Cataloging with Acquisitions

For a system using the Acquisitions module, the cataloging workflow is slightly modified to account for on-order copies and their potential Acquisitions records. All PINES cataloging policies remain in place, including:

PINES libraries will not batchload OCLC records and will continue to use the Z39.50 interface to OCLC's WorldCat to locate and import MARC records one at a time

National and PINES cataloging standards will still be followed

PINES matching parameters are still in place

OCLC's WorldCat database remains the only source for final bibliographic records

Cataloging staff, in conjunction with the system director, remain responsible for their library's cataloging, whether local or vendor.

In short, the cataloging workflow for a library using Acquisitions looks similar to this:

Ordered items have been received and are in hand with cataloging staff

Items are moved to good matching OCLC records

Call numbers and barcodes are replaced with correct ones

Item attributes are edited in preparation for circulation or reference

The end goal remains the same. The item in hand will be:

Represented in the PINES database with an OCLC bibliographic record that matches based on PINES parameters,

Cataloged based on PINES and national standards,

The copy/volume attached will have the appropriate item attributes, making it ready for discovery and circulation.

Upload Matchset

When items are uploaded into Evergreen via Load MARC Order Records, Evergreen uses a set of parameters to determine if there is an existing record in the database that matches the item(s) uploaded. This match set is defined as the PINES General Match Set and matches on the following parameters:

BLvl (Bibliographic level, Leader/07).

Type (Type of record, Leader/06).

020 (ISBN: International Standard Book Number) or

022 (ISSN: International Standard Serials Number) or

024 (Other Standard Identifier. For example: UPC (Universal Product Code)) or

028 (Publisher Number).

If the match set does not find an existing matching record, it creates an acquisitions record. These records have non-OCLC TCNs and often look like AUTOGENERATED_87897 or in778978, etc.

While the PINES General Match Set has a very good rate of matching to correct records, there are occasions where your item has been matched to a OCLC record that, upon inspection, does not match your item in hand. This sometimes occurs particularly with large print titles, where the same ISBN may be in both the regular-type record as well as the large-print record.

Acquisitions Copies

At some point in the Acquisitions process, items are automatically created in the catalog and associated with line items on purchase orders. These copies are assigned PINES default information to help differentiate them from normal circulating copies. They will have information such as:

A barcode that includes “ACQ-COPY”

A call number that includes “ACQ-VOL”

All Acquisitions copies should be assigned to the ON ORDER shelving location at creation time

All of these defaults are edited when the items are in hand and cataloged.

Locating Acquisitions Records

There are several ways you can locate your library’s acquisitions/order records for a title. The method you choose will depend on local practice for permissions and local workflow.

Remember that the PINES General Match Set may have matched the item to an existing good record in the PINES database, and that record may or may not be the correct match. If it does not match, you will need to transfer the volume and item to the correct record.

Advanced Search

Acquisitions records are discoverable through a standard basic or advanced search of the catalog. You can utilize ISBN, ISSN, LCCN, UPC, or publisher numbers in a search as well as author and title. Remember that these filters may not function as expected since the records may be brief and/or incorrectly coded.

One advantage to using this search is that you may also retrieve the matching record you need if it is already in PINES, which may simplify your workflow.

1. From the home page, you may click Advanced Search or Search→Advanced Search.

2. From the Advanced Search page, enter your item identifier. In this case, we're using ISBN. You may also want to filter your search to your library SYSTEM, as you are first looking to locate the record where your acquisitions barcodes were created and they are owned by your library system.

3. From your search results, select the title.

4. Open Holdings View to confirm that your acquisitions copies are indeed on this record. Ensure that your Holdings View is set to your library system. Your acquisitions copies have an acquisitions barcode/call number and should have a status of “On Order” or “Cataloging.”

Line Item Search

Depending on your permission level, you may retrieve the acquisitions record from the line item on the selection list, purchase order or invoice for the appropriate order. At the line item, click on the catalog link:

This will directly open the record that your items were linked to.

Analyzing Acquisitions Records

Once you have located the record that your acquisitions copies are on, you will need to evaluate the record to determine if:

It is an acquisitions record or an OCLC record

If it is an OCLC record, if it matches your item in hand

The first thing that you should ALWAYS check is the TCN for the record. This is always available in the header (Record Summary) of any record and can be seen in any view.

As a reminder, all OCLC records have a prefix of ocm, ocn, or on. A record with ANY OTHER prefix is not an OCLC record and copies should be moved off that record to a matching OCLC record.

If the TCN is an OCLC number, you should open either MARC Edit or MARC View to look over the record to determine if it matches your item in hand.

Review the Bibliographic Matching Criteria for more information on determining if your item in hand is a match to the record.

If the record your items are attached to is a matching OCLC record, you should leave your copies on that record and progress to editing the volumes and call numbers.

Transferring to another record

If the record your copies are on is an Acquisitions record or a non-matching OCLC record, you will need to transfer your copies to a matching OCLC record.

1. Perform a Basic or Advanced Search in the catalog to locate a good matching record.

2. If none exist, import in a matching OCLC record via Z39.50.

3. Verify if you already have holdings on your matching OCLC record, as that will determine whether you will be transferring volumes and copies (no holdings on new record) or just copies (have existing holdings).

Transferring volumes and copies

If you have already found your new matching OCLC record and you do not currently have holdings on the record, you will be transferring both the volumes and copies from your Acquisitions/non-matching OCLC record.

Follow the instructions for transferring volumes to another record.

Once your copies have been transferred, follow the instructions for editing item attributes and call numbers.

Transferring copies only

If your target (matching OCLC record) already has holdings on the same libraries, you will want to just transfer your acquisitions copies into the existing volumes on the target record, rather than both the acquisitions volumes and copies.

It could also be that your acquisitions copies were attached to a record where you already had holdings, and you may see a scenario where you have two volumes under one library–one with your pre-existing holdings and one with your acquisitions volume/copies. This is also a circumstance where you will be transferring copies only.

Follow the instructions for transferring items between volumes.

Editing Item Attributes and Call Numbers

Once your acquisitions items are attached to an appropriate bibliographic record, you will need to assign a call number, change the barcode, and edit the item attributes so that your copies are ready for circulation.

1. From within Holdings View, click the ticky boxes to the left of the items that you want to edit. You may select multiple copies at one time.

2. Click Actions > Edit: Call Numbers and Items. This will open your holdings editor.

3. You can use the Batch Apply to change the Classification and Call Number label to all your items at once.

Acquisitions copies often have a Classification of Generic. It should be changed to Dewey (DDC) for proper indexing.

4. Once you have changed the Classification and Call Number Label, make sure to modify the auto-generated Acquisitions barcodes to the barcode on your item.

5. Apply the correct template for your item.

Make sure that the status “In process” is part of your template, otherwise your items will remain in Cataloging status even after being cataloged.
If you are modifying copies for multiple libraries at once, be sure that your templates have Circulation Library as (Unset). As long as Circulation Library is unset in your template, Evergreen will auto-adjust the shelving location to the correct branch.

6. Once you're satisfied you have correctly set all your attributes, click Save & Exit to save your changes.