Good morning, fellow librarians!!
I have volunteered to help our church library which is in dire need of update.
Unfortunately, the librarian in charge has been there for quite some time and
simply refuses to consider updating to any computerized system. As I truly feel
this is a calling, I am agreeable to update the card catalog system and do things
as she wishes. (Prayers are needed for a compromise in the future!)
Do any of you know of a program or have a template for typing cards for the
card catalog? She has an old church manual and insists that we have cards for
title, author, subject and shelf list...... I'm working on a mail merge in MS Word, but
thought I'd ask and see if anyone has a better option.
Thanks so much!!!
PS -- I work full-time as a public library with Atriuum, and am very familiar with the
program and running reports. I will be willing to help anyone with problems using
Book Systems' Atriuum.....
Replies
I've typed hundreds of the catalog cards using an obsolete device called , uh, oh, typewriter. No template needed. Set the tab stops according to the old dusty manual and type away. But it seems that you plan to use a computer. Good idea, typewriters are hard to find. I assume you plan to build the information for each item in one row of Excel and then do a mail merge to Word to produce the cards. I've had limited (once) experience with mail merge, so I don't have any suggestions there. I think producing a variable number of cards from each Excel row may be a problem.
I suggest that you check the blank card supply the library has and also what is available. I took a quick look at Brodart and they had continuous and multicard sheets to make sure what is available.
Is using a computer to produce the cards a problem? If you can sneak a computer into the loop you might consider BookSystems Concourse, available for catalog only or including circulation. Build the catalog entry and it can print the cards. Also prints spine labels and/or labels for the book pocket. And in spare time you can start copying entries from the present shelf cards to the computer catalog. Then one happy day the whole library is on a computer ready to add circulation. No accession lists. No circulation tallies. Reports galore (and now you are the LIBRARY DIRECTOR. Best wishes.)