FAQ

Q1:  One of the locations in our list is an off-site storage facility (or other site that poses a problem for validation checking access.)

A1: If you have any tightly controlled spaces that you are confident don’t need to be checked we can exclude from the validation process.  A questionnaire about locations to exclude will be sent to validation coordinators in early October. Locations excluded from the validation study that contain circulating monographs will still be assigned retention commitments. If a location is out of scope for EAST, please notify samato@blc.org, and we can re-run your list excluding this location.

Q2: We want to double check items marked "Not On Shelf", as they are sometimes found with a little searching. How can we get a list of these items?

A2: The “Check Catalog” feature provides a list of items that have been marked as “Not On Shelf” and have not yet been checked in the catalog. 

See also Q2 and Q4. 

Q3: When using the Check Catalog feature, it appears that one can only select the status of an item, and not mark it as found if it has been subsequently located.  Is that correct? 

A3: That is correct. The only way to change an item from “Not On Shelf” to “Present” is to use the “Fix Status Entry Error” link. 

Note that while we stressed that this link should not be used as the primary method of data entry, it is fine to use it to correct that status of items that were marked as not on shelf and subsequently located. 

Q4: When using the “Fix Status Entry Error” how can I enter the condition of the item?

A4: There is no mechanism for subsequently adding a condition on items initially marked as not on shelf. While we know this scenario happens, we think that for the majority of items there will be a condition entered and are not overly concerned that there will be a few items with no condition entered. If you find that you need to correct a large number of items, please email samato@blc.org and we can discuss options for entering the condition. 

Q5: Can the spreadsheet be sorted? We want to see all the “Not On Shelf” items. Also, what are all the possible options in the Status column?

A5: The spreadsheet is sorted by location and call number. Resorting it would result in the items not being presented in shelf order in the validation tool. Rather than re-sorting the sheet, there are (at least) two ways to achieve the same result. 1) Downloading the sheet and sort the downloaded copy. 2) Dynamically pull the data into another sheet. This can be done by making a new google sheet, and putting the following query into cell A1:

=QUERY(IMPORTRANGE("Enter Your spreadsheet key here","Working!A1:G6001"),"select Col1, Col2, Col3, Col4, Col5, Col6, Col7 where Col1= 'NotOnShelf'",1)

Spreadsheet ID’s are the long alpha-numeric part of the spreadsheet url - e.g. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQsXFK-I5Op8sJtkA2k2FuRd2ioU3fi9aTGdXBVZlVM/edit This creates a spreadsheet that dynamically pulls any items marked ‘NotOnShelf’ into it. This can then be copied/sorted or further manipulated. Note that you can replace the ‘NotOnShelf’ with whatever status you would like to pull. Statuses and their definitions are listed below:

Q6: More than once either I or the student accidentally hit the wrong key on the Chromebook and it exited us from the lists on which we were working. When we logged back in we then got a different list to work on. How do we get back to the unfinished lists?

A6: If, for whatever reason, you leave the validation list page without submitting the data, the items will be “In Process”, and not reappear on subsequent lists. Items are set in process so that they do not show up on multiple lists if more than one person is working at a time. You can clear the “In Process” status with the ‘clear’ link on the homepage of the validation tool. 

Q7: The keyboard is not appearing when we tap the ’initials’ box on our ipad/tablet, and we are unable to continue.  Why is this happening?

A7: This from a library that was experiencing the problem:

“If the keyboard isn't showing up to type initials in, the quick fix to that is to just turn the scanner off and the keyboard will appear. Since the scanner populates text fields when it's on, the iPad treats it like a Bluetooth keyboard, so turning it off will allow the regular keyboard to come back.” If this is problematic, contact samato@blc.org and we can turn off the initials requirement. 

Q8: Some of the data on the spreadsheet is incorrect/outdated/missing.  Can/should this be corrected? 

A8: The data on the lists was provided by SCS, and occasionally you may encounter anomalies. If you can account for the items with the data given there is no need to update the spreadsheet. If a significant portion of the spreadsheet lacks the data you need to complete validation please contact samato@blc.org.

Q9: The majority of our collection is in one location, in compact shelving, and we want multiple people to work on the project at the same time. Is it possible to start at a particular line number in the file?

A9: By default this is not enabled, but if it would be useful in your situation contact samato@blc.org and we can turn this option on. 

Q10: I’m having wireless connection problems / stuck on processing screen with spinning image.  What should I do? 

A10: A few libraries have discovered that the wireless connections in their stacks are not 100% reliable. This can cause problems during upload if the wireless disconnects, causing the page to hang and data to be lost. 

Here are some recommendations from a library that was experiencing this problem: “A couple of things that seemed to relate to issues for us were disabling LAN and wireless connections not actually in use (on our laptops there were three wifi connections listed plus LAN and Bluetooth) and unchecking the radio button that would allow the wireless adapter to turn off the computer. Everything is working smoothly now. However, I would strongly suggest that people test drive with small downloads of data to get a feel for how reliable their wireless networks are. I also have made sure that the laptops have static IPs for plugging into the LAN if we experience any more difficulties with our wireless.”

Q11: Do I have to use the validation tool?

A11: Yes!  The tool was designed to a) make the process easier and b) provide the additional barcode wanding check to make sure that correct volumes are being validated. If for some reason it is becoming burdensome (e.g. there are wireless connection issues) please let us know. Working directly from the spreadsheet (with limited write access to the status and condition columns only) is an alternative.  If you are having trouble using the validation tool please consult the rest of this FAQ and contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Q12: Can I have write access to the spreadsheet?

A12: Write access to the spreadsheet is not enabled for two reasons. First, the validation tool expects the data in a certain order and format, and it would be problematic if the data were changed, e.g. re-sorted. Second, there are several formulas on the stats page that are used in the data collection that should not be changed. If you have a serious need for write access please contact samato@blc.org as we may be able to protect most of the sheet and allow limited access to the data collection fields you need.

Q13:  We found an unusable book, should it be marked as available on shelf and in poor condition or as not on shelf?

A13:  If the book is not in good enough condition to circulate, please mark it as 'on shelf' but in poor condition.

Q14: We have two identical copies of a book – one is in the stacks, the other is missing.  Of course, the missing copy is the one on the list – do we still count this as not on the shelf or can we make a note about a second copy being available?

A14: Since we are looking at a random sample and want to know if the exact books on the list are 'available', please mark it as missing.