MIT Libraries Cataloging Oasis

Monograph Precats

[Procedure]

Sending a New Title out on Precat

  1. Copy cataloger searches OCLC and finds no acceptable copy. The cataloger places the item on the "Send to Precat" shelf.
  2. CAMS student pulls the title from the "Send to Precat" shelf, and prepares the item for precat; s/he:
    • Selects the precat flag, color-coded to correspond to the month the item was received in Acquisitions. Note: Since May 1992, the precat flag colors for monographs have been changed to match those used for serial precats. (One can still quickly distinguish a monograph precat from a serial precat, since a serials precat has a black stripe at the top of the precat flag.) This means that there is now a unique color for each month of the year; for example, a grey flag always means a June precat. (Additionally, the name of the month is printed on the flag.)
    • Writes the year and order number on the precat flag.
    • Glues the flag inside the front cover of the book.
    • Counts the precat; keeps statistics of the number of titles sent out on precat each month, broken down by library.
  3. CAMS student sends the precat to the Bindery; CAMS keeps no paper record of the individual precat title.
  4. The divisional library receives the precat from the Bindery and shelves the item in its precat collection; the divisional library keeps no paper record of the precat title.

    Precat Recall

  5. One year later, the precat is recalled by flag color. On orabout the first working day of each month, the divisional library pulls and returns to CAMS all monographs with that month's flag color.
    Example: All precat books received in June have grey precat flags. On or about the first working day of June 1993, the divisional library pulls from its shelves all precat books with grey flags (these should all be books marked June 1992 on the precat flags),and sends them to CAMS for cataloging.
  6. Books not on the shelf at the time of precat recall will be identified through monthly reports of aged precats generated from Barton by the Systems Office.
    Note: Libraries may also return, at any time, any precats older than 12 months which have subsequently turned up on the shelf. Since libraries shelve precats by order number, it is generally easy to spot these older precats on the shelf.
  7. The precat returns to CAMS, and is shelved with the monograph cataloging work supply.

    Reader Requests for Items In Process

  8. When a reader requests a precat title which is not on the shelves in the divisional library, and not checked out in CIRC, the divisional library looks in Barton to determine the date the item was originally received by MIT. If the item was received one year ago or more, the divisional library assumes that the title has been returned to CAMS for cataloging.
  9. The divisional library notifies CAMS that there is a reader request for the item, giving the name of the patron, the title of the item, LCN, date the item was originally received, and any other relevant information. This notification may take place electronically by using the book search form on Collection Service's Book Search Page.
  10. The searching team staff searches for the book, and:
    • If found, inserts a rush flag in the item, writing reader request on the rush flag, and adding the name of the patron; gives the item to CBC to be processed as a rush.
    • If not found, reports back to the divisional library whether the book has already been cataloged (and is in the Bindery or en route to the library), or appears never to have been returned to CAMS.
  11. If the item cannot be located, the divisional library initiates normal missing/lost routines.

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Drafted by Jo Lynne Byrd on 921015; revised by Ray Schmidt; maintained by Gordon Thomas and last updated on 060804.