Making up Book Trucks and Double Discharging
Book Trucks
As books are checked in at the Circulation desk, they are placed, in call number order, on the book shelves at the Circulation desk.
When enough books have accumulated, they are placed on carts.
- Books are initially placed on the cart standing upright.
- As you are filling the cart, make sure that the books remain in call number order.
- Fill three shelves of a cart beginning with the top right, followed by the bottom right, then the top left. This sequence prevents later imbalances while shelving and ensures that a practiced shelver can shelve a truck, and tidy as necessary within an hour.
- Books are separated into trucks for the second floor, trucks for the third floor, and carts for periodicals.
- Any oversized books are to be included on the bottom left-hand shelf of a third-floor truck.
- Periodicals are placed on flatbed carts.
- The top shelf is used for bound periodicals which are arranged in alphabetical order (within titles please keep in volume-number order)
- The bottom shelf is used for unbound periodicals, also placed in alphabetical order.
As you are preparing a cart, look for books that require repair or relabeling. Likewise, look out for books belonging to other libraries, books that belong in other collections (Reserves, Reference, and oversized) that may have slipped into the general run.
Double Discharging
Before a completed book cart is shelved, the books are discharged (checked-in) a second time.
- This practice ensures that all books are signed in before being shelved.
- This is also another chance to identify a candidate for repair or re-labeling, identify books belonging to other Libraries, and set aside books that belong in other collections (Reserves, Reference, and oversized) that may have been missed the first time.
As with check-in, watch the screen diligently as you go.
- Items that are ‘On Hold’, for example, or have an odd ‘Process Status’, will display this information in a pop up window.
After the books have been discharged for a second time, ensure that the spine of the book ‘faces up’ on the cart. Everyone will then know that this cart has been double discharged and is ready to be shelved.
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