Student procedures: Non-English-language approval plan processing

Summary: This page contains procedures for student employees processing non-English-language approval plan shipments.

Opening non-English-language approval plan shipments

• (Note:Hogarth and the LCCAP Africana approval plans follow different unpacking procedures--please see below.)

• These shipments are located in the foreign approval plan delivery area.

  • Try to start by unpacking the shipments which been in the delivery area for the longest period of time.

  • Ask the student supervisor if you need assistance in identifying the oldest shipments.

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Opening boxes, assembling invoice copies, and checking off titles

• Always open shipments one box at a time.
  • Important: Be sure to keep the outer mailing label from a box until you are certain that the contents of the box correctly match the accompanying invoice.
  • The invoice for each box can be found either in a marked envelope or inserted inside one of the books.
• We need to keep the complete original invoice as well as one additional copy.
  • If the vendor has sent only the original invoice, you will need to make one photocopy of it.
  • If the vendor has sent the original invoice and one copy, nothing more is needed unless the student supervisor has indicated differently.
  • If the vendor has sent more than two sets of invoice copies in addition to the original, the extra copies may be discarded.
• If the invoice is longer than one page, please collate and staple the pages for both the original invoice and both sets of copies so that you have the complete original invoice, collated and stapled, as well as one complete copy that has been collated and stapled.
• On the original invoice, check the books in the box against the titles listed, placing a check mark to the left of each title received.
  • If the contents of the box correctly match the invoice entries, write "all received," your initials, and today's date at the top the original invoice as well as at the top of both of the copy.

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If something is wrong with the shipment

• If you discover a problem with the shipment (e.g., missing books, wrong books sent, etc.), rubber band the books together with all copies of the invoice as well as the mailing label you've been saving, and bring the shipment to the student supervisor.
• If the student supervisor is away, leave the stack of books with a note explaining the problem on his or her desk, and move on to another box.

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Distributing invoices and shelving books:

Invoices

• If the books in the shipment correctly match the titles on the invoice, gather the books together into a stack and place the copy of the invoice in the top book so that it can be clearly seen.
• The original invoice should be taken to the student supervisor.

Shelving books

• Place the books on the review shelves designated for the approval plan shipment which you're opening.
• Individual shipments should be separated with book ends or banded together with pink ties.
• Label the review shelves with a note indicating today's date. Please Scotch tape the note to the shelf just below the first book.
• If you fill more than one shelf with books, label each shelf you use in a similar fashion.

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If the review shelves are full

• If the shelves for your approval plan are full, talk to the student supervisor. He or she can locate alternate locations for books.
• If the student supervsor is away, leave a note on his or her desk (or a truck) along with the stack of books that you were unable to shelve.

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Cleanup

• Take packing trash to the mail room.
  • Boxes go to the box pile, styrofoam packing peanuts go to the round bin, and plastic bubble wrap and usable bubble wrap envelopes have their own bins.
  • Please do not overfill the recycling bins.
  • If necessary, white newsprint can go in the gray bin for newspapers on the back dock.
  • Plastic, metal, brown paper and corrugated cardboard can be placed in the back dumpster bins in the trashroom on the back dock.
  • The back dock trash room lights are generally on motion detectors, but have a switch if someone has accidentally turned them off.
  • The back dock door cannot be open for more than 15 minutes at a time after 3:30.
• Return the carton opener to the desk.
• Clean up your work area.

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Foreign Approval Plan Processor List

Invoices go to the student supervisor.

• Aux Amateurs de Livres approval plan (#1087) -- Laura
• Bach (Susan) approval plan (#1092) -- Laura
• Books from Mexico approval plan (#1090) -- Laura
• Clarke's Bookshop approval plan (#1102) -- Laura
• Eastview - Russian approval plan (#1105) -- Laura
• Eastview - Statistical approval plan (#1106) -- Laura
• Eastview - Baltic approval plan (#1107) -- Laura
• Harrassowitz (Otto) approval plan (#1059) -- Devon
• + Hogarth Representation approval plan (#1082) -- Devon
• ++ LCCAP Africana Blanket Plan from Library of Congress -- Devon/Kim
• Libros Andinos approval plan (#1094) -- Laura
• Puvill Libros approval plan (#1078) -- Galena
• Retta approval plan (#1097) -- Laura
• Rittenhouse approval plan (#1085) -- Galena
• Schuler's Books approval plan (#1116) -- Galena
• Worldwide Books approval plan (#1095) -- Galena

+ Hogarth approval plan follows a slightly different unpacking procedure from the other plans. The books do not go onto a review shelf but go onto an empty book truck instead (please ask the student supervisor if you need help finding an empty book truck). Each shipment should be placed on a different shelf of the truck with its corresponding invoice copy. They should be laid flat with the invoice on top of it leaving at least half the shelf empty as a work space for the bibliographers. The truck should then be delivered to main aisle area where the Yankee firm orders are parked, but on the end of the wall closest to the double doors to the main library. The original invoice goes to the student supervisor and the corresponding copy can stay with the books, according to the normal procedure.

++ LCCAP Africana shipments are shipped in large quantities and have many boxes to an invoice. Carefully open each box and try to locate the invoice. Sort and separate the boxes to go with their corresponding invoice. Once this step has been done, it is easier to sort the titles into invoice order.

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Verifying titles and tattle taping

• Look at the top of the invoice and determine if you have a Serial shipment or a Monograph shipment.
  • Serial items get sorted into invoice order, checked off, laid flat and taken directly to the processor.
  • Monograph items are stood up, tattle taped and left for the bibliographers to see before delivering to the processor.
• In some cases, it is difficult to verify the titles due to the language.
• Carefully check off all items that you can read or transliterate.
• The rest may be done by count.
• Missing items occur a little more frequently from this vendor.
• Circle the item that is missing and let the student supervisor know.
• Tattle tape all books except the Hogarth approval plan and LCCAP serials.

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