Using a Vendor’s System to Streamline Book Selection and Ordering Thomas Hung University of Hong Kong Libraries 3 rd HKIUG Meeting

Background Information In HKUL, book funds are allocated to faculties each year Most of the book selections are initiated by faculties, with the help of subject selectors There are approximately 45,000 book orders of Western language materials annually We receive 70,000 book recommendations each year We have approval plans, firm orders and standing orders Our major book vendor is Blackwell’s Book Services (BBS) this year

Traditional Way of Book Selection and Ordering Book selection Paper book recommendations Acquisitions Department Bibliographic checking Send out orders by mail Book vendor Typing orders

Advantages of incorporating a vendor’s system into acquisitions workflow To increase cost effectiveness To save manpower To save time To have less paper works To avoid errors

Book Registration Online (BRO) A system designed by HKUL Systems staff for faculties to send in their book recommendations electronically BRO is in the format of Oracle database and can be accessed in a Web interface BRO database now consists of records received from the BBS New Title Alert Service (NTAS) Records are based on the form plans set up by BBS for various teaching departments

Book Registration Online (BRO) Only registered HKU academic staff or subject selectors can use BRO to recommend books being purchased out of departmental book fund To register, they must apply for a username and password from the Libraries BRO will identify which department the users belong to once they login All book recommendations require the approval of department heads or their delegates

Book Registration Online (BRO) An approved title will be received by the Acquisitions Department We will check our database once more for duplication, fund balances, and then make an order to the vendor We will also mark the record in BRO, so that all requesters will know the status, i.e., "ordering", "rejected", etc. An message will be sent to the original requesters informing them if their recommendations have been rejected either by the department head or the Acquisitions Department

Collection Manager It is a database of Blackwell’s Book Services (BBS) It has the ability to interface with library systems It can assist in streamlining workflows from the point of selection to the receipt of book There are 3 interactive options: –Online request for purchase –Online ordering –Export brief MARC order record for loading to the local library system

Collection Manager

HKUL Book Order Workflows Book selection In BRO Book selection In BRO Request & order In Collection Manager by Acquisitions Dept. Request & order In Collection Manager by Acquisitions Dept. HKUL Innopac HKUL Innopac BBS Export pre-order MARC records BISAC Order records Book shipment

Why Not Use Collection Manager for Book Selection? Right management in Collection Manager is not satisfactory –e.g. Head of Department A can approve/reject recommendations of Department B Interface is not user-friendly No blank form to request title not in the database

Future Enhancements of BRO Addition of staff editing mode Capability of loading information into Innopac to create bibliographic and order records automatically Capability of checking duplicates before creating bibliographic and order records Capability of showing fund expenditure and balance