CatherineM Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Only 500? Lightweight. Our house is a freaking library. I use a program for my iPhone that scans barcodes or does a goggle book search. It backs up to Dropbox and synchs to my husbands phone so he doesn't buy a book we already have. I will will be the first person to graduate from Newman TC who's never set foot in the library. Haven't needed to. Only 500? Lightweight. Our house is a freaking library. I use a program for my iPhone that scans barcodes or does a goggle book search. It backs up to Dropbox and synchs to my husbands phone so he doesn't buy a book we already have. I will will be the first person to graduate from Newman TC who's never set foot in the library. Haven't needed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) One gets a five year degree in library sciences. It's not exactly a five-year degree. You get a Bachelor's degree in whatever field you wish, and then you get a Master's Degree in Library Science. Most Master's programs are one-year, some are two-year. Mine was two years, because it included an internship. To be a school librarian you also normally need a teaching certificate/degree. I bet @IgnatiusofLoyola would have all kinds of suggestions. Yep, I would, but so far FP sounds like he's on the right track. FP--You probably won't need to actually learn the Dewey Decimal System--that is, learn how to assign numbers. (I had to learn it as part of my Master's degree. It can be complex.) Thankfully, nowadays, the Library of Congress assigns a Dewey Decimal number to every book published in the U.S. It's often actually printed on the first couple of pages of the book itself. There should be other ways to find the DD number, too online. The nice thing about this system is that it not only saves time, but it means that a book has the same number throughout the U.S. If I were doing this, I'd also look to see if there were any free/cheap book cataloging programs online, so you don't have to start from scratch. The cataloging programs used by public libraries are great, with nifty searching features, etc. However, I expect they are expensive. I haven't worked as a librarian in years, but I am willing to help you out. However, I will help ONLY if you ask. Otherwise, I'll leave you to it. You know exactly where to find me. My only general advice would be to try not to create any system for cataloging, checking out books, etc. from scratch. The more your library is uniform with other libraries (particularly the libraries of other religious instititutions/schools/churches, the easier your job will be. Added note to my post on Library Science degrees. Nowadays there are a number of online Master's of Library Science programs from respectable institutions. Edited August 20, 2015 by IgnatiusofLoyola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) Psshh. Library of Congress system is better Actually, the LC system is NOT better for a library of the size that FP is talking about. The LC system is really for HUGE university libraries. The Dewey Decimal System is more familiar and easy to use for most users, and works just fine for a small collection. (500 books is a VERY small collection. Most large university collections are in the millions.) Truthfinder--I had to learn to actually assign numbers from scratch in both the LC and DD systems, learn the logic (or lack therof) behind the two systems, etc. etc. etc. Trust me when I say that the LC system is really only better for enormous book collections on extremely specialized subjects. A long-awaited dream of mine has come true today. I haven't been this excited since Germany won the World Cup. This was one of the great things about getting a Master's in Library Science. I was surrounded by a bunch of people who all felt the same way! Edited August 20, 2015 by IgnatiusofLoyola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) People have already begun taking out stacks of books and throwing them wherever they want. I have sent a huge mass email telling people I am now in charge and how the library will operate now. Admittedly, I do not have high hopes that they will comply, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Remember what I just said? I use a program for my iPhone that scans barcodes or does a goggle book search. It backs up to Dropbox and synchs to my husbands phone so he doesn't buy a book we already have. Omigosh! What is the name of this app?! Tell me, PLEASE! Edited August 20, 2015 by Gabriela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) People have already begun taking out stacks of books and throwing them wherever they want. I have sent a huge mass email telling people I am now in charge and how the library will operate now. Admittedly, I do not have high hopes that they will comply, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Make sure not to forget generous use of threats and violence. Now is a chance for him to put that black belt of his to use..... (That would make a good Sat. morning cartoon or "Nick at Nite" special - "Black Belt Librarian"!) Edited August 22, 2015 by Norseman82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Remember what I just said? Omigosh! What is the name of this app?! Tell me, PLEASE! Book Crawler. You can get the free version to try out. I had too many books. It was less than 5 dollars for the unlimited version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Book Crawler. You can get the free version to try out. I had too many books. It was less than 5 dollars for the unlimited version. Do you have this on an iPhone? I'm looking for it in Android and can't find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Do you have this on an iPhone? I'm looking for it in Android and can't find it. iPhone and iPad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not The Philosopher Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Librarian is a pretty cool job in my book. I once considered getting a degree in Library sciences some years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katherineH Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 LiBib is also an app that scans barcodes and puts them in a collection for you. Goodreads is used by many small libraries as a database. It's fairly easy since you can plug in the title and the site will auto-fill the rest of the information. The only issue is that it doesn't provide the call number, so you would have to find a way to account for you. I am in charge of my parish library and we use Library of Congress which hasn't worked very well. Even though it's a university parish, most people find it too complex. It will also depend on whether or not you have a budget to develop this project. Follett is a great software for library databases. That's what my archdiocese does, and you can view it online which is great: http://librarycatalog.archokc.org/cataloging/servlet/presentadvancedsearchredirectorform.do?l2m=Library Search&tm=TopLevelCatalog&l2m=Library+Search I ended up using a GoogleDoc spreadsheet as the parish catalog because we didn't have the funds for Follett, it's not ideal but it works for now. You just have to use the Ctrl+F tool to search for a book, or scroll through the page to find it alphabetically. I'm in my last year of library school and it is indeed a great profession. There are many different careers paths and it is very rewarding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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