Binding Workflow

• Please note that these instructions were originally written for the Main Library, but the same procedures can apply to books at the Science Library also. For a more concise manual on how to process incoming Science materials, please see the Science Binding procedures guide. If there are any further questions, please ask Rachel.

Index

1. Paperbacks
2. Periodicals
3. Main Serials
4. Science Serials
5. Unbound Transfers
6. Reference & Georgia Room
7. Government Documents/Georgia Gov Docs
8. Rebinds
9. Music Scores
10. Music Score Serials
11. Corrections/Library Errors
12. Individual Binding


Other Duties

1. Student Workers
2. Invoices
3. Statistics
4. Binding Box
5. Corrections Table

Paperbacks

The paperbacks that are picked up by Binding come from two sources, and they are housed on shelves on either side of Marking. The paperbacks (and serials) on the side nearest the elevator are from Acquisitions. The paperbacks (and serials) on the side nearest the stairwell are from Cataloging. It is important to gather the books from both of these areas at least every few days. If a book is put on the shelf by late Monday afternoon, we want it to go out with the current week’s Binding shipment. Beside the Cataloging paperback shelves there is a shelf labeled Binding Questions. Anything that you find on the paperback shelves that we do not bind (Branch materials, hard bound books, etc.) can be put on this shelf.

After gathering a cart of paperbacks, each book needs to be checked for correct dotting and slashing. The title needs to be slashed at either end and the first letter of the author’s last name needs to have a dot underneath it so that the Bindery is certain of what information to put on the spine. After you check the dotting and slashing, make sure that the call number written inside of the book matches the call number on the slip (each book will come with a slip inside of it that may contain the title and call number of the book or just the call number). It is important that the call number be written legibly inside of the book, so if you find a letter or number that looks questionable you may erase it and re-write it. Then, skim through the pages of the book to check for very narrow margins or pictures that run to the edge of the page. The Bindery will trim up to ¼ inch around the edges of the book. If you see that information and/or images would get cut off in that process, the book needs to be designated as No Cut/No Trim.

Each paperback will be separated into one of three stacks: 1) a Main stack, for items with Main Library call numbers that do not qualify as No Cut/No Trim, 2) a Science stack for items with Science Library call numbers that do not qualify as No Cut/No Trim, and 3) a No Cut/No Trim stack in which each book should have a Post-It note on its title page identifying it as No Cut/No Trim. The slips for these books should be divided up into three corresponding slip stacks. When these books return from the Bindery, they will need to be matched up with their respective slip before they are checked back in. Each of these different types of paperbacks will need to be packed separately according to type. At the end of the week you should have one stack of Main paperback boxes, one stack of Science paperback boxes, and one stack of No Cut/No Trim boxes. All of the books in each box of paperbacks need to be counted. When the box is full, write the total number of books inside the box on the end of the box and circle that number. Put a rubber band around each slip stack and write on the top what type of slips that stack contains. Then, put the slips in one of the empty slip boxes (located on the shelves to the left of the door) that say Paperbacks At Bindery and label the slip box with the date that particular shipment of paperbacks went to the Bindery. Should you work on paperbacks at a number of different times in a week make sure that all of your slips go into one of those three banded slip stacks.

Periodicals

Periodicals are gathered for binding from the Main and Science Current Periodicals Stacks. The foremost thing to remember about gathering is that no matter what you gather, you always want to leave the most current issue of that title on the shelf. For a detailed explanation of gathering, please see the Gathering document.

After gathering, work the bindable units up in ABLE. The Lot ID for Main Periodicals is that week’s lot number dash one (Example: 24-1). The Lot ID for Science Periodicals is that week's lot number dash one, plus SCI (Example: 24-1SCI). Each periodical should have a record and can be brought up by the title, or the call number if you are at Science. As you are working up each unit, look up the title in the Voyager Acquisitions module and turn off in OPAC the issues you are sending to the Bindery. As you are doing this, take a moment to look at the Acquisitions history. This way you can make sure that you have the entire volume or are breaking the volume in the correct place. By looking at how many issues a title has had in previous years you can tell how many issues to expect in the current year. Do not assume something that appears to be a monthly has twelve issues. Be sure. Since there can be, and often are, changes in frequency from year to year it is also important to look at the publication frequency on the title record in ABLE which should be updated when Serials informs us of any changes.

After the items are worked up, pull the yellow carbon copy slip from each binding slip if you are working on Main periodicals (or the last white slip if you are working on Science periodicals) and attach a barcode to each one. Item records need to be created for each bindable unit in the Voyager Cataloging module (see How to Create Item Records). After you finish the item records and are sure that none of the binding slips contain errors, attach the corresponding binding slip to each bindable unit (they should be held together by a rubber band) and pack them into binding boxes. It is important to do the item records first to cut down on the number of library errors we send out to the Bindery. Periodicals do not need to be counted because we have worked them up in ABLE and therefore already have a list and a count of each unit. Any yellow or pink slips that were pulled to create item records for Periodicals need to be given to Jacquelyn in Serials Cataloging so that she can update the holdings. She will return the yellow slips to you when she is finished and they need to be put into an empty slip box (they are labeled Weekly Lot At Bindery and are located next to the Paperback slip boxes on the shelves to the left of the Binding office door). Write the Lot ID on the outside of the box. The white slips will be mailed to the Science Library, and they will need to be placed in the box near the telephone on the staff desk.

Main Serials

Serials come from three different locations. They can be picked up on the shelves adjacent to the paperback shelves on either side of Marking and they can also be picked up in the Serials Cataloging department on the red book truck across from Melissa’s desk. Just as with the paperbacks, it is important to stay current with gathering Serials. The same Monday afternoon rule applies.

All of the Serials except for those from the Serials Cataloging department will already be checked out to the Bindery. The date that those materials have been checked out to the Bindery, however, is sometimes not a very up-to-date one. Books have been found checked out to the Bindery as early as two months before they are put on the shelves. So, if time and volume permit, it may be best to go through and change the At Bindery date on each of these books while you are checking the Serials Cataloging materials out to the Bindery. To do this, you must check the item back in from the Bindery and then click Save to DB before checking the item back out to the Bindery. If you do not click Save to DB in between these steps, the item will retain the old At Bindery date when you close the screen. The reason behind changing the At Bindery date is to give us a more accurate idea of when materials were actually sent out to the Bindery. Normally, a book should be sent to the Bindery within a week of being checked out to the Bindery. Unfortunately, since other departments have the authority to check materials out to the Bindery, that is often times not the case. Problems arise regarding these dates when we periodically run Binding reports to check for materials that are still checked out to the Bindery but should have (based on the date) already returned. It then appears that the Bindery has had a book for a month or more. Usually a book should return from the Bindery within four weeks.

The Lot ID for Serials is that week’s lot number dash four (Example: 24-4). Serials titles are looked up in ABLE by call number. Much more frequently than with Periodicals, Serials may not have a pre-existing record in ABLE. This may be the case for any number of reasons and is not unusual. It is fine to make a new record for a title as long as you first make absolutely certain that a record for this title does not already exist. Try looking it up by call number and title as well as scrolling through adjacent call numbers and titles. If you are working up a book that by nature is a serial but we will more than likely not ever bind another volume of again (Example: if it is a Gift Serial from 1963), then you do not need to add the title to the Serials history. Write a new record for that particular title and add the item without clicking Add Title to add a new title record to ABLE Serials history. The Format for all Serials is C. All of the other formats are Periodical variable formats. In Serials, the variables go at the end of the call number, usually in descending order (i.e. series, year, volume, number, part). Unlike the Periodicals, all of the variables in Serials need Captions (Examples: ser. for series, v. for volume, no. for numbers, and pt. for parts). Please see the [Captions] document for an extended list. The Category for Serials should be 02, but currently 02 is unavailable. In the mean time, use 04 monograph. The written or printed slip that accompanies the Serials when you gather them may be recycled after you work the book up. If a Serial comes with an accompanying CD-ROM or disk, put the CD-ROM or disk into a manila envelope and staple the slip with the call number on it onto the front of the envelope. Write the Lot ID on the slip and put the envelope in the box with the same week’s yellow Periodicals slips. Also, leave a note about this material in the Instructions box explained in the next paragraph.

Any extraneous information that the Bindery needs to know about this material should be written in the Instructions box at the bottom of the screen (click Instructions and the box will pop up). If the item is No Cut/No Trim or needs a back pocket for a map or other accompanying materials, write that information in this box for the Bindery to see. Also, if there is an accompanying CD-ROM that is being held in the Binding office until the book returns from the Bindery or if the material has been requested by another department, write that in the box. The student workers check materials off of the Serials Lot report when the Serials come back from the Bindery. The instructions will be visible on this report. Therefore, the Instructions box can be used as a place to write prompts for them as well.

After the Serials have all been worked up, attach the corresponding Binding slip to each book with a rubber band. You do not need to pull the yellow carbon copies for Serials because they already have item records. And, as with Periodicals, they do not need to be counted because they have been worked up in ABLE.

Science Serials

Since the Science Binding department is only open part-time, we process and send the Science Serials from the Main Library. You will have to log out of the Main Binding Serials account to log into the Science Binding serials account to work them up. The same binding instructions apply for Science Serials as they do for Main Serials. Just remember to enter the lot number as that week’s number-2SCI, and to label the box as “Science Serials” to tell the Bindery that they should be delivered to the Science Library after binding.

Unbound Transfers

Unbound transfers can come from Marking or from Serials Cataloging, and should be worked up in ABLE as the rest of the Serials are. Many of them will be books that were once shelved in the Reference Department, but now are to be bound as regular stacks copies, so make sure that Main Ref has been thoroughly erased from the call number on the verso.

Reference and Georgia Room

Reference and Georgia Room materials in need of binding are brought to the Binding office by employees within those departments and are placed on their own labeled shelves located near the door. It is the responsibility of the Binding employee who works these items up to change their status to At Bindery. Georgia Room monographs that do not have attached item records need to be taken to Database Management before they are worked up, and Georgia Room serials should be taken to Serials Cataloging.

Reference and Georgia Room materials are unusual because they can fall into any class of item. They can be Periodicals or Serials. They are each worked up under the rules of their own individual type. For instance, the Periodicals need item records and more often than not, also need to be turned off in OPAC. It is also very important to remember that these materials do not circulate in the same way that other Periodicals do. Therefore, when you create an item record for Reference or Georgia Room material ALWAYS remember to change and save the Item Type to Spec Perm (special permission). Otherwise, the Item Type will default to Periodical. (The only exception is if either of these items is going to the Repository- then the item type should reflect that it is a Book if it’s a Serial, or a Periodical if it’s a Periodical.) Special Permission is needed to check out these materials and if the Item Type is not listed as Spec Perm, a book that should not circulate may slip through and be checked out by an average patron. Please note that item records should be created by Binding staff for Periodicals ONLY. If a Monograph does not have an item record, please take it to someone in Database Maintenance to have one created. If the item is a Serial and it does not have an item record, take it to Beth Thornton in Serials Cataloging. Often the item will need other cataloging work done to it that Binding is not authorized to do.

Reference items are worked up in ABLE under that week’s Lot ID dash two (Example: 24-2). Georgia Room items are worked up in ABLE under that week’s Lot ID dash five (Example: 24-5). These items should each come with a written slip entailing what variables need to be on the spine as well as what title, call number and color should be used if a new record is to be created. This slip should also indicate at the bottom whether or not this title has been bound before. The Captions for the variables should match the ones that we use for Periodicals and Serials depending on what class the item falls into.

In many cases, the person who filled out the slip may write the Title ID in the top corner of the slip for easier access to the ABLE record. Otherwise, look the title up by its call number. Be sure to change the Category to reflect whatever type of item you are working up- 01 for Periodicals and 04 for Serials. If a Phase Box is needed, choose PB from the drop down menu by Cover on the ABLE screen and type in “please make a phase box” in the instructions box. After working up the items in ABLE, create item records if necessary; attach the slips to the items with a rubber band, and pack. Remember, also, that all Serials will need to be checked out to the Bindery before they leave here. Sometimes the Georgia Room stack of items will have paperback Monographs in them, which will have purple slips. These paperbacks will need to be checked out to the Bindery, and then they can be packed with the other paperbacks (or the No Cut/No Trim paperbacks if necessary).

Any yellow slips that were pulled to create item records for Periodicals need to be given to Melissa in Serials Cataloging so that she can update the holdings. When she returns them, put them in the same box as the regular Periodicals slips for that week’s Lot (make sure that they are separated from the other Periodicals by being paper-clipped together, it also would be a good idea to stick a Post-It on top with the Lot ID written on it).

It is helpful to hold onto the original slips that come with these materials for the purposes of Statistics. When you are finished with the Statistics, put these slips back on their corresponding shelf.

• Please note that Reference and Georgia Room materials are entirely different categories. They are explained under one heading only because of the similarities in how they need to be worked up.

Government Documents/Georgia Gov Docs

Government Documents and Georgia Gov Docs are left on their own labeled shelf underneath the Georgia Room and Reference shelves. They come to the Binding office already checked out to the Bindery. Like Georgia Room and Reference materials, these items will come with a slip that will indicate what variables need to be filled in, the exact title, call number, and color. Gov Docs slips usually come with the Title ID written on the slip, but if not, look the title up by call number. You should not usually need to create a new Title record in ABLE for Government Document materials. If you should happen to find a title that does not appear to have a Title record in ABLE, consult with a Gov Docs employee before creating a new one. It is important that the records be to their exact specifications. The same is true of any Captions or other markings that they use. Use EXACTLY what they have written on the slip. Any dashes or slashes they use should be exactly how it appears on the spine of the book, and any spaces in the call # that they desire will be noted with a l_l (which looks like a bracket on its side). This is important because Gov Docs has a numbering system that is totally unique to their department.

Both Government Documents and Georgia Gov Docs are worked up in ABLE under that week’s Lot ID dash three (Example: 24-3, or 24-3RUSH if we have any Rush Gov Docs). They can be Periodicals, Serials, or Monographs. The Category on the ABLE record should reflect the class of material you are working up. You will never, however, have to create item records for Gov Docs. Gov Docs employees themselves create item records for their Periodicals. In fact, you should never even have to access Cataloging records for Gov Docs. Just work them up in ABLE, attach slips to them, and pack. Use the Instructions box to indicate NO CUT/NO TRIM if necessary.

Rebinds and Phase Boxes

Rebinds and/or Phase Boxes are brought to the Binding office on a book truck by Preservation once a week, usually on Thursdays. Each book will have to be checked to make sure the book’s author, title, and call number are marked inside. Also, fill out a marking slip for each book as you go along. You may find Rebinds that are too brittle to bind, so it's fine to designate them as Phase Boxes. (If you happen to find any paperback books among the Rebinds, treat them like the other Paperbacks you may have that week, but make sure that they have marking slips, item records, and are checked out to the Bindery before you pack them.)

For each type, check to make sure that the title page of the book is dotted and slashed. Then, check to make sure that the call number is written on the reverse side of the title page. Flip through the book to determine whether or not it needs to be marked NO CUT/NO TRIM. If it is a NO CUT/NO TRIM book, put a Post-It with a NO CUT/NO TRIM stamp on it on the title page of the book. Phase Boxes will not be cut at the Bindery, so they do not need this note.

From there, Rebinds and Phase Boxes need to be separated into two different stacks as you go because they will need to be packed and counted separately. For Rebinds, cut the barcode out of the back of the book with an Xacto knife and staple it onto the marking slip. When you are finished with all of the Rebinds, you will need to call up each book's item record and charge out each book to the Bindery. For Phase Box Rebinds, do not remove the barcodes. Call up each book’s barcode and charge out that book to the Bindery. Put the Phase Box Rebind slips into a separate stack. Rebinds that do not have item records need to be taken to Database Maintenance before they are processed for binding.

When you are done with all of the Rebinds and Phase Boxes, rubber band each seperate stack of slips together. Put a Post-It on the top of the slips with the date that these books are being sent out to the Bindery on it. Also write the Lot that they are being sent out with. Put the slips on the shelf underneath the other slip boxes so that they may be matched back up with the appropriate books when they return from the Bindery.

As mentioned before, Rebinds and Phase Box Rebinds need to be packed separately. They will also need to be counted (in the vein of Paperbacks) since they are not worked up in ABLE.

Music Scores

Someone in Music Cataloging will deliver a box of Music Scores to the Binding office, usually once a week. Sometimes, though, we only get Scores once every couple of weeks. Scores are generally delivered on Thursday or Friday, but may arrive as late as Tuesday. Music Score Serials (see next section) will be sitting on top of the Scores and will be separated from them by a couple of sheets of paper. Scores are already checked out to the Bindery, so all that needs to be done is to check that each score has a title slashed (and the composer dotted, if applicable), and that the call number in the score matches with the one on the yellow slip tucked into the first few pages. Take the yellow slips out as you go along, and then the scores can be packed. An item count is needed for the Scores and can by obtained simply by counting the slips. Rubber band the yellow slips together and Post-It the date they were sent out and the week’s Lot number they were sent out with on top. Put the slips in their box, which is located on the shelf next to the Rebinds slips. Take the empty cardboard box back to Music Cataloging.

Music Score Serials

Someone in the Music Cataloging department, as described above, brings Music Score Serials into the Binding office with the regular Music Scores. They will be placed on top of the regular Scores separated by sheets of yellow paper, and there are usually only one or two of these a week. They need to be worked up in ABLE under the same Account ID as Serials and under that week’s Lot ID dash four MS (Example: 24-4MS).

Music Score Serials need to be called up in ABLE by the call number. Simply fill in the variables found on the yellow slip. No item records ever need to be created (because these are not Periodicals). Attach binding slips to the corresponding Scores and pack. The yellow slips need to be paper-clipped together and banded together with the yellow slips from the regular Music Scores.

Corrections/Library Errors

Corrections and Library Errors found by student workers or other employees are placed on the Corrections shelf which is located beneath the Gov Docs shelf. A Post-It should be put on the front of the book giving a brief explanation of what the problem is. At the end of the week, these items are looked at more closely by the Binding Supervisor. Two Microsoft Word documents are created: one for Corrections and one for Library Errors. For an example of the way that these documents should look, look in the back of the Red Notebook (next to the student table on a shelf). Items must be checked out to the Bindery before they are sent back out. Items that are already checked out to the Bindery need to have an updated checkout date. See the How to Run the Binding Shipment document for further instructions on what you should do with these documents once they are finished.

Individual Binding

The Binding office can send out Individual Binding for departments or individuals as long as the materials are properly boxed and all of the information the Bindery needs is attached, including spine information, buckram and letter color, and a departmental contact person. See http://www.libs.uga.edu/serials/binding.html for more information.

The Main and Science Library offices no longer bind theses. Patrons wanting theses bound should be directed to the Copy Center at the Tate Student Center.

Student Workers

To get a better understanding of what the Student Workers’ responsibilities include please see Student Assistant Responsibilities. The Student Workers, of course, can be asked to help out in doing anything that is needed in the Binding office. They are paid every two weeks and are to fill in their hours on the yellow time cards. Work Study students need to fill out a white time card. Students’ official payroll sheets must be filled in and signed by the supervisor. To avoid having unsigned time sheets (and student workers not getting paid on time) it is important to encourage students to sign and date their official payroll sheets as soon as they arrive.

Student workers are allowed to set their own schedule and a final schedule should be turned in to the supervisor no later than the end of the first week of class. Though students are allowed to choose their own schedules, it is important to think about the office workflow as well as other students’ schedules. Tuesdays are very slow and student workers are usually not needed. Wednesdays and Thursdays are unpacking days and there is enough work for more than one student worker to work at that same time if the situation calls for it. After everything is unpacked, it is often not convenient for multiple student workers to work at one time. Most of the work is then done in Cataloging.

Invoices

A detailed explanation of how to pay invoices can be found in the How To Pay Invoices document. Invoices should be paid promptly.

Statistics

Statistics need to be filled out weekly on Tuesdays after the binding shipment for that week has been completed and run. Numbers for these Statistics can be taken from a third set of Packing Slips that are put aside for this purpose. Monthly Statistics should be filled in on the last Tuesday of the month and a printed copy should be given to the department head. The Packing Slips should be put into a folder that is in the top drawer of the filing cabinet on the back wall of the Binding office.

Binding Box

The Binding Box is a big purple plastic box located inside the Serials office behind the Public Service Desk partition. Serials employees leave things in this box that need to be picked up by Binding employees. The box will contain indexes, binding copies, new titles, title changes, and some atypical bindable units. The box should be emptied once a week if possible.

Corrections Table

Books that need pages tipped in or small spine corrections are put on the back table in the binding office and should be worked on and sent back out to circulate as soon as possible. Necessary equipment is stored on the shelves beneath the table.