Presentation at Innovative Users Group conference, Anaheim CA, May 2009

1. Streamlining the acquisitions process
Mieko Yamaguchi · Flora Lewis · Bangor University
Why do it yourself?
May 17 - 20, 2009

2. Outline of presentation
Background
What we do and why
Innovative products we use
How we do it – step by step
Advantages
Challenges
Questions?

3. Automating acquisitions at Bangor
Innopac/Millennium library since 1994
Electronic invoices for serials since 1981
Output invoice data to university finance
system on previous system
Devolved book budget
Book selection mostly by Faculty
Faculty library representatives as primary
contacts with the library

5. In the old days …

7. Library staff had to be
detectives and handwriting
experts to order books!

8. Problems of “old method”
Faculty had to fill out
request forms
Handwritten
requests had to be
deciphered
Details typed into
Millennium
Most orders were
sent electronically to
vendors – to be
keyed again?

9. Factors affecting need for change
‘Lean’ library operation
Request by University management to
‘automate’ book ordering
Tools to aid book selection
Eliminate paper trail
Some parts of the process already
‘automated’

10. Products and services used
Extended Approval Plan Interface (409)
Electronic Ordering (Edifact) via File
Transfer (408C)
Output Accounting Information (414)
WebBridge
Blackwell Collection Manager
PromptCat (OCLC)

11. Extended Approval Plan Interface
Load selection list records from
vendor’s database
Bib and order records created
Send confirmation order electronically
Receive bib, item & invoice data from
vendor
Bib and order records overlaid and
updated
Item records created

17. Creating and sending orders
Retrieve approved
requests
Load requests to
Millennium
Bib & order created
Review reports for
duplicates, etc.
Send confirmation
electronic orders to
vendor

22. Import CM records into Millennium

28. Sending electronic orders to Blackwell

32. Downloading PromptCat records
with Blackwell invoice data

33. Receiving process
OCLC notification
email
Shipment arrives
OCLC files retrieved
Files loaded in
Import Invoices
Bib records overlaid,
invoice data added
to orders, item
records created

38. Load PromptCat records into Millennium

46. Output accounting information

55. 24943 VENNAMEblam b0372 Blackwell's Book Services Acc. 0065961 EUNW Beaver
House Hythe Bridge Street Oxford OX1 2ET ---d
24943 1926342ligbo3b50-117-561 05-03-0822-02-0820492355 2044 0
0 0 0 0 -23990a001 copies blam b0372 Blackwell's
Book Services
24943 1926391ligbo3b50-117-561 05-03-0822-02-0820492355 1477 0
0 0 0 0 -17990a001 copies blam b0372 Blackwell's
Book Services
24944 VENNAMEblam b0372 Blackwell's Book Services Acc. 0065961 EUNW Beaver
House Hythe Bridge Street Oxford OX1 2ET ---d
24944 1926469nugbo3b50-131-561 05-03-0822-02-0820492358 4574 0
0 0 0 0 -55980a002 copies blam b0372
Blackwell's Book Services
24944 1926482engbo3b50-111-561 05-03-0822-02-0820492358 7310 0
0 0 0 0 -90000a001 copies blam b0372
Blackwell's Book Services
24944 1926457hpgbo3b50-127-561 05-03-0822-02-0820492358 2044 0
0 0 0 0 -24990a001 copies blam b0372
Blackwell's Book Services
Sample output file

56. Status reports

62. Benefits to faculty/selector
New title info according to profile
Email or online lists at chosen intervals
Ability to track progress of requests
Assists with control of book budget
Book selection by “committee”

63. Benefits to library service
Saves staff time
– less keying
– less checking
– no copy cataloging
– partially shelf-ready books
– item records created
Frees staff for more complex work
Improves overall service

64. Challenges
Full shelf-ready books not possible due
to multiple classification schemes
Selling CM to sceptical Faculty members
Need to review user profiles, workflow
Titles not on Collection Manager
Cumbersome file transfer procedures

65. Any questions?
– Mieko Yamaguchi
m.yamaguchi@bangor.ac.uk
– Flora Lewis
f.lewis@bangor.ac.uk