Circulation Module 7: Special Items

It is always an exciting day at Circulation when a cart of new books shows up. There they are--orderly, pristine, hardly been touched--and the patrons of the library need them ASAP. It is up to you, the lone Circ worker, to give the people what they want.

Getting the new books to the shelf can be a tedious process and it should be done when there is another worker to cover the desk.

Aside from the first and last steps, you may complete this process in the order that works best for you.

• Discharge all items on the cart and remove their In-Process status.

All of the books on the cart, whether or not they go on the new books shelf, should have an In-Process status. Simply discharge all of the items and click Yes to remove that status. 

• Change the temporary location of the items to Temp - New Books.

Items in Children's, Reference, or Serials do not get put on the new books shelf. You should also watch out for books on the cart that have been repaired and are not new. These items will not have an Order Request Card in them. 

Check the items' order cards before changing their location. If the item is to be placed on hold for a faculty or staff member, it does not go on the new books shelf because their loan period is so long. 

To change the items' location, begin by going to the Functions tab and select Pick and Scan.

In the Pick and Scan window, select "Temp - New Books" from the Temporary Location drop down menu.

Click on the Items tab in the window. Scan the barcodes of all of the items to be put on the new books shelf. Pay close attention when you scan the items to make sure they scan properly. As you scan each barcode, the item's record in the window should indicate that the temporary location has been changed.

If the action is unsuccessful, it will say "Unable to update bib record" next to the Update Bib Status line.

Click Close when you have scanned all of the items.

• Put a sticker on the call number of each new item.

Check the dot rotation schedule and put on the appropriate colored dots. Make sure not to cover up any part of the call number. The dots are usually kept at Judy's desk but may also be found in the office supplies closet in the workroom.

• Place holds as necessary.

Some new items were ordered for a specific patron's use and are to be placed on hold. This will be indicated at the bottom of the Order Request Card where it says "Hold at Circulation."

Once you have successfully placed the item on hold, email the patron to inform them their item has arrived and is being kept at the Circulation Desk. Remember to be professional when writing these emails and always include your name in the signature line along with the usual "Circulation Desk, Hutchins Library."

• Send Order Request Cards through the mail.

After processing all of the new books and holds, you will send the Order Request Cards back to the people who ordered the books. If the person works in the library, paperclip the cards together and put them in the person's mailbox in Technical Services.

If the person is faculty, staff, or a student, you must send a blue card along with the Order Request Cards (see below). Fill out the person's name and CPO and check the appropriate box. This provides the orderer with confirmation that the item arrived.

• Sensitize and shelve new items.

The new items have yet to be sensitized, so make sure you do so. Once that has been done, you can shelve the items in the appropriate places.

New items remain on the new books shelf for approximately two months before being shelved with the rest of the circulating collection. This period may be shorter depending on the time of the month the items were put on the shelf. 

Taking items off the shelf is a less complicated process. Aside from the first and last steps, you may complete the process in whatever order makes sense for you.

• Search the new books shelf for any dots due to come off. (See dot rotation schedule)
• Change the temporary location of these items.

Pull up Pick and Scan. This time, you will select "Clear" from the Temporary Location drop down menu.

On the Items tab, scan the items to be taken off the new books shelf. Pay attention to the screen to make sure each item scans correctly. The record in the window should say "Temp - New Books / <cleared>" if the action is performed correctly.

• Take the colored dots off, being careful not to rip the call number.
• Put the items in the appropriate places for reshelving.

At the beginning of each new month, remove all books with the designated color from the New Books shelves and take them off new book status. During the month, any books that get returned with the designated color need to be removed from new book status. The colors change at the first of the month.

Books that do not get put on new status: Children's (E or E*), Reference (R), Serials (e.g. v.22), and any books that were being repaired or replaced