Remember that Walt Disney special where Sterling Holloway narrated Peter and the Wolf? No? Just me then? Ok well, it's pretty much the most amazing thing to happen involving Prokofiev EVER. If you haven't seen it, you should. If you haven't heard Peter and the Wolf, might I suggest listening to Claudio Addabo's version (narrated by Sting)? There are two parts (out of three) on Youtube and I'm kinda perturbed the third is nowhere to be seen, as I got nearly 15 minutes in and then realized I was very soon going to be angry....because I couldn't listen to the end... NEVER FEAR! I have interlibrary-loaned it.
Interlibrary loan? What's that? If you were one of the people who got their MLIS degree online, you might not know what interlibrary loan is (and clearly I'm not saying this to the general MLIS online degree'd public, but one person - and you know who you are). To clarify, let's imagine your library doesn't have an item you want. Your library may be part of a larger library system (like my county's M.A.I.N. library catalog) and can request that item from another library in its system. Colleges and universities use the same type of system, but they can request from all over the freaking place. Btw, I've decided that interlibrary loan is now a verb. You may have been saying it for years, and to that I say Woot! but now I've stated it, it's on the internet(s, kara) and it's real now.
Also, apropos of libraries, Wil Wheaton just wrote the most super-amazing thing about librarians ever and it seriously warmed my heart. I'm not a *real* librarian with a degree and all, but I work in a library and I do catalog and reference and all other types of librarian related things... and I'm glad to have him on our side. Plus, he just got cooler, if that was possible.
Wendi
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
The cataloging fiend
is what I have become. I learned how to catalog DVDs on Friday and have so far cataloged 50, which I think is pretty good. It takes me about an hour to completely catalog 8 books, but DVDs take longer, I think. DVDs are a lot tougher, too because they have so many more steps (well, it feels like they do). Finding the Dewey numbers sometimes takes forever! I have about 50 more DVDs sitting on my desk, ready to be cataloged, and I will tackle them tomorrow - unless we have a snow day...again. I'm still that kid who gets excited about snow days, but really, all I'm thinking about now is that I'm the dork thinking about all the work I need to do and how a stupid snow day would totally throw off my plan of finishing the DVD cataloging tomorrow.
Cataloging a DVD is very boring, would you like me to tell you? Ok non-existent people reading my blog, here it is. First you have to find the call number. Easier said than done. Some you find on OCLC (Online Computer Library Catalog (or Center, depends on who you ask)), or on the internets somewhere, or compare it to your catalog, or create it using the DDS (Dewey Decimal System, for those of you not in the know). Then you find the MARC record on OCLC (basically, the universal book/media record for that item). Some DVDs have ISBNs that you can search and find a record. Some don't. Those that don't - and even some that do - must then be searched by title, year, material blah blah blah. Oh wait, sometimes you get hundreds of search results, too. Then you scream and your head spins around, and when it comes back around to the front and your eyes focus, you see the correct choice and click it... or you search for a while, give up and ask Maryanne for help (that's usually what I end up doing, she's so good at this stuff!)
Ok, so you've found your MARC record. You put in the call number and take out several fields of junk and useless information. You click some buttons to make it official, create a card (::sigh::, yes, my library still prints cards for the card catalog that sits in our office and does nothing except look cool)... You print your labels (one for the side, one for...the same side, because in our library DVD labels both face out), making sure to add DVD before the call number. You label the disc TML (for Taylor Memorial Library, where I work....duh) and you put a TML sticker on the back of the case and a copyright infringement sticker on the front. You put a barcode on the back (which is actually really fun, love those barcodes) and then you import all the records into Workflows. We use a version of Workflows that came out around the same time that fire started becoming popular, but it's what we have and it's gray, so I like it.
Add the labels to the DVD case, putting plastic protective stickers over the labels. Import the records into Workflows and add the barcode and put DVD in front of the call number....again. Make a list of each DVD you catalog, including title, year, time, and call number to give to Carol. Then, line up all the DVDs you've just cataloged and pat yourself on the back. That was hard work. You deserve an ice cream cone. Get me one too, while you're at it.
Wendi
Cataloging a DVD is very boring, would you like me to tell you? Ok non-existent people reading my blog, here it is. First you have to find the call number. Easier said than done. Some you find on OCLC (Online Computer Library Catalog (or Center, depends on who you ask)), or on the internets somewhere, or compare it to your catalog, or create it using the DDS (Dewey Decimal System, for those of you not in the know). Then you find the MARC record on OCLC (basically, the universal book/media record for that item). Some DVDs have ISBNs that you can search and find a record. Some don't. Those that don't - and even some that do - must then be searched by title, year, material blah blah blah. Oh wait, sometimes you get hundreds of search results, too. Then you scream and your head spins around, and when it comes back around to the front and your eyes focus, you see the correct choice and click it... or you search for a while, give up and ask Maryanne for help (that's usually what I end up doing, she's so good at this stuff!)
Ok, so you've found your MARC record. You put in the call number and take out several fields of junk and useless information. You click some buttons to make it official, create a card (::sigh::, yes, my library still prints cards for the card catalog that sits in our office and does nothing except look cool)... You print your labels (one for the side, one for...the same side, because in our library DVD labels both face out), making sure to add DVD before the call number. You label the disc TML (for Taylor Memorial Library, where I work....duh) and you put a TML sticker on the back of the case and a copyright infringement sticker on the front. You put a barcode on the back (which is actually really fun, love those barcodes) and then you import all the records into Workflows. We use a version of Workflows that came out around the same time that fire started becoming popular, but it's what we have and it's gray, so I like it.
Add the labels to the DVD case, putting plastic protective stickers over the labels. Import the records into Workflows and add the barcode and put DVD in front of the call number....again. Make a list of each DVD you catalog, including title, year, time, and call number to give to Carol. Then, line up all the DVDs you've just cataloged and pat yourself on the back. That was hard work. You deserve an ice cream cone. Get me one too, while you're at it.
Wendi
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Well, it's been a while. What can I say? I've been busy (and maybe a little bit lazy). I've been thinking a lot on which direction I should take this blog. If I'm my cranky, sarcastic self, people are going to start thinking that all I am is a Debbie Downer (and we all know that's only 80-90% true). But I don't want to be all life-affirming and inspirational either. Cause, you know, ick. Nobody reads this anyway, so I'm not all that concerned. Also, I can't exactly complain (or brag, for that matter) TOO much about work or anything because people don't really like that. So what good is this blog, anyway? To recap, I can't be too happy or too sad, I can't complain, and I can't brag.
I got a new laptop over the holidays and I have to say, it's pretty much amazing. I find I carry it around and keep it on so that when I see something I want to know more about, I just search it. I told my mom that, like any little kid, at some point I'll lose interest in it because I'm a kid and it's basically a toy. She looked over at my dad, who was still playing with the police scanner he bought two weeks ago and said, "yeah, exactly when does that happen?" We're all looking forward to the day when we don't have to strain to hear the tv over the sound of the scanner. Although, it's sort of like listening to an old-time radio show. Last night we listened to a riveting 'program', if you will, regarding a robbery, IN MY TOWN, at a bank next to the Taco Bell at the same time my mother was at Taco Bell getting dinner. And she didn't see anything. I don't know if the guy got away. That's the problem with the police scanner. It always ends on a cliff-hanger.
I got a new laptop over the holidays and I have to say, it's pretty much amazing. I find I carry it around and keep it on so that when I see something I want to know more about, I just search it. I told my mom that, like any little kid, at some point I'll lose interest in it because I'm a kid and it's basically a toy. She looked over at my dad, who was still playing with the police scanner he bought two weeks ago and said, "yeah, exactly when does that happen?" We're all looking forward to the day when we don't have to strain to hear the tv over the sound of the scanner. Although, it's sort of like listening to an old-time radio show. Last night we listened to a riveting 'program', if you will, regarding a robbery, IN MY TOWN, at a bank next to the Taco Bell at the same time my mother was at Taco Bell getting dinner. And she didn't see anything. I don't know if the guy got away. That's the problem with the police scanner. It always ends on a cliff-hanger.
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