Workflow overview

Materials arrive from different areas in Houghton Library and are processed for delivery to different locations:

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Most of the materials come directly from cataloging, but other activities also generate the need for end-processing, including acquisitions, conservation and preservation, and public services, resulting in a mixture of items new to the collection and existing collection materials requiring new enclosures and/or barcodes. Bays and shelves are organized according to the flow of the process. For example, incoming shelves are in the first bays, followed by pasting and drying shelves, then processing and ready for shelving. Placement of the bays and/or shelves are designated as:

After materials are delivered to Books End-Processing and placed on the appropriate shelves, end-processing can begin. Books are placed upright and spine-out. Materials in flat boxes or fragile materials laid flat for enclosures are placed in the appropriate area as space permits. If space is limited, please connect with the Technical Services Assistant or the Technical Services Librarian for consultation.

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4.4. Tyvek Envelopes. For books destined off-site at the Harvard Depository, they must have an enclosure. If a book, mostly hardcovers,  does not have a CMI, prefab, or phase box, it must have a Tyvek envelope. There are five sizes of envelopes, so select the size best suited for the book. Place the book inside the envelope with the cover facing the front of the envelope. Fold the top of the envelope over the back of the envelope. Cut a piece of cotton string to wrap the envelope. With the book face up on the table, place the string underneath height wise and fold to the front. In the middle, intertwine the string width wise and bring the left side of the string underneath the book to meet the right side of the string. Tie a bow on the right side top of the book.<<insert pictures or video>>

4.5. Spine Labels. All books and boxes without a tab will have a spine label. There are two places to place spine labels according to the enclosure being used. For CMI and phase boxes for vertical shelving, the spine label is placed on the bottom of the spine about a half-inch above the bottom edge. If necessary, the spine label may be trimmed to ease placement on the spine. For Tyvek envelopes and prefabs, the spine label is not placed on the spine but one-inch below the top of the upper left hand corner of the envelope or prefab. All spine labels are covered with a spine label protector: a clear, plastic, adhesive film. Center the protector over the spine label and press for adhesion. This ensures the ink from the label doesn’t wear away or smudge.

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4.7. Final Processing. For items going to Harvard Depository, add the appropriate sticker to the item. There are three two stickers that correspond to the three barcodes: HD HOU (used for Houghton and Poetry), and HD THE (Harvard Theatre Collection) , and HD POE (Woodberry Poetry Room). Place the sticker underneath the barcode and flush left and above the spine label.

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