Transfers to Beinecke Library

Effective July 1, 2022, all transfers to the Beinecke Library should be routed through the Acquisitions and Collections Control Unit, Technical Services. The point person for all communications and coordination concerning transfers is Eric Friede, Interim Assistant Director of this unit.

As a reminder, there is currently a standing policy with criteria for automatic transfers to the Beinecke (see below); this policy will continue pending any future reconsideration. The policy for automatic transfers applies to materials cataloged and held by another Yale Library. Materials which are newly acquired and other transfer requests which fall outside of the criteria for automatic transfers will be reviewed for approval by Eric and Lucy Mulroney, Director of Collections, Research, and Education. All requests should be communicated directly to Eric Friede.

Contact:
Eric Friede
Interim Assistant Director, Acquisitions and Collections Control Unit
Head, Acquisitions
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
eric.friede@yale.edu
(203) 432-2975

Criteria for Automatic Assignment or Transfer of Titles to Beinecke

• Books and pamphlets printed through 1800
• Books and pamphlets printed in what is now the United States through 1820
• Confederate imprints
• Slavic, East European, Near and Middle Eastern books printed through 1850
• United States newspapers printed through Dec. 31, 1869
• Newspapers printed elsewhere through 1815
• Original issues of United States periodicals printed through 1820
• Original issues of periodicals printed elsewhere through 1800
• United States broadsides printed through 1850
• Broadsides printed elsewhere through 1800
• Books under 10 cm in height [that are fine press productions or artists’ books]
• Textual scrolls

Procedures for handling cataloged transfers from other libraries to Beinecke

Physical handling

Unless instructed otherwise by curatorial staff, retain any call number assigned to the item. Cross out call number on spine label and title page verso if the call number is to be changed. Reclassing is required for materials to be shelved at 121 Wall Street. When reclassing, mark the call numbers as instructed in Marking of Volumes.

Orbis bibliographical record

An Orbis full-level record will usually exist for an item being transferred from non-Beinecke libraries. The same Orbis record should generally be retained, but may be upgraded if appropriate. When an Orbis circulation or minimal level record exists an appropriate encoding level record needs to be created. Sometimes both a full-level and a circulation record exist. If this is the case, relink the item record to the full-level record and delete the circulation record. Regardless the Orbis bibliographical record should be brought up to the appropriate encoding level as for any Beinecke cataloging.

MFHD Local processing notes

The standard call number and location is in the MFHD.  The Local processing note includes the following internal cataloging information: transf. & recl. notes, old location and call number; processing unit/individual’s initials, and the processing date in the format of MM/YYYY.

Item records

Transferred material may or may not have item records. After updating the MFHD, proceed with the following instructions:

Instructions for updating item records when barcode is present

1. Display the Item Record (Click on Get items and select your copy).
2. If present, clear “bein,gen” from the TEMP LOC field by scrolling to the top of the pop-up menu and choosing the blank space.
3. If present, clear “nocirc” from the TEMP TYPE field by scrolling to the top of the pop-up menu and choosing the blank space.
4. Change the PERM LOC field to the correct new location using the pop-up menu.
5. Change Item type to “nocirc” if it isn’t already present.
6. Remove tech serv and other information from ITEM NOTE (click on the edit item note button) by selecting and deleting the relevant text.
7. Check the “Location” field at the top of the item record (in gray) to be sure that it matches the new location that you gave the item. If it does not, go back and correct the MFHD. You will not see the change reflected in the item record unless you close the item record, save the MFHD to the database, and then re-open the item record to refresh its view.
8. Save the item record to the database.
9. Close the item record.

Instructions for updating item records when there is no barcode

1. Create an item record.
2. Scan in the barcode.
3. Ensure the PERM item location and PERM item type is appropriate for the item.
4. Save the record.

Instructions for barcoding printed materials

1. If the barcode is affixed to the item, the barcode must be “replicated” using the machine in Beinecke Tech Services. Attach barcode to the front upper left corner of the housing (CMI box or pamphlet case) or the appropriate places on flat boxes. Please refer to Physical Barcoding of Printed Materials webpage for further instruction.
2. If the barcode is affixed to housing that will be discarded, and the item will be housed in different housing, the barcode must be “replicated” and attached barcode to the front upper left corner of the housing (CMI box or pamphlet case) or the appropriate places on flat boxes. Please refer to Physical Barcoding of Printed Materials webpage for further instruction.

Create appropriate Aeon transaction if item needs a box, conservation work, or is to be shelved in the Beinecke stacks. Otherwise, shelve them on the “newly cataloged shelves”.

Relinking item records

Occasionally an item record is linked to the wrong holdings record and must be relinked.

1. Write down the holdings record id number that you wish to link the item record to.
2. Call up the item record that needs to be relinked.
3. Click on Record, Relink to a different holding.
4. Enter the new holdings record id.
5. Click on the item record of the new holdings record to verify relinking was done correctly.

Statistics for Cataloged Transfers

See Statistics page for specific instructions.

Procedures for handling uncataloged transfers to Beinecke

Books purchased by SML or other libraries were sometimes transferred to Beinecke before having been cataloged; upon receipt, Beinecke usually made accession records for these items. These records can be identified by accession numbers beginning with T.

The Orbis holdings record will have a note in the 852 ‡z Public note field reading “Transfer to Beinecke per [initials or name of selector and/or Beinecke curator authorizing transfer].” When the book is cataloged for Beinecke, the original record is used and upgraded as necessary. Item records should be updated according to the preceding instructions. Any circulation charges must be cleared.

After the item has been transferred, delete the 852 ‡z note and add a 852 ‡x local processing note  ”Transf. from [library location code], bdu/[BDU staff initials], [date in mm/yyyy format].”

Cataloging of uncataloged transfers is counted as new cataloging, not as Recat./Reclass. and transfer.

If there is a barcode, see Instructions for updating item records when barcode is on item

Example of an Orbis holdings record before cataloging and transfer are completed:

Example of a Orbis holdings record after cataloging and transfer are completed

Example of an Orbis holdings record after cataloging, reclassing, and transfer, are completed