Missing & Withdrawn Items
Missing Items
The main principles governing how we document missing items:
The collections management system is the authoritative source of information about a missing item, thus all relevant information will be documented in the system.
For audit purposes, we record the fact an item is missing along with steps taken to recover it and also retain a record of any previous instances of an item going missing.
For maximum transparency we do not suppress catalogue records of missing items.
This guidance applies to missing catalogued items. Missing uncatalogued items are the purview of Collections Development. Guidance can be found in the Procedural Manual.
Access Status
Sierra: Status field = "missing" | m
Calm: Access_Status field = "Missing"
If the original access status is anything other than "Available" (Sierra) or "Open" (Calm), this will be noted in the initial audit trail statement.
Ordering Status
This field does not change, so that there is one less field to update when an item is found.
Audit trail statements
Sierra: statements will go in the x500 field in the Sierra item record. Append a new instance of the field for each statement.
Calm: statements will go in the Current_Location_Note field. Append a new instance of the field for each statement.
Set statements are used, which can be found here. Do not adapt the wording: searching for specific phrases is used as part of monitoring and reporting.
Access Conditions statement
Additional public information is not generally required as the website is configured to automatically display a set statement when the "missing" status is used:
Partially missing items
Partially missing items will be marked with the status "missing", which suppresses online ordering. Thus, these items need an access conditions statement to explain that part of the item can still be accessed.
Sierra: statement goes in the DisplayNote field
Calm: statement goes in the Access_Conditions field
See Access Conditions for the set statement to use.
Withdrawn Items
The main principles governing how we document withdrawn items:
The collections management system is the authoritative source of information about withdrawn items, thus all relevant information will be documented in the system
For audit purposes, we record the date an item is withdrawn. Or, for legacy data, the date withdrawal is confirmed and an estimated date the withdrawal occurred.
For maximum transparency we do not suppress catalogued records of withdrawn items.
Access Status
Sierra: Status field = "withdrawn" | x
Calm: Access_Status field = "Deaccessioned"
Ordering Status
Sierra: Opacmsg field = "unavailable" | u
Calm: Ordering_Status field = "Deaccessioned"
Audit trail statements
See the Collections Development Object Exit Procedural Manual for details on how to record details of a withdrawal.
The following guidelines only apply to legacy data originally thought to be missing.
There is a set statement for recording items originally thought be missing, where it is later established that the item has been withdrawn.
Sierra: append a new instance of the x500 Note (General) field and add the statement
Calm: append a new instance of the Current_Location_Note field and add the statement
The statement can be found here.
Access Conditions statement
Additional public information is not generally required as the website is configured to automatically display a set statement when the "withdrawn" status is used
Data Issues
This access status is used to flag records that possibly do not correspond to physical items and need to be resolved. Examples include:
Duplicate record
Numbering issue
Record created for a detail of an item
Place-holder record for material we never ended up acquiring
Access Status
Sierra: Status = "data issues" | j
Calm: Access_Status = "Data issues"
If there is no Sierra item record, change the bib BCODE3 field to "incomplete" | i
Ordering Status
This field does not change. It will either be updated when the issue is resolved, or the record will be deleted.
Audit trail statements
There is a set statement for recording items originally thought be missing, where it is later established that there is a data issue.
The statement can be found here.
Data issues identified via other routes do not require an audit trail statement, though documenting details of the issue would be helpful, particularly if it is not going to be addressed imminently.
Details can be added in the x500 Note (General) field, using free text - there is no set statement.
Access Conditions statement
Additional public information is not required as the website is configured to automatically display a set statement
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