Bindery Frequently Asked Questions (PAG)

1. Question: Can the Bindery return the form with the completed job lot?

Answer: The Binderies need to keep the form as a record of the job lot. They are working on developing something else to return with the completed binding to accurately, clearly, indicate what’s coming back. Campuses should keep either an electronic or paper copy of the original as their own record of the job. IMPORTANT: If there is a discrepancy in the count of volumes please correct your own copy of the binding order form so you know what you should have when the job lot comes back.

2. Question: Can we use a summary form to save paper?

Answer: Bluntly…no. Please send a separate form for each job lot. You can fax it to the Bindery if that’s easiest, but the Bindery needs separate access to the record of each job lot. A summary form wouldn’t provide that.

3. Question: What is Special Instructions for?

Answer: You can specify preferred leaf attachment method, or indicate particular problems like narrow margins. For example, Berkeley binds some of its work on a Rush basis (in exchange for accepting a longer turnaround time for other categories of work… an option open to all campuses, incidentally), and we put RUSH in the Special Instructions area. We also use Special Instructions to indicate if an order is comprised of books with many foldout plates that need to be hinged in, a so-called “map/refold” order, or other special information.

4. Question: How does using this form help campuses to get complete shipments back?

Answer: Certain procedural changes in conjunction with the form will help. If libraries keep the original copies of the binding slips organized by job lot number and date, rather than in a single call number order file, then library staff can verify the count of books in a job lot if the bindery calls with a different count. All the northern campuses use this system (described fully below) to keep track of job lots. Books that need to be recalled for patrons are located using Innovacq to identify the type of binding job and the date sent, then by looking at the binding slips for that job.

While not required, it may be worth considering changing the filing of binding slips at your campus. The northern campuses use the following system with good success:

  • a. Binding slips are prepared for each volume, in duplicate (as usual). One copy of the slip goes with the volume. The second copy is filed with the rest of the slips from that job lot. On top of the slips is a “cover sheet” or “cover slip” summarizing the details of the binding order (its job lot number, number of items in the job lot, date due, special routing instructions, etc.) This file is kept anywhere from 3 months to one year.
  • b. Each job lot is noted by its library job lot number in a log book as it is shipped.
  • c. When job lots are returned from the bindery they are verified by count. If count is short then the binding slips for the job lot are recounted, and verified book by book to identify the missing item. This is almost never necessary.
  • d. Shipment count discrepancies. If the bindery calls with a job lot which is “short” or “over” in the count, the binding slips for that order are pulled from the job lot file by library staff and recounted.
  • e. Once the proper count is verified, the correct count is entered onto the cover sheet for that job lot.
  • f. The correct count is also entered into the log book.
  • g. Recall requests. When a recall request is received by the binding prep unit it is searched through Innopac. The “shipment type” field (e.g., buck serial, LC, rebind, etc.) is used to identify the job lot in which the item may be found. If multiple lots of the same shipment type exist, then the “sent date” field is used to further identify the job lot.
  • h. If this process does not narrow the search down to one job lot, then the binding slips for job lots in question are searched for the book in question. Depending on when the book is expected back, it may be “rush recalled” from the bindery.

5. Question: Your form has the bindery assigning the job number. We at Irvine are doing this now. Do we want to switch back to the old way?

Answer: The form permits the library to assign its own job number, and for the bindery to assign its own. Both job numbers need to be referenced in communications. I’m not sure we want the bindery to assign all job numbers as it seems complicated and unnecessary.

6. Question: Since each form will accompany a single job, and since each job is supposed to represent a single category of material, then the “total volumes” category on the form will always be the same as the individual count for each category in the binding order part of the form.

Answer: That may be so, or some may send mixed orders sometimes, for example, an order comprised of some pamphlet binds and some pam binds with pockets.

Last reviewed: March 4, 2004