RS Documentation
RS Documentation
OVERVIEW OF RESOURCE SERVICES PROCESSING
OF A BOOK AND A PERIODICAL
To all readers, please note: this document was last updated in December of 1998. Watch for the next edition, coming soon. 5/16/2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purchase Requests
Exporting Records
Vendor Selection
Order Placement
Claims
Receipt of Material
Speed Cataloging
Non-Speed Material
Invoice Posting
Periodicals
Baker to GLB
Copy Cataloging (Monograph)
Copy Cataloging (Periodical)
Original Cataloging (Monograph)
Original Cataloging (Periodical)
Inventory Dispersal (INVD)
Authority Control
Binding (Monograph)
Binding (Periodical)
Marking
Color-Coded Flags
Symbols for Approved Libraries for Copy Cataloging
and Correlative Subjects
Mailboxes for Rush Requests
The following document is an attempt to trace the course of a routine firm order (monograph/book*) and a routine subscription (periodical) into Vanderbilt University Library’s Central collection from the time a bibliographer first begins to consider its importance until the time it is processed and released from the workflow within Resource Services. Please note "routine firm order" and "routine subscription". Routine implies no problems upon receipt. The title/edition received matches the title/edition ordered. The invoice is within $20.00 of the amount encumbered for the order.
There are many variations in processing newly received materials. Approval books, monographic series (classed together vs. classed separately), serials (bound vs. unbound), non-book material, and gifts of all types each follow slightly different paths during processing. There are also some variations in processing for different libraries. Routine firm orders and routine subscriptions are the least difficult materials to process throughout the entire Resource Services workflow; thus, for the purpose of this document, the paths of a routine monograph and a routine periodical are used as examples. The bulk of material flowing through Resource Services is processed for the Central Library; thus, a routine monograph and a routine periodical for only the Central Library are tracked in this document.
*The words "monograph" and "book" are used interchangeably
throughout this document.
Most requests for material to be added to the collection of the Central Library originate with bibliographers. Currently, there are ten bibliographers serving this library, each one responsible for one to three disciplines. Bibliographers must stay abreast of curriculum within their disciplines and with research interests of faculty in their subject areas. In order to accomplish this, they keep in touch with faculty liaisons assigned to the library. In addition, most bibliographers work the reference desk which provides additional faculty contact.
In most disciplines, selection slips are the primary source for selection, although Choice cards, journals and other selection literature are also used. Bibliographers often circulate selection slips to faculty within their subject areas for input on selection. Since periodical subscriptions tend to be quite expensive, there is generally more input solicited from faculty on periodical orders and cancellations than on monographs. Consultation with faculty is often necessary to determine the usefulness of the title in question.
Bibliographers know the amount of money allotted to funds within their jurisdiction, and they are expected to stay within budget throughout the fiscal year. (Note: The money comes from the various schools, and is distributed by fund.) Purchases over $200 must be approved by the Associate Director, Collection Development. When a decision is made to purchase a title, either a monograph or serial/periodical, bibliographers fill out a paper purchase request, indicating the fund to which the item is to be charged. The request is then sent to the Resource Services (RS) Order Services (OS) Team, located in the Baker Building. Vendor selection slips and vendor supplied e-mail lists, submitted via the RSORDERS mailbox, are also accepted in addition to the standard paper form for purchase requests.
(OS is the largest team within RS. A team leader (Library Associate) provides overall supervision while an LAIV operations manager oversees daily, routine activities. Six LAIII verifiers check for duplication of requested titles before downloading or creating records for the local database. Two Clerk IVs input orders, handle claims, and are generally responsible for order maintenance. Seven receivers, LAIIIs, many of whom are cross-trained to receive both monographs and periodicals, are responsible for the order receipt/invoice payment process. An LAII manages the flow of incoming and outgoing material in the Baker mailroom.)
Purchase Requests
A library assistant receives purchase requests in the OS area where they are stamped with the current date. Rush/priority items are pulled out, put in a specific area that is checked once or twice daily, and processed separately. Other requests are sorted by subject/fund for processing by the verifier responsible for that particular discipline. A verifier first searches Acorn to see if the requested title is held anywhere within the library system. If so, the bibliographer is asked whether or not s/he wants to duplicate the item unless that information has already been noted in the purchase request.
Exporting Records
A verifier now searches the OCLC database to see if there is a bibliographic record for the requested item. If so, that record is exported into the Acorn database. If there are no records with either Library of Congress (LC) copy or OCLC member copy (MC), a provisional (brief) record is created in the local database. Ideally, a provisional record consists of the ISBN/ISSN, author, title, date, place of publication, and series information; however, all of this data is not always available, and a verifier uses whatever information s/he has at hand to create a brief record. After the record is in the Acorn database, the title is considered to be in the pre-order process. The OPAC displays the call no. as "not yet available", shows the copy as 0, and has no current location. (Refer questions to a verifier.)
A verifier edits the record and adds coded 951 and 952 tags. Coding in the 951 field provides the following information: 1.) type of cataloging, e.g. LC, MC, CC (copy cataloging); 2.) series authority status, e.g. SAX (no series authority), SAVS (classed separately series), SAVC (classed together series); 3.) book set authority status, e.g. BA& (discrepancy with established authority), BA2 (2 authority records found); 4.) analysis practice, e.g. ANAL (analyzed), ANALX (not analyzed). The 952 field contains the bibliographer’s last name, the last 4 digits of the fund, specific holdings code, special notes from bibliographers, including rush and free text notes. The verifier’s initials are entered in the "created by" field in the title information. Purchase request slips are returned to the acquisitions area. No order has been created at this point, so funds are not yet encumbered. (Refer questions to Order Services.)
Vendor Selection
Purchase requests are sorted by place of publication and placed in cubbies. Serials/periodicals are batched separately. OS staff choose appropriate vendors, usually assigning a vendor whose geographic location coincides with the place of publication of the requested title. If the order is being requested from a selection slip, the order will be sent to the vendor who supplied the information. Rush orders for domestic titles are most often sent directly to the publisher whereas rush requested foreign titles are usually purchased through an appropriate foreign vendor. For periodicals, one major vendor is used for domestic titles whereas foreign publications are assigned to several vendors - again using place of publication as the deciding factor.
Order Placement
Once vendors have been assigned, a library assistant in OS creates an online order record, attaching it to the bibliographic record input by a verifier. A report is run each morning that produces printed purchase orders for all orders input the previous day. These printed orders are then mailed to appropriate vendors/publishers. (Note: Some vendors/publishers are now accepting orders electronically, and this option is used whenever possible.) The Acorn record still reads "not yet available", shows copies as "none", and has no location. However, it does indicate that one copy has been ordered and shows a status of "on order". (Refer questions to Order Services.) After the order process is completed, the purchase request is returned to the bibliographer, noting the price and the purchase order number.
Claims
Orders are normally received in the Baker mailroom within 45-60 days of placement. If they are not received within the established claim period, usually 120 days, a claim is made to the vendor/publisher. Claims for rush requests are made after 30 days. The first claim is generally produced online, printed, and mailed. Subsequent claims are often made by telephone, fax, or e-mail.
Receipt of Material
Packages and cartons are unpacked in the Baker mailroom upon receipt. Contents are checked against enclosed packing slips to assure that the order is complete. The material is then placed on mailroom shelves in order of receipt date. Packages with 5 or fewer items are assumed to contain rush material. Individual pieces from these smaller packages are placed on the rush shelf where material is retrieved daily. New periodical titles usually arrive via U.S. mail as single items, and are sent directly to a periodical receiver for processing.
Receivers remove new monographs from mailroom shelves daily by order of receipt. They search for each piece by title to retrieve the appropriate bibliographic record. After ascertaining that the correct title has been received, they check the actual price of the book against the amount encumbered. If the price is $20.00 or more over the encumbrance, they contact the bibliographer to see if the adjusted price is acceptable.
The actual receiving process for a routine book involves several steps: receipt of the piece in the online order record, online invoice creation including posting of payment information, bar code attachment, item record creation, current location change, speed cataloging whenever possible, and insertion of color coded flags in the piece to indicate proper routing. (See Appendix A for flag descriptions.) During this process, the OPAC record shows call no. as "not yet available", copy as 1, and location as "Baker Hold". (Refer questions to Order Services. See Appendix B for appropriate mailbox for rush requests.) The order record now indicates that the book has been received, loaded, and invoiced.
Speed Cataloging
During the receipt process, receivers speed catalog the piece if it meets the following local criteria: 1.) item must be a book with no non-book accompaniments; 2.) bibliographic record must be authenticated by LC (040 field contains DLC); 3.) record must have an 050:00 field (LC assigned call no. other than a Z or PZ3-4 classification); 4.) item must not be part of a book set, a classed together series, a series with no established authority or a conflicting series; 5.) item must not be oversize or for Music, Special Collections, Baudelaire, or Divinity collections; 6.) item must have a barcode and an item record.
After speed cataloging, the book shows current location as "Baker Hold". (Refer questions to Order Services.) If the book is paperback, it is then placed on a truck to be charged, boxed, and routed directly to Binding in the General Library Building (GLB); if hardback, it is also charged and boxed, but sent for Marking only at GLB. A book, designated as RUSH, is placed on a specific shelf in the Baker mailroom, charged directly to Marking, and routed the same day. Once the book is charged, the OPAC record displays a real call no., 1 copy, and current location of "In-Process". The "In-Process" message indicates that the book has been sent from the Baker Building, and is en route to GLB for binding/marking. (Refer questions to Binding/Marking.) Charging, boxing, and routing activities are performed by the Baker mailroom assistant.
Non-Speed Material
If the bibliographic record has LC copy, but does not meet other criteria for speed cataloging, the piece is charged and routed to Copy Cataloging. When the book is charged and sent to copy cataloging, the OPAC displays the call no. as "not yet available", 1 copy, and current location as "In-Process." (Refer questions to Copy Catalogers.)
If there is no LC copy, it is placed on shelves for cataloger review in the Baker mailroom. During the receiving process, the receiver prints the Display 1 Item screen, and places it inside each book destined for cataloger review. This printout contains information that assists the cataloger in determining further disposition of the item. For books with only a provisional record, the receiver inserts a white flag in the piece, noting fund number and NC (no copy). While the material is awaiting cataloger review in the Baker mailroom, the OPAC shows call no. as "not yet available", 1 copy, and current location as "Baker-Hold". (Refer questions to Order Services.)
Invoice Posting
As part of the receiving process, the receiver creates an online invoice and transfers pertinent information from the paper invoice. An Administrative Assistant enters the same data into the Book Fund Accounting System, an in-house database. The actual paper invoices are then routed to the Vanderbilt Accounting Office where checks are cut and mailed once a week. After the check is written, the online invoice in Acorn is noted as "paid" and updated with the number of the check sent for payment.
Periodicals
Receipt of a new periodical title involves noting the appropriate bibliographic record with the volume and number of the piece received and indicating the cataloger to whom the piece is being sent. If there is no LC record for the piece, it usually goes to the cataloging liaison responsible for the subject matter of the periodical. If LC copy exists, a yellow flag is inserted and it is sent to a copy cataloger with serials expertise. New periodicals usually require prepayment; thus invoices are received and processed in advance of receipt of the first issue.
The receiving process for either a new book or a new periodical, providing that they are routine, is usually accomplished within 24 hours from the time that the receiver retrieves it from the mailroom shelves.
(The Cataloging/Authorities Team has 16 staff. There are 7 full time original catalogers, one of whom also serves as the team leader, and another who serves as the authorities coordinator. There are also 2 part-time original catalogers. One LAIII and 2 LAIVs are responsible for copy cataloging. The LAIVs also do specified member copy. Two catalog assistants offer support to both original and copy catalogers. The original cataloger who coordinates authority control oversees the work of 1 full-time assistant and 1 part-time librarian, specifically assigned to authority work.)
Baker to GLB
Material routed from the Baker Building is labeled, boxed, and transported twice a day to GLB by library messengers. Rush/priority items are packaged separately, marked as such, and then sent to designated RS staff in GLB who then disperse the material to the appropriate copy cataloger or original cataloger for the subject.
Material coming into the cataloging area goes through 1 of 3 processing streams: copy cataloging, original cataloging, and inventory dispersal (INVD).
Copy Cataloging (Monographs)
The greatest volume of material processed by RS cataloging staff falls into the copy cataloging track. Copy cataloging is LC cataloging that requires some change to the bibliographic record because it does not entirely meet the criteria for speed cataloging. Straightforward copy cataloging is done almost entirely by an LAIII. However, some OCLC member copy (a record input by a library other than LC) has been approved by original cataloging staff for copy cataloging because of its acceptable use of cataloging standards. (See Appendix B for symbols of approved libraries and correlative subjects.) Material in this category is handled by two LAIVs as are book sets that fall outside the criteria for speed cataloging. Copy cataloging staff maintains a list of approved member libraries as does Baker receiving staff.
Varying numbers of boxes are received in the GLB cataloging area each day. Once the boxes have been delivered by the messengers, the contents are unpacked and sorted. "Pure" copy cataloging material is identified by a yellow flag inserted by a receiver. It is placed on appropriate shelves and sometimes overflows onto book trucks. Each new shipment is clearly marked on the shelf with the date it arrived for copy cataloging. As books are removed, a "start here" flag is placed at the point of removal to assure that books continue to be processed in order of receipt.
Copy cataloging begins by calling up the correct bibliographical record on Acorn while in the edit mode. It then involves supplying/editing the following information:
COPY INFORMATION: 1.) verify that the barcode on the record matches the one affixed to the piece; 2.) check that Type, Home Location, and Circulate flag are correct; 3.) check that Current Location is set to "In-Process" (all material coming from Baker should have "in process" as current location; this is the "in-house" indicator that the piece has left Baker and is now in RS/GLB).
CALL NUMBER INFORMATION: 1.) delete double XXs (these trigger the "not yet available" OPAC message) in front of the call number and/or modify the call number to reflect how it should appear on the printed spine label; 2.) check class scheme to assure it matches the type of call number used; 3.) verify that Library is correct for piece in hand.
TITLE INFORMATION: 1.) verify that the control number is either an old NOTIS number or one supplied by ACORN; delete any other control number to produce a system supplied one; 2.) change date cataloged to "Today".
DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION: 1.) modify fixed fields as needed; 2.) compare variable field information to assure that the record accurately reflects the piece in hand, adding/modifying data as appropriate; 3.) add cataloging code and initials to the 951 field.
COMMENTS: Add the correct home library and location of piece in hand in field 0; this information is essential for Binding/Marking staff to determine the correct library to be imprinted on the spine label.
During the cataloging process, copy catalogers verify series and all unauthorized headings. Whenever possible, the LAIVs export an authority record from OCLC for any unauthorized heading. They also create a holdings record for any book set that they catalog.
When copy cataloging is completed, the book is placed on a designated shelf near the Binding/Marking area. A paperback book will be processed for binding, and a hardback will flow through the marking stream.
Copy Cataloging (Periodical)
When the copy cataloger who is responsible for serials/periodicals receives a yellow-flagged periodical, the bibliographic record is checked to assure that it is legitimate copy cataloging material as described above. If not, it is given to an original serials cataloger. Cataloging and authority work are done, checking for earlier variations or changes in the title whenever appropriate. A holdings and serial control record is created, and the record noted as "Current issues shelved by title in the Periodicals Reading Room". The issue(s) are then sent to the home library with an attached note, indicating "new title".
Original Cataloging (Monograph)
An original cataloger examines his/her books on cataloging review shelves in the Baker mailroom. S/he makes a decision to either immediately catalog the book, send it through the INVD stream, or route it to an LAIV copy cataloger or to the Annex for cataloging at a future time. If the decision is to catalog, usually based upon the cataloger’s knowledge of the bibliographer’s priorities, the book is charged, boxed, and shipped to the cataloger in GLB. Time-sensitive material comes to original catalogers, direct from Baker, as rush/priority items, and receives immediate attention. A monograph that comes to an original cataloger is charged to that individual’s number. The Acorn record shows the item as "In-Process". (Refer questions to individual cataloger. See Appendix B for appropriate mailbox for rush requests.)
When received in cataloging, a book has either a bibliographic record in Acorn created by a member library in the OCLC database and transferred into Acorn by Verification staff, or a provisional record created by a verifier. The OCLC database is re-searched for an updated record by the cataloger or by catalog support staff. If the title now has LC copy, the Acorn record is overlaid with the updated OCLC record and the book is fully cataloged. If an OCLC member library has enhanced the OCLC record, this upgraded record is overlaid onto the Acorn record. If an OCLC record still does not exist, the original cataloger creates a record in OCLC and overlays it onto the provisional Acorn record.
The cataloger or support staff check various access points, in Acorn, OCLC, and other databases to assure that the local authority database is as accurate as possible. If discrepancies are found, appropriate changes are made during the cataloging process. (Note: Vanderbilt cataloging staff has received special training from the Library of Congress, and is committed to creating and adding name and series authority records for LC and OCLC when there are none for the piece in hand. This activity is a part of Vanderbilt Library’s contribution to the national database and assures consistency of access, based on accepted standards.)
Once an acceptable record is in place in Acorn, the cataloging process is much the same as for copy cataloging. The following additions and/or exceptions apply: CALL NUMBER INFORMATION: the original cataloger either modifies or provides an appropriate call number; DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION: the original cataloger either modifies or provides access points and/or subject headings; OCLC: an original cataloger may modify existing member copy records, using our enhance authorization, to add information and/or correct access points. S/he also notifies LC and/or OCLC that inaccuracies exist on records created by LC and/or PCC libraries, the National Library of Canada, and the British Library.
Original Cataloging (Periodical)
Periodical titles new to Acorn are either new subscriptions or title changes. When an original cataloger receives a periodical title new to Acorn, s/he either edits the existing OCLC member copy or overlays the locally created provisional record with a record that the cataloger has created and added to the OCLC database. S/he checks descriptive information and existing access points, adding new ones as appropriate by creating or modifying authority records and transferring them into Acorn. The cataloger also assigns an LC classification number and creates serial control and holdings records. After the cataloger receives the issue(s) in hand, the periodical is routed to the home library with an attached note indicating "new title" or "title change". (Note: Because a periodical is an ongoing, ever-changing publication, an OCLC record often requires updating of frequency, publication information, numbering irregularities, etc. VUL is a member of CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials Program); thus serial librarians are authorized to edit national-level records to improve the currency and accuracy of serial records that are used by VUL and shared with other libraries.)
Inventory Dispersal (INVD)
The purpose of inventory dispersal is to make material easily accessible in the stacks even though it may not be fully cataloged. Currently, only single volume monographs or pieces of a classed together series for the Central Library and any title with a cen,docs location are considered for INVD. The only criteria is that the bibliographic record must contain an acceptable (i.e., correctly formatted) call number.
An original cataloger, upon review of his/her books on the Baker mailroom shelves, examines the printout in each book to determine if the call number is acceptable for INVD. If so, the books are placed on a separate shelf for weekly shipment from Baker to GLB. (If not, they are either sent to the cataloger’s workstation for original cataloging or to the Annex to await cataloging at some future date.) They are charged to INVD at this time. On the OPAC screen, the call no. appears as "not yet available", copy as 1, and current location, "In-Process". (Refer questions to RS GLB staff.)
Catalog support staff currently handle INVD material. The bibliographic record is called up for the piece in hand, and any necessary authority work is done. The record is coded for future retrieval by adding "invd" or "invdu" (updated on OCLC) at the end of the 951 field. The date cataloged code is set to "never". The piece is labeled on the spine with a "P" at the end of the call number (except when it is part of a classed together series) to easily identify it in the stacks or at the circulation desk as one not fully cataloged.
Because there is often considerable lapse of time from the point at which the printout was inserted into the book and actual cataloger review, the bibliographic record may have been upgraded by LC. If this is the case, catalog support staff overlay the record with the LC copy and proceed to fully catalog the book.
Whether fully or partially cataloged during the INVD process, the piece is then sent for Binding or Marking, depending upon whether or not it is paperback or hardback.
Authority Control
The library uses authority vendor support to keep name and subject authority records
up-to-date. Additionally, all newly
created bibliographic records are sent to the vendor for matching authority records.
Use of these services that began in Fall of 1998 allows cataloging and
authorities staff to concentrate on creating new authority records and cleaning up
headings in the catalog. Vendor support reduces the amount of authority
searching previously required to support cataloging. Locally, cataloging and
authority staff review the monthly updates of the authority file for various problems,
including assuring that all headings in the catalog get changed to the new forms.
Unauthorized headings are then searched to identify corrections and authority
records that possibly need to be brought into our database, usually on older materials.
Authority work must also be done whenever material is withdrawn. If authority work
is not done after a withdrawal, patrons could retrieve blind references to headings that
are no longer in the catalog.
(Binding/Marking staff are part of the RS Preservation Team. In addition to the team leader who is a librarian, 6 staff carry out the activities in this area. An LAIV oversees the daily operations performed by 2 LAIIIs, 2 LAIIs, and 1 LAI.)
New routine material arriving in the Binding/Marking area comes through several different channels: speed cataloging, copy cataloging, original cataloging and INVD. It is placed on designated shelves or book trucks, according to the track it will follow. Rush material is treated separately twice a day, except on Friday when it is processed three times daily. It does get marked, but does not go through the binding process until its rush status is no longer relevant. Rush titles for the Central Library are hand-delivered.
Binding (Monograph)
A paperback book coming from Baker and destined for the commercial bindery arrives in the binding area already charged to RS Binding. The OPAC screen shows the current location as "In-Process". (Refer questions to Binding staff.) Upon arrival, the book is unboxed and placed on a sorting book truck in the binding supervisor’s workstation. A paperback book coming from the cataloging area is placed on a designated shelf, and charged to RS Binding by binding staff. The current location becomes "In-Process". (Refer questions to Binding staff.) After charging, the book is moved to the sorting truck in the binding supervisor’s workstation.
The binding supervisor inspects each book to decide upon the appropriate binding method - either economy (mylar) or custom binding. A book selected for mylar binding is stamped with a tracking number on the title page. All loose material in the book, including colored flags, processing notes, and unattached barcodes, is removed and placed in a folder which is also stamped with the same tracking number as the book. The material is charged to RS Commercial Bindery and boxed for shipment to the bindery. The OPAC screen now shows the current location as "At Bindery". (Refer questions to Binding staff.)
Custom binding is chosen for material that has special instructions or requires special treatment. A record is created on LARS, a commercial binding database, for each book selected for custom binding. Another member of the binding staff verifies the accuracy of the record input into LARS. The newly created pattern with its specific information is printed. Special treatment may involve pocket material, foldouts, or leaf attachments. As with mylar bound books, loose material from each book is removed and placed in a folder, but with custom binding, a copy of the database record is included as well. The folder, pattern copy, and the book are all stamped with matching tracking numbers. As a custom book is charged to RS Commercial Bindery, current location displays as "At Bindery". (Refer questions to Binding staff.) The material is then boxed and shipped to the bindery.
Shipments to and from the bindery are biweekly. Each carton in the shipment is labeled with identifying information which includes product code, lot number, lot total, and number of boxes in the lot number. Careful record keeping is necessary to track outgoing and incoming bindery material as shipments often comprise 1,000 volumes. Information pertaining to the material being shipped is FTPed to the bindery with each shipment. A book is usually sent to the bindery within 2 weeks of its arrival in the binding area. It returns from the bindery approximately 3-4 weeks later.
All material returns from the bindery with the same lot number under which it was shipped. The bindery FTPs updated database information back to the library. Binding staff unbox the material in a holding area, load it onto book trucks, and remove it to the binding processing area. By use of lot and tracking numbers, a book is rematched with its folder. Additional barcodes, found in the folders, are attached to a book whenever the originals have been covered during the binding process. A custom bound book is double-checked for correct spine detail. Each item is charged to RS Marking, and the Acorn screen once again says "In-Process". (Refer questions to Marking staff.) This material now becomes part of the regular marking workflow. (See below)
Binding (Periodical)
Central Library staff select periodicals for binding, band them together, and deliver them to the binding area on a book truck. A title that has been previously bound already has a pattern/record in LARS; thus the library needs only provide variable information, i.e., month, year, volume, number. If a title is being bound for the first time, the library provides a complete pattern which includes color of cover material, color of spine print (white or gold), title and call number as they are to appear on spine, variable information, and any special instructions.
Binding staff input into LARS the information provided by the library. A pattern is printed and matched with corresponding unbound pieces. During the matching process, the information on the pattern is verified for accuracy. After material is shipped to the bindery, one of the multiple copies of the paper pattern is sent to RS Maintenance where the Acorn holdings record is updated.
Since no charging is involved, periodicals are packed directly into boxes for shipment to the bindery. As with books, each box is labeled with product code, lot number, lot total, and number of boxes in that lot. Material is prepared on the Thursday afternoon before the outgoing shipment on Friday morning. Libraries are asked to send periodicals to be bound to the RS Binding area no later than one week before the Friday shipment date. Careful record keeping is again required to track outgoing and incoming bindery material as shipments can include as many as 1,000 volumes. Information relevant to the shipment is FTPed to the bindery. A bound volume returns from the bindery approximately 3-4 weeks after it is sent.
After all database work is completed for the binding shipment, several copies of an AT BINDERY report, sorted by title, are generated from LARS for customer libraries; the quantity depends upon the needs of the library.
All material returning from the bindery is received with the same lot number under which it was sent. The bindery FTPs updated information back to the library.
Binding staff unbox the shipment in a holding area, load material onto book trucks, and deliver it to the binding processing area. Patterns, returned from RS Maintenance, are rematched with the appropriate bound volumes. Spine information is verified. The volume is stamped for ownership, a security strip is inserted, and it is returned to the periodicals area.
Marking
Material coming into the Marking area from Baker is charged to Marking at Baker. Material coming from cataloging staff is charged to Marking by Binding/Marking staff. All material is sorted on shelves by the date of charge. Current location displays as "In Process". (Refer questions to Marking staff. See Appendix C for appropriate mailbox for rush requests.) Books are worked on usually within one week of receipt in the Marking area. As work begins, the oldest books are removed from the shelves, and loaded onto a book truck.
The marking process is divided into 2 stages. The first stage is the actual labeling of the book. Starting with the oldest material first, a truck with four rows of books (25-30 books/row) is pulled from the marking shelves. A checklist of all steps is attached to the truck where each one is crossed off as it is completed. The truck is then moved to a marking workstation where labels are run, one row at a time. Each label must be manually modified to include the home library location as specified by the cataloger in the Comments field 0. After labels are printed for all books on a truck, the truck is rolled to another workstation where the labels are cut apart by hand. A label is applied to the book spine, using very specific guidelines for placement (the bottom of the label is affixed exactly 2 inches from the bottom of the book). The label is ironed onto the spine with a hot ironing plate.
Stage 2 is referred to as "inside work", and includes ownership stamping the book, affixing the date due slip, and inserting a security strip.
When a truck of books has been through the marking process, the marking supervisor randomly spot checks 3 books in each row on the truck to assure that the right label has been attached to the proper book. Acorn is used as the determining factor for this means of quality control.
Books are sorted by library, using the color-coded flags in them to determine their home library. Books are now ready to be discharged. Marking staff must discharge until the "In Transit" message appears as the current location. (Refer questions to home library.) Books for the Central Library are delivered on a truck to the circulation desk.
When a truck of books is received in the circulation area, the books are first discharged and then taken to a Reference holding area where bibliographers have the opportunity to view them within a 24 hour period. They are then returned to circulation staff for item checks and removal of paperwork and book jackets. Any errors found on a record of a book or on the spine label of the book are either corrected by circulation staff (e.g., wrong location) or the book is sent back to the appropriate area within RS. After passing through this final checkpoint, the book is shelved in its proper location in the stacks.
Color Coded
Flags
Flags of various colors are inserted into material, usually by receivers, to designate the destination of and/or special instructions/information for/about the piece. Most of these flags remain with the piece throughout its journey within RS.
Flag colors (destinations):
DARK GREEN = Divinity Library
BROWN = Education Library
PINK = Education, Youth Collection
LIGHT BLUE = Engineering Collection
ORANGE = Management Library
DARK BLUE = Music Library
BLACK = Observatory Library
RED = Science Library
WHITE = Special Collections, Reference (Specific location is hand written on flag)
Flag colors (instructions/information):
YELLOW = LC copy
GREEN = Copy Cataloging
LAVENDER = RUSH
GRAY = Speed Catalog
CHARTREUSE = Series information
WHITE = Priority (or other hand written instructions/information)
Symbols of Approved Libraries for Copy Cataloging and Correlative Subjects
Records input by some OCLC member libraries have been approved by original cataloging
staff for copy cataloging because of their acceptable use of cataloging standards. The
OCLC symbol for these libraries, and the subjects for which they have been approved are as
follows:
Library Symbol SU Code
Classification Description
ABC 4700 QA Math (in English)
AZU 4000 PT German lit
4200 any Lat.Amer. studies
7100 PG Russian lit
8300 PQ Span/Port lit
BRL 0300 N Arts
CUY 7100 any Slavic studies (in English or
Russian)
FQG 8300 PQ Span/Port lit
GZM 3400 PQ French lit
RCE 4000 PT German lit
VZX 0300 N Arts
WAU 4000 PT German lit
Mailboxes for RUSH Requests
Special mailboxes have been established to request a change of status from ON ORDER or IN
PROCESS to RUSH. These mailboxes are opened and read on a daily basis. Requests for RUSH
service should be sent to the following mailboxes:
RUSHACQ: to change status of an order to RUSH, or to request RUSH treatment for a book already received but not yet cataloged (current location will show as BAKER HOLD)
RUSHCAT: to request RUSH cataloging of a piece that has been received, but not yet cataloged (current location will show as IN PROCESS)
RUSHMARK: to request RUSH labeling of a piece (current location will show as MARKING)
Compiled by Sylvia Martin from input by:
Susan Bell John Haar
Nancy Boggess-Korekach Mary Charles Lasater
Sue Davis Anne Laws
Clarise DeQuasie Laurie Power
Ann Ercelawn Janet Thomason
Jessie Palmer Mary Ellen Wilson
Contact Sylvia Martin (3-3826) if you have questions about any information in the above document.
Last update 12-11-98;updated only to add note 5/16/2003 (mew)