The cataloguing of your collection can be a daunting task.   Whether you're cataloguing a library from scratch or attempting to add a new batch of items, with ResourceMate® you have several options for data entry/conversion.  One of these is a new service called EntryMate™.

EntryMate™ can save you enormous amounts of cataloguing time. Give us a file containing a list of the ISBN's of your items and we return you full cataloguing data, culled from the Library of Congress, that ResourceMate® can read!

EntryMate™ Overview

1. Create the list of ISBN's: The back of most books will show the item's ISBN (International Standard Book Number). Add each item's ISBN to a text or work processing file, such as you would create using Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect.  You can also use the built-in Windows™ text editors called WordPad or Notepad.  

The simplest way to accumulate a list of ISBN's from your items is to be able to record those ISBN numbers right at the shelf. For this we recommend the use of a portable data recorder such as a Palm or Visor handheld computer. Jaywil Software has rental units available for $100 per week. Furthermore, these rental units have a built-in scanner so you can easily scan in the ISBN barcode that resides on most books' back liner.

Entering shelf identifiers in your list will help keep track of items whose cataloguing data could not be found.

Here's a sample ISBN file you might send in:

2. Forward your ISBN list to us.  You can e-mail us the list or you can send it on a floppy disk or CD-ROM.  If you have rented a hand-held entry device from us, simply return the device. To safeguard your information, we recommend you send us the data from the scanner by e-mail (preferably), floppy or CD before sending the scanner back. Doing this will ensure that your information is received even if something happens to the scanner en route.

3. We return you full cataloguing data. Either by e-mail or by regular mail, we send you the resulting cataloguing data for importing into ResourceMate®.  The data is in "Library of Congress" format (similar to the format that can be used for ResourceMate®'s popular "Import from Internet" feature).  IMPORTANT: Users of ResourceMate® Regular pay an additional fee to merge this data into their program; ResourceMate® Plus already has this merge capability built-in.  The EntryMate fee still applies to Plus users. See "EntryMate™ Costs" below.

EntryMate™ Costs

There are two costs involved in using the EntryMate™ service: a conversion cost and a merge cost, however users of ResourceMate® Plus pay only the conversion cost.

1. Conversion cost

$125 per thousand ISBN's converted.  You only pay for the ISBN's that are found at the Library of Congress. However there is a $125 minimum charge. This entitles you to up to 1,000 ISBN's converted. Above that you pay 12.5 cents per ISBN found. Thus if you submit 500 ISBN's the cost is $125. If you submit 1,300 ISBN's and 900 are found, the cost is $125. If you submit 2,000 ISBN's and 1205 are found, the cost is $125 + (12.5 cents/ISBN X 205) = $125 + $25.63 = $150.63.

2. Merge cost

Users of ResourceMate® Regular add $60 to be able to merge the cataloguing data into the program.  (ResourceMate® Plus already has the merge capability built-in so no $60 merge fee is charged).

3. Optional scanner rental

You can rent a portable ISBN scanner from us for $100 per 5-day week.   Walking through your library stacks with a portable scanner is the easiest way to record ISBN numbers. (Note: a $700 damage deposit is required on a major credit card).

ResourceMate® Plus Users - Another added bonus...

In addition to having the EntryMate™ merge capability built-in (see above), ResourceMate® Plus users who make use of the program's popular Import from Internet feature, can now use EntryMate™ to process a file of accumulated Library of Congress records. This is great if the library computer does not have access to the Internet. Your volunteers can also accumulate Library of Congress records for you to import en masse.

When you consider how much time you and/or your volunteers will spend cataloguing each item, EntryMate™ is a time-saving and economical alternative.