2023-03-31 Acquisitions Meeting notes

• Housekeeping

Implementers Topic # 75

• HBZ - One of six regional networks in Germany
• Add Accession number during receiving
• In receiving app, no accession number field to enter. Referring to table view, not the quick receive modal.
• Accession number entered should be transfered to the item record like the call number and item barcode.
• Project - Number generators
  • German libraries assigning increasing consecutive numbers and would like to use number generators. Some are using number generator from old systems.
  • Older JIRA tickets for number generators, but the ranking back then was not high internationally.
  • Gathered requirements to see what they need.
  • University of Leipzig is funding the project. Development: K-Int
    
  • Started with user barcode in user app. Vendor code in Organizations. Some libraries would like to use as more structured assignment of vendor code.
  • Three fields on item level (call number, item barcode, accession number). 
  • If institution is not using the number generators, will not see it in the UI of the app. Will not see the button. Needs to be enabled in settings to use it. Default will be that it is disabled.
  • In settings will see option to enable and disable. 
  • If using number generators in the settings, can then define sequences for the number, for example with prefixes and suffixes. Can be selected through a modal in the app.
• ~:21 Björn - Have talked with entire German FOLIO community about the accession number and feel that it is needed in receiving. Seems complicated to fill in the accession number after receiving. 
• ~:22 Dennis: Are there use cases to search for something in receiving by the accession number?
  • Do not think that was mentioned as a requirement, but definitely a question to ask back to the group. 
• By extension, would you ever want to look for a POL using an accession number?
• Sara - Is the benefit that you can already do it in receiving and you don't have to go to the inventory item?
  • Yes
  • Sara - In our previous system (Aleph), as soon as an item was created, the item received a system generated barcode. Issues in FOLIO with items having no barcode. Could it also be beneficial to you to have this at item creation?
    • If you would only do one sequence, one identifier which is increasing by consecutive numbers. 
    • For us (HBZ) automation on that level is not enough, because we would choose and select a prefix, the sequence, length, and would like to choose which one it is that you would like to assign. In receiving, assign call number, barcode, and accession number. Would like to select which sequence you would like to generate from. 
• In receiving, user that is receiving will make some choices about the accession number. May choose between more than one number?
  • Yes
  • Will be options in settings for if you can manually edit or not.
• If using number generator, are there use cases that support editing that generated number?
  • Yes, or add to it. Like manually a suffix.
  • Example?
    • For instance multi-volume works. Some libraries type in the plus. 1+ 2+ 
  • Generator is only capable of so much granularity. May need more than generator can generate? 
• Suffix cannot be predefined, because it is for the volume. 
• Dennis: More straightforward if synchronization of number is not necessary. 
• ~:33 - Call number and item barcode. This is only stored in inventory? 
  • Yes, when you open piece record, system goes out and retrieves from inventory. Changes made in receiving are passsed on to inventory. Cannot search in receiving using a barcode. There is no barcode in receiving app.
  • Would need accession number to be the same as barcode and call number. 
  • Can search in inventory items for the accession number.
• ~:37 - What's the difference between barcode and accession number? Would you ever have a barcode and accession number?
  • Item barcode is important for circulation. Accession number is an identifier at the time of purchase or receiving.
  • E.g. - Includes Prefix of acquiring branch and year in accession number.
  • Sounds like what museums do for their accessions (what fund, what year, who they got it from) 
  • There are libraries who do not use accession numbers. 
  • Possible that there would be libraries who do not input anything into that field in the item record. 
  • Sara Colglazier (MHC/5C) 8:38 AM
    We would not have both
  • Julie Stauffer (Chicago) 8:40 AM
    We could potentially have both if some of our oldest books that have an accession number later receive a barcode. Note that an accession number is usually a different format and would not necessarily be readable by a barcode scanner used for circulation
  • Peter Sbrzesny 8:42 AM
    Accession numbers exist for administrative/financial purposes in Germany. They have been in use long before barcodes came to life.
  • Jackie Magagnosc 8:43 AM
    In the far distant past, we recorded receipts in ledger books with the unique accession numbers. The same number was stamped in the volume. This practice ended in the mid-1960s here. I only know about this because the old accession books live in my office.
• ~:42 - How long are these numbers generally?
  • Varies. Maybe about 11-16 digits. 
• Are there special characters? Can you put anything?
  • Varies, could be special characters as prefix. Generated numbers behind prefix will not have special characters.
• Accession number as part of proof of purchase.
• How is this different from PO number?
  • Purchase order could have more than one item enclosed. Accession number is on item level. If you have 20 copies of Harry Potter, each gets its own accession number.
• ~:46 - Is there a field where you are currently able to use the number generator? 
  • Not right now.
  • Not included in the UI of the apps yet, where you can click on a button, select a sequence, and generate a number.
• Is there a story that represents this? 
  • Yes there are stories and JIRA tickets. 
  • Would need the accession number field in the table view.
  • Ethan, developer would provide information and code for the number generator.
• No JIRA ticket yet for accession number field in receiving. 
• Will give list of information and JIRA tickets after meeting. Number generators
  

• Specify credential access at the interface level
• Would like more granularity at the permissions level. 
• In Organizations > Interfaces
• Note: there are permissions for managing visibility of user name and password:
  • Organizations: Interface usernames and passwords: view
  • Organizations: Interface usernames and passwords: view, edit, create, delete

• Seems we should discuss use cases that these permission do not cover.