Michigan State University Libraries

Policy and Procedure Statement 2.5.3

Central Processing Area

January 1996

 

The Central Processing area is located in W106 and W126 and contains materials waiting to be cataloged.

A.   Designating Materials for the Central Processing Area

      1.   Materials are designated for the central processing area in Acquisitions.

a.   Print materials received with less with less than complete OCLC records or no OCLC record are placed in a temporary holding area if the imprint is less than two years old. Materials are researched at three and six month intervals and removed if complete OCLC records are available. Items are sent to the cataloging arrearage when OCLC records are not found. Rush materials are excluded.

b.   Materials received without OCLC records with imprints older than two years are placed in the cataloging arrearage either at receipt or when they are moved from temporary holdings. Monograph Acquisitions searches for OCLC records annually.

c.    Original Catalogers may return an item to the arrearage if the item will not be cataloged.

d.   Software and VHS videocassettes are not sent to an arrearage. Other non-print formats are stored in W126. No regular review of these materials currently occurs.

B.   Sending Materials to the Central Processing Area

1.   Monograph Acquisitions staff is responsible for designating and shelving monographic materials for central processing and annotating the Innopac in-process record.

2.   Non-print materials are received in Monograph Acquisitions and sent directly to Cataloging. They are then transferred to W126. The Innopac record is not annotated with the temporary location.

C.   Retrieving Materials from the Central Cataloging Area

1.   Materials are retrieved from the central processing areas and cataloged:

a.   A request for an uncataloged item has been made by a patron.

b.   Records are found during the annual OCLC search.

c.    Copy Cataloging staff's regular work flow.

d.   Original Cataloging staff select materials to catalog.