When setting up a new serial title, you must first determine if a record exists in Aleph. If another USMAI institution owns the title, a record should exist. If there is a choice of records in various formats (print, microform, electronic), always choose the print record - provided the content is equivalent. ¹

Search base: MAI Global Serials
Click on the Binoculars icon
Click on Browse, and select method of browsing from the Headings List: title, ISSN, etc.

Fill in the text (ex: nutrition & food science) and click Go
If there is a record, highlight it and click Show on the right side of your screen.

Click Orders on the lower right side of the screen.

This will bring up the Order Record (shown below). To set it up click Add on the upper right side of your screen.

Order Type = Serial
Click O.K.

Note that the system automatically creates an order number (see below):

Most basic things to fill in under General tab:

• Material Format
• Material Type
• Sublibrary
• Acquisition Method
• Order Status

(Library Note can be used for important information you want to remember about that title, like if it is part of a group or membership.)

Most basic things to fill in under Vendor tab:

• Vendor Code (Filling this in will automatically fill in the Vendor Name and Contact, if contact information has been placed in the vendor record. In many libraries, Acquisitions staff maintain the vendor records.)
• Vendor Reference (the order or title number assigned by the vendor; this is not essential to fill in unless you are going to do EDI)
• Order Delivery Type
• Delivery Type

Most basic things to fill in under Quantity and Price tab:

• Number of Units (must be >0)
• Currency
• List Price (Many libraries use $0.01 since this information can be seen by anyone accessing the Order List. Filling in List Price automatically fill in Final & Local Price fields
• Encumber Budget (This is where you put your budget code. If you do not put it in at this point, it is much harder to add it later. Once you click Add, this particular field will disappear from this screen. If your library does not use Aleph to manage the periodicals budget, you can leave this field blank.)

Click Add

¹USMAI Cataloging Policy Committee. Single Record Approach to Journals in Multiple Formats. 5 Nov. 2007 revision. http://usmai.umd.edu/cpc/SingleRec_Processing.doc (accessed June 20, 2008).

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Content questions should be directed to Yalan Qi.