LA Tasks and Contacts

Frequent Tasks

Searching and accessioning:
Processing orders:
Submitting invoice reports to AP: Vendor invoice in Alma are processed overnight after being approved. Batch reports including all the invoices for a particular day are sent out in the morning. The Head of Printed and Published Materials will review these reports and then pass them to the LA. The LA then converts the document to a PDF and creates a single PDF document that includes the batch report and the invoice documentation for each of the invoices covered in the report. This document gets sent to Harvard AP. Below is an example of this type of message.

Receiving new serials:
Locating in-process materials:
Transferring materials to HD: Every 1-2 weeks, depending on cataloging volume, all the materials that have recently been cataloged and moved to the "Review Shelves" should be scanned in, proofed, and boxed up for HD. Check the Library Assistant section of the Post-cataloging workflow page for details on how to complete these processes.
Shelving new materials in the Pool Vault: For new materials going to the Pool Vault (pamphlets, books, zine boxes), the scanning-in process is slightly different from materials going to HD. ADD ON-SITE SECTION TO POST-CATALOGING WORKFLOW PAGE.

Ordering supplies: See the Supplies and Ordering page for details on commonly used supplies and how to order them.
Checking the status of a payment from Harvard Library AP: There is no indication in Alma of when an invoice has actually been paid; the "Payment Status" field in Alma is not actively used for this purpose. Therefore, if a question comes up from a curator or a vendor about payment status or date of payment, you will need to check with HL Finance (hl_finance@harvard.edu). Provide the invoice number, vendor name, invoice total, and the identifier for the batch report that included the invoice. The should be able to get back to you with details on when and how the payment was sent. Below is an example of a request for this type of information.

Dealing with discarded/unwanted materials: There are multiple ways that the Library deals with discarded or unwanted published materials. These can include duplicates or materials outside our collecting scope that are received with gifts or manuscript collections, weeded books, office materials from departing staff, etc. The LA is responsible for sorting and routing these items. Here are some of the options:
- Prison Book Program: any new or like-new paperbacks that fit the donation guidelines for PBP can be set aside for Lee Sullivan.
- More Than Words: Newer books (including hardcovers) that fit the donation guidelines for MTW can be boxed for pickup. They will come to the library to take them once we have 8 or more boxes.
- Better World Books: All older, rare, antiquarian, and esoteric materials can be boxed up for BWB (exclude anything that doesn't match their donation guidelines). We have an account with them, which allows us to order mailing supplies and schedule a pickup once we have 14 or more boxes ready to ship.