What Can You Do In 2 Minutes?

If you do a simple Google search, you will discover that in 2 minutes you can do the following:
get great abs
make a chocolate and salted caramel mug cake
stop procrastinating
experience the story of Mankind

OR...you can start transforming your library.

I was gathering some statistics for Kelly and I to use in our upcoming Common Ground presentation. Have a look at the time invested in completing this project.

Fiction Genrefication:  18 people hours (because it was men and women)

8 workers x 2 hrs each = 16 people hours to label and reshelve the books
1 worker (me) x 2 hrs = 2 hours of prep work to initially categorize the books

Nonfiction Genrefication: 67 people hours

9 workers first evening x 3 hrs each = 27 people hours to label and reshelve books
8 workers second evening x 3 hrs each = 24 people hours to label and reshelve books
1 worker (me) x 7 hrs = 7 hrs of prep work to initially categorize books
1 worker (Chimere) x 3 hrs = 3 hrs of prep work to initially categorize books
2 workers (Kelly and I) x 2 hrs = 4 hrs to finish labeling nonfiction books
2 workers (Amanda and I) x 1 hr = 2 hrs to finish subcategories and shelve books

Adding Location Fields in Destiny: 44 people hours

1 worker (me) x 7 hours = 7 hours for Science Fiction, Sports Fiction, Graphic Novels and some series
2 workers x 8 hours = 16 hours for Day One entering location fields in Destiny
2 workers x 8 hours = 16 hours for Day Two entering location fields in Destiny
1 worker x 5 hours = 5 hours for Day Three entering location fields in Destiny

The actual hands on work was 129 hours or 7740 minutes.  That means each item was touched for an average of @2 minutes per item.  2 MINUTES!

Not included in the above numbers are the planning meetings, behind the scenes work or the time I will spend in the upcoming weeks to make sure every book has a location field set in its' Destiny record.  Because this is the first full blown genrefication project in my school district, we had to work through many questions, problem solve time and material constraints and coordinate schedules. 

Meetings: 16 people hours

4 workers x 2 hrs each = 8 people hours for Initial planning meeting
4 workers x 2 hrs each = 8 people hours for Post Fiction labeling/pre Nonfiction commencement meeting

There were also a great many hours spent designing spine labels, communicating via email and coordinating personnel.  Much of that was done through the office so I don't have the statistics.

So, if you add it all up, we have WELL OVER 145 people hours into genrefying @5200 items. 

But, if you are considering moving towards a genrefied library, DO NOT LET THESE NUMBERS INTIMIDATE YOU!  The payoffs far surpass the time invested.  I am spending less time reshelving books.  My circulation has increased.  The amount of time needed for book check out has decreased.

So 2 minutes can make a big difference.

The Visitors Came

This is the first moment I have had to catch up. It seems as if the calendar items are all conspiring to occur at the same time.

 Kelly and I met about our Common Ground presentation and we both ended up with a long list of to-do's.  It's scary and daunting, and to be honest, a little bit exciting!  We have a plan and intend to work it. Priority on my to-do list is getting location fields set up for the fiction section. I am starting with the fiction section because there are a fewer amount of records to manipulate. Good news!  The Sports Fiction is finished.  It took about 1-1/2 hrs. to complete.  Bad news!  It is one of the smallest genres and there are 8 more genres to go in fiction.  I am simply refusing to think about Nonfiction section.  To quote that plucky little lady from the south,





When we finished, 3 librarians from our school system's Lighthouse schools came to visit.  (Can I just stop right here and geek out for a minute?  I just love company!  I am so proud of this project and the results we have seen.  So I get super excited when I know someone is coming.) These three ladies came to see my library set up and just to visit and ask a few questions.  They looked excited when they left.  (Hopefully you can read all about it when they send me some guest posts to share.)

And it turns out that Kelly and I will get a chance to present our Common Ground presentation to a group of BCPS librarians prior to the actual presentation in Ocean City.  I really am quite thankful for the opportunities that I have been able to experience and the ones that keep presenting themselves.