Grouping Orders

Aleph allows you to save defaults, so it’s often helpful to group like orders. It’s highly efficient to do many alike orders all at the same time.

Bib Records

All Aleph order must be attached to a bib record. The first step in creating any order is finding, getting, or creating a bib record for your order. Search our database. If you find a matching bib record, you should use that record.

Depending on campus policy worked out with catalogers at your campus, some records can be overlayed or enhanced to make them more complete. However, if a record is a near–match, details which might change what is represented by the record should never be altered.

If you don’t find a matching record, what you do depends on your campus policy. Some campuses will search OCLC and bring in an OCLC record. Other campuses will create a new record in Aleph. If you’re going to create a new bib, you can use the "Catalog Order" item in the Aleph Orders menu, or alternately, you are a cataloging can create a new record in the Cataloging Module. In any case, use due diligence not to create or bring duplicate records into the system.

Demonstration:

Have everyone search for Gone with the Wind. Have everyone find a format or edition that their library doesn't already own (show them to look at their library holdings at the bottom of the record). Have everyone click "Orders" to push the record they've selected to Acquisitions.

Creating an Order:

After you’ve pushed a record to Acquisitions, you end up in the order list. There may be many other orders or no other orders in the order list. You can distinguish your campus’ orders in the order list by your campus code preceding the order number. It’s usually a good idea to look here for anything unexpected (like an order for something that you didn't think you own).

Demonstration:

Show how to modify the order list by right–clicking on it to delete or add fields. Show how to drag fields to re–size them.

Demonstration:

Create an order by clicking add. The form that allows you to select Monograph, Standing Order, or Serial order then opens. It defaults to monograph, so for a one–shot order, you can just click ok. That's what we’ll do now. The four-tab order form opens.

I'm going to go over the fields that appear in an order record and their general use, but most of the values put in are determined by local campus policy:

Tab 2: General:

• "Order Number 1" is a number unique to each order that is automatically assigned by the system. The first two digits will always be your campus code. After that, how this number is generated will vary depending whether it’s a monograph or serial order and which campus you’re at. If you have questions about how the order number is generated at your campus, contact Yalan.
• "Additional Order Number 1" and "Additional Order Number 2" can both be used in any way that your campus decides to use them. Some use them to track campus P.O.’s, some use them to track standing orders, some use them to distinguish credit card purchases, etc. These fields are indexed so that you can search by them in Order Search.
• "Order ISBN/ISSN" will list the ISBNs contained within the bib record you are using. The first one given in the bib record that you’re using will default into your order. For instance, if there is a cloth edition and a paperback edition available of the book we are ordering and both are cataloged on the same record, the ISBN for the hardback will default into the order, but the ISBN for both versions will be available for selection from the pull–down list. If this is the case, be sure to choose the correct ISBN for the material type we are ordering. Likewise, if the Bib. record contains only one ISBN or no ISBN, the pull–down list will reflect this. You may enter a different ISBN if the one we are ordering is not available in the record by just typing it in. All ISBN’s must be valid or the system won’t accept them.
• "ERM ID" is not in use because we don’t have an ERM.
• "Open Date," "Order Date," and "Status Date," are all system generated.
• "Order Group" may be used in accordance with campus policy by clicking the arrow and selecting a value, or by typing a value in.
• "Order Status" defaults to New. This is the correct status for a new order.
• "Material Type" can be selected from the drop down depending on your campus policies.
• "Sub-Library" use varies by campus. Usually it’s campus code–campus code. For example, UMBC uses BC–BC. Some campuses have multiple campus codes for different departments that they purchase for.
• The "Acquisition Method" is determined by campus policy and can be selected from the drop-down.
• "Initiator I.D." is not used by most campuses, but can be in accordance with your campus policy by clicking the…then searching the patron database for the person. Be aware that attempting to use this field can cause problems because of the large size of the consortial patron database.
• "Initiator Name" is pulled from the patron record if the "Initiator I.D. field" is filled in. The system doesn’t allow us to type names in.
• The "Action" field is not in use. None of the actions are currently set up in our environment.
• "Library Notes" contains notes intended for internal notes in accordance with campus policy. Most campuses use a PO on which these notes don't appear.

Tab 3: Vendor:

• "Vendor Code" can type the vendor code in or it can be selected from the list by clicking ... If you type it in, default information won’t be immediately applied, but if you select from the list, it will be. If using the list, you can search for the vendor by name, or by code. Some codes are availableunder ALEPH CODE on the PO list.
• "Vendor Name" is filled in from the vendor record. The system doesn’t allow us to type it in.
• "Vendor Reference" is for a vendor’s catalog or accession number, which you can fill in or not depending on your campus policy.
• "Vendor note" is for any external notes about the material being ordered that you want to appear on the PO.
• "Order Delivery Type" is LE(tter) for Letter, one order per sheet, or LI(st) for List, or many orders per sheet. This will default in from the vendor record.
• "Delivery Type" is in accordance with campus policy and defaults in from the vendor record.
• "Letter Type" is campus–specific. Set in accordance with campus policy.
• "Send letter by" is Print.
• Claim dates are in accordance with campus policy.
• "Batch Claiming" should be checked.
• "Rush" can be checked if it is a rush order.

Tab 4: Quantity and Price

Note that calculated fields will only calculate into blank fields. If you revise your numbers after you’ve refreshed or saved, the calculated fields will remain the same unless you blank them out which will allow them to calculate again.

• The "Number of Units" can be filled in appropriately or can be left blank. Some campuses only put one unit per order because of oddities in how Aleph handled multiple–unit orders. Aleph assumes all units to be the same price and multiples the number of units time the unit price to get the total price which then also becomes the list price.
• The "Unit Price" can also be filled in as appropriate or can be left blank.
• The "Total Price" may be left blank, filled in, or be calculated (the Number of Units times the Unit Price). The value will only calculate if the field is blank.
• The "Create Item Record" box should be check if your campus wants orders to appear in the public catalog. If left blank, there is no item record created and the order doesn’t appear in the catalog.
• "Item Collection" causes the collection code in a created item record to be set with this value. The field may be filled in our not based on campus policy. If not filled in, the collection code default to a generic code, GEN.
• The Currency will be whatever currency the price is given in. Use the drop–down to select appropriately. However, you’ll only be given currency options that are given in the vendor record for the vendor your using. If your vendor record has more than one currency listed, the first currency will fill in as the default on refresh or save. Currency conversation is done via conversation tables periodically loaded into Aleph at CP.
• "List Price" must be filled in, either manually or calculated (the calculated value is the same as the "Total Price," number of units times unit price.).
• The "Terms Sign/Percent" can be used to calculate a discount or mark–up on the order. This can be filled in manually or can default in from the vendor record if you always get a standard discount or mark–up from a given vendor. Use minus for discounts and plus for mark-ups, and fill in the percent.
• The "Final Price" is the List Price with any discounts or mark–ups applied.
• The "Local Price" is the Final Price converted from another currency into dollars. This is the amount that will be encumbered. Note that this amount may change when a new currency table is loaded.
• "Price Notes" can be used to record notes regarding the price.
• Encumber the correct budget for the order. This may be done manually or by clicking the…and searching for the appropriate collection code.

Saving Defaults

Saving defaults will allow all of the values of your current order to fill into your next orders. At a minimum, you can use the "Save Default" function to save your campus–specific information, such as sub-library and letter type that might be always or usually the same, so that you don’t have to fill this information into each individual order. If you’ve grouped orders all going to the same vendor and being ordered on the same budget, you can get nearly all of the information in your order filled in automatically from the defaults. With very alike orders, you can possibly reduce the information you have to fill into each order down to just price, with everything else coming from default, the bib record, the vendor record, etc., depending on your campus policies. Note that "Claim date" is inexplicable does not saved in defaults, so if you use it, you'll have to manually set it in every order.

When you click "Save Defaults," pop–ups will come up sequentially asking you questions regarding whether you want particularly bits of information saved into the defaults. Answer those as appropriate. Note that it’s important to save defaults BEFORE completing the order as certain fields disappear off of the order form once it is saved, and once they’ve disappeared, those values can no longer be saved into default.

Final Steps:

1. Click "Refresh" to make sure everything has been filled in.
2. Click "OK." You will be returned to the Order List window but now your order will appear there. We do a check of the information appearing across this window, insuring that the most important fields are all correct.
3. Click "Send." You’re order will print if you have the order type set to LE, and you’ll get a message "Order will print when batch service is run" if you have the order type set to LI. With the LE value, the order status will change to "SV" for sent to vendor, if you have the LI value the order status will change to "RSV," ready to send to vendor, and will change to "SV" when the batch is run. Note that if the budget on the order doesn't have enough money in it, or if an inactive budget is on the order, the "Send" action will abort and the order status will change to DNB, Delayed No Budget.

Note that although you print orders using the "Send" button if you are using the LE status, you should be very aware that using this button will ALWAYS also re–set the status of the order, so beware of yourself or your staff inadvertently re–opening closed orders by clicking "Send" to print a closed order. When you want to print an order, you should always use the "Print/Cancel" button.

Editing fields that disappear from the order form:

Once you’ve added an order, the following fields disappear from the order form:

• Create Item Records
• Item Collection
• Encumber Budget

If you need to later modify this information, use the navigation tree to create the new item or change the collection code in the existing item, and the navigation tree to go to Encumber to modify a budget.

Note: If someone has moved an order and it’s item record from one bib record to another, the item record attached to an order will no longer be linked to it and no longer appear when you click on Items in the Navigation Map in Acquisitions/Serials. There is a linker field in the item record that is supposed to keep the item linked to the order, but it doesn’t work. In this happens, you’ll need to push the record to cataloging to see or change the item record. I can demonstrate this but you should consult with your cataloger on the use of the cataloging module and the modification of item records.

Item Processing Status

If you’re displaying your orders in the public catalog, they will general initially appear when they’re added with the Item Processing Status in the Item Record set as "OR" so that the items show as "On Order" in the catalog.

What happens beyond that varies from campus to campus. If the order gets another status, such as DNB for delayed no budget or VC for vendor cancelled, what happens varies depending on what your campus has decided to display in these circumstances. Once the item is received, the payment of the invoice will then usually trigger the Order Processing Status in the item record to change to another value, such as "IP" for in process. Other actions may trigger other actions depending on what your campus has set up.

Note also that if steps are done out of the normal order, triggers that normally update the Item Processing Status in the item record won’t work. For example, if an item is a pre–pay, it’s payed for then received, so the item processing status won't change to IP as it normally does.

Information Technology Division College Park, MD 20742-7011
Please send comments and suggestions to ITD's Webmaster.
Content questions should be directed to Yalan Qi.