Huntington Libraries Now Fully Automated
Every library in the Huntington School District is now fully automated following completion of a massive summer project that saw the six elementary school libraries join their middle school and high school counterparts in bringing Follett’s Destiny Library Manager online.
Woodhull Intermediate School was one of Huntington’s building-based libraries to move away from the antiquated card catalog system and toward modern technology. Woodhull students began using the new automated cataloging system about one week into the new school year and the transition has gone smoothly, said librarian Christine Amodeo.
“Students now can search the catalog via online access available on all computers in the building,” Ms. Amodeo said. “This system is similar to how items are checked out in the public library. Student reaction to the new system has been extremely positive. There are a few kinks that are being worked out, but it is wonderful to have this system available to the students and staff.”
Parents can learn more about the new system and its features by logging onto the Follett company website at http://www.follettsoftware.com/page/library_manager/.
“Students have been quick to sign-on to the system and conduct searches,” Ms. Amodeo said. “The comments have been very favorable about this new system, with plenty of ‘that's cool,’ peppered with some ‘will we be able to use the scanner to check-out books ourselves?’
Huntington’s librarians, along with some computer aides and library secretaries and district computer technician Noreen Heffernan, attended a two-day training program the first week of schools to help set the stage for problem-free use of the new system.
Libraries now have hand-held scanners to read the new barcode labels attached to books and other resources, new flat screen monitors and new computers. “The secondary buildings had automated systems, but now we are all on the same version of this system,” Ms. Amodeo said. “We are now able to see if one of the other buildings has a particular title in the collection, enabling us to borrow items from the other buildings.”
“The system is wonderful,” said Camille DeCanio, the Huntington High School librarian. “Students and staff are able to access materials in our libraries quickly and efficiently. Teachers can post their own student resource lists and create bibliographies in minutes. Patrons can browse by subject, author and title. They are able to read about the item and determine whether or not it is available in our collection.”
The high school library collection contains about 36,000 sources, including books, CDs, DVDs, magazine, journals and videos, so the new system is a big help to students and staff. Even at Washington Primary School, with about 5,000 library resources, the automated system is expected to be a major enhancement. “We love it already,” librarian Georganne White said.
The automation project is part of a technology plan that runs into 2009. By creating an electronic searchable database and circulation system for the libraries, new efficiencies are expected to be gained and students and teachers will be better served.
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