In the hectic pace of library work, managing the influx of new books can feel like trying to dam a river. Between juggling patron requests, vendor communications, and budget constraints, getting new books onto your shelves and into your digital collections is a definite challenge.
Here are some key library technical services to consider when streamlining your library's book acquisition workflow:
1. Embrace Automation: Repetitive tasks like order placement and invoice processing are prime candidates for automation. Many vendors offer online ordering platforms that integrate with your library management system (LMS). This eliminates manual data entry, saving precious staff time and minimizing errors.
2. Leverage Approval Plans: Approval plans allow you to pre-select titles based on specific criteria like genre, subject, publisher, or classification. This ensures a steady flow of relevant materials without requiring individual orders for each title.
3. Expert Cataloging: Cataloging involves creating a detailed record for each book, a crucial step for making it discoverable in your online catalog. Partner with a service that offers a team of experienced catalogers to ensure accurate and consistent records, meeting your library's specific needs. This frees up your staff to focus on user education and other essential tasks.
4. Enjoy Shelf-Ready Magic: Imagine receiving books that are already labeled, barcoded, and ready to hit the shelves. Look for vendors who offer physical processing services. These take care of everything from attaching labels and spine inserts to applying and scanning barcodes. This not only saves your staff a significant amount of time but also gets books into the hands of your patrons faster.
5. Partner with a Trusted Technical Services Provider: Consider outsourcing some or all your book acquisition processes to a reliable technical services provider. These companies can handle everything from selection and ordering to cataloging and physical processing.
By investing in services that address book ordering, cataloging, and physical processing, libraries can significantly streamline their workflows. This translates to increased staff efficiency, improved patron access to new materials and, ultimately, a more vibrant and user-friendly library experience.
This is where GOBI Library Solutions Technical Services comes in. GOBI offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to streamline your library's workflow and free your staff to focus on backlogs, projects, patron services, and other important duties. From automated acquisitions to expert cataloging, GOBI can help you achieve your library's goals.
Discover the wide variety of library technical services GOBI offers to ease and simplify the book acquisition process by viewing our GOBI Technical Services Guide.
