ACS Workflows: Acquisitions

It is necessary to contact a dealer when a problem occurs, for example the reception of a book that doesn't fit the Profile, a defective book, a duplicate book, a damaged book. When this happens, I ask the dealer for a suitable copy. If the dealer has no further copies, then a Credit Note is requested. When the Credit Note is received, the invoice is paid. 

It is necessary to contact a dealer when the Fiscal Year is getting to the end, and they have not yet spent their entire budget. We don't accept duplicate copies, government publications, or any materials available online.

This requires a special knowledge of the type of materials we are receiving and a strong familiarity with Latin American publications and the collections we hold. Dealer communication and material resolution can be time consuming, but is an important and necessary requirement. Sometimes this requires consultation with the Latin American Librarian. One invoice with multiple problems can consume a whole morning.

LABO books arrive from Library Shipping organized by Invoice and sorted by title as numbered in the Invoice. Invoices are placed in the first book of each shipment. Multiple invoices are brought in by Shipping. Each invoice has a due date for payment; the oldest invoice must be processed first. Up to four shelves (approx. 60 books) can arrive each day, with a monthly average of approx. 450 items.

Each book is examined for condition, and checked off on the invoice if there are no issues. For books with issues, notify the vendor and request a Credit Note. OCLC Connexion is then searched by ISBN for an OCLC record.  If an OCLC record is located, the piece in hand is checked for accuracy with the record. The most important check is for the subject heading, which has to be accurate, specific, and correct. 

Usually, about 10% of LABO items have no subject heading in OCLC, and no call number. These books are yellow streamed and indicated with "NF" (no record found). Every two weeks, these items are checked to see if an OCLC record has been added. If so, the record and item are processed at this time.

When an invoice doesn't have any problem, I write in the lower left of it the 1) Vendor Number, 2) the Purchase Order and Fund, 3) date and sign it. Then I put it in a tray for invoices that go to the Business Office to be paid.

A separate shelving is reserved for EBO books which are arriving from Spain by Casalini. All books from Casalini have OCLC record and most records are good and complete. They are ready for copy cataloging.