OVERVIEW: 

Routed journals are serials publications that are checked in, but sent to library personnel before being sent to general circulation. Routing allows library faculty and staff to get a first look at a particular publication.

The following pages provide information regarding routing procedures.

PLEASE READ: UPDATE ON ROUTING MODULE IN SIERRA (8/14/17):

After the Spring 2017 Sierra update, Sierra users noticed errors while in the Routing Module. One can go into the Routing Module to make changes, however, in order to get out of the Routing Module to return to other modules in Sierra you have to close out of Sierra by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete, ending the task in Windows Task Manager, then restarting Sierra.

If you must make changes in the Routing Module, please report them to the Receiving Specialist.

Adding/Deleting a Routee

Note: This procedure is protected with Sierra access restrictions. You must be granted the necessary permissions in Sierra before being able to complete the procedure.

There are two ways to add or delete a routee to/from publication: 

• Using the journal title to add/delete a routee
• Using the participant's routing card to add/delete journals routing to them.

Using the journal title to add/delete 

• Search Sierra for the journal you wish to add a person to. After clicking on the journal, select the Routing Tab (after Holdings).

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• You can see that this journal routes to 1 participant with the initials dej. (Routing uses initials to identify routing participants, with the last name first. It is often easier to search through the entire the alphabetized routing list than to try to figure out what initials a staffer is listed under).

• You can use the large Add and Delete buttons to alter the routed journal participants.  

  • To delete a participant, select their initials and then delete button.

  • To add participants, click the Add button. This will pull up the routing screen. Search for their initials. If their initials are not available you may need to create a new routing record.

  • Select the participant you wish to add. This will open their routing record, allowing you to see which journals they are currently receiving from routing, and allow you to alter their routing card. To add them to the journal, Select Use this Routing. Review the routing the routing tab to make sure they have been added. Then click save.

Using the participant's routing card to add/delete journals routing to them.

• Select FUNCTION: Routing 
• Type in the initials of the person wishing to have a journal routed to them. (Determining which initials a person is identified under in the system can be tricky. It can easier to select them from the complete routing list).
• With their routing card open you can see which journals they currently have routed to them, as well as add or delete a journal.

• Do a search for the journal you wish to use.
• Click on the journal, and click on the Copy1 box, select Use.

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• Review their routed card to see that the journal was added, then click save.

Note: On occasion, when trying to add a person to a routed journal, you may encounter a "the record is currently busy" error. If this occurs, contact Beth Juhl (bjuhl@uark.edu) to have the record unlocked by III.

Creating New Routing Records

If a staff member or library faculty member wishes to have a journal routed to them, but a search of the routing participants does not yield their name/initials, it may be necessary to create a new routing record for that employee.

To create a new routing record:

• While in the FUNCTION: Routing , select the new Icon>>in the Add New Record-New Routing box, fill in the necessary information.
• Never use capital letters in field i.For routing field i: use first two letters of last name and first letter of first name. Example: yoj for Juana Young.
  • If new user of routing, prefer to use first two letters of last name with first letter of first name.
    • ​If not unique, use initials.
    • If still not unique, use first letter of last name and first two letters of first name.
    • If still not unique, use first three letters of name. 
• Record should always include the following:
  • ​i. Initials: example: lil
  • n Name: example: Lindsey, Lisa
  • p Priority: example: 0 (usually 0).
  • s Short Location: example: SER
  • a Address: example: $$
  • j Journal Count: This will go up based on how many journals the person has routed to them.

If no position clicked, initials added onto end of the routing list.

Priority, which determines where they are placed on the routing list, should usually be set to 0. The SHORT ADDRESS field corresponds to the department (and sometimes the department plus room number) where the routee can be found. ADDRESS1 can provide further detail, but is usually filled with the $$ placeholders. Once you have filled out the necessary information, click Save.With the new record created, you can proceed to adding journals for the recipient.

Completed example: 

Preparing a Journal for Routing: 

When you receive a routed journal, check in the issue and label it normally. A routing slip should print with the check-in labels (If a routing slip does not print with the check-in labels, right click on the issue box, select Box Menu, and then print routing slip (Alt-O)).

*****CAUTION: Occasionally a slip will print with information missing because the font is too big for the label to contain all of the information, or the positioning of the text will be off. Sometimes re-printing the label will work, but occasionally it is necessary to change the font size to where it fits (in Sierra, go to File > Select Printer > Label Printer > Local Printer > Format) and re-print the label, ensuring that all the information is contained. Be sure to change the font size back to the usual size after re-printing.

1) Attach the routing slip to a 3x5 index card. If you need to print another routing slip, right click on any of the check-in boxes, select Box Menu, and print routing slip (alt-O).

2) Attach the index card to the top of the cover page of the issue using a small binder clip.

3) Place the routed journal in the Routed Journals Basket without stamping or stripping (the journal will be stamped and stripped when it has returned from routing).

Special Cases: 

Routed Journal Contains Sup(s): If a routed journal contains supplements, follow the general supplement procedures. Once the sups and periodical are ready for circulation, place the periodical and sup(s) in a manila envelope. Attach the routing slip with a 3x5 index card to the front of the envelope with a staple. Write: Routed Journal and then the number of items the envelope contains and then place the envelope in the routed journals basket. This will help ensure that supplements are not lost during the routing process. When the journal and sup(s) return from routing, discard the envelope.

Routed Journal routes first to someone in our department: If the first routee of a journal is someone in our department, prep the routed the journal as usual, but instead of placing the journal in the routed journals basket, deliver the item directly to the recipient in our department.

Through Routing Basket Procedures:

• Content Services Work Study and Hourly Employees are responsible for checking the "through routing" basket and this task is part of their daily duties. The back up for the basket is the Receiving Specialist.

• Exception: If you see issue(s) of The New York Times Book Review in the "journals through routing" basket, it will not go through the "through routing" procedures. Please place these issues in the Binding basket immediately. Only this title will go through the "discard area (Binding)" procedures" after coming back from routing.
• If you do NOT see this title in the "through routing" basket, please follow the instructions below.

When a Publication Returns from Routing:

• Routed journals are publications sent to library personnel before being sent into general circulation.
• Keep in mind that routed journals are never security stripped while they are being routed. We do this so library personnel can have the option to take the issue home with them and it will not beep at the gate. However, it is very important to add a security strip to the issue once it comes back from routing.
• When a journal returns from routing, shipping and receiving personnel or the routee will place it in the "journals through routing" basket.
• Checking the "journals through routing" basket is part of your daily duties so please check the basket during your work shift to see if any journals have been placed in the basket.

Where is the "journals through routing" basket located?

• Serials has 4 baskets. "Routed journals" basket, "Serials outgoing mail" basket, "journals through routing" basket, and the "Binding" basket.
• The "journals through routing" basket is next to the "Binding" basket on the lower shelf. Please see the image below.
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For each journal returned:

• Remove the binder clip and the 3x5 index card with the routing label from the front cover of the issue.
• Place the binder clip and the 3x5 index card with the routing label on the Receiving Specialist's desk. The specialist will reuse these materials.
• Either search by journal title or call number in Sierra.
• Go to the check in record. Make sure you go to the correct check in record with the correct location. Also make sure the check in card has the corresponding box with the same enumeration/cover date of the issue in hand. If you are unsure of which check in record to use or can’t find what you are looking for, please ask your supervisor for help.
• Once you find the correct box, you will add a staff note in the box. It will say "Through routing (date/initials)".
• If you notice that their is already a staff note or notes in the staff note of the box, add your staff note right after the last staff note.
  • For example: (2/19/18 anm); Through routing (4/1/18 sd)

• Click "OK" and click on the "Save" button.
  • You might have to manually force the "Save" button to show up. In order to do that, click [Ctrl]+ [E]. Click "OK". Then click the "Save" button.
• The journal can then placed on the Serials processing table to receive a security strip and then be placed on its pick up shelf according to its location.

Journals that do not return from routing are usually discovered when the Binding Dept. are prepping issues to be sent to the Bindery and they cannot locate the issues. If the Binding Dept. asks for assistance in locating a routed journal, provide as much assistance as possible. If Serials and Binding are unable to locate the routed issue, it is probably best to go through the replacement copy procedures.

Also Inter-Library Loan and other library departments might possibly need a routed journal to supply to patrons but cannot locate it. In situations like this, provide as much assistance as possible. If Serials or other library departments are unable to locate the routed issue, it is probably best to look into ILL options at this point.