This procedure assumes an understanding of the principles explained in Understanding Cataloging Practices for Serials, Series and Added Volumes
Students have already searched the main title on the order, so you don't need to search it, but the students do not search the series titles. When we search the series, we need to do three things:

• See if there's a serial record for the series title, and if UMBC holdings on that record indicate that the order is a duplicate.
• See if the item is "on order" on a subscription or standing order for the series title.
• Determine what kind of record we should use for our order.

Determine whether the order is a duplicate

• Locate the series title. Series searching only must be done if there is a number present after the series title. The number may be either a volume number or an ISSN number.
  • On BNA Green forms, the series title is found after the title and author, but before the publisher and city, in parentheses.
  • On Collection Manager forms, the series title is listed in parentheses after the title, which is listed in BOLD type.
  • On Amazon printouts, the series title is indicated in parentheses, directly following the title.
  • On BIP and Barnes and Noble printouts, the series title is not often included.
• Search the series title (bolded in examples) in the Ex Libris USMAI database via the WebPac (http://catalog.umd.edu) using a title browse search.
• Look for a serial record for the title. The serial record will have the title of the series, whereas the other records will have individual volume titles. If there are many instances of a title under a series, sort the list by Title/Year and then jump to a number that you think your title will be near. When you open the record, the most definitive identifier for a serial record is the presence of the letter "s" as the 8th character in the leader (LDR) field when you view the record in Marc tag format:
  
• If a serial record is found with this search, record a series check.
• Click on "Availability" to check the holdings to see if the item is a dup. If it's a dup, change the dup value to a check, record the call number on the slip, and put it in the "Already in Library" tray.

If there is a Serial Record: Determine if the item is "on order" on a subscription or standing order for the series title.

• If you clicked on availability earlier, click the back button now to return to the catalog card screen.
• Click on MARC format view, and locate the system number at the very bottom of the record.
• Highlight and copy the system number so that you can paste it later.
• Pull up the serial record in the Aleph Acquisitions Serials by the BIB system number and add it to the navigation map. To do this:
  • In the upper left hand corner, use the indicator to select BIB system number. ADM system number is the default setting.
  • Push Ctrl-V to paste the system number that you copies earlier.
  • Click the arrow to search.
• Determine whether UMBC has a subscription or standing order for the title:
  • Click the radio button next to [2] Overview. This will switch you to a navigational view of the library's holdings.
  • If you see a subscription, then contact the serials librarian to find out if we should order the volume or not:
    • If she says no, we anticipate getting the title(s) on the standing order, send the order(s) back as "Already on Order," and indicate on it that we have a standing order or subscription as appropriate.
    • If she says that we should order the volume(s), write on the order: "On Standing Order, but ok to order per JT." or "Subscription, but ok to order per JT." If the holding record of the subscription or standing order indicates that we catalog the title separately, then for our purposes, the order is not an added volume order and you should follow the instructions for the specific type of order from the http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/acquisitions/SpecificTypesofBookOrders.phpSpecific Types of Book Orders procedure. If the holding record of the subscription does notsay anything about cataloging separately, write "Added vol." on the order, and write the system number of that bib record on the order and follow the instructions for the specific type of order from theSpecific Types of Book Orders procedure.

Determine what kind of record we should use for our order

If we're ordering a volume of something that is on standing order because the serials librarian told us to, there may be a note on the order regarding our cataloging practice. If so, follow that instruction without doing the remaining steps.

• Determine how we have cataloged titles in the series in the past:
• Switch back to the USMAI Ex Libris catalog.
• If your previous search is still there, click your browser back button until you return the results screen showing many records and many campuses holdings. If not, Click on "Advanced Search" and do another browse search for the series title.
• You should have a list of all of the titles in that series that a USMAI library owns. Look at the records. If only a serial record appears for the title, we will use that serial record to order the item. Even if UMBC has never ordered a title for this series, we will follow the example of other USMAI campuses. Orders cataloged on the serial record need an Added Volume note and the system number written on the order.
• If any records for individual titles appear with a UMBC holding, then we need to use an individual title record to place the order. Even if other USMAI libraries are cataloging on the serial record, if UMBC has cataloged separately before, we will use the individual records for our order. Write CATSEP on the order next to the series number (CATSEP means cataloged separately. This means that the individual volumes of the serial or series each have their own catalog record).
• This is how a set of individual titles will appear: Religion and social system of the Virasaiva community / Dan A. Chekki.
  Contributions to the study of anthropology , 0890-9377; no. 8
  UMCP-McKeldin-Library( 1/ 0) Sacred journeys : the anthropology of pilgrimage / edited by Alan Morinis
  Contributions to the study of anthropology , 0890-9377; no. 7
  UMBC-Library( 1/ 1) Franz Boas, social activist : the dynamics of ethnicity / Marshall Hyatt
  Contributions to the study of anthropology, 0890-9377 ; no. 6
  Towson-University( 1/ 0)
  UMBC-Library( 1/ 0)
  UMCP-McKeldin-Library( 1/ 1)
• If there are discrepancies for treatment of the title, (see example), please send a printout of the serial and monographic records to the Database Maintanence Librarian. Do not order the item until she/he has made a decision on which record to use for the item.
• This is how discrepancies would look: Contributions to the study of anthropology
  Bowie-State-University( 17/ 0)
  Coppin-State-University( 16/ 0)
  Frostburg-State-University( 14/ 0)
  Morgan-State-University( 10/ 0)
  UMBC-Library( 12/ 4) Sacred journeys : the anthropology of pilgrimage / edited by Alan Morinis
  Contributions to the study of anthropology , 0890-9377; no. 7
  UMBC-Library( 1/ 1)
• If UMBC does not have a serial record or any individual records, and no other campus has ever cataloged a title in this serial or series, then write "Ser: ?" on the order and send it to exporting for a treatment decision.