The JCPL Collection Services Department
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Have you ever wondered how books and other items arrive on the Johnson County Public Library shelves?
Meet JCPL’s Collection Services department: Kelley, collection services manager; Karen, adult selector; Kalen, children’s and teen selector; Charlotte, receiving and processing; Kristi, receiving; and Carol, interlibrary loan. They are responsible for everything that winds up in the collections at our branches.
The process starts with Karen and Kalen. They scour professional journals, publisher newsletters and other sources to find a wide variety of materials that will enhance JCPL’s collections. The librarians at the branches make recommendations, and we encourage patrons to submit requests at the information desks and on our website. Each month, Karen and Kalen place orders with our vendors, who supply us with all the books, DVDs, etc., that make up JCPL’s collections.
Once our vendors receive our orders, they ship the items to our Franklin branch, where the Collection Services Department is located. Some of our books that come from the vendor are already cataloged and processed, and are ready to go to the branches. Kristi receives those items and checks to ensure they are handled correctly. If everything is okay she sends them off to the branches to be shelved.
Other items still need to be cataloged and processed. Charlotte receives those items, and she or Kelley will prepare them to go out on the shelves. Kelley also oversees the Library of Things and ensures the department’s smooth running.
Some items our patrons want to read, listen to or view might not be available to purchase; those requests go to Carol, who handles interlibrary loan. She checks other library systems in Indiana and out of state to see if the item is available to borrow. She then requests the item and, once it is received, sends it out for the patron to borrow. She also handles loaning out our materials to other library systems. Another of her responsibilities is handling our magazine subscriptions.
So, there you are — a rather complex process whittled down to the bare essentials, which ensures our community has up-to-date collections covering a wide variety of viewpoints and experiences.
As with everything we do at JCPL, we want to ensure our collections have something for everyone. And all you need is a library card to bring these items home with you!
This column was written by the JCPL Collection Services Department. JCPL staff members share in writing this twice-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
