Chapter 3 - L Marks the Spot

This week was relatively light. With the folder scheme in place, and with the two new devices running, it was time to move on to other activities. As I mentioned last week, the next task I wanted to accomplish was to create a map that pinpointed the locations for each device. The map Pam had already created, the one I alluded to last week, served as a good starting point. I opened up the map, printed out a copy, and was ready to jot down the locations of the devices. However, as I began going through the library, I noticed that the map was very rudimentary. It was missing shelves, tables, and it neglected entire sections of the library. On top of that, the map was also missing sections where some of the devices were located. I needed to have these sections on the map so that I could properly mark all of the device locations. The original map was intended to be simple, but due to my detailed nature, I felt the need to correct it.

In my effort to create a more complete map, I went around the library and began jotting down corrections on the printed map. I first added a section for the offices which were not on the original map. I needed these offices because they are where two of the devices are located. I also added in one of the computer catalog rolling carts to the map as one of the devices is located on the cart. From there, I decided I would add the missing shelves and the missing tables. I also corrected the front desk and I added in a few other missing rooms to complete the map. After completing my edits to the printed copy, I had to go and edit the map on the computer to include these changes. The original map I printed was part of a Word document, so I had to copy out the inserted picture and edit that. Using Photoshop, I added in the offices, the catalog cart, and the other missing parts to complete the electronic copy. You can click here to see the version of the map that does not yet have the device locations.

Now that the map was more accurate, I was ready to place the device locations on the map. However, before I could do that, I wanted to make sure the names of the devices matched what I was going to place on the map. Last week, I explained that each device has a description, or name, that is based on its location in the library. Each name is coded into the device using the BoxCar software. So before I put the locations on the map, I wanted to make sure all the descriptions were accurate and that they actually matched the location of the device. I hooked up the devices to the computer and opened them all up in BoxCar. I found that four of the devices had names that needed to be altered so that they would properly match their locations. For example, one of the devices was named Bound Periodicals. This device is actually located on the shelf for Current Periodicals. Now this may seem like a minor detail, but when you download the data, it saves the data file based on the device’s name. In this case, it would save it as Bound Periodicals.dtf (.dtf is BoxCar’s file extension). With the name the way it was, you would have been in a situation where the device was saying one thing and the map was saying something else. Although this would probably not hinder the procedures that much, there is need for this unnecessary confusion.

With that aside, I was prepared to go ahead and change the names on the necessary devices. Before I could do that though, I discovered that I could not edit the names at this time. The only way to change the name of a device is to offload its data. Since it had not been a full month since previously downloading the data, I could not rename the devices at this time. Speaking of downloading the data, I know mentioned in my last post that I might do that this week, but I decided against it. It was not as close to a month as I originally thought. As such, I have to wait until next week to download the data and rewrite the procedures. So next week, when I download the data and rewrite the procedures, I will make sure to change the names on the devices. I was hoping I could change the names this week so that the devices and the map matched immediately, but, as in most projects, sometimes things do not always go your way.

As much as I wanted to change the descriptions, I knew it was not an option. So I went ahead and plotted the device locations on the map and labeled them with the names that I intend to put on the devices next week when I download the data. On the map, I marked the location of each device, placing a marker labeled L1 through L6 at the device’s location. As I alluded to before, L1 simply represents the number of the device. With the locations correctly mapped, I created a legend. In this legend, I labeled the description and the unique ID number of each device. Last week, I discovered that each device has its own unique ID number. These ID numbers are separate from the L1 numbers the library gives each device. So, I went ahead and wrote down the ID number as well, this way if the labels that are on the devices were to fall off, they could still be identified using the legend on the map. With the legend now in place, anyone with access to the map would know that device L2 was located in the Professional section. So even if the person who is downloading the data has no idea where any of the devices are in the library, they should still be able to find them using the map.

With the legend added and the locations marked off, the map was complete. I saved the image that I edited in Photoshop and I replaced the old image in the Word document with the new, corrected image. I saved two versions of the map. I saved one version that just had the corrections. I then saved another version which included the corrections as well as the legend and the locations of each device. With two separate versions, the library would have a copy of the map without device locations, allowing them to use or edit a clear map as they saw fit. With that said, you can click here to view the final map with the HOBO device locations.

That wraps up this week. It was a relatively quiet week and I was hoping to have accomplished more. However, I realized that sometimes certain parts of the project are just out of your control and that you must go with the flow. Late next week, I hope to download the data, rewrite the procedures, and change the necessary device descriptions. Until then, I may begin looking at some of the test data that I have so that I can begin my work on determining the best way to make the data useful. Until next week, thank you for reading.