The Paper Chase. How One Library Tackled the Chaos of Media Acquisitions.

The Paper Chase

How One Library Tackled the Chaos of Media Acquisitions

RMAD DevelopmentReserves and Media Access Database

Began as a system for reserves ordering (RAD)Created in-house using Microsoft AccessReserves is a distinct collectionSpikes in ordering due to time of yearLots and lots of orders go through every year

Media AcquisitionsSmooth sailing for reserves orderingWhy couldn’t we do it for media since orders came willy

nilly? Met with acquisitions, media and cataloging to work out

the detailsAdded benefit was getting all parties together for common

understanding of workflowAdded Notes Field to the RMAD databaseProcess worked as well as for reserves

Before RMAD, media ordering was madness of another kind.

The Acquisitions Specialist be like…

Problems that needed addressing

RAD streamlined Acq process for reserves by:Eliminating redundant requestsConsolidating orders in one placeImproving order-tracking capabilities

Why not Media? Similar issues:Several order lists per month, hundreds of titles longLists often lacked crucial informationEasy to duplicate or lose ordersDifficult to track orders throughout workflowPaper…. SO. MUCH. PAPER.

So Much PaperThis is the stack of paper the Media specialist

printed from WorldCat – he needed to save for reference

How RMAD addressed themOne-stop shop for all stages of media workflow for

thousands of titles per year:Consolidated orders in one placeMade workflow more transparent across departmentsNotes fields made interdepartmental communication

easierImproved reporting and archiving capabilities—easy

access to order history spanning lifetime of databaseAutomated redundant and time-consuming busywork:

no more hand-writing PO #s, notes, etc. on printoutsAll but eliminated paper use

Who is involved?Media LibrarianAcquisitions Data Management Specialist

(Chris)Questions back to Media Librarian

Acquisitions LibrarianQuestions back to Chris

Acquisitions SpecialistVisual Media Coordinator

Brings back to Acq librarian to return if neededMedia Services SpecialistCataloger

How it works:Requestor enters order information into an electronic form:

Request is routed to the ‘For Purchase’ queue. Each queue represents a step in the workflow, which we outlined in collaboration with our Media Services and Cataloging colleagues. We wanted to improve the experience for everyone, not just Acq, which meant gathering input from all the “stakeholders” in the project.

We use the Notes field in the request form to link directly to the listing on the vendor’s web site, eliminating the need to print the page. (This also ensures that we are purchasing the exact item requested.) We no longer need to print the OCLC record either—instead, we just import the record and provide the catalogers and media specialists with the number.

We also use the Notes field to communicate between departments when questions arise:

…or for clarification when films are similarly titled

….Or when there’s a defective product or vendor error, and the order needs to be resubmitted:

The database also has useful reporting capabilities.

The ResultsLess PaperRelatively easy to track DVD in the libraryLess confusionFaster order turnaroundStreamlined WorkflowsRMAD is departments without borders – crossed silosUsed as a tool to do the work across all processes, A to ZHappier librarians

Thank You!Questions?

Stacey Marien – Acquisitions Librarian,

American University, [email protected]

Chris Hagan, Acquisitions Data Management Specialist

American University, [email protected]