Library Inventory and Checkout

[russellhltn]

Each issue of each of the Church Magazines has its own unique UPC code for each month.

I don't have a Ensign handy, but looking around, it appears that the month in encoded in a add-on code. That's fine for retail, but it's going to create issues for libraries.

I think barcodes is a great idea, but I'm sure there's going to be details that keeps this from being a simple slam-dunk.

[mkmurray]

How are the magazines barcoded? Is it a unique code for each issue, or does it just ID it as "Ensign"? I suspect it's just the magazine, not the issue. Still, I guess it's a help. When the barcode reader sees "Ensign" do a popup that asks for month/year.

Of course there's the other issue of uniquely identifying things. What happens when you have 3 copies of a certain picture? You have to keep track of which one came back.

As stated, we're still not sure if Ensigns are unique as for as issue on the barcode. It would be best if a bar code could determine the exact year and month.

As for uniquely identifying 3 copies of the same picture, I don't think that matters. They all have the same barcode and you have some quantity of that item. Just as long as you are able to put a member's name with the checked out item, you can then see that one of the items haven't been returned and it's checked out under this member's name.

[JamesAnderson]

The matter of having more than one of an item is not a real issue at all. Most inventory systems account for that anyway, and so anything that were to be developed for the meetinghouse library could have a field to indicate what quantity was available at a given location, and then it would subtract one for each one checked out until all copies were checked out.

Not too far different from professional library inventory software, although for each individual meetinghouse library it would be on a smaller scale.

For printed matter, most copies needed from the magazines, especially older than the last ten years or so, would be able to be printed from the Church website unless for some reason it was not there in the first place. That particularly applies to magazines where it might be impractical to store copies of all 36 years so far of issues of those, but items like Teachings of the Presidents of the Church which are designed to be something members keep around for as long as they can, as well as for the meetinghouse library would be best served by such a system. Same for pictures, DVDs, and many other things besides the magazines.

[russellhltn]

As for uniquely identifying 3 copies of the same picture, I don't think that matters. They all have the same barcode and you have some quantity of that item. Just as long as you are able to put a member's name with the checked out item, you can then see that one of the items haven't been returned and it's checked out under this member's name.

But unless you have a unique barcode, how do you know which member hasn't returned their copy? I suppose you could do a thing where a check-in triggers a pop-up to ask who or what copy is returning, but that seems like more hassle and error prone leading. I think the results would prove the axiom "To error is human, to really foul things up takes a computer". (Computers are great error amplifiers.)

I think we'd have to come up with a way to barcode items that don't have a UPC anyway. (Perhaps a poster that's been mounted, hiding it's UPC). I say use the UPC for initial inventory and then paste on a library unique barcode. That makes check in/out a breeze.

It can spot that copy #2 hasn't been returned from last year and isn't confused by the borrowing of copy #1 and copy #3 since then. Also, if someone forgets to check something in, it's automatically taken care of when it's checked out again so you're not hounding anyone to return something that's already found it's way back to library. The sticker could also identify which library it belongs to so stake leaders who visit other wards don't end up mixing things up.

Granted, more work to set up, but operation would be so much smoother.

[nbflint]

Most libraries that use bar code technology affix an adhesive label with a unique printed barcode on it. It wouldn't make sense to use the barcodes assigned by the publisher as every library will have some unique items and the publishers bar code system may or may not be compatible.

Though the systems at public libraries can be as sophisticated as they come, many elder library volunteers learn and manage the systems just fine.

Did a quick search for Library Management Software and came up with this: http://www.goalexandria.com/solutions/churches.html

Also, a quick search on sourceforge.net for library showed some promising projects.

[scion-p40]

Barcodes won't resolve the most common problem: Too many library keys are floating around. The non-library staff with keys tend to just take things without leaving a record. Barcodes won't resolve that problem.

[russellhltn]

Security cameras that record to the hard drive and only record when there's motion. (Makes for a very fast review of the prior week.)

[damarisfish-p40]

In family history centers Inventory Manager can keep track of films in the FHC, on short term loan from SL or (practically owned) on long term loan. Most FHCs also have a collection of some books, pamphlets, periodicals, forms, and other genealogically related supplies. As with any business, it would be nice to keep track of all of that easily and in one system. Some things circulate, some do not. It would be nice to coordinate requests for films, especially with films of books, from the Family History Library in SL with a "Books We Own" kind of database, that would be a current list of books owned by the FHC, or by local patrons for which they are willing to do look-ups, or personally loan a book. Could Inventory Manager be adapted for use in a Meetinghouse Library?

And don't those callings rotate? Like praying for more piano players to move into the ward, couldn't techno-savvy members be called into the library? 'Careful what you pray for, huh? What about asking for help from the Youth? It would be a challenge and involve developing work skills, especially having to communicate & teach current librarians!

In an LDS bookstore, IBID software (for one) uses barcodes: sticky labels you can print and affix, or preprinted ones you input for the scanners to recognize. Issues of Church magazines have the year & month built in to the barcode. IBID works off a number of the inventory, that reduces as they are sold, or grows as you receive more. (Conference issues might have to reordered as a bestseller.) However they are not tagged as copy1, copy2, etc. Library software does that, with a unique identifier. portable-software.com 's Book Collection software does that, and can create web pages of your catalog, for example. A much used feature of our stake & ward websites is the membership directory/ find a member/ and send an email. I can see that if the meetinghouse library inventory was online, that the videos anyway would be more utilized.

Most book citations can be captured from existing library catalogs. Salt Lake County, Utah <http://www.slco.lib.ut.us/>, or Provo City, UT <http://www.provo.lib.ut.us/> libraries have a Lot of "Church books", and LDS authors in their collections, and in their online catalogs. Most library websites allow you to look at their catalogs without having to have a local library card. Church Distribution has catalog/inventory numbers for all their pictures and manuals. Just import the portion of their stuff your library has got.

Isn't there another barcode inventory system already in place, with the PM Groups? Doesn't that work for fixtures in the buildings, like tables & chairs?

How about freeware that addresses all that, and that members could use for their homes, too. So if there is a request, you could easily see if you have got one.

[CJohnson-p40]

How about an RFID tag in each item? They can store much more than a UPC - but the downside is the cost. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it's still not as cost effective. Members could walk in, and once they have their item, they could scan/type in their ID then walk out with what they want - thats it - it's an automatic system - a reader placed above the doors connected to a database, which could be tied to a web interface to see who has what - There's more to it, but that's a basic idea.

My .02 cents.

[cannona-p40]

Whatever we come up with, I just hope its open source, so I can use it to track our pantry inventory. My wife has been bugging me for a solution for months.

Aaron