September 4, 2008

Beth Bisbano, PA

I have a question pertaining to a library system that I would like to have some advice on:

The system is planning to begin using some floating collections.  What this means is that the items will not be owned by a particular location, but instead will be owned by the system as a whole and will just reside in the location where they are returned. How would a library submit the annual count of these items at the branch level since they don't "belong" to any one location?  Should the just pick one location to add the floating collection to?

Thanks for any input.

Edythe Huffman, IN

We don’t collect on the branch level, but we do have at least one library system that does what you are describing.  It would certainly keep the librarians on their toes to learn the collection.  --

Dorothy Liegl, SD

We have one library that has 11 branches that does what you are talking about with print books.  They just count the books as being part of the "total" collection of the library. We don't collect numbers at the branch level.  Because I don't know how you define "systems" in PA, this may not be a valid comparison. We don't have multi-library systems in SD.

Juan Lee, UT

In Utah we seem to do the same as Dorothy in South Dakota. We do not collect numbers at the branch level either, so the Administrative Entity report for the whole "system."

Pomerantz, Bruce, MN

In Minnesota, we collect information at the branch level. (I have the impression that very few of us do.) Bibliostat Collect performs an edit check when a data element at the administrative level does not equal the sum of the outlets. Under these circumstances, I ended up creating an outlet called "Office." (Think miscellaneous) Any number that doesn't fit any place else goes into the office.

For example, because renewals typically are not assigned to any specific branch, the administrative circulation does not equal the outlet circulation sums. Enter the "Office" where the renewal circulation is entered and therefore used to balance "the books."  (Data sent to IMLS asks only for the administrative total and the Office does not officially exist for IMLS purposes.)

This is a long way to say perhaps you can create an "office" for the floating collection and just enter n.c. for each of the outlets.