Budgets and Projects

Today, my internship meeting was all about how we make Acquisitions through one of our main vendors, Harrassowitz, through the use of several key programs: ReMARC, OCLC Connexion, and Workflows.  The Music Library uses Harrassowitz as its main vendor for European monographs and scores, and thus purchases a great deal of traditional "classical" music literature from them.

My internship coordinator gave me a stack of Bibliographic records (referred to by me as "bib records" from here on out) to seek out and determine whether or not we were already in possession of an earlier edition or version of the score in question.  For all but one, we did not already have the title.  Thus, I used Workflows to begin the ordering process: by importing the bib record from OCLC using ReMARC (a kind of snapshot program for bib records).  I import the record using the SmartPort command in Workflows, and from there I am able to process my order.  After I create an order number, I use Harrassowitz's website here to actually firm order the item.  This way, it goes through both their system and ours to purchase the title.

Once the item is shipped, it will go first to Wells Library (the main campus Library) to be quickly processed and then sent to the Music Library for cataloging.  At first, I was a tad confused as to why this happens, instead of all orders being shipped directly to us -- but it was explained that if books need further care, like binding or whatnot, it is much easier to send them with an order of Wells books.  It still seems like a bit of an unnecessary step to me, but it works, and who am I to argue with a system that isn't broken?

Order books also brings up an interesting point: the budget.  This is an important time in the fiscal year, since we're beginning to get a little short on funds.  We need to over-spend, rather than under-spend, because a great deal of our orders may not come in before the end of the fiscal year and we need to have spent all of our money to get MORE money the next year.  At present, we have about 35% of our budget remaining, which means the semester long project I am working on: both my desiderata list and my Collected Works projects (which I'm sure I'll post about soon) will have a place within the remaining funds