Policies and Processes for Media

Many new policies and procedures have been developed for nonprint media: videotapes, DVDs, CD-ROMs, sound CDs, sound cassettes, and floppy disks (policies for microforms have not changed). The links above will bring up the general procedural and policy guidelines for handling these media formats in each area.

The overall approach is to mainstream media processing and service. Within that basic goal, libraries should aim for consistency in technical services (such as preparation and cataloging), while maintaining the flexibility needed to meet local public service needs.

With that in mind, this Web site covers activities and standards which all libraries must maintain, but particular workflows may vary from library to library. The pages at this Web site are specifically for SML/CCL, and are intended for both the large departments (e.g., Cataloging and MST) and the curatorial units. Other libraries may create Web pages with specific instructions for their situation.

Protective cases and security shells for videos and CDs/DVDs will usually be purchased centrally. Please contact the Business Office to request cases and/or shells. Each unit should do this along with the regular biannual equipment requests, so the Library can benefit from price breaks for bulk purchases. Please note that orders for the security shells take a long time to arrive because the shells must be shipped from Denmark.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

1. The circulation period for media titles cataloged independently and shelved in the SML or CCL stacks is one week (for all patrons). Combinations like print+CD and all items at LSF circulate according to the same policies as books or serials.
2. Selectors order media materials in the same manner as they acquire other formats.
3. Ordering staff place the purchase orders, applying the appropriate template in Voyager for the media format.
4. When the materials arrive, the receiving staff apply the appropriate item type: media if it's independently cataloged, circ if it accompanies monographic print material, or jourXX if it accompanies a serial. They place the media item inside a protective case after barcoding either the case (for CDs and DVDs) or the cassette (for VHS and sound tapes). Monographic titles then go to selector review (in Review Plaza or elsewhere); serial titles proceed to directly to Cataloging.
5. Selectors make the standard decisions about shelving location (e.g., SML, CCL, LSF, LSF-R). The standard circulation policy for print+media combinations is the same as a book, but in a few instances the selector may determine that the title is a media+user guide item and therefore should have a one week loan period. If so, the selector inserts a grey "Media -- One Week Loan" flag. When necessary for identification and access purposes, selectors may have a media item cataloged separately. Selectors then place the materials in the appropriate location according to cataloging priority (Frontlog, Priority, etc.).
6. Catalogers add the appropriate item statistical category to each item's Voyager record. They determine if videorecordings are in a non-US format and label the case accordingly. They mark the hub of CDs and DVDs with the last nine digits of the barcode. If there is a "Media -- One Week Loan" flag in a multi-format title, they change the item type to media.
7. Preparation staff affix security beepers, bookplates and call number labels. Media accompanying print will have the same call number, with the media type added at the end -- for example, "PN1923.2 F8 R624 2005 CD."
8. When media titles go to the stacks, circulation staff put them into hard plastic security shells and shelve them alongside the books. If an item goes to LSF, has been requested from the frontlog, or is to be sent through Eli Express, it is transported and held without the security shell.

Details and variations are explained in the process-specific pages.

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