Labeling & Distribution Procedures
Prepared by Adela Crespin and Ryan Finnerty
November 27, 2006

Approved by MSD Unit Heads
December 5, 2006

Overview
Labeling & Distribution (L&D) labels and distributes most new materials processed in the Metadata Services Department.

In addition, the unit also verifies the correctness of certain data elements in the records: location codes, catalogers' initials, date of cataloging, and key fields from the bibliographic record. Even though L&D checks some of the online data, the correctness of the content and coding of the records is the responsibility of the catalogers. L&D's chief responsibility is to ensure that the materials are correctly labeled and they are delivered to the correct destination.

Table of Contents

Part 1 -- Processing Priorities

Part 2 -- Verifying Online Data

Part 3 -- Printing and Affixing Labels for Books

Part 4 -- Printing and Affixing Labels for Non-Book Materials

Part 5 -- Checking Labels and Gluing

Part 6 -- Distributing Finished Materials

Part 1 -- Processing Priorities

Catalogers place their materials on the L&D shelves according to library. Rush items (notifies, patron requests, reserves, and reference) are all placed on the rush shelf regardless of library. NOTE: Rush items are to be processed before all other materials.

All other materials should generally be processed according to the following chart. If a lower priority category (e.g. music scores) is piling up, then try to catch up with that category before processing other materials.

Part 2 -- Verifying Online Data

Pull a shelf of books for one library and put onto a cart. Turn on an L&D station, open Millennium, and when prompted, enter your initials.

• Scan the piece by barcode. Microfiche and microfilm will not have barcodes. Call up these formats by the call number which should be written with pencil on the pieces or found on an accompanying printout.
  
  
• If no record comes up, then search by title.
  
  
• If the barcode is lacking in the item record, then add it. If you can tell the the barcode online is meant to represent what is on the piece but it has a typo or is miscoded, then correct it. If the barcode online does not correspond with what is on the piece, then bounce it to the L&D supervisor.
  
  
• Find the title area on the piece (e.g. the title page for books) and verify the following bibliographic elements found online at the top of the screen. If these elements do not match what is on the piece, then bounce to the L&D supervisor.
  
  
  • AUTHOR
    • Since the form of name in this field will oftentimes differ from what is on the piece, you do not need to verify this field.
      
      
  • TITLE
    • Verify the main title and subtitle portions only. It is not necessary to verify the part after the forward slash "/" that restates the author information.
    • Disregard any information in square brackets.
    • Disregard any differences with accent marks between the piece and the online record.
    • Occasionally there will be two title fields. The first title is a special field known as a uniform title. Disregard this field and just verify the second title field.
    • Do not verify the title for DVDs and VHS tapes.*
      
      
  • EDITION
    • Verify that the edition matches. You might need to look other places (e.g. the verso of the title page) to find the edition statement.
    • If the edition statement reads "1st ed." online (or a non-English language equivalent) then you don't need to verify it on the piece.
    • Do not verify the edition for DVDs and VHS tapes.*
    • Not all materials will have an edition field.
      
      
  • LIBRARY
    • Verify that the library matches the streamer in the piece.
      
      
  • PUBLISHED
    • This field contains the place of publication, the publisher, and the date of publication or copyright date.
    • You only need to check the publisher and the date; checking the place of publication is not necessary.
    • Do not verify any distributor information.
    • Again, you might need to look at places other than the title area to find the data.
    • Do not verify the published field for DVDs and VHS tapes.*
      
      
  • DESCRIPTION
    • This field contains the physical description of the item. For books, it contains the number of pages (or the number of volumes if it is a multi-volume set), whether it has illustrations, and the height of the book. Other materials will have different descriptions, e.g. 1 CD-ROM, 1 map, 1 videodisc, etc.
    • For books, check the number of pages at the end of the book and see if they match what is in the field. They may vary by up to 3 pages. Do not verify the preliminary pagination at the beginning of the book (e.g. xxxvi p.). Also, do not verify the illustrations and height.
    • For other materials, verify that the description matches what the item is, e.g. videodisc for DVDs, etc. Do not verify the other elements of the field such as whether it has sound, color, or the dimensions of the item.
      
      
  • CAT DATE
    • This field is actually located in the bibliographic record. Hit F11 to go into the bibliographic record.
    • Verify that the CAT DATE has a value in the field.
    • If it is blank, then bounce book to supervisor.
    • Hit F12 to go back to the item record.
    • The CAT DATE is the only element you need to check in the bibliographic record.
      
      
      
• Verify the item record data found in the table in the middle of the screen. Bounce any discrepancies to the L&D supervisor.
  
  
  • C
    • This is the copy number of the item; do a quick check to make sure that it isn't extraordinarily high (e.g. 31822).
      
      
  • LOC
    • Verify that the location corresponds with the streamer and what's in the LIBRARY field.
      
      
  • I TYPE
    • This is a numeric code that tells you what type of material it is. Verify that it matches what you have in hand. The most common codes are:
      • 0 -- monographs
      • 4 -- serials
      • 12 -- microfilm
      • 17 -- scores
      • 61 -- DVDs
    • A complete list of codes can be found here
      
      
      
• Verify the item record data found at the bottom of the screen under the table. Bounce any discrepancies to the L&D supervisor.
  
  
  • Call Number
    • This field begins with a "c" and is followed by a numeric tag. If there is no numeric tag, then bounce.
    • For BML and MCL the first three digits of the numeric tag should be either 060, 096, or 099.
    • For all other libraries, the first three digits of the numeric tag should be either 050, 090, or 099.
      
      
  • Volume
    • This field begins with a "v" and is follow by the numeric tag "945"
    • Verify that volume number in the field matches what you have in hand.
    • The data is in coded form and should begin with either |e, |d, or |u. For example, "|e1" means Volume 1.
    • Most records will not have this field.
      
      
  • Message
    • This field begins with an "m" and is NOT followed by a numeric tag.
    • If the field reads "CHECK FOR DISC" (or similar text), then check the front and back of the book for a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM in a pocket. Verify that the call number is written on the disc, that there is a copyright notice sticker near the pocket, and that there is a bright pink CD/DVD-ROM streamer in the book.
    • Occasionally there will be other types of accompanying material detailed in this field, such as a map. Verify that the call number is written on the piece but don't worry about copyright stickers or streamers.
    • If the message says to give to a person, then bounce book to the L&D supervisor.
      
      
  • Cataloger's Note
    • This field begins with an "x" and is NOT followed by a numeric tag.
    • The note begins with "cat" and is followed by the month and year, e.g. catOCT06;abc;1;COP
    • If there is no cataloger's note in the record, then check the copy number, the volume number, and the LIBRARY field. If the copy or volume numbers are greater than 1, then do not bounce. If the LIBRARY field contains more than one library, then do not bounce.
    • Sometimes there will be notes in this field that are not catalogers' notes--this is okay.
      
      
• Instructions for Chinese, Japanese, & Korean (CJK) and other non-roman materials
  
  
  • For books, the cataloger will write the romanized form of the title on the title page. Verify that the written title matches what is online. For non-book formats, you do not need to verify the title.
  • Note that the title page can be found in either the front or back of the book.
  • You do not need to verify the author, edition, and publisher. If you can determine the pagination on the piece then verify.
  • Verify all other above elements.
    
    
    
• NOTE: If the system pulls up two records which have the same title, then look at each item record and check to make sure they are both attached to the same bibliographic record. If they are not, then bounce to your supervisor. If they are, then check that one item record has a call number and a cataloger's note and then go to the item record which does not have the cataloger's note and delete it by going to File-->Delete Item Record.
  
  
• Once you are done with a book, move onto the next one. Keep the books in order as you will need to attach labels to them later.

* Films and videos are cataloged from the information displayed on the screen, not from the information printed on the container. As a result, sometimes the information on the container will be different from what is in the record.

Part 3 -- Printing and Affixing Labels for Books

When done verifying the data in the record, you will need to change the STATUS field (for some libraries), add a note indicating that L&D has processed the item, and print out a label. We have established function keys that will do all three things for you. Use the following chart to determine which function key to use:

If the book has a blue "Prepare Analytics" streamer in it, then you do not need to print a label. Just verify the online information.

If the call number prints off the right side of the label or if the volume information is complicated and does not line-up correctly on the label, then see a workleader or supervisor to get the label to print correctly.

After verifying that the lable was printed correctly, close and save changes to the record.

The system will generate two labels for each item: the smaller one is a spine label that just has the location and call number, and the larger one is a pocket label that has the location, call number, author, and title. You will need to affix just the smaller spine label to the to the book. Apply the following guidelines to do so:

• Always check the title on the pocket label against the book to make sure you are putting the correct spine label on the correct book. Putting the wrong label on the book makes it nearly impossible to find in the collection resulting in wasted staff time tracking down the book, loss of money for the ones we just can't find, and very unhappy patrons who don't have access to the books they need.
  
  
• Remove the book jacket before putting on the label. Put the jackets for AAL, Music, S&E, and SSH into the specially marked bins. All other book jackets can be recycled.
  
  
• If the label fits on the spine then place it there about 1/2 cm from the bottom edge. Just the call number printed on the label needs to fit on the spine. If there is extra white space on the right of the label, then wrap it over onto the front cover. Don't worry about the location at the top of the label; it is perfectly fine to wrap that text over onto the front cover.
  
  
• Do not worry about covering any text or graphics on the spine. Always place the label about 1/2 cm from the bottom edge.
  
  
• Do not put any part of the label in the gutter on the back cover. The left edge of the label should always be placed at the leftmost edge of the spine.
  
  
• Only the top half of the spine label needs to go on the book. If the call number is long and spills over onto the 2nd label, then cut the 2nd label just under the call number and place your longer label on the book.
  
  
• If the call number on the label will not fit on the spine, then place the label on the front cover. When doing so, put it in the upper left corner, about 1 cm down and 1 cm over. If the barcode is in the way, then place it above the barcode if there is room, or directly underneath the barcode if there is not.
  
  
• Do not worry about covering any text or graphics on the cover. Always place the label in the upper left corner.
  
  
• Be sure to press the label firmly into the book, including all corners and edges.
  
  
• Be sure to make sure the label is straight. No crooked labels.
  
  
• For unbound books that are flimsy and/or stapled together, do not affix the label to the books. Instead, tear the whole square backing at the perforations and paperclip the backing and the labels to the streamer. Do not tape on the labels with removable tape.
  
  
• Occasionally there will already be an IP label on the book. Take this label off as carefully as you can but don't worry if you tear the book a little bit. Do not place a blank label over the IP label.
  
  
• Once you are done labeling all your books, set them aside on a cart to be checked.

Part 4 -- Printing and Affixing Labels for Non-Book Materials

Use the following chart to determine which function key to use to print the label.

*You might need to adjust the item record before printing. See detailed instructions below.

Use the following guidelines on how to affix the label to the piece. Since oftentimes these formats can be unpredictable, see the L&D workleader or supervisor if you have any questions.

• Audio CDs
  • We occasionally receive CJK audio CDs that just need a pocket label. Print a label and tear the whole square backing at the perforations and place the labels and backing inside the cases.
    
    
• CD/DVD-ROMs
  • They should be in the soft, durable CD cases and there should only be 1 disc in each case.
  • Each disc should have the call number written on it. If not, then bounce.
  • Place the spine label in the upper left corner of the case; place the pocket label in the middle of the case.
  • If there is an accompanying guide, print out a separate label and place the spine label on the front upper left corner.
    
    
• Diskettes
  • Place the spine label on the upper left front of the diskette, making sure not to interfere with any moving parts.
    
    
• DVDs and VHSs
  • Do not affix labels to DVDs and VHS tapes. Instead, tear the whole square backing at the perforations and place the labels and backing inside the cases.
    
    
• Maps
  • For large sheet maps, place the spine label next to the barcode, taking care not to cover any information on the map. You do not need to affix the pocket label.
  • For folded maps, place the spine label on the front so it is easily visible when the map is folded. Also, most folded maps should be in a plastic sleeve. Place the pocket label in the upper middle of the plastic sleeve. If there is no plastic sleeve, then get one from the L&D supplies.
    
    
• Microfiche
  • Most microfiche records will have a volume field that contains the number of fiche. We do not want this information to print on the label, so delete this field before you print the labels. Be certain not to make the changes permanent when you exit the record! You will also probably need to go back into the record and manually change the status to available.
  • The fiche should come in a paper sleeve. Multiple fiche may be in a sleeve. Print out a label for each paper sleeve and place the spine label in the upper left corner of the sleeve. You do not need to affix the pocket label.
    
    
• Microfilm
  • Most microfilm records will have a volume field that contains the number of reels. We do not want this information to print on the label, so delete this field before you print the labels. Be certain not to make the changes permanent when you exit the record! You will also probably need to go back into the record and manually change the status to available.
  • Print out a label for each box. There are 2 types of microfilm boxes and they are labeled differently:
    • Clamshell boxes
      Place the spine label on the edge that acts as the hinge, taking care not to cover any pertinent information. You do not need to affix the pocket label.
    • Double opening boxes
      Place the spine label on one of the edges that do not open, taking care not to cover any pertinent information. You do not need to affix the pocket label.
      
      
• Scores
  • Unbound scores are almost always issued in parts and require special in-house binding. As a consequence, do not affix the label the score. Instead, tear the whole square backing at the perforations and paperclip the backing and the labels to the streamer. Do not tape on the labels with removable tape. Bound scores can be labeled normally.

Part 5 -- Checking Labels and Gluing

All items must be checked to make sure that the correct label was put on the piece, no matter who labeled them. NO EXCEPTIONS! Use the following guidelines:

• Divide materials by library, format, and for books, by whether they are bound or unbound.
  
  
• Scan the barcode on the piece. Look at the call number in the record and make sure it matches what is on the label. If the label does not match then bounce to L&D supervisor.
  
  
• Make sure the STATUS is as follows. If it is incorrect, change it to the correct one.
  
  
  • "-" for Available
    • CUL Hardbounds
    • CUL CD-ROMs & DVD-ROMs
    • CUL Documents
    • All East Asia
    • FVL DVD & VHS
    • AAL Hardbounds
    • Music Hardbounds
      
      
  • "o" for Library Use Only
    • CUL Reference
    • CUL Maps
    • Documents Reference
      
      
  • "a" for Bindery
    • CUL Softbounds
    • S&E Softbounds
    • AAL Softbounds
    • Music Softbounds
      
      
  • "i" for Processing
    • BML
    • IRPS
    • MCL
    • S&E Hardbounds
    • SIO
      
      
• Once the labels and statuses have been checked, then you will need to glue the labels. Only hardbounds plus East Asia softbounds need to be glued.
  
  
• For books that have their labels on their spines, place them side-by-side, spine-side up, flipping every other book around so the labels are not touching each other. See L&D workleader or supervisor for correct way to place the books for gluing.
  
  
• For books that have the labels on their covers, place them on their backs, so the labels are facing up.
  
  
• Paint on a thin layer of glue on each label. Be sure to cover the entire label plus the area around the label. If the label folds over onto the front cover, be sure to apply glue to that area as well, including the area in the gutter.
  
  
• Be sure not to apply so much glue that it drips, enough to evenly coat the label is fine.
  
  
• Make sure the glue has completely dried before moving the books onto carts or bins.
  
  
  

Part 6 -- Distributing Finished Materials

Once the materials have been labeled, and in some cases, glued, distribute them according to the following chart:

• NOTE: All AAL, Music, and SSH patron requests and notifies are to be delivered to the Search & Notify Unit in Access Services immediately after processing. All Reserve materials for AAL, Music, and SSH are to be delivered to the Reserves Unit in Access Services immediately after processing.
  
  
• All rushes for libraries outside of the Geisel building go into the blue bins.
  
  
• All materials should be delivered at least once every day before 4 pm.
  
  
• All materials going into blue bins should be sorted into different bins according to library. When placing materials in the bins, use the following guidelines:
  
  
  • Place heavier and sturdier items (such as big, bound books) at the bottom of the bin.
  • Place lighter and more fragile items (such as CD-ROMs) at the top of the bin.
  • Lay books flat on their backs. If you need to place one on its side, make sure the spine is facing down.
  • Do not overfill the bins. The bins should be able to stack without the contents interfering.