Call numbers that break in odd places, causing an aberration in the way the number would get filed. For example, if the call number has the year “2008” in it, and the label has “20” on one line and the “08” on another, that would be a problem. I told the folks downstairs to only break a call number where there is punctuation. However, I don’t want to pester them, so if they do break a call number in an odd way and I see that it would not create any difference in the way it would be shelved, I usually let it slide.
Items with CORR or ERRATA at the end of the call number. Pull those out and put them on the designated shelves inside the Docs office.
Items that have SuDoc numbers on the labels which do not match the SuDoc numbers on the barcodes inside the books. I wouldn’t manually check each one but I would watch for SuDoc numbers that look “fishy” and just spot check those. One method I use to detect fishiness in SuDoc numbers is to look at the book number and see if it seems sensible for it to have that number. For example, I notice the cutter number and the word it probably cutters, or if there’s a report number in the call number I might look for that report number printed somewhere on the book cover.
Items with DOCS-REF locations. Set those on the lower shelf where all the special gov docs are (maps, fiche, CDs, etc.) Otherwise the students might not notice the DOCS-REF location and they could accidentally file it in the DOCS stacks.
Items with a DOCS location but with Library of Congress classification. We only have that combination on Docs Ref. Most likely if you find this, the item is not a gov doc but just an ordinary book that accidentally got the DOCS location on the label.
Items with the MODOC location. We no longer have these here; they are all in offsite storage. If you find any of those, they have to go down to Suzy Bent’s unit. Just set them on the “Odds and Ends to Go Downstairs” shelf inside the office JUST INSIDE THE OFFICE ENTRANCE.
Items stamped “Latest Edition Only Retained.” Put those on the uppermost return shelf.
Obviously older documents that did NOT come to us from Physical Processing but instead are there because they are returning from having been checked out, usually have no problems and you can generally just whoosh those right over to the return shelf. It is interesting to note the titles though, just to see what our patrons are checking out.
We no longer have shelves for oversized documents. If an item is obviously oversized, place it on the lower shelf just inside the gov docs door on the right. If an item is really cool, we can have it reclassed to LC and put on an oversize shelf elsewhere in Ellis.
New documents that come up from Acquisitions. If I see a document that seems it might be better suited for placement in a branch library, I send the branch person a note describing the document and asking if they want it. The contacts for Docs in the branches are:
Errata/Corr
Changes/inserts
