Cancellations, Titles Ceased and Withdrawals

As part of the process of initiating the withdrawal or cancellation of a title, or the notice of a ceased title, a decision is made by Public Services librarians about whether the volumes will be kept on the shelves, where, and for how long. To facilitate the decision making, and the subsequent follow-up in Tech Services, we have created a Title Maintenance form.

For each title, a determination needs to be made about whether it needs to be withdrawn from the shelves to Recycling or Booksale, or remain at some location in the library. If the title is to remain somewhere in the collection (including Storage), a determination is made about how often it should come up for re-consideration of withdrawal. To streamline our workflow, we have developed a model for evaluation of titles to be weeded, (and also to be ordered) on a scheduled basis (i.e., once a year, every 2, 5, or 10 years, core or permanent collection which will not be evaluated). Those decisions are noted on the form. After the form is completed, it goes to the Technical Services Librarian who notes the title and routes it to the proper person.

Serials cancelled or ceased:

• Serials check-in adds title to list of cancellations and titles withdrawn, if appropriate. Subscriptions for periodicals are canceled at end of subscription year, unless credit can be given by vendor. Updates for others serials are canceled immediately unless instructed otherwise. An "Internal Note" is inserted into the "order record" stating that the title has been cancelled or ceased with the date cancelled or ceased. Indications that a title has either been "Cancelled" or "Ceased" with the appropriate date are inserted into the check-in record via a Note field that is accessible in staff mode only, and the last check-in box.
• Cataloging makes appropriate notes in the bibliographic record based on the dates provided by serials check-in and counts the titles withdrawn for the ABA statistics. Specific cataloging procedures are described separately.
• Acquisitions/ processing removes the volumes from shelves if they are to be withdrawn, counts and disposes of them as directed on the form, or moves the volumes to storage, changes locations in item codes, and re-labels them either then or as part of the regular Bindery process. The "Library Has" statement is closed after issues have returned from the bindery.

Monographs withdrawn:

• Cataloging "decatalogs" record according to withdrawn procedures. Cataloging checks for earlier editions and related titles, and requests disposition from public services if needed by generating another form. (Specific cataloging procedures will be described separately.)
• Acquisitions/processing counts the volumes, and then disposes of them as directed on the form.

Looseleafs cancelled, withdrawn or ceased:

• Serials check-in cancels further updates from publisher, determines date of last update received, and notes that date in the check-in record, the order record, and on the form for cataloging.
• Cataloging will make appropriate notes in the bibliographic record based on the dates provided by serials check-in and locations noted on the form. (Specific cataloging procedures will be described separately.)
• Acquisitions/processing: If volumes are to remain on shelves, acquisitions/processing will pull the volumes to add a label noting the volume is no longer updated as of date determined by serials check-in, encode the item record to trigger the schedule for re-evaluation of whether the volumes should be retained on the shelves, move the volumes and change locations in the item codes. If the volumes are to be discarded, they are counted, and discarded, recycled or sold as noted on the form.
• Circulation is notified of the changes for purposes of monitoring looseleaf filing.

Annual re-evaluation: Once a year, acquisitions/processing will generate a review list of those titles to be discarded unless objection is made by public services and/or faculty. The Technical Services Librarian will route the list to all librarians and to interested faculty.

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