Receiving Specialist Overview:

Receiving involves the reception of print serials (both continuation and periodical) in all formats, checking-in library materials, and then processing them for the libraries.

Receiving Responsibilities:

This entails working in the LMS, various platforms, and using various technology tools to complete a variety of procedures:

• Review and confirm the correct title, publisher, enumeration, and cover date information.
• Physically process materials according to procedures.
• Process standing orders as well as processing accompanying invoices.
• Keep accurate accounting of physical format and non-print format statistics.
• Assist with processing indices and supplements.
• Assist in stamping, stripping, and processing materials to be shelf-ready.
• Support follow-up with any shipping issues for print titles.
• Create and review weekly claiming lists associated with subscription agency titles.Creating lists weekly to determine which issues need to be claimed.
• Handle claims for print titles via the subscription agents’ platforms or as instructed.Contacting the appropriate vendor/publisher to acquire materials on the lists.
• Ensuring that damaged and skipped issues are replaced by vendors/publishers.
• Notifying Acquisitions of subscription extensions, possible payment issues, replacement decisions needed, etc.
• Coordinating the acquisition of gift titles with the maintenance position by contacting the publisher to request gift subscriptions.
• Renewing gift subscriptions at the proper time.
• Review payment records.
• Search and examine publisher web sites and vendor platforms for pertinent information related to publishing and distribution schedules.
• Communicate with vendors and publishers in the acquisition of claimed issues.
• Contact vendors and publishers regarding questions about changes or abnormalities in expected issues including any questions about indices, supplements, special enumerations, frequency changes, delays, suspensions, estimated dates of publication, etc.
• Record, communicate, and implement responses.
• Reviewing emails daily to update records after claiming with the vendor/publisher.
• Coordinating the exchange of particular titles between our library and partner libraries.
  • Maintaining an Access database of exchange partners and publications.
  • Verifying annually that exchanges are current.
  • When necessary, coordinating the mailing of publications to partners by use of Microsoft Word/Excel to maintain lists and print mailing labels.
  • Delivering material with proper paperwork to Shipping and Receiving.
• Perform record maintenance as needed as well as maintaining the validity of online bibliographic and check-in records.
• Assist library personnel who may need to know about notifications and changes in order to update various records in the LMS.
• Coordinate with many departments, units, and divisions across Mullins Library and the four branches to accomplish goals, projects, and tasks.
• Capturing electronic issues for archival purposes. Assist in the management and creation of physical reproductions in print or other formats for specific materials that may be received only in electronic formats.
• Notify the team of any changes such as drops, ceased subscriptions, frequency changes, etc. Also work on processing these changes.Process added, changed, and dropped titles. Assist with basic cataloging functions including processing frequency changes and transfers for print titles by modifying the appropriate bibliographic, check-in, item, or OCLC holding records. Assist the Cataloging Team with obtaining and editing of bibliographic records from OCLC Connexion. Assist with other basic cataloging functions as assigned. Participate in record maintenance for regular, irregular, and complex titles including the creation, modification, and deletion of all serial record types. Assist with basic cataloging functions including frequency changes and transfers.
• Review and troubleshoot unknown titles; evaluate for discard or addition to the library. Manage serials holding shelves: one time add, no record, unbound duplicates, continuations duplicates, and other miscellaneous holding areas.
• Coordinate and process serials-related donations for the library.
• Supervise and support the Content Services student worker positions. Train or organize training for the student workers as appropriate. Monitor the trainees and determine that the tasks are performed within the specified time. Answer questions from student workers pertaining to duties as assigned. Backup student workers during absences or as needed to meet deadlines. Evaluate and provide feedback to student workers based on job performance. During a training or backup period, the percentage of time spent on this duty area may increase to 40-80%.