Annual Report Update 2

I said on a previous blog that I had electronically sent my annual report. Well, I guess that was exactly accurate. What happened is I tried to send the report by clicking the submit button-the report then disappeared. I never received a confirmation that it was submitted but I was no longer able to get to the report. I emailed the State Library and asked if they received it and they said yes. This past Thursday, I got a call from Edythe Huffman at the State Library and she said she had my supplement and the signature page but she couldn't get to the annual report. I told her that the last time I had tried I was blocked from getting to the report and she said that her records show that I should be able to get to it. I tried again and sure enough I could get to the report. I have now resent it and this time I did get a confirmation. Maybe now the annual report really is done. This show a good reason as to why it is a good idea not to wait till the last minute to submit these reports so you have time to fix any glitches that may occur and still have the reports arrive on time. Now it is time to work on the State Board of Accounts LAR-1 report. This is their version of an annual report but this one deals strictly with finances-money coming in and money going out for the year. Can't Wait!!!!

Celia's Third Blog for Library Systems Class-"Odd" Automation

During the holidays, I took some time off and my assistance took over. During that time, she noticed something really “odd” happened with our automation system. A patron had checked out 3 movies all on the same day. When the movies were returned overdue, again on the same day, one movie had a $2.75 fine, another had a $2.25 fine and the third had no fine. It is odd enough that the fine amounts are different and my automation organization is working on that, but how do you get cents when the fine is suppose to be a $1.00 for each business day? When I asked the automation help desk about this, they informed me, this past week after some research, that the fine was set at $.25 for each business day. Here we have been telling patrons the wrong amount-so much for our great automation system! I enquired how to change the amount and was given step-by-step directions. My assistant and I have since gone in and made changes to the system. We found that the fine amounts and maximum fines were not consistent or set where we thought. It took considerable time but I think that the overdue and maximum fines are more consistently set and they are what we thought they were all along. Now all movies, whether DVD or VHS, are fined at $1.00 per business day they are overdue with a maximum fine of $5.00 per item. All other items are fined at $.05 a business day. Automation is great but one has to be very careful as to how it is set up. The old saying “Garbage in, garbage out!” is so very true. I am very anxious to still learn why the amounts were different on the patron’s fine but at least we are working on getting some of the problems solved after 4 years of having the system. My suggestion would be that when setting up an automation system, or even giving information for such a system, do it with extreme care as it is better to do it correct in the beginning than spend time and effort later trying to fix errors. It will also help public relations, if it is consistent and reliable! Some things just can’t be rushed.

On a lighter note, while talking with my board president, I told him that for one of my classes (Information Architecture for the Web) this semester I have to set up a web page for an organization. I had several thoughts on what the subject matter should be and wanted his opinion. One was a site featuring the Roanoke Public Library’s children and young adults’ events at the library. Another was one featuring the Friends of the Roanoke Public Library. He liked both ideas and even thought of one for the board. I was shocked by this as he had a problem with the web page I did for 401 and told me he hoped I didn’t expose it to the public. My response to him was that I thought 3 was way beyond me so we decided the children’s page would be best. I then informed him that in my other class, (this Library Systems class) we were learning about blogs and wikis. He is now thinking that the board should do a blog. He firmly believes that the patrons and community should know what the board/library is doing. So don’t be surprised if in the future the Roanoke Public Library’s home page has a link to a director’s and a board’s blog. Won’t our patrons just be so informed as to what is happening at their library??!!

Second Blog Update

Well, I have learned that this blog is especially to be about technology and how we deal with it. I was praising the fact that my library was automated which means that we are fairly up with our technology as most library's as small as ours aren't automated. This automation really helped with that annual report but the numbers still had to have work done to them since we are still in the process of making full use of the system.

What I have learned is that no matter what kind of technology you have working for you, human error still come into play. When my board president looked over the numbers, he found that somehow I had picked up totally wrong ones for the Library's Capital Projects Plan. Even I can't come up with where I got the numbers I had put down in that area. I am glad that he looked it over. There is also the case of my first blog. I have found sentences that didn't come out as I wanted and some misspellings. Thanks to the Sauers' book we are reading in class, I found out that you can download an add-in to Word that will allow you to type the blog into Word and then when you are ready transfer it. I think that is great since I am so used to working in Word and having it help with my spelling and grammar, especially when my brain goes faster than my brain. I also found out in class from a fellow student that cut and paste works to so hopefully those human errors will be minimized.

Celia's Second Blog for Library Systems Class-Annual Reports

The end of one year and the beginning of the next means reports if you are a library director. This past week I have been filling out the State Library's annual report. The report on my library ended up 43 pages along with a 6 page supplement and a signature page. I am glad that these reports can be done on-line. I am a horrible typest on a typewriter so I'm glad that the computer does it for me especially fitting the numbers in the boxes and on the right lines with the added benefit of seeing what was put in for the previous year. I am also grateful that back in 2005 my library got automated. The automation system makes it fairly easy to come up with all the numbers that the report requires. I can't imagine how the libraries without such a system could come up with all the information that is needed. It has to take them forever as the report took me the better part of 3 days. What I really find amazing it that some libraries don't even have access to the Internet, how do they function as I find that such a basic requirement.

The report showed that my library is progressing which makes me very happy. We have more non-residents buying cards. With my library being a town only library in a township that doesn't have library service, this is encouraging. We also increased in our student cards. We offer free cards to students of Roanoke Elementary School who live outside the town limits during the school year. We also increased in our circulating materials except for magazine subscriptions. For some reason, our magazines just don't go out that well except for a few specifics like Newsweek, Oprah, Midwest Living, Taste of Home and American Girl. We have been working hard to get new books in and weed the ones we have. We are so small with such limited space this is quite a task. We had quite a few books in a town hall storage room that we have now weeded a lot of and are having a big "take home a book for a donation" since the town hall needed that space back. We can't call it a "book sale" because if we do the Friends of the Roanoke Public Library would have to pay sales tax since the library is selling the books on their behalf.

The report is finished now except for having my board president look it over and sign the signature page. I have already sent the supplement electronically as my answers disappeared on it if I left the site it is on and tried to come back. As soon as my board president OK's the main report, it too will be sent electronically. Only the signature page has to actually be mailed. It is such a relief to have it done but more reports are due soon so the fun is just beginning.

So now you know what I'm up to. Check back later for more updates.

Celia's First Blog for Library Systems Class correction

The previous blog should say that my board members were not tech savvy enough to understand blogging or to take the time to learn so they didn't go look at it. They do show an interest in my classes but don't want to take anymore of their time outside of meeting than they are required to because like everyone else they are very busy people.

Celia's First Blog for Library Systems Class

Hi,
I am Celia and I am creating this blog brand new for my Library Systems class. I tried a blog for my 401 computer class which I had designed for my board members to show them what I was learning in my MLS classes but they were tech savvy enough to really know what I was talking about so only one of them actually ever visited it.

I am Library Director at the Roanoke Public Library which is where the board comes in. It is a very small library in a small town of about 1,495 people. The population is very tech savvy, at least most of the ones I see aren't but I would like to do more with the library's website and other technology to try to attract more young people into the library. I am always impressed with library websites that have blogs, podcasts, wikis and other things going on besides just the basic webpage. Our webpage comes as part of our library automation system so I don't have to maintain it but I am hoping with this class and other I am taking that I will be able to personalize it and make it much, much more interesting.

I am hoping that this class will help me with that process. Last semester I took Dr. Ball's Online Searching class and although I didn't do as well I as I should have I learned a lot. The work I put forth I think has made me a better searcher if just in the fact that I have more options open to me if I fail to find what I want on my first attempt. I just keep digging knowing that the information is there if I can just figure out how to get to it. In that class we looked up information for a couple of libraries but the fall semester of this class did the actual wiki setup. I think it will be fun to see the whole process instead of just that small portion. I was helping one of the students in that fall semester class clean up my group's information to make it appropriate for the wiki and that was fun and interesting. He taught me a lot just by saying, "why don't you do it this way?" My usual response to him was "I would if I knew how" so he would teach me. It was great!

For a library as small as Roanoke Public Library is, I am proud of the fact that we do have wireless Internet. It is finally getting around town that we have that capability and that it is fairly reliable. When I first started at the library it would go out with every power flicker and then we would have to let our tech guy know so he could reset it. I and my assistant have now figured out how to reset it ourselves and that along with a new power backup supply has really made it very reliable and popular with those who have laptops. I have even used my laptop to complete assignments. (Don't let my board know that! hahaha)

Well, that's enough for know. Check back later.