a guide for barcoding & managing textbook...

Managing Your Textbooks

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A Guide for Barcoding & Managing Textbook Inventory

Automating your textbook inventory management .............................................. 2 Getting Prepared .............................................................................................................................. 2

A Plan for Barcoding Textbooks ............................................................................ 3 Evaluating Existing Make Up ........................................................................................................... 3 When to Begin Barcoding ................................................................................................................ 4 How to Barcode By Different School Types ..................................................................................... 4

Barcoding Books and Collecting Data ................................................................... 8 Barcode Placement .......................................................................................................................... 9 Develop a Title File ........................................................................................................................ 10 Calculating the Time to Barcode Your Textbooks ......................................................................... 10

Textbook Distribution ............................................................................................ 10 Helping Your Schools Plan for Textbook Distribution .................................................................... 10 Smart Profiling ................................................................................................................................ 15

Train to Ensure Success ....................................................................................... 16 Communication Plan ...................................................................................................................... 17

Textbook Profile Addendum ................................................................................. 25 Curriculum Detail ............................................................................................................................ 25 Distribution/Collection Procedures ................................................................................................. 26 Storage and Surplus Inventory ...................................................................................................... 27 Obsolete Textbooks ....................................................................................................................... 28 District/School Profile ..................................................................................................................... 28 Technical Profile ............................................................................................................................. 30

Managing your textbooks

of 31 © Copyright 2008 Follett Software Company 10741A Rev. 10 11-08-A

Automating Your Textbook Inventory Management Destiny Textbook Manager joins Follett's acclaimed Destiny Library Manager to form the Destiny Resource Management Solution. Destiny uses easy-to-use browser-based technology that allows schools and districts to better control their book inventories. Destiny Textbook Manager may be implemented on a school- or district-wide basis. It may also be implemented along with Destiny Library Manager, allowing schools or districts to integrate their library and textbook data for more efficient reporting, management, and purchasing.

For ease, simplicity, and maximum efficiency, Destiny Textbook Manager will allow your schools to barcode, automate, and manage textbook inventory in the same manner used in an automated library environment, without combining the two collections. Destiny Textbook Manager is helping schools and districts gain greater control over their textbook inventory and realize substantial savings in their textbook budget.

Getting Prepared

District Policies Before you automate your textbook process, it is very important to establish policies that will be applied throughout the entire district/school or school group such as elementary, middle and/or high schools. By holding each school to the same regulations and policies, you will ensure a streamlined, efficient textbook inventory management process. One policy that should be determined early is whether or not duplicate barcodes will be allowed across the district.

Minimum/Maximum Checkout Policy Establishing a min/max checkout for each school/school group will prevent an excess allocation of textbooks to a given student during a school year, marking period, or semester.

Fine Types and Fine Amounts Policy Establishing your guidelines for fine types and values from the district level will ensure a consistent recourse/penalty for each student who is in violation of a particular district policy. Destiny Textbook Manager will also allow you to generate fine notices. You can choose to notify parents at different intervals throughout the school year of their child’s fine obligations. Consistently keeping your parents and students informed will promote a stronger sense of responsibility, higher level of accountability, and allow you to recover fines in a more timely manner.

Textbook Auto-Conditioning Policy Enabling this feature will allow the system to automatically depreciate the condition of a textbook based on the number of times the book has circulated. There are five conditions; each condition is assigned a value to determine the percentage of its original purchase price and a number of times the copy should be circulated under this condition. By setting the Enable Auto Conditions option, the number of circulations for each copy is tracked. When the copy circulations meet the number of circulations designated for the conditions of the current copy, it will automatically be depreciated to the next lower level at the next checkin.

Additional Policies to Consider You may also wish to develop policies for each school and/or school group for the following:

Textbook check-in dates • Semesters • Full year


10741A Rev. 10 11-08-A © Copyright 2008 Follett Software Company. of 31

• Summer school

Define User Fields for District Destiny Textbook Manager allows you to create custom user-defined fields that relate to a specific topic such as patrons, departments, textbooks, etc.

Budget Categories Creating budget categories will allow you to track textbook expenditures and funding sources. These categories can be assigned to specific textbook titles. Some examples include: • Grant Funds • State Funds • Spanish Textbook Collection

Department Headings Destiny Textbook Manager includes some common departments as defaults. Departments can be created and then used for grouping textbooks, setting up budget categories, textbook selection, sorting options, and textbook reporting. Some examples are: • Foreign Language • Math – Algebra • Health – First Aid

A Plan for Barcoding Textbooks

Evaluating Existing Make Up Barcoding may seem like a tedious task. However, pre-planning will make the barcoding tasks very simple. It actually can take as little as 4-8 hours per school, depending on the number of textbooks and helpers.

If your textbooks have not been barcoded, decide which textbooks, if any, will not be barcoded. For example, you may decide not to barcode textbooks in their last year of adoption, student workbooks, dictionaries, or textbooks on loan from another source. On the other hand, you should consider barcoding student editions that are currently in circulation, teacher editions, teacher resources, workbooks, novels, paperback classics, and/or dictionaries.

Follett recommends using Code 3 of 9 symbology for your barcodes. This symbology is supported by Follett scanners and PHDs. Be sure to verify that you do not have multiple barcode symbologies within your school sites/district. On the top of the barcode, your district name should be used instead of the school’s name.

14-Digit textbook barcode Code 39 Mod 10 Example:

Type Indicator Location Code Item # Check Digit

1 2345 67891011 2

YOUR DISTRICT NAME

12345678910112



Type Indicator: A one-digit character that distinguishes the item type such as materials, textbooks, or library books from the patrons. This character can be chosen by the decision making staff of your school/district. For example, a school may choose 1 = library books, 2 = textbooks and 3 = patrons, or T = library books, X = textbooks and P = patrons.

Location Code: The location code can be defined by using all numeric, all alpha, or alphanumeric characters. These digits can represent a district or school identification number, or a subject matter such as MATH, ENGL, SPAN, etc. It is used to represent the institution housing the textbooks.

Item #: The item number is a unique sequential number used to identity a specific copy. This number replaces the process of manually assigning a textbook number.

Check Digit: It is the last character in a 14-digit barcode, used by the scanner to determine the validity of the previous characters in the barcode and the accuracy of the scan. The scanned digits are run through a specific algorithm and the check digit is computed. The mathematical answer must match the printed last character on the barcode before the scanned barcode number is read by the scanner and entered into the system. The check digit is represented by a number, symbol, or letter. You do not have the option of choosing this digit.

When to Begin Barcoding Although it may seem that the best time to barcode textbooks is during the summer (when most textbooks are stored and not in use), in most cases, schools have implemented Destiny Textbook Inventory Management at various times of the school year. Therefore, it may be necessary to barcode textbooks while school is in session. Using weekends or a long school break when the students do not need their textbooks would make the task of barcoding while school is in session a success.

However and whenever you choose to barcode the textbooks, it is easiest to do the actual barcode-application work by having all textbooks in a large central area organized by title and textbook condition. If you are working in a multi-level building or one with many wings, you should centralize the textbooks based on these strategic areas to avoid moving books long distances.

If textbooks have already been distributed, the barcoding task can be easily accomplished by providing your teachers with barcodes and detailed instructions and training on placement and how to reissue the textbooks to their students, using the new barcoding system.

You should also consider organizing parents, volunteers, members of the community, honor society students, and other student groups to help in the barcode application.

How to Barcode By Different School Types

Generic Scenario — Any Number of Textbooks in a Central Location This scenario assumes the school plans to complete the barcode project over a holiday break or weekend with help from a team of 20 people (teachers, students, and parents) with the textbook manager as the project leader. Textbooks will be centralized in the gym.

The completion time is dependent on the number of textbooks. All textbooks will be reassigned to the students after a holiday break.



To calculate how much time is required to barcode the textbooks, you can estimate that one person can comfortably affix approximately 75 barcodes per hour. For 22,500 textbooks, the formula is (22,500 ÷ 75 = 300 hrs, 300 ÷ 5 hrs per day = 60 days for 1 person, 60 ÷ 20 helpers = 3 5-hour workdays). This number will vary depending on worktable space, assistance with moving textbooks to and from the work area, location of the barcode on the textbook, location of the textbooks, use of any additional handwritten or stamped coding, etc.

• Ask the teachers to have the students drop off their textbooks in the gym or cafeteria when they leave on Friday. If needed, manually check in these textbooks to satisfy any paper-based textbook tracking that may be in use. You may want to ask that only certain subject textbooks be dropped off.

• Have 5-10 students available to gather these textbooks on separate tables sorted by grade level, then title, and condition (new, good, fair, or poor) within a title. You may choose to ignore the condition sorting and condition all textbooks “good” or only use “new” and “good” to simplify the process. There is an option for textbook conditions to be automatically tracked within Destiny.

• The textbook manager may choose to barcode the teacher editions (TEs) at a different time. Once barcoded, these TEs can be scanned and checked out to the teachers.

• Set up additional folding tables in the gym as worktables.

• Beginning with a grade or subject level, start with one title. Remove (in sequential order) and affix barcodes to all copies of that title. When working with a range of textbooks of the same title, keep track of the first barcode and the number of books in that range. By entering the first barcode and the number of textbooks into Destiny Textbook Manager, you can add all the individual copies that are within the range.

• If this is the first time barcoding this title, enter the title information for this textbook as a new title into Destiny Textbook Manager. If you have already entered the title information for this textbook, you only need to add the additional ranges of copy barcodes in the next step. Follett offers Data Services to assist in formatting your existing data files.

• Continue with all titles in the gym until completed.

Class to Class Barcoding Scenario This scenario assumes the elementary school plans to complete the barcode project over one weekend with help from a team of 7 people (teachers and parents) with the textbook manager as the project leader. Textbooks will remain in the classrooms.

The teams will work 3-8PM on Friday and 7-4PM on Saturday. Some of this time will be used for textbook checkout. The textbooks will be assigned to the students in Grades 3-5 and as classroom sets for Grades K-2.

To calculate how much time is required to barcode the textbooks, you can estimate that one person can comfortably affix approximately 75 barcodes per hour. For 8,400 textbooks, the formula is (8400 ÷ 75 = 112 hrs, 112 ÷ 4 hrs per day = 28 days for 1 person, 28 ÷ 7 helpers = 4 4-hour workdays). This number will vary depending on worktable space, assistance with moving textbooks to and from the work area, location of the barcode on the textbook, location of the textbooks, use of any additional handwritten or stamped coding, etc.

• Make certain that Destiny Textbook Manager is accessible and a corded scanner either on a laptop or a desktop PC is available for use by the textbook manager.

• To start, ask the teachers to have the students leave their textbooks in their classroom when they leave on Friday. If needed, manually check in these textbooks to satisfy any paper-based textbook tracking that may be in use.



• Gather these textbooks on separate desks sorted by title and condition (new, good, fair, or poor) within a title. You may choose to ignore the condition sorting and condition all textbooks “good” or only use “new” and “good” to simplify the process. There is an option for textbook conditions to be automatically tracked within the software.

• You may choose to barcode the teacher editions at a different time. Once barcoded, these TEs can be scanned and checked out to the teachers.

• Work with one grade level at a time barcoding the textbooks, one classroom at a time.

• Set up several folding tables either in the classroom or in the hallway as worktables, if needed. Move these tables as needed.

• Beginning in a classroom, start with one title. Affix barcodes to all copies of that title in the classroom. When working with a range of textbooks of the same title, keep track of the first barcode and the number of books in that range. By entering the first barcode and the number of textbooks into Destiny Textbook Manager, you can add all the individual copies that are within the range.


• Continue with all titles within the classroom, then move to another classroom.

• If you want, separate your workers into several teams and work on several classrooms at once.

• When all textbooks are barcoded, begin the checkout process.

• Starting with one classroom, find the teacher’s name in the checkout window and scan all copies in their classroom. This will assign these copies under their name in Destiny Textbook Manager. Continue with all teachers in the remaining classrooms. On Monday morning, these textbooks will be available in the classrooms—already barcoded and checked out to the teachers as classroom sets.

• Develop a schedule starting on Monday morning to work either by classroom or grade level to check out textbooks to the students in grades 3–5. You can plan to check out all the textbooks in one day or spread out the process over one week.

• Plan to bring the students and their textbooks to the Destiny Textbook Manager workstation or vice versa. If barcoded patron ID cards are not used, create a 3-ring binder with student names and matching patron barcodes to check out your textbooks quickly.

Middle School Scenario This scenario assumes the middle school plans to complete the barcode project over several evenings with help from a team of 5 people (teachers and parents) with the textbook manager as the project leader. Textbooks will be centralized in the gym.

The teams will work 3–8PM on several Fridays throughout the fall term. All textbooks will be assigned to the students.





• To start, ask the teachers for Grade 6 to have the students drop off their textbooks in the gym when they leave on Friday. If you would like to barcode by subject, request that your students drop off a particular subject on a given day. If needed, manually check in these textbooks to satisfy any paper-based textbook tracking that may be in use.


• You may want to barcode the teacher editions at a different time. Once barcoded, these TEs can be scanned and checked out to the teachers.


• Beginning with a grade level, start with one title. Affix barcodes to all copies of that title. When working with a range of textbooks of the same title, keep track of the first barcode and the number of books in that range. By entering the first barcode and the number of textbooks into Destiny Textbook Manager, you can add all the individual copies that are within the range.



• If you want, separate your workers into several teams and work on several grade levels at once. If you do this, have one person per team be responsible for collecting and entering the textbook inventory into Destiny Textbook Manager.

• Develop a schedule starting on Monday morning to work by either last name or homeroom to check out textbooks to the students in the grade level you completed barcoding on Friday. With several checkout stations setup in the gym, you can check out all the textbooks quickly. If barcoded patron ID cards are not used, create a 3-ring binder with student names and matching patron barcodes to check out your textbooks quickly.

High School Scenario This scenario assumes the high school plans to complete the barcode project over several evenings with help from a team of 10 people (teachers, students, and parents) with the textbook manager as the project leader. Textbooks will be centralized in the gym.

The teams will work 3-8PM on several Fridays throughout the fall term. All textbooks will be assigned to the students.





• To start, ask the teachers for grade 9 to have the students drop off their textbooks in the gym when they leave on Friday. If you would like to barcode by subject, request that your students drop off a particular subject on a given day. If needed, manually check in these textbooks to satisfy any paper-based textbook tracking that may be in use.


• You may want to barcode the teacher editions at a different time. Once barcoded, these TEs can be scanned and checked out to the teachers.


• Beginning with a grade level, start with one title. Affix barcodes to all copies of that title in the classroom. When working with a range of textbooks of the same title, keep track of the first barcode and the number of books in that range. By entering the first barcode and the number of textbooks numbers into Destiny Textbook Manager, you can add all the individual copies that are within the range.



• If you want, separate your workers into several teams and work on several grade levels at once. If you do this, have one person per team be responsible for collecting and entering the textbook inventory into Destiny Textbook Manager.

• Develop a schedule starting on Monday morning to work by either last name or homeroom to check out textbooks to the students in the grade level you completed barcoding on Friday. With several checkout stations set up in the gym, you can check out all the textbooks in one day. If barcoded patron ID cards are not used, create a 3-ring binder with student names and matching patron barcodes to quickly check out your textbooks.

Barcoding Books and Collecting Data Before beginning the barcoding process, you should determine which books or materials should be barcoded, tracked and managed through Destiny Textbook Manager. Decide also who will manage the project. In some schools, principals, vice principals, textbook coordinators, librarians, parents, and teachers assist in completing the project.

If your textbooks have not been barcoded, decide exactly where the barcode and barcode identity strip should be applied on the book. Decide, also, which textbooks if any, will not be barcoded. You may decide not to barcode textbooks in their last year of adoption, student workbooks, textbooks in marginal condition, or textbooks on loan from another source.

Consider barcoding: • Student Editions • Teacher Editions and Teacher Resources • Workbooks • Novels and Paperback Classics



• Reference Materials (dictionaries and thesauruses)

Barcode Placement Follett’s barcode labels include the actual barcode and an identity strip that will allow you to identify the book should the barcode be removed. The identity strip should be placed on an inconspicuous page in the book such as the copyright page, bibliography page, or index. The use of the identity strip is optional but strongly recommended.

Outside Back Cover Outside Front Cover

Spine• The barcode can be placed in one location inside or outside the book. Follett suggests placing the

barcode on the back cover in location “A” or “B” for easy scanning. • Place the barcode at least a finger-width away from the book edge and the spine gutter. • If using label protectors, be sure to allow for overlap. • To avoid confusion with the ISBN barcode, do not place your barcode in the lower portion of the

back cover. Ideally, extended student breaks such as summer break, spring break, and Christmas break, are the best times to start and complete the barcoding project. However, with dedication and great organization any school can complete the barcoding project even if school is in session.

Here are some suggested steps to follow. • Assign a project leader • The fastest and easiest way to affix barcodes is to gather all the textbooks in a large centralized

location like a book room, gym, or cafeteria where there is minimal traffic so teams of workers can affix the barcodes and still keep the textbooks organized.

• Organize people groups to aid in the barcode application and textbook distribution processes. Members of the community / Parent volunteers Honor society students and other student groups Principals, Vice Principals, Textbook Coordinators, Librarians

YOUR DISTRICT NAME

12345678910112

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 2

BARCODE

IDENTITY STRIP



Develop a Title File Preparing and importing a textbook title file will not only prevent you from manually entering all of the title-specific data, but also shorten your implementation time. Follett Software Company can create your textbook title file with your electronic data, upon your request. Please contact your sales representative to learn more about this and other Follett Software services.

Optional services offered by FSC include: • Converting files from an automation tool already in use • Converting title information from a spreadsheet • State-specific textbook title files are available for CA, FL, GA, IN, LA, NC, NM, NV, OK and TX

Calculating the Time to Barcode Your Textbooks Barcoding your textbooks will take some time. It is very important to enlist the help of as many of your district and school staff members as possible. Based on the formula below, schedule enough helpers so that it only takes between 4-12 hours per school. Once you have completely barcoded and entered your textbook inventory into Destiny Textbook Manager, you can immediately begin managing your textbook inventory.

One person can comfortably apply 75 barcodes per hour. To schedule the needed work force, use the following formula:

Barcoding Helper Formula: # books ÷ 75 barcodes per hour ÷ # hours per day ÷ # helpers = # work days

Example Formulas: 4500 books divided by 75 barcodes per hour divided by 5 hours per day divided by 6 volunteers = 2 work days

School Formula # students 450

# books per student 10 # total books 4,500

# workers / # hrs needed 5 / 12 # workers / # hrs needed 10 / 6 # workers / # hrs needed 15 / 4

Textbook Distribution

Helping Your Schools Plan for Textbook Distribution The way books are distributed at the school sites generally vary from school to school. When establishing district/school textbook distribution policies, it may be helpful for you to know that Destiny Textbook Manager is a flexible tool that allows all your staff to distribute barcoded textbooks from their classrooms, by department, or from a central location.

In a central distribution scenario, all books are gathered and sorted by title, class, year, or subject. Centralized distribution can take place in the gymnasium, cafeteria, the library, and/or bookrooms. From this one location, typically, there are several checkout stations accessible to the student and/or teacher. This scenario works well at the beginning of the school year.



During this time, students and/or teachers come to the school to register/prepare for the upcoming school year. Upon receipt of their class schedule, it is taken to the location where textbook distribution will take place. The appropriate books are selected and taken to the checkout stations and assigned to the patron.

Note: If a teacher is obtaining books for his/her classroom, a cart would aid in the transportation of the books back to his/her classroom for distribution directly to the students. This would be considered preparation for Classroom Distribution.

In the event that a centralized or classroom textbook distribution is not your policy, Destiny Textbook Manager will also accommodate a departmental textbook distribution process.

In some schools, textbooks are managed and distributed by department chairpersons. For instance, students would go to the director of the math department to receive his/her math book and proceed to the next department to receive their additional textbooks. If your textbooks will be distributed from multiple departments, the following steps suggest a method for textbook distributors to follow: • Group textbooks by class year or subject in preparation for distribution. • Obtain a list of students in alphabetical order for each graduation year. • Starting with one grade level, establish a schedule for each homeroom to come to the textbook

distribution center to receive their textbooks. • Starting with one homeroom, bring the students into the textbook distribution area. As they pass

through a queue, they receive their textbooks, then funnel out through the two checkout stations at the opposite end where they have their barcoded ID card scanned followed by their five to eight textbooks, then return to their homeroom. (If a barcoded ID is not available, you can perform a patron search and then proceed with the checkout.)

• Continue until all students have been processed in your department.



Depending on which scenario will best suit your school or district, the following flowcharts may be helpful in conveying your textbook distribution policies to your schools:

Check-out Option 1 – TO PATRON

Option Advantages: • Simple and quick checkout process • Can check out 5-6 textbooks to a student

in under 60 seconds using a barcoded student ID card

• The student is directly responsible for their books

• All checkout options can be intermingled as needed

Option Disadvantage: • No link to a teacher or class period

Typical Scenarios: • Used to check out textbooks directly to a

student • Used primarily in high schools and large

middle schools

SCAN or type a patron barcode orenter the patron's name and clickthe Find Patron button. Selectthe patron's name.

SCAN a textbook copy barcode ortype in the textbook title and clickthe Find Copy button. Select thecopy.

USE the default due date or clickon the calendar to manuallychange it.

Moretextbooks?

More students?

STOP

No

No

YesYes



Check-out Option 2 – BY CLASS

Option Advantages: • Links a student and their textbooks to a

teacher • Allows for reporting linked by teacher or

student • The student is directly responsible for

their books • All checkout options can be intermingled

as needed

Option Disadvantage: • Checkout process requires more steps

but is more detailed

Typical Scenarios: • Used to check out textbooks to a student

with a teacher assigned • Used primarily in high schools

SCAN or type a teacher barcodeor enter the teacher's name andclick the Find Teacher button.Select the teacher's name.

SELECT class.

SCAN or type student barcodeand click the Find Student button.Select the student's name.

Moretextbooks?

More students?

STOP

No

No

Yes

Yes





Check-out Option 3 – TO TEACHER

Option Advantages: • Simple and quick checkout process • Can check out 30 textbooks to a teacher

in under 90 seconds with a barcoded ID card

• All checkout options can be intermingled as needed

Option Disadvantage: • No link to a student • School policies may limit textbook

responsibility by teachers

Typical Scenarios: • Used to check out textbooks to a teacher

as a classroom set • Used primarily in middle schools and

elementary schools

SCAN or type a teacher's barcodeor enter the teacher's name andclick the Find Teacher button.Select the teacher's name.

SELECT class.

Moretextbooks?

More teachers?

STOP

No

No

YesYes





Check-out Option 4 – REASSIGN FROM TEACHER TO STUDENT

Smart Profiling Before you document your district policies regarding the barcoding of textbooks, textbook distribution, and textbook inventory management, you may consider completing the following profile questionnaire. Profiling first will help you to communicate a consistent message to your school(s). Forms would be evaluated and consolidated by the district textbook coordinator. Please see “Textbook Profile Addendum,“ on page 25.

Option Advantages: • Makes the student and teacher

responsible for their own textbooks • All checkout options can be intermingled

as needed

Option Disadvantage: • Checkout process requires more steps

but is more detailed • May require teacher to hand-write some

textbook copy barcode info

Typical Scenarios: • Used to reassign textbooks checked out

to teacher to the students in a particular classroom

• Allows the textbook coordinator to check out textbooks to a teacher and move the textbooks to a room

• The teacher hands out the textbooks on the first day and records the barcode assigned to a student

• Used primarily in the middle schools and elementary schools

From Check Out Text, scan ortype a teacher's barcode or enterthe teacher's name and click theFind Teacher button.

SELECT class.

More toreassign?

STOP

No

Yes

CLICK the Reassign button toassign books to students. SCANor type a student barcode andclick the Find Student button.

CLICK the Assign button totransfer textbook from teacher tostudent.



Train to Ensure Success Properly planned training is essential in the effective execution of any new policy. Some key questions that need to be considered are: • Who needs to be trained on the use of the software? • How will student information be loaded into the Destiny Textbook Manager program? • How will textbook title data be populated in the Destiny Textbook Manager program? • Who will barcode the textbooks? • What checkout procedures will your school(s) use?

Follett recommends that the district/school designate a group of textbook-management team leaders to be trained by Follett on textbook inventory management, data collection, and barcoding. These Follett-trained people can train your textbook coordinators and project managers at the school level, throughout the district.

Follett Software Company (FSC) will provide an on-site Project Manager who will: • Provide complete project management and implementation efforts at each site. • Define the project timeline and delivery dates with the district/school(s). • Train barcode team members provided by the district/school(s). • Manage the provided teams of individuals who will apply textbook barcodes in accordance

with the district/school(s) requirements for the remainder of the training day. • Manage and train provided individual(s) who will enter textbook barcode ranges into Destiny

Textbook Manager.

School District will: • Purchase textbook barcodes from FSC. Barcodes are customized and must be ordered at

least 4 weeks prior to the project start date. We recommend ordering 10-25% more barcodes than projected since many textbooks are “found” during the barcode project.

• Identify the sites and schedule for each school participating in the barcode project. • Provide adequate staffing and labor for the barcoding project. • Provide internal support for and communication of the barcode project. • Define textbook barcode placement and procedures. • Define and provide a district-wide textbook title file (unless FSC provides this service). • Complete checklist for this service at least 4 weeks prior to the project start date and return to

FSC via an e-mail attachment.

School will: • Appoint a school-based project leader who will coordinate the project and work with the FSC

Project Manager. • Provide internal support for and communication of the barcode project. • Provide adequate staffing and labor for the barcoding project. • Create and/or load a textbook title database file into Destiny Textbook Manager. • Gather all textbooks and curriculum materials for the barcoding project as stated in the

service checklist. • Separate and organize all textbooks and curriculum materials by ISBN. An option is to

separate the textbooks by condition for each ISBN. • Provide access to the school facility for all project personnel. • Provide appropriate workstation tables, book carts, dollies, supplies, etc.



• Provide computer(s) pre-loaded with Destiny Textbook Manager and corded scanner(s).

Follett offers several cost effective training methods. For pricing information, please contact your Follett Software sales representative.

Communication Plan Once you have determined the “what, when, where, who, and how” factors of preparing for textbook management, you should notify all schools required to implement your new textbook management policies. The following pages include documents and forms that can be used to effectively communicate your guidelines for the implementation.



Sample Communication

Date: ____________________

From: ____________________

To: ____________________

Attn: ____________________

Did you know that textbooks are the 3rd largest asset in your school?

Textbooks include: a. student editions b. teacher editions c. workbooks d. novels e. paperback classics f. reference materials

Most schools lose 5-10 percent of their textbook inventory each year. Use the sample chart and formula below to calculate how much money your school lost last year.

Total number of students 1000Average number of textbooks per student 8

Number of textbooks in collection 8000Average cost of textbook $52

Estimated value of collection $416,000

If 5% of your textbook collection is lost, 400 books are missing, totaling $20,800. At 10%, your loss is $41,600.

This is an example of what 5 to 10 percent lost is at one school. If you take the total number of textbooks you have in your collection multiplied by the average textbook cost and subtract 5-10%, I am most certain you would agree that this is a problem that must be rectified in the very near future.

You will be happy to know that Destiny Textbook Manager from Follett Software Company is our solution.

Destiny Textbook Manager is an easy-to-use browser-based technology that allows schools and districts to take better control of their textbook inventories. With Destiny Textbook Manager in place, you will be able to barcode and manage your textbook inventory in the same manner as you do your library collection – through automation.

Destiny Textbook Manager will: 1. Save thousands of dollars in textbook replacement costs. 2. Free up staff time to focus on teaching. 3. Reduce the number of lost or stolen textbooks. 4. Assess fines faster and more accurately.



5. Transfer books from classrooms that have them to classrooms that need them. 6. Enable you to order just the right number of textbooks, year after year. 7. Provide access to textbook information anytime, anywhere. 8. Instill accountability in students.

Follett Software Company is helping schools gain greater control over their textbook inventory and add substantial dollars back into their textbook budget. Now it is our turn.

Effective __________, all schools are now required to automate and manage textbook inventory using Follett’s Destiny Textbook Manager solution.

Within the next few days, you will be receiving a copy of our new district policies regarding automated textbook inventory management, training dates, an implementation plan, and our new district polices.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. In today’s environment of increasing accountability and tight budgets, we cannot afford costly and unnecessary losses.

Sincerely,



District Policies

School Name:___________________

Minimum/Maximum Checkout

Fines Values

Markings

Food/Gum

Missing Barcode

Torn Pages

Water Damage

Binding

Department Name Code

Auto Conditioning

YES NO

Budget Categories



District-Wide Barcode Implementation Action Plan Logistics • Divide the district into sectors consisting of all levels of schools • Summarize each sector’s enrollment and requirements • Develop implementation schedule based on each sector • Teams move through sectors on daily basis • Each team consists of a leader and 3-6 workers

Execution • Each team is assigned schools to visit each day for textbook barcoding and copy range /

textbook title data entry. • Barcode application process is 2-step (scannable barcode label on the textbook and a loss-

prevention label on the copyright page) • Based on textbook inventory, one team can generally complete two elementary schools per

day (average 400 students) or one middle school per day (average 800 students each). A high school may require two teams to complete in several days (average 1500 students).

• District staff cooperation / interaction is a “must” for on-time completion and overall success of the project.

• District staff can verify school preparation daily for next day assignments. • District staff can resolve disputes and talk directly with school staff about requirements and/or

changes.

Textbook Barcode Data Collection • Performed by the team leader at each school as titles are barcoded, unless district-wide data

is already loaded into Destiny Textbook Manager. • Data collection includes title verification, ISBN, publisher, quantity, and barcode ranges. • Team leader works with a Destiny Textbook Manager data file. • Team leader connects into the network to access Destiny Textbook Manager. • Challenges include data accuracy, ease-of-use, team leader training error, barcode range

data collection and verification, barcode application issues, and school-specific issues such as power loss or remodeling.

• FSC staff / district IT staff are dispatched daily to schools prior to textbook barcoding.

User Training • Training is delivered for end users by Follett trainers. • Additional training can be scheduled to cover additional topics or as a review. • Troubleshooting and follow-up. • Follett is dedicated to troubleshoot any problem with assistance from district IT staff.

Distribution – Textbooks Before you automate your textbook process, some pre-planning will help make implementation of Destiny Textbook Manager much easier. The following checklist is an example of how a school or district might lay out a plan. The steps below need not be followed in the sequence shown. Nevertheless, they provide a logical flow to the implementation process.



High Level Overview Develop Plans • Implementation strategies and timeline • District-wide support, participation, and focus • Patron barcodes and student ID cards • Centralized textbook collection for barcoding • Textbook barcode order and application • Staffing (who will be Destiny Textbook Manager users) • Checkout and checkin strategies, policies, and procedures

Prepare and send purchase order for barcodes, software, scanners, and customized services

Begin Implementation • Install software and scanners • Complete district policies • Load patron data (students and faculty) • Load textbook title data • Barcode textbooks and enter copy barcode ranges • Verify installation and spot-check textbook copy barcodes • Verify textbook and copy inventory using various Destiny Textbook Manager reports



Textbook Profile Addendum

Curriculum Detail

Adoption Cycle 1. What is the current adoption cycle in years?

3 4 5

6 7

Other ______

2. What are the current and next year subject areas?

Math Science Language

English Other ______

3. Who is responsible for selecting adoption material?

State District Curriculum Department Site

Curriculum Designation and Assignment 1. Is the district-wide or school-based curriculum defined by a specific department or person?

2. Who is responsible for defining authorized titles and curriculum?

3. Who is responsible for monitoring compliance?

4. Who tracks and authorizes curriculum items?

“Title file” – Management Program – (list information, cancel, update, adopt, removal) 1. Is there currently a district-authorized curriculum list?

2. What is the current process for managing (remove /add titles) the district-authorized curriculum list?

3. Who or what department is responsible for updating and distributing the current curriculum list?

4. Is a current textbook title file list available, from whom, and in what format (Excel, other)?

5. Textbooks per student Elementary _____ Middle _____ Secondary _____



Distribution/Collection Procedures 1. Are textbooks distributed to all individual students at each level–elementary, middle, and

secondary?

2. Who distributes textbooks? (teacher, librarian, textbook coordinator, administrator, staff, other)

3. When are textbooks distributed?

4. When are textbooks collected? (Last day of school, last week of school, different for each grade)

5. These persons or groups are responsible for collecting textbooks: Teacher Office Staff Guidance Department Library Centralized Bookroom Manager Other __________________

6. The major distribution and collection of textbooks occurs (check all that apply): End of school year

Mid term

Pre-registration

1st day of school

Summer School

1st week of school

Last week of school Pre-testing Post-testing

7. Is there a distribution or collection other than beginning, end, and mid-term?

If Yes, provide details ___________________________________________________

8. The day to day distribution process is handled by: The classroom teacher Office staff Guidance department Library Centralized textbook room Other ___________

9. How are textbooks collected during collection periods? Classrooms Departments Centralized Other ___________



10. Is there currently a textbook barcoding program used in the district/site structure?

11. Are there other materials besides textbooks being barcoded?

12. What types of barcodes are being used?

13. Where are the barcodes being placed on the textbooks?

14. Is it possible to distribute textbooks using a centralized distribution procedure?

Storage and Surplus Inventory 1. Who is responsible at the site level to receive and confirm receipt of textbooks from warehouse,

vendors, etc? Textbook Coordinator Administrative Staff Teachers Custodial Librarian Other _____________

2. Where are non-assigned school-based inventories stored? Classrooms Multiple Book Rooms Centralized Book Room Library

3. Where are textbooks designated as school-based inventory surplus stored? On Site District Warehouse Book Depository

4. Are surplus textbooks exclusive to the specific school or do the schools transfer textbooks as needed?

5. Is there a predetermined maximum quantity of surplus textbooks that can be maintained by the school? If yes, what is that percent or quantity ______

6. Is there currently a process to distribute surplus inventory textbooks from the district storage location? (if applicable)

7. How is an order for district storage of textbooks created, processed, and executed?



8. Is there an annual physical inventory performed on: Classrooms Yes No School Inventory Yes No Centralize District Inventory Yes No

9. Current District Storage Inventory How many units/copies? __________

How many titles? __________

Obsolete Textbooks 1. Is there currently a program, on a district-wide level, to centralize obsolete textbooks for

disposal/recycling? Yes No

If No, is there a school-based disposal program in place? Yes No

2. Are the textbooks governed by a local or state regulations and requirements? Yes No

If Yes, define requirements. (Attach documentation as need.)

If No, are the textbooks available for resale? Yes No

3. How often does the disposal or recycling of obsolete textbooks occur?

Annually As Needed Random Undefined Site Determined

District/School Profile

School Information 1. Total Number of Schools __________

2. School Segmentation (number of schools per group)

Elementary _______ Middle ______ High ______ Alternative Schools _______

3. How many schools will be included in a Textbook Management Program?

District Schedule 1. District Schedules is:

Standard 10 Month Cycle Year Round Attendance

2. What is the:

1st day of school __________

Last day of school __________

Spring Break __________

Winter Break __________

Registration Dates (class) __________

Other Dates __________



3. When are student schedules available for students?

Pre-registration Date _______________

1st day of school/semester Date _______________

Other _____________________________________

Purchasing Procedures 1. Who makes school-based need decisions?

School Staff District Staff

2. Who approves purchase requests? School Administrator District Staff Curriculum Purchasing Other _____________

3. Tree of Management Define specific roles within current organization

Role Definition District Specific Title/Group

Requisitioner Person or group who defines and prepares school-based request and quantity requirements, and prepares requisition form/process.

Approver School or district level person or group who reviews specific requests and approves the request for purchase.

Orderer School or district level person or group who is responsible for executing order process, validating pricing, verifying budgets, and processing purchase orders.

4. What is the current textbook-ordering media for replacement textbooks? Catalog Email Phone Online Enrollment

5. Is the new adoption material distributed based strictly on enrollment? Funding method information – describe district or site-based funding:

• Is there district funding for textbook purchases? Yes No

• Is there separate school-based discretionary funds for textbook purchases? Yes No



6. Budget approval process for textbooks and services • When is the request submitted?

• How is request submitted?

• Who submits the request?

7. Are paperbacks and reference materials ordered differently than textbooks? Yes No How so?

8. Publisher contracts and special pricing information – Who owns this information?

Communication 1. Who currently is responsible for communicating textbook requirements?

School Management District Management School Coordinators District Curriculum Department

Other ______________

2. Who or what group is currently responsible for district/school textbook management training?

Technical Profile

Technical Information 1. Is there currently barcode technology in place at the school or district for:

Lunch Program Yes No Library Services Yes No Registration Yes No Attendance Yes No Textbook Distribution Yes No

2. Does the current barcode technology include student ID? Yes No

3. Will the current barcode technology be integrated throughout the district? Yes No

4. Will barcode numbers be allowed to be duplicated at various sites throughout the district?

Technical support profile questions 1. Our school/site will import student information from (check all that apply):

Library Automation System Yes No

Student Information System Yes No

Other ______________



2. Our school would like to use barcodes from another system. We currently use:

Generic Code 39

Follett Classic

Code 39 Mod 10

Code 39 Mod 43

Data Source/Integrity 1. Student Information data (number 3 above)

2. Current curriculum data files format

What is the format of the current curriculum data file? Paper Electronic Other __________

If electronic what format? Proprietary Excel Word

3. Check all items that are currently included in the textbook data file: ISBN Title Publisher Copyright Year Edition District Identification Grade Level Budget Codes Other Information ________________________________

Accountabilities 1. Fine structure – is there a fine structure and is it adhered to and applied consistently?

2. Reporting loss and damaged • Who is responsible to report loss and damage?

• Who is responsible to process and charge applicable fines?

a guide for barcoding & managing textbook...

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