Basic Check In Checklist

1)      Check mailing label for ‘Serials Department’ or current or former Content Services Employees' names.Especially watch for labels addressed to specific personnel in other departments of the library; it may be a personal copy.

2)      Search Journal Title in Sierra.If not found, use a Title Search, Keyword, ISSN, or Author Search (the name of the organization publishing the journal often gets results). If still not found, check the HSD. If not on HSD, follow the no record procedures.

3)      Verify title, volume, issue number, and cover date on the piece with the check-in card to ensure you are in the correct record. It may also be necessary to review the bibliographic record to confirm you are in the correct record.

4)      Read all record notes, both in the check-in record and any box notes, paying attention for special check-in directions; for example, when you need to create an item record.If you find a note you have not seen before and/or are unsure of how to proceed, STOP and ask.

5)      Review item for:

• Any loose mailers or advertisements inside the item that can be discarded, or ads on the front that can be easily removed.
• Any glued-in items, some of which can be discarded (advertisements), but some may be journal supplements that will be checked in.
• Any scented product samples that should be removed.
• Check for any loose indices or supplements.
• Once a year, preferably in the first issue of a volume or year, look for frequency changes, publishing schedule changes, or changes in enumeration/cover date pattern. Continue to be mindful of these possible changes throughout the year.
• Check for title changes and alternate titles.
• Watch for skipped issues.
• Watch for a box showing that an issue has been claimed (and resolving the claim if it's the claimed issue).
• Review item for incorrect cover dates or enumeration.
• Evaluate for damages and flaws.

6)      Once you have completed the above steps, check the serial in. The check-in process can involve several different types of situations, but the most common, basic steps for almost all check-in are highlighting the issue box, clicking the check-in button, and printing labels to apply to the issue.

7)      Review for any extrapolation note and take care when you use the function: update boxes as a group to update the expected date.

8)      Add or modify boxes if need be, keeping in mind:

• For instance, if you need to change the enumeration and/or date because you're checking in a double issue that was previously expected as a single issue, make sure the next box correctly reflects the next date/issue after the current one.
• Add or extrapolate boxes for the next volume or year if it's soon.
• For certain titles such as newspapers, you may need to copy/create a new check-in card, to avoid splitting one volume or a year between two check-in records.
• If you notice something that should be monitored in the future; for example, if the issue or an accompanying letter mentions a supplement that will arrive with the next issue, add notes to the check-in record and/or check-in box to remind yourself or whomever may be doing the check-in for the next issue of what to look for.
• Delete any boxes and update notes for discarded limited retention items or supplements.
• See the Receiving Specialist or your supervisor if you have questions.When in doubt, always look for previous patterns to the check-in card and follow said patterns. If you still have concerns or need clarification, ask your supervisor or coworker for help.

9)    Review the bib record for any URLs in the 856 field. Check these for functionality and report any issues to the eResources Specialist.

10)    Save!!!After checking an item in, to ensure that the claim-on date properly updates, ALWAYS save while still in the card. If the save button is greyed out, use Ctrl+E and Enter to make it available.

11)    Go back to the record display.Review the CLAIMON date for accuracy (expected date of next issue + days before claim). Check payment type and location. Record the information on your statistics sheet.

12)    Label the item.(Pay attention to ARKCO titles as they require special labeling instructions).

13)   Close out of the record when you no longer need to be in the record in the LMS.

Included are lists for high frequency titles and newspapers that we currently receive at our library.

Below you will find a guide to commonly used abbreviations that you will run into as you navigate through check-in records and boxes in Sierra. These will also pop up in correspondence (post-it notes, instant messages, e-mail, etc.).