This procedures assumes an understanding of the principles explained in Understanding Cataloging Practices for Serials, Series and Added Volumes.

These steps should be followed for orders with numbering, an edition number, or a year included in the title, for orders that indicate that we should order a given volume or issue, for orders that indicate that we should order one or more volumes, and for orders that indicate that the item is a serial. Note that the presence of an ISSN number (an eight digit number such as 3245-8972) indicates that a title is a serial. Do not follow this procedure because of series and series numbering. Use the Series Searching Procedure for that.

Determining what Types of Records are Present in catalogUSMAI and whether the Order is a Duplicate:

Search catalogUSMAI for the main title and any individual distinctive (volume) titles given on the order. Look for serial records, multiple volume book records, and individual book records. As you are looking at records, note how other volumes of the title have been cataloged, and how they've been cataloged for UMBC.

If you find that UMBC already owns the item, immediately stop searching. Write the location, call number, and any availability screen notes on the orders and distribute them in accordance with the normal Bib Check, Dup Check Procedures, regardless of what type of record it has been cataloged on. You are finished. However, if UMBC has holdings on different types of records, you should report this to the Database Maintenance Librarian.

If there are any serial records present, we must see if UMBC has a standing order or a subscription for the title. If there are no serial records, skip this section entirely and go down to "Determining the Type of Record to Use for our Order."

Pull up the serial record by the BIB system number. To do this:

• Open the Aleph Acquisitions Serials module.

• Enter text in the field next to BIB system number.

Then check for a subscription or standing order. To do this:

• Click the radio button next to [2] Overview.

• Look for a UMBC holding, which will appear at the bottom, saying HOL-BC-BC. If one is there, click on it. Read the information that appears in the large window on the right. Note down any information regarding the cataloging of the title, in case we still have to order it. It will say STANDING ORDER if we have a standing order for the title.

• Look at the serial subscriptions by clicking the plus sign above the holdings. Under Serial Subscr, click the plus sign. If a record appears there that does not say No Serial Subscr, we have a subscription.

• Look at the orders by clicking the plus sign next to Orders. If UMBC has an order number beginning with BCCNV (as opposed to BC followed only by numbers), we have a subscription or standing order.

• If you find any of those things, 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 proceed as usual. If the holding record of the subscription does not say anything about cataloging separately, write "Added vol." on the order, and write the system number of that bib record on the order and proceed as usual. 

Determining the Type of Record to Use for Our Order

In instances where there are no discrepencies in how the title has been cataloged in the past at UMBC or in the USMAI, we can decide what type of record to use in Acquisitions based on the precedent. In other instances, when there is no precedent to follow or there are discrepencies in how UMBC has handled the title, the decision needs to go to cataloging, or alternatively, to Database Maintenance, if the UMBC holdings need to be fixed.

Find the circumstance that best describes your chart and follow the instructions:

• There are no records whatsoever (neither book nor serial):

  • Send the order to exporting.

• UMBC has holdings on valid bib records:

  • If UMBC has holdings on monograph records, and just monograph records, we'll use that type of record. If UMBC has holdings on a serial record, and just a serial record, we'll use that record.

  • If UMBC has holdings on both monograph and serial records, send the order to the Head of BMS. This shouldn't normally happen, but errors are occasionally made and clean-up work may need to be done in the catalog.

• If UMBC has no holdings whatsoever, but other USMAI libraries have holdings on valid bib records:

  • If there are holdings on monograph records, and just monograph records, we'll use that type of record. If there are holdings on a serial record, and just a serial record, we'll use that record.

  • If there holdings on both monograph and serial records, send the order to the the Catalog Librarian for a decision.

Completing the Order

• *If we are using a single volume monograph record:*It is not an added volume. Establish availability, select a vendor, and complete the order as usual.

• *If we are using a multivolume monograph record or a serial record:*It's an added volume. Follow these steps:

  • Write "Added Volume" on the bottom of the order and write the system number of the record we'll be using (not necessary if the Catalog Librarian or Database Maintenance Librarian have made a decision already written an OCM or system number on the order).

  • *Establish availability, and select a vendor.*Bear in mind that the vendor may not list the title as we have cataloged it, so you may need to search individual titles and find individual records for each volume, even though we are cataloging on one record. Also be aware that different volumes can feasibly have very different item statuses and need very different handling and go to different vendors. For example, some volumes could be out-of-print, other volumes readily available, and yet other volumes not yet published. When that happens, you must handle each volume separately, and if you only have one BRF, you'll need to make copies for each volume, specifying volume numbers on the copies. Attach those to the paperwork for the volume.

  • *Determine if we need to use one order or more than one order:*Although we know we are going to use a multivolume bibliographic record, we don't know if we need multiple orders or just one order. Make this decision based on whether we might receive the volumes separately, or whether we are certain that all volumes will arrive together:

    • *We might receive the volumes separately:*In this case, we need individual orders for each volume, so that we can receive each volumes individually as it arrives. As you create the order for each volume:

      • Select the correct volume ISBN, or leave the ISBN blank if you can't find ISBN's.

      • *Add a vendor note to the order indicating which volume we are ordering.*If the individual volume has its own title, include its title in the note. The wording and the format of this note should be, "Vol. # only, volume title." For example, a note might read, "Vol. 6 only, World War II." If the enumeration system is different, use that wording instead of the word volume. For example, a note might read "1999 ed. only," or "Book 1 only."

      • *After you complete, send, and print the order, revise the item record to include the enumeration in the description which will display to the public.*To do this:

        • Click on the "Items" button.

        • Enter the enumeration to display to the public in the "Description" field. For example, "v. 1".

        • Click "Update".

    • *If we are ordering all of the volumes from one vendor, and we are absolutely certain that we will receive all the volumes together:*We save a lot of time by making one order for all of the volumes. However, we can't do this if there is any doubt at all about how the volumes will arrive. We can be certain the volumes will arrive together when all of the volumes are given on one one CM record. We can also be certain when we are ordering from Barnes and Noble or Amazon and they list everything on one record. In most other cases, there is a lot of room for doubt. Many other vendors may list multiple volumes on one record and yet not ship them together. Use some judgement as to the reliability of the vendor. To do one order for multiple volumes:

      • Select the correct set ISBN, or leave the ISBN blank if you can't find ISBN's.

      • Add a vendor note to the order indicating which volumes we ordering. The wording and the format of this title should be "Vol. #-#." For example, a note might read "vol. 1-6." If the enumeration system is different, use that wording instead of the word volume. For example, a note might read "Book 1-5." Bear in mind that this is the only indication that staff who are receiving will have that they should have received more than one volume, so this note is extremely important.

      • *After you complete, send, and print the order, revise the item record to include the enumeration in the description which will display to the public.*To do this:

        • Click on the "Items" button.

        • Enter the enumeration to display to the public in the "Description" field. For example, "v. 1-5".

        • Click "Update".