Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2019 17:32:20 +0000
To: "acqnet_at_lists.ala.org" <acqnet_at_lists.ala.org>
I have always said the program should be named "Pre-process" and not shelf-ready. We use the term and it has caused misconceptions from those outside of Technical Services in our library. There is the thought that we can unpack the book and immediately send it to the shelf. I think it all depends on your level of comfort with vendor provided records - and of course, your budget and staffing levels. Although I am guessing that you are paying Gobi more for premium cataloging services. At AU, we made the decision that we would still touch every book. So we have a process where an acquisitions staff member opens the boxes for the shelf-ready approvals and handles the books first. She uses a copy cataloging checklist that was developed by the cataloging staff - those titles that pass the checklist go to circulation and those that don't pass go to cataloging. We do the same with our firm shelf-ready books - one of my staff uses a checklist - pass, go to circ. Fail, go to cataloging. Our technical services unit moved off-site 2 years ago and we had to fight to have the shelf-ready books continue to be sent to us - the thought was those books would be sent directly to the library, unpacked by students and put on the shelf. We actually had some university workflow experts come and assess the whole situation - with the conclusion that we are the experts and that the books should come to us first. (moving off-site is a whole other issue, happy to discuss!) Stacey Stacey Marien Acquisitions Librarian American University 4801 Massachusetts Ave, NW Library Technical Services Spring Valley - Room 148 Washington, DC 20016 smarien_at_american.edu<mailto:smarien_at_american.edu> 202-885-3842<tel:202-885-3842> orcid.org/0000-0003-2608-4559<http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2608-4559> From: acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org <acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org> On Behalf Of Jacque Dessino Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 5:07 PM To: acqnet_at_lists.ala.org Subject: [ALCTS-acqnet] defining 'shelf-ready' All: At my institution, we order through GOBI and they do both the cataloging and processing. The standard procedure for years has been for the materials to come to the central cataloging department where a series of checks are done on the items and records. If they pass all the checks, they are sent to the campus. We have never considered these books as 'shelf-ready' because cataloging handles them before they are sent to the campus to be shelved. Due to budget cuts and severe staff shortages we are now working toward what we have been calling shelf-ready. Acquisitions will order them and GOBI will ship directly to the campus everything that meets are technical specs requirements. Only those that don't meet the criteria at the GOBI end will be sent to cataloging to be handled. The recent question about turn-around time got me thinking about what other institutions mean when they say 'shelf-ready.' I would love to hear from others who are taking the same position we are, 'shelf-ready' means cataloging is not going to handle the items. They will go directly to the campus libraries to be received and shelved, especially how you determined that the cataloging was 'good-enough'. Jacque Dessino, MA, MLS Electronic Services Librarian Libraries Tidewater Community College ------------------ (e): jdessino_at_tcc.edu<mailto:jdessino_at_tcc.edu> Portsmouth: Virginia Beach: Library A240D Joint Use Library, L205L 120 Campus Drive 1700 College Crescent Portsmouth, VA 23701 Virginia Beach, VA 2345 757-822-2646 757-822-7154 [Tidewater Community College]
