Technical Services Program Review
Cataloging First Time In

Report of Findings as of October 30, 2000 - Part 3

PromptCat is a purchase plan whereby new book titles are selected according to a subject profile and are received along with a matching cataloging record. Cataloging records for each shipment of books are loaded into Victor. The bibliographic records are matched by Acquisitions Dept. staff to the book, the books are barcoded, and item records are created. For the most part, PromptCat records arrive in good shape and only a small percentage requires completion. If there is a problem with a PromptCat record or if no record was received, the book is sent to the Rapid Cataloging Unit and on to the Monographs Unit depending on the severity of the cataloging problem.

The documentation for processing PromptCat materials was prepared in the Acquisitions Dept. PromptCat staff have documentation which helps them to identify cataloging errors in cataloging records.

PromptCat Processing in Acquisition

1. Blackwell's weekly shipment is delivered early on Monday morning - approx. 400 titles received in each shipment.
2. PromptCat boxes are separated from the rest of the shipment and set aside for unpacking.
3. PromptCat cataloging report is printed in Acquisitions and given to student unpackers.
4. Books unpacked -
   1. Each title is checked against accompanying book invoice.
   2. Each title is checked for damage, mis-printings and missing pages.
   3. Each title has goldenrod selection slip inserted which has been checked with the proper cataloging location according to the classification map.
   4. If the title is "no OCLC", UKM, or "no Call #", this information is written at the top of goldenrod slip.
   5. All titles on the promptcat report and on the invoice should be accounted for. If not, notify Nina/Jan - one library technician I assigned permanently to PromptCat.
   6. PromptCat report and invoice should be cross-checked against each other after unpacking is finished.
5. Unpacking should be finished by the end of workday Tuesday. Books should be on selection room shelves and ready for selectors on Wednesday. If the unpacking is finished early, Nina will email the selectors when the books are ready for review.
6. Books will be left up on the shelves for selectors until the end of workday Thursday.
7. Blackwell's invoice will be approved by Desider Vikor or his delegate on Thursday.
8. PromptCat records for the shipment will be loaded into PAC on Thursday by ITD.
9. Books will be removed from the selection room on Friday morning. Titles that are marked "no OCLC", UKM and "no Call #" sent directly to Copy Cataloging after their locations are changed, if necessary, in Acquisitions.
10. All other titles are processed in Acquisitions. Holdings are added to the online cataloging records as loaded.
11. The promptcat processing clerk verifies author/title, ISBN, pagination, publishing information and publishing date to make sure the correct title has been loaded in the PAC.
    1. Other items checked for include:
       1. dual call #s
       2. series statements
       3. missing call #s, incorrect #s, high "Z" call #s with vols
       4. typos in the bibliographies
       5. analyzed monograph/serials analyzed
    2. Titles identified as problems will be passed on to Marlene Vikor for resolution. If they are unable to correct it or have questions, they should hand the item off to Cataloging to resolve. There is s designated shelf for PromptCat problems.
12. Added holdings:
    1. Holdings are added in Maintenance
    2. Search by title to call up the loaded record
    3. Check to make sure it is the correct record and has no errors
    4. At holdings screen, make sure to check that the item is correctly added.
       1. watch for Folios, Reference
    5. Attach bar code according to bar coding instructions
    6. Wand bar code to add holdings
       1. watch Engin/Chem for their locations, always in stacks
       2. MckRef always in stacks
    7. Send completed material to End Processing Unit for final processing.
       1. Separate the books that needs free fly
       2. For Preservations considerations:
          1. all folios and oversized items
          2. all items with less than 70 pages
          3. spiral binders
    8. Statistics are reported to the Cataloging Department.

    

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