Abstract
Academic libraries handle missing items in a variety of ways. The Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame recently revamped their system for replacing or withdrawing missing items. This article describes the new process that uses a customized database to facilitate efficient and effective communication, tracking, and selector decision making for large numbers of missing items.
Highlights
Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame recently revamped their system for replacing or withdrawing missing items
Significant staff time may be invested in the missing-book process by departments such as collection development, circulation, acquisitions, database management, systems, and public services
In 2005, Hesburgh Libraries recognized its need to develop a streamlined method of processing missing items
Summary
Once the task force determined that a database would serve Hesburgh Libraries’ needs more efficiently than a spreadsheet- or paper-based system, the task force enlisted the help of an applications developer. Other general database requirements included that it be available through any Web browser and accessible to only those people who are part of the replacement-book process With those requirements in mind, the task force created a list of metadata elements to be included in the database (see table 1). The two temporary tables are joined and their information merged, creating a single list of missing items and related acquisitions information This list is linked to the bibliographic tables to obtain key bibliographic information such as title, author, imprint, ISBN or ISSN, the ILS bibliographic number, and the barcode. These combined results are converted into an ASCII text file for import into the MySQL replacements database.
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