Herbarium Overall Workflow - 2022

Owned by Melanie Shaw
Last updated: Dec 21, 2022
3 min read

Intermountain Herbarium Library

This remote workflow will allow for the cataloging of Herbarium’s new items without tying up the physical items at CMS. The Herbarium’s Library is a reference collection; items do not circulate, but can be photocopied for interlibrary loan. Their collection is primarily focused on identification, classification, and location of plants. We will be assigning LC call numbers to most items in the small library; there is a small collection of maps (call number of “map”), and media (assigned LCC numbers). If the same item is held by the Herbarium and the Merrill-Cazier Library, there will be two separate bib records.

See also: Herbarium Copy Cataloging Workflow

For label printing: Herbarium Label printing

Herbarium over-all remote cataloging workflow:

  1. Herbarium receives book/item to be cataloged

  2. Herbarium opens their Airtable entry form: Herbarium's Entry Form

    • Airtable is similar to an Excel file, but has a lot of added tracking/notification features

    • Herbarium can view all their entered item titles here (but not edit them): Herbarium's New Items

      1. Herbarium applies a barcode to the item (we will supply them)

      2. Herbarium or Cataloging enters key details into Herbarium's Entry Form that populates the Herbarium Airtable tracking base.

      3. Key details should include:

        1. **Title

          • AND, if a Journal/Serial issue: volume, issue number, & date

        2. **Barcode number - primary tracking point.

        3. **ISBN standard number, if any

        4. *Author(s) - if any can be found

        5. **Number of pages (check last numbered page of item)

        6. **Publisher name, if findable

        7. **publication year (or copyright year)

        8. Is there a cover jacket? - make checkmark

        9. Is the item in a non-Latin script? – such as Chinese, Japanese, or Russian Cyrillic?

          1. Make a Note:

            • Chinese script (for example)

          2. Or, especially, if no English title is available, make up one up for the title entry,

            • for example:

            • Mushrooms (in Japanese)

          3. Take photos with a cell phone and upload them to the Images area

          4. Try to find a page with English translations, if possible (sometimes 2-3 pages after the title page, or on the LAST couple of pages).

          5. Look for pages, ether on the title page, title page verso, or last page, that has a readable year or other dates

          6. Look for an ISBN or other numbers (if possible, take a photo)

      4. Alternatively, take photographic images of all the items with a cell/smart phone: and load them to the Images area of the form. Try to get photos of:

        1. Title page, and if a Journal/Serial, a page with volume/issue number & date

        2. Title page verso

        3. Last numbered page and

        4. possibly the back cover if anything useful seems to be printed there,

        5. Cataloging can also drop by and take further pictures of items, if needed.

  3. Cataloging is notified that there is a new item to catalog (through Airtable’s notification system)

    • or, we can check weekly or monthly depending on speed of acquisitions at the Herbarium

  4. Cataloging uses the data in Airtable to catalog the items

  5. Cataloging, if there are questions, will follow up via email to ask for more info – alternatively, we can also send someone over to take a look in person, take photos, etc.

  6. Cataloging marks when the item is finished and available in the catalog
    Airtable or Cataloging sends a notification to Herbarium and provides a link to the item in Sierra
    Herbarium verifies that the item is correct,

    • (or cataloging can do so, when we bring labels).

  7. Cataloging brings labels with printouts for the item

  8. Herbarium or Cataloging applies the labels

  9. Herbarium shelves the items.