computer programmers were required to make it all work. Now the time has come that we cannot enter any more books into our old system. And, we can’t enter any books into the new system until mid-April.
We add around 300 new items every month. We don’t have enough storage space to stack up boxes and boxes of new books, magazines and movies until April, so we came up with a sort of work-around method to carry us through. It is very old fashioned and not at all without flaws. We will probably create a real muddle to pull ourselves out of come spring.
The Bestsellers Club is a program at our library that allows readers to sign up for every new book written by particular authors. Just fill out a short form and we will always put you on the waiting list for a new James Patterson or Danielle Steel book. You will never miss a new Nicholas Sparks or Stephen King again.
Are you beginning to see our problem? Since we won’t be able to enter new books until BEACON is up and running, we won’t be able to put your favorite books on reserve for you. We don’t want to just stack them up in a corner and deal with them in April-we buy books so that people can read them. For the duration, all Bestsellers will be up for grabs. We will try to shelve them together in one spot for you. There will be no new waiting lists. If you are on the list for a book that we already have in the library, great. We’ll call you when it’s your turn. But, if a new book comes in that should have a waiting list, it won’t.
If we could figure out any other way to do this, we would. We are going to have to ask your patience through this process. We will keep a list of books that should have had a waiting list. When BEACON is going, if you’ve missed one, just ask. We will put you on reserve for it.
Meanwhile, have patience. I promise that Beacon will be worth the wait. By the time May rolls around, all 100+ libraries will be linked with shared system. Change happens. @your library.
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