POLICY:
This policy covers only published monographic items. When requesting serial titles or volumes, staff should contact the Serials Department at extension 55414. When requesting theses and dissertations, library staff should contact the T&D cataloger (x54810).
1. Placing requests: Requests may be placed in three ways:
a. Staff member or patron uses the catalog “Request This Item” button. This button displays when the status is either “on order” or “in process”. The form includes the patron name and ID number in order for the User Services Department to place the hold. After the patron information is verifies and the hold is placed, the information is forwarded to Cataloging Acquisitions staff with the departmental email, rrequest@uark.edu for processing.
b. Staff members in ILL may request RUSH orders. ILL staff will send all the appropriate information with the departmental email, rrequest@uark.edu.
c. If a patron is insistent that the book is needed during the same day, Monday through Friday and the patron is requesting an “in process” book, library staff may email rrequest@uark.edu.
2. RUSH Orders: Acquisitions staff will fill the orders, which are forwarded by ILL and User Services department staff. Acquisitions staff will search and order the item when the item has been published and when the item is appropriate to add to University Libraries collections. When it is determined that the item is appropriate and available, an email reply will be sent to ILL and the appropriate User Services staff. If the appropriateness of the item is questionable, the Head of Acquisitions will make the decision to order or not order the item. If the decision is not to order, an email reply will be sent informing staff that the item cannot be ordered. If the price of the item is exorbitant, the subject selector will be asked to review the purchase consulting the patron as needed.
A response may be expected from Acquisitions within 24 hours. The RUSH label is assigned the highest priority in the Acquisitions Unit.
3. RUSH Cataloging: Acquisitions staff will notify copy catalogers when a request has been received for an “in process” status item. The book will be found and the processing completed within 24 hours, Monday-Thursday. If the request is received on Friday, the book will be cataloged by the following Monday. If the book cannot be found, acquisitions staff will send an email reply to ILL or User Services staff to notify the patron that further searching is needed or to notify the patron that the book is missing.
4. If a staff member from other ILL or User Services departments comes into the Cataloging Acquisitions Department with rush requests, ask them to give you the appropriate information and let them know that they will have a response within the stated time limits for rush processing. Then, remind the person that the appropriate procedure is to send the request through email account rrequest@uark.edu.
If a librarian or staff member from other departments comes into the Cataloging Acquisitions Department with a request to RUSH order or RUSH catalog and item, ask them to give you the appropriate information and let them know that they will have a response within the stated time limits for rush processing. Then, remind the person that the appropriate procedure is to send the information to the ILL or User Services departments with the “Request This Item” button. If any staff member has questions about this procedure, refer the person to the Head of Content Services.
PROCEDURES:
1. Staff from ILL and User Services departments will send the rush requests to the departmental email account, rrequest@uark.edu. The rrequest email account should be checked at least twice daily.
2. If Acquisitions staff place a new rush order, so that it is "RUSH" from the beginning:
a. The order note field is coded R for "RUSH"
b. The order type field is coded R for "RUSH" unless it is being ordered with the p-card, which means it's W for "pre-paid"
c. The receive action field is coded C for "rush cataloging." Any of the codes other than the hyphen used in this field caused the order number to show up red on screen so as to attract more attention.
3. RUSH cataloging for “in process” status books:
a. Cataloging staff will locate the book and complete the processing of the book. If a staff member is not available, please consult the Head of Acquisitions or the Head of Content Services.
b. First search the item in the catalog, determine whether the item has been cataloged and whether the item has an item or order record. The search for the book is determined by the type of order and when the item record has been created:
The order record status will be “a” (fully paid)
Have a received date
Shelf ready books may be identified the vendor code “1yke” in the order record.
Gift books are identified by the icode2 “g” in the item record (there will be no order record).
If the book is not in the most likely shelf/work area, then the best order to search is the book trucks waiting for labeling, problem/question shelves.
If the book has no available bib record, turn the rush book over to the appropriate cataloger.
4. RUSH cataloging for “on order” status books:
a. After the receipt of the email request, edit the order record.
NOTE: If it is a request from a patron via the User Services Desk or a Selector for a title which is already on order and so by appears in the catalog, the delivery can no longer be rushed, but cataloging can still be rushed.
Change the receive action field to C as above, A for "attention," or N for "notify," as stated earlier, any will change the order number to red so the receiving person's attention will be drawn to it.
Enter a note, 2/3/06 NOTIFY: Joe Smooh; if the name came from the User Services Desk we note that; if it came from a selector, we put in whatever contact information we are given, such as, patron name, ID number, and email address, if available so that User Services staff may notify the patron. The order record will note that the item will be cataloged as a RUSH. (Full procedures are found under the Acquisitions procedure “Rush Codes”.
b. Appropriate procedures will be followed to complete the receipt of the book. Verify that this is the correct edition and that the item is in good condition (not damaged or missing pages). Enter the receipt date, enter initials in a note field, and make a printout. Flag the item RUSH. Also flag any supplements separately as RUSH.
c. Books will then go directly to cataloging staff for rush cataloging. If they are not available, give the book to the Head of Acquisitions or the Head of Content Services. The procedures in Step 3 will be followed.
11/3/2005 – clc
3/2/2006 rev. –clc
12/2012 rev. mag
12/2018 rev. mag
10/2019 rev. mag