After orders are placed they are followed up in one of two ways: reports from vendors, or by perusal of the NOTIS produced Expired Action Request List (EARL).
Vendor Reports: Many vendors, including publishers, will send some kind of report when an ordered book is not immediately available. Major vendors, particularly in the US, have highly standardized reporting systems, issued at regular intervals and including all currently outstanding orders. Others reply more informally by returning copies of orders, issuing no charge invoices, etc. Some vendors cancel an order which cannot immediately be filled; others will back order and hold the order indefinitely unless given different instructions.
UF has made arrangements to handle these reports with major vendors. Typically an out of print order is cancelled automatically; other currently unavailable books are kept on order for one year. If they cannot be supplied within this period, the order is cancelled automatically. In cases when an automatic cancelling procedure is not in effect, UF responds to vendor reports with specific instructions on when to cancel an unfilled order, which is usually within a one year time frame.
Action Requests: When each order is placed, it is assigned an action date, usually six months from the time of order. This is a tickler file. If no action is taken on the order by the stated date, the item will appear on a printed list of expired action dates. These lists are reviewed as soon as possible after production. Usually a claim will be sent, requesting that the book or a report be supplied as soon as possible. When the claim is sent, the action date is reset for a shorter period, usually two or three months. This way an unfilled order may appear on the EARL two or three times before the order is a year old. When a year or more has passed from the date of order, the vendor will be sent a notice of cancellation, unless there is some special reason not to do so, such as firm assistance that the book will be supplied very shortly.
Although vendor reports and the expired action dates are described here as different functions, in reality they often complement each other. For example, when a report is received that a book is out of stock and being back ordered, the action date will be moved up. Books ordered from vendors who report regularly will rarely have expired action dates. So the EARL is primarily a follow-up on books for which we do not receive reports.
Cancellations:Cancellations are either made by the vendor or initiated by us. In either case the internal procedures are the same. The active status code in the order record is changed to cancelled status (X). This immediately disencumbers the funds set aside for that order. The title will no longer print in the monthly open order reports. The reason for cancellation is also entered into the record, and the selector sent notification that the order has been cancelled. If the order was cancelled by the vendor, the returned order or report form may be returned to the selector. If the report is not in a portable form, or if the cancellation was initiated by the Library, a screen print of the cancelled order record is sent to the selector. The selector can review the cancellation and resubmit requests which are desired to be reordered, request an out of print search, hold until later for books not yet published, etc.
Cancellations are reviewed by the librarian in the order unit. In a very few cases, the librarian will decide to reissue an order to another vendor. This is usually in cases where the original vendor selection appears questionable, there is an indication that the book is likely to be available from another source, or where the original vendor suggests another source. In these cases, the selector is not notified that the original order has been cancelled and another placed.
Outstanding Order Reports:Bibliographers and selectors may also wish to review open orders for titles for which the need has lessened, or in order to disencumber funds for more important purchases. Each month FCLA produces an Outstanding Order Report, sorted by fund codes. A copy of this report is kept in the Acquisitions Department paying unit where bibliographers and selectors are welcome to review it. Reviewing the January report in order to identify possible cancellations, thus disencumbering funds for the current fiscal year, is recommended. This will enable the placement of new orders, which may be more likely to be received prior to the closing of the current fiscal year. It is strongly recommended that the June report be reviewed for possible cancellations, prior to the closing of the current fiscal year and reencumbering of funds for the next.
It must be remembered, however, that cancelling firm orders within too short a time after they have been ordered creates a good deal of extra work and potential confusion, and may not be permitted under agreements between the Acquisitions Department and some vendors. Books which arrive after a cancellation request has been made will usually be accepted. The following time periods are considered the minimum under which orders may be cancelled:
Domestic orders: 90 days from the date of order.
Foreign orders: 120 days from the date of order.