Stanford University Libraries Redesign Report

Process Change 5

Monographs: Local Processing

Process Change 5Use standards-based technology to support simultaneous pre-order searching of local database and of bibliographic utilities; automated batch creation of bibliographic and order records as a result.

Assumptions

• Pre-order searching to identify duplicates and capture or create bibliographic information for order records can be completed in a single on-line transaction.
• Complete machine-readable bibliographic records will be available for approximately 67% of monographs at the time of pre-order search.

Activity / Transactions Eliminated

Pre-order search and order record creation

Eliminate duplicate pre-order searches and creation for 20,000 firm order and standing orders

Firm order         19,600 transactions
Standing orders       425 transactions

Cataloging

Eliminate copy cataloging for monographs bibliographic records retrieved during pre-order search

16,500 transactions

New Process Description

This process comes into play when the publisher for the citation in hand is NOT one covered by a qualifying vendor. If a qualifying vendor handles this publisher, then the process for vendor-assisted monographs is used.

Selectors or selectors' assistants use Z39.50 clients, for example, in their pre-order process to facilitate the full range of searching needed at that time to complete an order. The client is connected to any combination of the local systems, bibliographic utilities, and other Z39.50 databases of interest. The client also has the ability to retain session settings (selector, fund, location, etc.) to be used as defaults during the order-placement process.

Selector or selector's assistant indicates local and remote databases to query and issues the search. The local database response is checked first (for duplicates, verification from related works, e.g.). If it is necessary to proceed, the search key can be reissued as is or revised and then issued in one or more utilities. A bibliographic record found in this process may be moved to the local system to use for an order; session defaults are available to facilitate completing the information necessary for the order. The order is placed at this time.

We understand that timely feedback to out-of-print vendors and to some specialty publishers is critical to order fulfillment; the new process should be structured so that successful receipt of these or any materials is not jeopardized.

Observations/Motivation for Change

In the firm order process, the Team noted that there is a good deal of what appears to be duplicate searching between the selection staff and the acquisitions staff. Socrates and NOTIS are searched multiple times, and some searching of utilities happens in both units as well.

Selectors employ a variety of methods and rationales in performing a pre-order search in advance of sending citations to the staff in Acquisitions. Some selectors do minimal preliminary work themselves, others do more extensive searching. Some selectors have assistants, part of whose time is devoted to pre-order searching. The nature of the material also affects the amount and type of pre-order searching done in the selector area. These processes winnow down the titles directed to Acquisitions to those most likely to be ordered.

While the assistants in Collections have searching expertise in support of collection development, and the staff in acquisitions have searching expertise in support of ordering, with the proper training and computer support, collection development searching and pre-order searching might be collapsed and the actual placing of an order could happen as the result of one set of transactions, rather than two.

Required Actions

• Determine new staffing patterns to support single-point searching for collection development support and ordering.
• Acquire a client which supports iterative or simultaneous searching of separate bibliographic databases.
• Program to get external bibliographic record into local system.
• Program to accommodate session defaults as basis for order.