Description of Services

What to expect from the MPC (Materials Processing Center)

Description of Services:

• Cleaning and uploading of ALL vendor-provided MARC records 

  • What does this look like for your campus? The AISD Cataloging Librarian will receive, clean, edit and upload MARC records for any books you have purchased from any of our vendors that are approved to provide cataloging and processing services. Please do NOT attempt to add books to the system if they have been ordered with cataloging and processing services from the vendor. 

• Creation of ORIGINAL records for library books

  • What does this look like for your campus? If you have received or purchased a book that does NOT have a record in WorkFlows, or perhaps it is a newer edition that needs an updated record, please send those materials to the MPC. The AISD Cataloging Librarian will create a new, original record so that our system maintains consistency and follows cataloging guidelines. Books will NOT be fully processed when they are sent to the MPC, and the campus librarian will be responsible for adding spine labels, mylar covers, etc. if needed. If a spine label is not already on the book when the original record is created, a spine label will be printed and sent back with the book for the campus librarian to apply to the book.

  • What constitutes as an original record? If you scan the ISBN of a book while searching ALL libraries and you locate a matching record (same ISBN, publisher, date pf publication etc.) and your campus is NOT on this record, you can copy catalog and add yourself to the record. If you can NOT find a record by the ISBN, Title or any other identifying information (especially if the book has been recently published) then the item needs an original record, and it will need to be sent to the MPC so that an original record can be created. 

• Creation of ORIGINAL records for curriculum materials (i.e. district purchased kits)

  • What does this look like for your campus? The MPC will create records for items that are purchased for curriculum purposes and then send those items out to campus libraries. This process is typically coordinated with an AISD Department and librarians will be contacted with necessary information if materials are being sent to their campus. *If a campus purchases curriculum items that they want added to the catalog (so the item(s) are available for checkout), please contact the Cataloging Librarian BEFORE sending the items to the MPC. 

The following services have been altered:

• Copy cataloging library books will no longer be available through the MPC. 

  • What does this look like for your campus?  Campus librarians will be responsible (using their TECH logins) to copy catalog* books that already have records in WorkFlows. Librarians will be expected to only send items to the MPC that need ORIGINAL records. *Friendly reminder -- copy cataloging is the process in which you are able to locate a record in WorkFlows by matching the ISBN, year of publication, page count etc. When you locate the correct record, you can either add your campus library to the record or add a second copy if you are already on the record. 

• Processing of materials (mylar jackets, spine labels, general book repair) will no longer be provided for books sent to the MPC. 

  • What does this look like for your campus? Campus librarians will need to process their own materials. You have the option of 1. processing materials on your own campus with your supplies, or 2. making arrangements for yourself or a volunteer to come to the MPC and use the supplies provided to process books. The MPC will NOT be able to send sheets of mylar or supplies to campus libraries.