As I understand, a kit should be classified and cataloged as one unit, but items within the kit can be classified separately to circulate on their own. Should each item be entered into the catalog seperately with a different accession number and bar code label assigned to each one?
My kit has 10 videos and 1 leader's guide. Should there be 12 different entries in the catalog--one for the box and 11 for the items? I have read instructions in the Church Library Ministry Information Service from Broadman and understand how to assign the call numbers, but want to make sure I don't add too many entries to my catalog. Thanks.
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Thanks, ladies. I think I'm ready to tackle this projecat now.
Go to Central Baptist Church, Decatur, AL (http://library.cbcdecatur.org/index.html) and do a basic keyword search for kit. (Sort by author) When you get the results, scroll down until you find Experiencing God, then other kits by various authors. Click on the title of each and you will see how that library, with team leader Eva Nell Hunter, has handled various kits. Some have several DVDs, which are processed so that each can be checked out. Each item would have an accession number/barcode, but when entered into the data base, enter the cost for the entire kit, but not each individual item. Some kits have just one or two DVDs and they are processed as a whole, generally not checked out individually.
All items of the kit are stored in the kit box. Store one or two extra cd cases with the library name included in the kit box or at the circulation desk so that the individual DVDs can be sent home safely if they are checked out individually. I would suggest that you place a card or sheet in the box on which the leader can write the name of the person taking the DVD away from the kit, if the leader is responsible for lending them.
Another question was asked about those new studies which come with just a DVD folder and a member book and leader book -- or which get separated from their container before being processed (that does happen occasionally!) Several suggestions were made for storing those. Look for a question having to do with storing kits. I'll see if I can find and repost the question and link for you.
Have fun!
Look under the tab labeled "q & a" for the question "Storage for resource materials."
Thanks again, Sandra. I often reference Central Baptist's catalog when I need help. I think what I need to do is process each item within the kit separately (each with its own call #, bar code label and accession #), but store them all in the box which would have only the call # on the outside. If the whole kit is circulated at the same time, each item within the kit would need to be scanned at check out. Of course, only an individual item would be scanned if the rest of the kit does not circulate. Does this sound right to you?
We also process the kit as a whole, listing each item in the kit with the titles of each session in title analytics. When the kit is used by one person, only the kit barcode is scanned. This procedure gives an opportunity to give a description of the entire kit with cost information, too. Since we print our own barcodes, we have continued to use the old method of numbering the kits as "K1" "K2", etc....instead of using the next number in the accession que. That is not the recommended method, but we have continued with it. We use only the Kdvd accession number and the kit accessesion number as the call number on each separate dvd, giving an easy way to determine to which box to return the dvd when it is checked out separately. Please don't get confused by this; we just like to have an easy way to determine where the item goes!