Acquisitions and Licensing Department Staff Highlights 2004/2005

Acquisitions and Licensing Department
Highlights, 2004/2005

The Acquisitions and Licensing Department completed its first year as a department. The units: Monographs; Serials; Gifts and Exchange; Paying; Database Maintenance, worked collaboratively to implement People Soft and Aleph into the acquisitions and maintenance processing routines. Staff from the department continued training classes as needed, particularly classes that informed staff outside the department about how to view information in the Aleph administration, acquisitions, serials modules and how to use the navigation maps for readily accessing acquisitions information. Now that Aleph has been integrated in unit operations, the teams expect to evaluate workflow and refine processing procedures further during this coming year.

Paying Unit

The Library materials budget for 2004/2005 saw a slight increase even though the state allocation remained flat for the third year at $6,570,000. Additional funds from Division of Sponsored Research (DSR) and cooperative buying agreements within the University and State University library system again supplemented the budget, particularly in developing the electronic resources collections. Expenditures for library materials increased to $7,905,186, a 5.41% increase when compared the $7,542,363 budget for fiscal 2004. Paying Unit processed a total of 8,591 invoices out of the 982 batches sent forward from Monographs, Serials and Gifts & Exchange Units, as well as Preservation Department and Digital Library Center. By using Macro Express and the Aleph/PeopleSoft paying interface, the unit has reduced the double keying of NOTIS and SAMAS in daily invoice processing. However, PeopleSoft is more labor intensive than SAMAS, particularly when processing P-card transactions. The financial reports that were available from Arrow in NOTIS are not duplicated in the Aleph system. Tracking financial and statistical activity was hampered this year due to the lack of report support from Aleph. Donna Alsbury at FCLA is currently working on developing reports that should emulate the Arrow reports.

Serials Acquisitions Unit

The unit received serials in all formats: 53,417 pieces (28.6% decrease from the 74,813 reported in 2003/04). The unit added 21 new serials titles, 12 new electronic resources titles, and cancelled 37 serials titles to the collection. Including Gifts and Exchange serials acquisitions, the current serials subscription tally grew by 50 new titles (addition of 134 and cancellation of 84 titles) and increased the current sum to 18,948 subscriptions. The Serials Unit completed canceling print subscriptions for 342 print Elsevier titles received from various vendors and converted title access to online only (these cancellations were not entered as a "dropped" statistic because the titles remain in the collection in a variant format). The unit completed a full year of processing Kluwer/Springer print titles for dim archiving. By using Marco Express the check-in and storage procedures for the archival copies was streamlined. Working with FCLA and EBSCO, the unit successfully loaded the annual renewal invoice as an EDI file, which decreased payment posting significantly. In the coming year, the unit will add vendors Harrassowitz and Swets Oxford to the EDI processing for renewal invoice payment posting. The unit configured the serials and electronic resources order forms located on the Serials Unit Web site to submit order request online, directing the request to the Serials mailbox.

Monographs Unit

The Monographs Unit received monographs in all formats: 42,083 volumes, 5% decreased from 44,241volumes reported in 2003/04. The virtual approval plan with YBP continues to run smoothly and allows the libraries to receive a greater number of books shelf ready. The unit implemented a similar virtual approval plan and firm order account with Blackwell for English, Theater, and Film subject areas. Staff in the unit collaborated with Catalog and Metadata staff to implement Prompt Cat record receipt for YBP and Blackwell monographs and standing orders.

Mark Allender moved from the Serials Unit in April 2005 when we consolidated the material received with shelf ready processing in the Monographs Unit. Mark processes the shelf ready standing orders received through Blackwell and will continue managing the serials and monographs mail rooms from the Monographs Unit. With the consolidation of shelf ready materials in one unit, monitoring the processing and centralizing vendor services evaluation will facilitate quality control for the processing the libraries purchase. Staff in the unit also worked with the Technical Coordinator Librarian to resolve record loading issues in Aleph for order and catalog records received from Blackwell, YBP, and Harrassowitz book vendors.

Gifts and Exchange Unit

Gifts and Exchange Unit received 3,324 serials and 8,201 monographs from gift donors. From those receipts, the unit added 1,153 serials and 2,915 monographs to the collection. G & E exchange program is receiving on an ongoing basis 2,680 active serial titles from both gifts and exchange programs: 1,095 serials or monographic series from 633 exchange partners, and 1,585 serial titles through gift subscriptions.

Smathers Library Bookstore grossed $10,205.68 during 2004/05. To the credit of Steve, Raimonda and David, and the advertising help of Barbara Hood, the bookstore has grossed $53,152.95 in the six fiscal years it has been in operation. In addition, the bookstore staff sold online 235 books to gross $6,913.36 in sales for the fiscal year. In the two years of selling online, the bookstore has netted a profit of $10,379.26 from sales. Together, the bookstore and the online book selling netted a profit of $16,279.87 in sales for deposit in the Florida Foundation Funds.

Gifts and Exchange arranged the logistics and receipt of notable gifts in 2004/05. James Haskins donated 3,000 piece gift for the Special Collections. Dr. Terry Schnadelbach donated a collection of 1,500 art books, of which 300 were searched, cataloged in Aleph, bookplated and shipped to the University of Paris, France (a partner institution of University of Florida). The unit also supervised the shipping and donation of 2 large pallets of chemistry journals to the University of Tanzania, Africa; donated and shipped several boxes of withdrawn reference materials to a Peace Corps library in Togo, Africa.

Database Maintenance Unit

Database Maintenance Unit focused their work on reclassifying the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) currently received periodicals collection. Through June 2005, 1,590 titles and 36,000 volumes of HSS currently received periodicals were reclassified. 60 titles in that collection require closer scrutiny to determine current holdings and publishing status before reclassification from Dewy to LC can take place. In the monograph collection, 600 classification titles have been completely reclassified to LC and work is ongoing in the 200s, 300s, and 800s. Titles in these Dewey classifications that have NOTIS records containing LC numbers will be reclassified first. Volumes that require call number review or assignment are sent to Cataloging and Metadata for complete record and classification review. 45,918 volumes from 200s, 300s, and 800s have been identified as reclassification candidates. 98 percent of that number has some form of LC call number available. A chart of the projected distribution in LC of the Dewey volumes to be reclassified show the shelving needs for LC ranges - P (23709), B (7862), H (3975), G2571), J (2157).

The Unit withdrew 1,176 titles and 3,013 volumes; transferred 20 titles and 45 volumes among collections; reinstated 11 titles and 16 volumes in the collection.

Budget Analysis

Expenditures for electronic resources purchases have increased steadily consuming 8.2% to 40.7% of the total budget from 1998-2005 (Chart 1). During 2005 the spending trend increased significantly and reflects the Elsevier title package change from print plus electronic access to electronic access only. All print subscriptions for Elsevier titles were canceled last summer and the funds from the print subscription were moved into the electronic resources serials budget in Aleph to cover the cost of the electronic access only package. With the switch to electronic access only during the last two years for publisher packages such as Wiley, Kluwer, Springer, and Elsevier, the budget for print subscription has taken a significant cut in 2004 and 2005 (Chart 2). Monograph expenditures continue to show a significant drop, particularly in the last three years, 2003-2005 (Chart 3). The three graphs illustrate the upward trend in spending for electronic resources and downward trend in monograph purchases and serials print purchases. If these trends hold and we believe they will, electronic resources will become the preferred format in the collection and remain the major consumer of the annual materials budget.

	Electronic Resources Expenditures	Materials Budget	Electronic Resources as % of total budget
FISCAL 1998	$487,242	$5,923,206	8.20%
FISCAL 1999	$676,458	$6,222,609	10.90%
FISCAL 2000	$853,848	$6,470,712	13.20%
FISCAL 2001	$1,307,690	$8,175,073	16.00%
FISCAL 2002	$1,539,382	$7,533,596	20.40%
FISCAL 2003	$1,447,782	$7,592,956	19.10%
FISCAL 2004	$1,903,004	$7,340,928	25.50%
FISCAL 2005	$3,197,499	$7,848,647	40.70%
Chart 1

	Print Serials Expenditures	Materials Budget	Print Serials as % of total budget
FISCAL 1998	$2,792,626	$5,923,206	45.88%
FISCAL 1999	$2,996,268	$6,222,609	46.93%
FISCAL 2000	$2,660,189	$6,470,712	40.55%
FISCAL 2001	$2,480,995	$8,175,073	27.54%
FISCAL 2002	$2,724,459	$7,533,596	32.75%
FISCAL 2003	$2,629,546	$7,592,956	34.63%
FISCAL 2004	$2,647,152	$7,340,928	34.99%
FISCAL 2005	$2,207,560	$7,848,647	27.68%
Chart 2

	Monographs Expenditures	Materials Budget	Monographs as % of total budget
FISCAL 1998	$2,324,647	$5,923,206	38.19%
FISCAL 1999	$2,363,618	$6,222,609	37.02%
FISCAL 2000	$1,902,943	$6,470,712	29.01%
FISCAL 2001	$3,239,447	$8,175,073	35.95%
FISCAL 2002	$2,786,447	$7,533,596	33.49%
FISCAL 2003	$1,882,595	$7,592,956	24.93%
FISCAL 2004	$1,613,090	$7,340,928	21.32%
FISCAL 2005	$1,578,157	$7,848,647	19.79%
Chart 3

Graph 1

Graph 2

Graph 3

Aleph Training

Acquisitions and Licensing Department continued training sessions after Aleph implementation to reinforce Aleph skills.

Paying Unit continues coordinating the addition of vendor information in PeopleSoft; corresponded with vendors to update addresses and contacts; input PeopleSoft codes into Aleph.
Jack Waters trained HSCL and Law staff in coordinating the flat file invoice loading from Aleph to People Soft and in closing budget procedures for the end of the fiscal year.
Michele Crump and Suzanne Kiker offered several classes for library staff explaining how to find information in Aleph for budget balances, vendor information, order records and invoice payment activity.
Doug Kiker and Jason Fleming worked with Cathy Mook and Naomi Young coordinated item and holding procedures in Aleph for the A Team members so that they could correct holdings sort problems as encountered in the LMS.
Jason Fleming and Julia Allen present several sessions on using Macro Express to library staff and encouraged staff to develop and use macros in routine processing.
Michael Jay established the "Monoshare" folder so that the Monograph Unit can share macros and Aleph procedures easily. Michael has also created macros for invoice payment and other monograph acquisitions procedures and offered training to staff in the unit for developing their own macros.
Jason Fleming updated the Acquisitions and Licensing Web pages, including Aleph training packages and other training sites for staff reference. Jason also created serials check-in macros and statistic recording macro for the Serials Unit.

Personnel

Daniel Holt resigned from the Serials Unit, November 2004.
Hollie Allender joined the Serials Unit, April 2005.
Natalie Henri-Bennett resigned in the Monographs Unit, August 2004.
Paul Lightcap joined the Monographs Unit, January 2005.
Judy Rummel resigned from the Serials Unit and moved to a position in the Copy Cataloging Unit, Catalog and Metadata Department, April 2005.
Elaine Needelman and Jessica York continue contributing to the Acquisitions and Licensing Department and Cataloging and Metadata Department's monthly staff newsletter, "Four Floors".