Sometimes items are returned to the desk or found by staff to be damaged or missing important information. When this happens, staff must determine where to send the items for the issues to be resolved. Please refer to the following guide to determine where an item must be sent, and how to process it for correction.
TECHNICAL SERVICES
Barcode issues
missing, does not scan, falling off. do not look up the barcode in alma.
just put note indicating “missing barcode” in the item and leave it on a truck.
Label issues
missing, torn, faded, unreadable, error
DVD/CDs
test the disc. if it doesn’t work, the item needs to be removed from the
catalog. fill out work order (examples below).
DVD/CD cases
cracked, not shutting, disc holder broken, missing labels/barcode
PRESERVATION
Damaged items
ripped, missing pages, water damage, insect damage, dirty,
stained, cover missing. if book is badly soiled, such as with
liquids or sticky substances, place in preservation bag and then
in the freezer, indicate to preservation department that item
is in the freezer so that they can retrieve it.
Once it is determined whether an item needs to be sent to Technical Services or Preservation, the next step is to fill out a work order for the item. This step is done through Alma and changes the item status so that patrons and other staff members do not mistakenly request the item before its issues are corrected.
PROCESSING WORK ORDERS
- Search the barcode in Alma by 'Physical Items'.
- Click on “Work Order”. If it isn’t one of the two buttons displayed, you can find it under the “…” button. If you want, you can adjust which two options are displayed by clicking the gear icon at the top of the page.
- Select the Process Type (Technical Services or Preservation). Managing Department should auto-fill, but if it doesn’t, just select the option that matches the Process Type. Add note detailing the issues if necessary. Make sure the “Do not pick from shelf” button is filled so that the item does not print out an additional slip. Click “Submit”.
Return the item in Alma. A transfer slip will print. Any added notes will appear at the top of the transfer slip. Notes can also be handwritten on the transfer slips if needed.
Technical Services: If you are at ULIB, put the item on a truck and leave the truck between Jeff and Angela’s office (put transfers together and put missing barcode items together on the truck). If you are at SCI or DEWEY, put it in a bin and use the zip ties to indicate that it is to go to Tech Services. It can be brought directly to the Preservation office.
Preservation: If you are at ULIB or DEWEY, put the item in the mailing bin to Preservation. If you are at SCI, put it on a truck to take up to Preservation.
NOTES
- If item does not have barcode, please do not attempt to search/match it by call number or title. This sometimes leads to accidental mislabeling. If no barcode, send to Tech Services as-is.
- If it needs things for both preservation and tech services, send to tech services first. There is no sense in fixing the item if it is going to be withdrawn.
PROCESSING EQUIPMENT
Sometimes equipment will comes back damaged as well. Different equipment have different requirements:
Headphones:
Laptops: Tech Services (Systems). Create a help ticket in libstaff/. Leave a sticky note on the laptop instructing other staff/students to not check it out. Create a Work Order (See below). Tech Services will remove it from the laptop cabinet.
Laptop chargers: Replaced by Circ department. First, test the charger to make sure it is actually broken. If it is in fact damaged, remove the barcode from the charger. Get a replacement charger of the same kind; test it to make sure it works. Use orange or purple colored tape around the cord (close to, but not right next to the middle “block” of the new charger). Write the charger number on the block with Sharpie (silver ink on black plastic, red ink on silver plastic). Print out new barcode using the Printing Barcodes file in Caesar. Use library tape to tape the barcode on to the new charger and put it out at the Circ desk. There should be one charger for each laptop in the charging station, plus one extra charger of each type in the cabinets behind the Circ desk. The old chargers should be passed on to Jeff to take to Systems for disposal.
