[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] FW: Evergreen Acquistions vs some other method

[Donald Butterworth]

At Asbury Seminary we have been using the Acq module since we went live a
year and a half ago. For the most part, it handles Firm Orders correctly.
It is not designed to handle Standing Orders, e.g. Periodicals, Serials,
Monographic series, and Blanket orders. To handle these types of orders we
have to get "creative" and treat them like a monograph, or keep an outside
record on a spreadsheet.

Here is what our workflow looks like in case anyone is interested.

Electronic "candidate" records are compiled into the freeware JTacq
<http://www.jtdata.com/jtacq.html>.
JTacq checks Evergreen and identifies titles we already own.
JTacq searches for the vendor with the cheapest price.
Copy/Item record data is attached to each title through the use of
"profiles"
JTacq puts titles to be ordered from Amazon and ABEBooks directly into
their checkout carts.
JTacq pulls the permanent Bib record from OCLC.
JTacq deletes "junk" fields from the bib records.
JTacq applies a 962 field to each bib record based on the linked profile.

Bib Records are exported to a file to be imported into Evergreen. The "Load
MARC Order Records" feature is then used to create a Purchase Order, add
the permanent Bib record to the database and add Copy/Item records to the
database all in one fell swoop. Very Cool.

The only flaw in this procedure is you CANNOT have multiple 962 fields with
different purchase prices. So if volume 1 costs $50 and volume 2 costs $75
you are out of luck.

Because all of the cataloging work is done up front, with the permanent
MARC record used to create the order, receiving volumes is a snap. It takes
very little time to get volumes/items on the shelf.

Another annoyance is the "Acquisition Search" screen grid. Only 15 lines
are displayed on this screen, newest to oldest. To date we have 155 orders
with Amazon, which means we have to hit the "Next" button 11 times just to
get to the most recent order. I hate to think how many times we will need
to hit "Next" 3 years from now.

With those two caveats we are pleased with Firm Orders.

(But don't get me started on Electronic Invoicing with EBSCO)

Don


On Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 4:08 PM, Elisabeth Keppler <keppleep at forsyth.cc>
wrote:

> Forsyth County NC used to use the Evergreen acquisitions module, but
> because the County would not allow us to track money that way (we are
> required to use the County Finance Department's methods), it was much more
> trouble than it was worth.  We were tracking in multiple places.  Now, once
> the PO is activated, the money people track the funds and Tech Services
> tracks the materials.  That's an over-simplification, of course, but it
> means there's a lot less duplication of effort.
>
> Best of luck!
> Lise
>
> On Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 3:58 PM, St. John, Leslie <
> lstjohn at georgialibraries.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Sharon,
>> We (I) empathize.  Sincerely.  It's not easy. We use all of it, or try.
>> We've learned a lot and keep on learning.
>>
>> In our consortium we currently have three library systems using
>> Acquisitions. The systems are different in size, budget, workflows and
>> vendors. Each encounters different issues.  When we go into a library
>> system that wants to use Acquisitions we ask about their goals and then
>> later, after they have had some experience we go back and ask if the EG
>> Acquisitions has or will meet their goals and they all have said yes.  They
>> are most excited about fund tracking - that they know how their budgets
>> stand in real time; second is they are happily relieved of most of their
>> paper.  Although we tend to have very strict audit requirements that still
>> require paper purchase orders and invoices their pre-order tracking,
>> collating and receiving are almost paper free. One of our library systems
>> that tried and rejected Acquisitions is now extremely interested - the
>> person who rejected it is now in charge of the entire process of acquiring
>> and cataloging for a large system. They now appreciate the advantages of a
>> cohesive Acquisitions module over their cobbled together vendor website and
>> internal spreadsheet system they have been using.
>>
>> I do not know of any of our library systems using any Acquisitions
>> specific software. Most systems seem to use a combination of ordering
>> through through their vendor websites and issuing paper purchase orders,
>> keeping track of their funds though spreadsheets.  Some of our larger
>> systems have constructed in-house databases to manage ordering but not fund
>> tracking.
>>
>> I hope that helps you out some. Please feel free to contact me if you
>> have further questions or if we can be of any help to you.
>> Leslie
>>
>> Leslie St. John
>> PINES Consultant
>> Georgia Public Library Service
>> A Unit of the University System of Georgia
>> 1800 Century Place, Suite 150
>> Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
>> 404-235-7129
>> lstjohn at georgialibraries.org
>> www.gapines.org
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From: *"Sharon Douglas" <douglass at exchange.larl.org>
>> *To: *open-ils-general at list.georgialibraries.org
>> *Sent: *Thursday, November 5, 2015 1:01:19 PM
>> *Subject: *[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] FW: Evergreen Acquistions vs some other
>> method
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> We’ve been struggling to get Evergreen Acquistions set up and working,
>> and are gaining ground.
>>
>> But it’s time for us to evaluate the pro/con of even using an acquisition
>> module, vs. using some other method.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’ve got 3 questions for everyone...
>>
>>
>>
>> 1)      Do you use Evergreen Acqisitions and if yes, do you use it all
>> or only some portion of it.
>>
>>
>>
>> 2)      If you do not use Evergreen Acquistions, do you use some other
>> Acquistion software and if yes, what is it.
>>
>>
>>
>> 3)      If you do not use any Acquisition software, what method do you
>> use to keep track of funds/ encumbrances/ect.?
>>
>>
>>
>> I’m posting this same question to the Cataloging group.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Sharon Douglas  -  Automation Coordinator - Lake Agassiz Regional Library
>>
>> 118 5th St S  - Moorhead MN 56561  -  218-233-3757 ext 138  -
>> www.larl.org
>>
>> The mission of LARL is to enrich lives and strengthen communities
>>
>> LARL values intellectual freedom, equal access to information, respect,
>>
>> tolerance, fun and welcoming atmosphere, excellent customer service,
>>
>> and a current community driven collection.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Lise Keppler, Technical Services
> Forsyth County Public Library
> 2851 Fairlawn Dr
> Winston Salem NC  27106
> 336-703-3048
>



-- 
Don Butterworth
Faculty Associate / Librarian III
B.L. Fisher Library
Asbury Theological Seminary
don.butterworth at asburyseminary.edu
(859) 858-2227
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