Center and Task Selection Guidelines

 1. Time and Cost Centers are divided into two groups:

        PRODUCT CENTERS: result in a measurable product

• Acquisitions: a new monograph or serial title acquired
• Cataloging: a new title cataloged or an old one recataloged
• Catalog Maintenance: an OPAC record updated/deleted (or for item and post-cataloging authority records, a records created)
• Volume Preparation: material prepared
• Conversion or Major Projects: a record converted

        OVERHEAD CENTERS:

• Support Services
• Leave
• Automation

When determining costs, all Overhead Centers' costs are apportioned back to Product Centers.

2. Whenever possible record time in a Product Center. Ask the question does this task create or add to a product cost directly. Determine the appropriate Product Center and then seek the task.

3. If the activity does not result in creation of a product or cannot be associated primarily with one Product Center, record the time in a Support Center.

4. Find the task within a center which most closely matches the activity. As needed, annotate task description to clarify the placement of tasks. In selecting the best task, consider the kind of analysis or data needed from reports. Realistically, uniformity of task use, even within an institution, is difficult to achieve. In addition analysis at the task level will happen less than analysis at the center level. Worry less about the selection of the correct task and concentrate more on the selection of the correct center.

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Last updated 6/27/00