Thanks for the responses to my TARGET regarding order files. My original request
was:
> How do you set up your materials order files?
> What categories do you use?
> What tips or tricks have made your ordering easier and more effective?
Most replied that they either keep running lists online w/ jobbers (whether they
order online or by purchase order) or, they create a custom database in order to
uniformly record all the information needed to produce an order in one place.
LM_NETTER Carole Ashbridge shared her article, "Bringing order to chaos: A new look
at consideration files" in the Book Report; Sep/Oct99, Vol. 18 Issue 2, p49, 3p, 2c
Here are tips shared to make ordering easier:
1) I use an excel document (Books to Consider) to keep a list organized by title.
Although I could re-sort by author or series if I needed too.
Headings are:
Title
Author
Note
Availability
Title and author are pretty cut and dried.
In the Note field we put the series name and volume number if that is pertinent or
a note as to why it's on our list. Award, teacher request, curriculum tie in.
Availability, this is where I indicate the preferred binding. WFP meanings I'm
waiting for Paperback. NYP, OP, OS/OP or HB are standard designations.
If we order, the availability changes to ordered and the line color is changed to
red. After new books are processed the packing slip is used to delete titles from
the Books to Consider list.
We are constantly adding things to this list. If we've had to delete a book, or a
popular book is lost and paid for, we will add to this list immediately.
I also have a list called Books to Stay Away from. Use Title, Author and Note
fields. In the note field I will put in the reason the book would not be
appropriate for the Jr. High Library collection. We verify any suggested new title
against this list before placing it on the books to consider list.
2) I use Excel. I have a column for date requested or reviewed, review source,
person requesting, program (subject), title, author, publisher, isbn, cost, ordered
date, arrival.
I can sort by who asked for something, what program it's for, the publisher, etc.
When something arrives I put an X in the ordered date column- then I can sort by
what has not been ordered- copy and paste the unordered materials into a new
worksheet and start over for the next fiscal year. It gives me a running wish list.
3) I have one folder for all orders within a school year. I have a master budget
sheet that has a space for date, Purchase Request #, Company, amount encumbered,
and balance. There is a master budget sheet for each type of
fund such as local or federal. The info fields are the same on each. This way you
have all the info in front of you. Copies of each order are filed behind the
appropriate master budget sheet. In the front of the folder is the budget sheet
that I received from the principal indicating how the fund numbers and amount I
have in each fund. For me I usually have local and federal. Donations come under
local which makes it very easy!
4) Here's what I've been doing, but I'd love to learn better ways:
First: Catalogues: I keep them in princeton files , by topic, cluster, or group:
videos/AV; jobbers I buy from a lot; a set of "for sure, I'll buy from these
when I get to it"; the ones I don't like too much; and "general"- all the
rest that are maybes if I need to or have time. I then do a "catalogue run"
mid-year- it takes weeks, I go through the catalogues I KNOW I want to buy
from, put little stickies on all the pages I circled books I want, price
them all, then by process of elimination weed down to what I can REALLY
afford. Then I place the orders.
Second: for special requests and notes about needs, I have another princeton box
with folders:
"requests" (from teachers etc)
"deletions/ lost/ to be replaced" when things need to be replaced
"curriculum ideas and needs" when new curriculum needs come up.
I then vaguely hope my brain will put 1) and 2) together ;-)
I spend time going through 2) before looking through 1) or shopping.
Third: for fiction: when there were two of us, one of us spent a lot of time
reading reliable reviews (Quill & Quire; Booklist etc) then making CARDS,
one per books, title, author and themes, so we could also enter the themes
in our themes database (which our senior students use when trying to pick
two novels which they will compare on theme). But that didn't happen so much
this year with only one of me. So I rely on public info for novel reviews,
and colleagues, and our respected sellers, and award winners.
Fourth: once I place an order, I move the order into the "abeyance" file: stuff
that I've done on my end but am now waiting for stuff on their end.
Not elegant, but functional.
5) I kept a running list on Follett Titlewave, there are other jobbers that do the
same thing. I kept it open when looking at catalogs and reviews and added the tile
I was interested in. Generally, I would look at any reviews Titlewave had and other
titles to choose from when I was looking for specific topics. I could keep a
separate list for various topics. I would also print them out and give to teachers
for input. On my computer I had an Order folder. I would keep running list of items
I wanted from publishers. Behind my desk I kept a stack of catalogs that I wanted
to order from, they were boldly marked inside and outside, these were my maybes or
curriculum list that I was working on. Everything else was filed or stacked
(usually) on a file cabinet until needed or requested. On Titlewave you can add,
subtract or move titles with ease. I also kept all the orders that school year in
case of any problems and to double check if I already ordered it. It worked for me.
6) I've only been in the library 2 years, but this is what I set up. Throughout
the school year if I read about something I would like to have, I start a list in
Follett. One list for "Fiction", one for "Non-Fiction". When I'm ready to order at
the end of the summer, I check prices with Bound to Stay Bound or other companies,
and relook at all my titles. Unfortunately with the PO system in my district, I'm
not able to order online so have to submit them the old fashioned way. I usually
try to spend most of my budget before I break for summer.
7) For books, I keep running lists on Follett. For all others, I keep one folder
for "Possibles", one for "Requests", one for "On Order" and one for complete.
8) I do something that makes many librarians cringe - but it makes the job SO much
easier. I cut out all the reviews I have marked in my review journals and paste
them on old catalog cards. I then organize them by broad subject areas - English,
Social Studies, Math, Science, Health etc. Within some of the the subject areas, I
divide them further by research project. I also have categories for
Reference/Miscellaneous and Fiction. In the late Spring of each year , I go through
the reference file and prep orders for reference books. I sent the requisitions in
so that the orders are placed July 1. I then divide up the rest of the budget into
3 book orders. Approximately and equal amount of money in each order. In the Fall I
usually send 2 large orders to my books jobber with a "do not exceed" amount. I
usually over order by about 25%. One order is for Social Studies/Business/Foreign
Language books. The second Fall order is for Science/Math/Health/PE books. And
then, after the ALA Best Books List comes out in January or early Feb., I prep an
order for English/Fiction/Music/Art/Miscellaneous books. I subscribe to Junior
Literary Guild, so we do have 3 new fiction books arriving every month.
***
Andrea Hynes, Librarian
Graham Elementary School
10026 204th Street East
Graham, WA 98338
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