Jessica Karp & Amanda Thrower

The University of Georgia

EDIT 6380 – Service Project

Summer 2006

Project Logistics

Mentor: Jill Dunmire Merrill

School: Esther Jackson Elementary

Location: 1400 Martin Rd., Roswell, GA (Fulton County Schools)

Driving directions: Martin’s Landing Subdivision off of Holcomb Bridge Road

Dates: June 8, 2006; 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Number of interns needed (maximum): 2

Tasks: Cataloging of many new materials (books, videos, DVDs, etc). The cataloging

process will be followed, from unpacking materials through shelving of materials, using a processing checklist.

Automation System: Spectrum

Skills needed: basic background knowledge of a school media center

What you expect to learn: How to take a new item received in the media center through the cataloging process.

Description of Service

We worked together to process and catalog newly acquired books for the Esther

Jackson Elementary Media Center. The books were purchased from the school book fair, so unlike books from a vendor such as Follett, they were free of any processing. First, we completed the necessary steps involving the computer and automated software, and then we affixed the spine labels to the new books.

Skills Studied or Practiced Prior to Visit

We knew that our service project would involve cataloging materials that were donated from the book fair. In preparation for this service project, we used our class time to learn what MARC records are and how to access them through different websites such as Library of Congress and SunLink. We learned what a good MARC record included and some of the basic tags found in a record. During our class time, we gained basic knowledge about the Dewey Decimal System and ways we would apply it during our service project. We reviewed our text, Catalog It!, by Allison G. Kaplan and Ann Marlow Riedling, in preparation for our service project at Esther Jackson Elementary.

Group Reflection

Our preparation for this project is outlined above, and we were both grateful for the knowledge and skills we gained during our class meetings while working together on this project. It was helpful to simply be familiar with the vocabulary involved in cataloging when receiving instructions from the LMS. Knowledge of MARC records (especially where to find them on various websites) and the Dewey Decimal System were of particular importance.

We used the school’s automation system, Spectrum Winnebago, to add the new holdings to the existing catalog. We followed a step-by-step procedure, outlined in our notes, to do this. For each book, while one person searched for the MARC record and did the work on the computer, the other processed the book by stamping it in the appropriate places, adding a pocket in the back, and placing the bar code label on the back, lower right corner. We alternated the two tasks in order for both of us to gain exposure to the technical and physical aspects of cataloging.

We quickly learned the value of having this tedious work done by the vendor. It took our entire four hours of service to catalog and process only twenty-two books, and we still didn’t get all of the paperback covers laminated. We also learned a great deal about Spectrum Winnebago and how to search for MARC records from various websites. It is important to be familiar with several sites as some MARC records are more difficult to locate than others.

Even though the quantity of books we were able to catalog and process was not as high as we had hoped, there is no doubt that our service made a genuine contribution to our host. While she is probably able to process books at a much greater speed, given her experience, we were still able to save her some valuable time. We also introduced the paraprofessional to the Library of Congress website as another source for MARC records.

AASL Competencies

Competency	Reflection
Candidates facilitate access to information in print, non-print, and electronic formats.	By cataloging and getting these new holdings ready for circulation, we worked to facilitate access to new books.
Candidates plan and organize library media centers according to their use by the learning community.	The Esther Jackson Media Center is already established and organized in a manner suited for its patrons. When cataloging the new holdings, we were careful to maintain the established practices. For instance, we added special stickers to holiday, mystery, series, and award-winning books, and we cataloged new biographies according to the media center’s established method.
Candidates incorporate technology to promote efficient and equitable access to information beyond print resources. --and-- Candidates organize the library media facility and its collections – print, non-print, and electronic – according to standard accepted practice.	We were able to gain some hands-on experience with the automated system, Winnebago. We used it in conjunction with MARC records and the Dewey Decimal System to add new holdings to the current catalog.

Amanda’s Reflection

While all of the work completed in this program is connected to my goal of becoming an informed and effective media specialist, there is no substitution for hands-on experience. Fortunately, Esther Jackson uses the same automation software as my school system (the system where I hope to get a job as a media specialist upon completion of this program). Thus, the opportunity to explore the software and use it to catalog new items in a real setting was of great value. And because cataloging is inevitably part of every media specialist’s job, the more familiar I am with the basic components and the different ways it can be accomplished, the better.

Between attending our class meetings, completing the course work, and fulfilling the service project requirements, I have learned a great deal about cataloging. I certainly feel I have a solid grasp of “the basics” and feel I will be best benefited through further hands-on practice and exposure to the different ways other media specialists choose to tackle this part of their program management. I will also benefit from further experience with MARC records, the Dewey Decimal System, and SEARS subject headings.

Jessica’s Reflection

It was my goal in cataloging to gain the basic knowledge of how to proceed through the cataloging process from beginning to end. I was completely in the dark about MARC records and anything other than the basics of the DDC system. I learned these skills in class and put them to practical use during my service project. I was uncertain about the order of steps used to process new materials, so the field experience really made it clear how to handle materials from opening the box to putting the materials on the shelf. I believe cataloging and processing is the kind of skill that becomes easier with repeated practice that I expect will happen when I become a media specialist.

I think I still need to know about Accelerated Reader procedures, which are used in most schools, but not at Esther Jackson. I have never used AR as a teacher and our media center never includes levels on any of our books. Because so many schools use it, I feel it is something that I still need to learn. We also had a dilemma on where to place a book. It was a picture book but it contained mature content (life in a concentration camp) therefore, we did not know where the book should be cataloged. Mrs. Merrill decided to put it in the Easy section of the library.