Our Approval profile with Coutts is the primary source for new print books coming into the library. We receive a weekly shipment from Coutts that is shelf-ready. We receive MARC records & purchase order and invoice information electronically for these orders weekly. The books are arranged for collection manager review. Books are reviewed for inclusion in CMC, Reference and Graphic Novel collections. Managers will flag the books that should be shelved in those locations. Once the cart review is completed, the books pass through the Coutts Copy Cataloging workflow. Books that pass have items made and are routed directly to Circulation. Books that fail are routed to Cataloging and/or Processing for correction.
The general workflow "Coutts Approval Shelf Ready Receiving Workflow" can be found here: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\Coutts Approval
The specific copy cataloging workflow can be found here: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Copy Cataloging Manual
We receive some approval titles from Coutts/Ingram in electronic format (on the MyiLibrary platform) as opposed to print, if the ebook is available within eight (8) weeks of the print version's publication. These are known as "E-Preferred Approvals," or E02s in Acq parlance. They are not to be confused with E01s (MyiLibrary ebook firm orders) or E00s (MyiLibrary Patron-Driven e-Acquisitions).
For the time being, e-preferred applies only to certain fund codes: 17 (Communication); 19 (Economics); 21 (Education); 33 (International Studies); 37 (Language & Foreign Studies); 38 (Linguistics); and 53 (Government). This is likely to expand eventually.
A brief summary of the workflow:
- We receive email notification of ebook access. This email will include an Excel spreadsheet with a list of titles and URLs, among other information.
- We then receive an email with a PDF invoice attached. There is not always a 1:1 correspondence between Excel files and invoices--sometimes one invoice is spread over several Excel sheets. If this is the case, condense them into one file to match the invoice.
- Simultaneous to sending the invoice email, Coutts/Ingram uploads a MARC record file to the FTP server. There should ALWAYS be a 1:1 correspondence between this file and the invoice.
- Once the three pieces are in place, the records are imported through Web Admin on the AUCTSEAP profile, creating an Approval PO, which is approved and then received, line item by line item, as you check that the URLs work and flip through the ebook a little to make sure everything looks good.
- Electronic invoices come in the weekly XXXaua.edi file. Go to the EDI tab in Voyager Acquisitions and search by Message Number for one equal to the Invoice Number. If it's in Voyager but not loaded, do so, making any necessary edits (or relinking if required), and saving but NOT approving it. Write the PO # and "loaded" on the invoice and give to the Acquisitions Coordinator to approve and send to AP.
- After that, go back and copy-catalog each line item [a detailed workflow is forthcoming from Cataloging], sending anything questionable on to the Cataloging unit.
More correctly called "pre-processed", these Firm Orders are considered Shelf Ready because they come with the spine label/call number attached and they have a bar code placed in the back of them already. Firm Shelf Ready orders are unpacked, assembled on a truck in alphabetical invoice order, matched with the invoice and then received into Voyager Acquisitions. As they are being assembled look at the cards inside of the book and on the 'Receiving Report' to see what notes might be written to see what flags (i.e. Reference, CMC, Notify/Hold, etc,) might the book need placed in it. After they are received they are then placed on the Shelf Ready Firm Order Cataloging Shelf for Cataloging for Cataloging to review them. There are no orders to pull from the PO file for these Firm Orders because the order information is received electronically. The invoice that corresponds with the order is then given to the Receiving Coordinator for review.
The workflow for these orders can be found at
I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\Coutts Firms\Coutts EDI Receiving Workflow.docx
Unpack the books, assemble them in invoice alphabetical order, and pull the PO from the YBP/Coutts PO file. Pay close attention to the notes written on the order in case the order needs a (Notify, Notify/Hold, Rush Flag). Check the items to make sure that they match what's on the invoice and then receive the books.
The workflow for ordering non shelf-ready through Coutts OASIS can be found here:
I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Non-Shelf Ready Ordering\Placing Non-Shelf-Ready Firm book orders on Coutts OASIS.docx
The workflow for these orders can be found at
I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Receiving\Firm Order Books.doc
In 2013, we commenced a pilot program through Coutts/Ingram for a new acquisitions model called Print Purchase on Demand. It is similar to the Patron-Driven Acquisitions program we previously set up for MyiLibrary ebooks. In this pilot, MARC records for titles by select publishers, which would otherwise be provided to the collection managers as “slips,” are instead loaded into ALADIN and made available for order by clicking a link within the catalog record (similar to the way one places a CLS request), which then triggers a purchase request in a special OASIS queue (11100A04). This queue is checked daily, as these requests are meant to be prioritized and filled as quickly as possible. Once a ratifier has processed the order in OASIS, Coutts rush-processes and ships it. From there, it is treated similarly to a normal Coutts firm shelf-ready order, from record download to PO creation and approval to receiving, invoicing, and processing.
A brief, bullet-point summary of the workflow lives here: file: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\Coutts Print Patron Driven Acquisitions Project\Patron Driven Print A04 workflow - BRIEF
The complete, point-by-point pPDA Acq workflow document lives here: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\Coutts Print Patron Driven Acquisitions Project/pPDA Acq Workflow
In the event that a record (or records) in the weekly file fails the bulk import process, the fix-it procedure is described here: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\What to Do if an ePDA or pPDA Record Fails Bulk Import
This program offers the titles that would be all slips from the print approval profile in the catalog as e-book access on demand in the catalog. A patron clicking though to the content twice triggers our purchase. These ebooks are single user (SUPO) by default.
We receive a monthly batch of MyiLibrary ebook records from Coutts/Ingram that are loaded into the catalog but not outright owned by the library. A purchase is triggered automatically if a book is accessed twice. (That is, the patron clicks the URL in the catalog record and actually opens the book to which it directs them. Merely viewing the catalog record, no matter how many times, will not result in an automatic purchase.)
These are known in Acq parlance as "ePDA titles," or E00s. They are not to be confused with E01s (MyiLibrary ebook firms) or E02s (MyiLibrary e-preferred approvals).
So how can you tell what we own and what we don't? Easy: Check the location. If you're viewing the record in ALADIN, switch from Detail to MARC view. Scroll down until you find the 852b subfield. If it says aumyilib, you are looking at an unpurchased ePDA title. If it says auebook, then we own that title.
The purchased titles are invoiced monthly and are deducted from our deposit account. Stacey receives a spreadsheet of titles and an invoice. She creates a dummy invoice in Voyager against a generic line item on AU146615.
The ePDA workflow document lives here: file: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\Coutts Ebooks\How to load MyiLibrary records for patron driven ebooks from Coutts
Note: These titles are occasionally subject to publisher withdrawal, although in the event of a purchase, we retain perpetual access and ownership.
In the event that a record (or records) in the monthly file fails the bulk import process, the fix-it procedure is described here: I:\AU Technical Services Department\Acquisitions Unit\Coutts\What to Do if an ePDA or pPDA Record Fails Bulk Import
Firm ebook orders are handled in Oasis in much the same way as print firms: Selectors add them to the Awaiting Ratification queue, and a specialist (generally Chris) goes through and moves them from the shared Acq queue into his own for processing. The major difference is in the order info itself: Depending on the platform (MyiLibrary, Ebsco, EBL), the loan type should be one of the following:
11100E01 (MyiLibrary)
11100E20 (Ebsco)
11100E50 (EBL)
The location should be auebook and the fund code should be xxE-EBOOK. As with print firms, hold/notify notes can be embedded in the order, although technically speaking we can really only notify the patron once the title is available, as we can't physically "hold" an electronic book.
If the title is available through MyiLibrary, that is the preferred platform. If not, EBSCO is preferable to EBL because while MyiL and EBSCO offer both single- and multi-user access models, EBL only offers non-linear lending, which puts a cap on the number of times a title can be accessed per year. Only choose EBL if the title is not available on either the MyiL or EBSCO platforms. (Alternatively, consider ordering through YBP, which offers titles on the EBSCO and Ebrary platforms in addition to EBL.
Checkout is also largely the same for firm ebooks as it is for print firms: Download a set of provisional MARC records for PO creation and then place the order. If you are processing titles for more than one platform, separate them into batches and process each group individually. In other words, MyiLs with MyiLs, EBSCOs with EBSCOs, etc. Bulk-import the provisional records through Web Admin to create the PO, then approve it.
Coutts will then send an Excel file listing the titles to which we now have access, followed by a PDF invoice. Coutts will upload a set of enhanced replacement records for each invoice to the FTP server. Bulk-import these to overlay the provisional records on the PO, then go through each PO line item by line item and receive them: Add item records and switch the 856u in the bib record to 856x, then save to update the record. Pull it up in ALADIN and click on the link (only one link should display if you've edited the 856). Make sure it opens to the right book, and that the MyiL ID number in the URL string matches the one on the Excel sheet, then receive it on the PO. Send Chris Whiteman a copy of the Excel file to update the ERM, and also paste it into the appropriate folder for copy cataloging: I:\Information Delivery Services\Cataloging Services Unit\E-Books\eBOOKS 2014\June (or whatever month and year the invoice is from).
Henry, Claire, or Chris will claim files as they are posted for copy cataloging. Chris will email any patrons requesting to be notified when the ebook is available.
Occasionally a publisher will pull a title from MyiLibrary and we no longer have access to it. (This applies to unpurchased titles provided in the monthly ePDA load. In the case of a firm or approval order, where we purchase the title outright, we will retain perpetual access regardless.)
Coutts Ingram (or MyiLibrary) will send a list (usually an Excel sheet) of titles to pull. If there are 25 or less, Chris will manually delete them. (Search each title, then delete item record, followed by the holding, and then finally the bib record.)
If there are more than 25, Bobby will run a macro which will complete this process automatically. (Chris also has the macro software and can perform this task if Bobby is not around or otherwise indisposed.)