Ordering materials

After materials are requested by patrons and/or selected by the library staff, orders must be placed. Most libraries deal with various jobbers, who provide a variety of library materials at a discounted cost to the library. Two well-known examples are Baker and Taylor and The Ingram Company. These jobbers are able to buy items directly from the publisher or producer at a reduced cost and then will pass on some of this discount to the libraries that purchase from them. These jobbers make available books and many non-book items in one order, reducing the library staff time. Libraries can purchase materials directly from book stores, who will often also give a discount on the purchase. This option works well when a library needs materials quickly, or when the order being put together is a small one. Many libraries have extensive collections of magazines for their patrons use. Jobbers are also available to handle magazine and journal subscriptions for a library, so that library staff does not constantly have to keep track of renewals.

When an order is being assembled, it is important to make sure that the bibliographic information for each item being requested is correct. This can be double checked through many possible sources. Books in Print is available in printed or on-line versions and contains most of the books currently in print. Many libraries will use the online catalogs of other libraries, or sources such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble online to quickly verify bibliographic information. Online sources can be particularly useful for non-book items being ordered. It is important to provide accurate information when sending an order out of the library, as the vendor will be able to more quickly process the order, and the library will not be wasting the vendor’s time with poor information.

Once an order has been prepared, the library must be sure to keep a copy of the materials order. Many libraries make an entry in their catalog for items on order, so that patrons will be aware of materials that will be coming in, and so that library staff checking for materials on hand will be aware of items that will be arriving soon.

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