Missing+Books+Procedures

__Procedures for items (books, videos, etc) missing for two years or more.__

 After a book has been missing for over two years, the Circulation Department prints out the record of the missing item from the OPAC and attaches a Replacements/Deletes workflow routing slip. These printouts are delivered to the appropriate liaison for that missing book or video.

 The liaison should search the shelves one last time, then decide whether the book should be replaced or not, and check the appropriate line on the routing slip.


 * Whether your choose to replace or delete the item from the collection, put the routing slip into the box on book shelf is Liz's office, labeled "REPLACEMENTS, DELETES, DISCARDS". **

Liz then modifies the record and the item's location and status, suppresses the record from the public view, and takes d'Alzon Library holdings off the WorldCat record, and passes replacement orders on to the Acquisitions. Funds to replace the item are taken from the appropriate departmental fund. (per decision in May 2010)

Once the replacement arrives, it is routed to Liz, along with the original printout. The Cataloging Department puts "Replacement Project" in the note field of the newly cataloged item record. This allows us to run reports on what items have been replaced through this procedure.

__History of Procedure__

 The history behind this procedure which began in 2004 was to deal with the missing books in the stacks, instead of just marking them missing and forgetting about them. It was decided that each missing book should go through a process of deciding whether it should be replaced or not. If it was not to be replaced, then the record should be suppressed from the public view, because of the bad PR associated with patrons seeing a "missing" status attached to many books.

 The liaison was given the responsibility of deciding whether to replace or remove the item from the collection. The process would not begin until an item was missing for at least two years, because the book or video may be found through an inventory process, and it takes two to three years to complete an inventory of the entire collection. If a book or video is needed before the two years, it should be ordered immediately.