Acquisitions Department

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCHING PROCEDURES

Objectives

The Acquisitions Department is concerned simultaneously with two kinds of data which are sometimes incompatible: bibliographic and business. The results of searching activities are forwarded to the Catalog Department in as correct a bibliographic form as possible, but data for intra-library purposes should not be used on purchase orders where it might confuse vendors and delay order fulfillment.

1. Holdings search:
   Identify requests for materials which are unnecessary duplicates of items already in the collection, in process, or currently on order;
2. Availability search:
   Obtain and/or verify sufficient bibliographic description for ordering the items requested;
3. Cataloging copy search:
   Locate any usable cataloging copy produced by another library.
4. Non-standard:
   Nonstandard searching patterns that vary according to the nature of material requested.


5. Completed work is placed by fund code in box designated for "Completed Searches" except for "RUSH" or "Rush Order" items that are given to Department Head.

Send questions/comments/suggestions to Foster Bunday Acquisitions Department | The University of Memphis | University Libraries 126 Ned R. McWherter Library | Memphis, TN 38152-3250 Phone: (901) 678-2203 | Fax: (901) 678-8218