Materials Selection and the Acquisition Process

While materials selection is among the most exciting work in a library, it also involves a number of important clerical functions.  Failure to accurately carry out these clerical tasks can result in unintentional duplication of materials.

Checking the catalog.  Most materials reviewed in current review sources have been published within the previous year, but materials found in other sources may be somewhat older.  In either case, all materials selected for addition to the collection should be checked against the materials in the catalog to assure that they are not already in the collection.

On-order file.  The library should also maintain an on-order file that records all the items that have been ordered and not yet received or cataloged.  All materials selected for the collection should be added to the on-order file as they are ordered.  Materials that are selected are also checked against the on-order file to make sure that they have not already been ordered.  This is especially important when there is more than one person selecting materials, but even when a single person is making selections, s/he may forget that an item has already been ordered.

Automation and acquisitions.  In the past the two processes outlined above were quite time consuming, as they involved both filing and searching in paper card files.  Automation of these files using computer databases has saved time and removed much of the tedium from the acquisitions process.  Better automation acquisition systems allow both the catalog and the on-order file to be searched at the same time.