Why can’t I run review files for myself?
Bibliographers who have access to Millennium through the Circulation Module, or who have staff assisting them who have Millennium access, can run files without consulting Acquisitions. RIS staff no longer have authorization to run files directly. Acquisitions is glad to run files for any bibliographer, and can usually accomplish this quickly, depending on the complexity of the editing required. In addition to a timeframe, please tell us the purpose of the file, what data elements you want listed, how you want the entries sorted, whether you want Word or Excel output, and whether you want a statistical summary (e.g. financial). For helpful information about review files see: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~libacq/documentation/Creating_a_review_file.doc

Why can’t I have direct access to Millennium?
The number of logins for staff is limited. Unless more logins were purchased, there are not enough to allow all bibliographers direct access to Millennium. The information in Millennium is available in staff view in the Online Catalog, including order records, checkin records (as opposed to just the card), and suppressed bibliographic records. It looks slightly different, but it’s all there. For further information see: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~libacq/documentation/Getting_Millennium_data_for_bibliographers.doc

How does encumbering work?
Encumbrances are the cumulative amounts from the estimated price field in individual order records in Millennium, working in conjunction with the copies field (for instance, 3 copies of a $50 book would encumber $150). When the status of an order record is changed from on-order to paid or cancelled, the amount in the estimated price is disencumbered.
Changes in encumbrances are not reflected in fund balances until posting takes place. Except at the beginning of the fiscal year, posting takes place at least every other day, if not daily. (Posting is the process of bringing the financial system up to date by applying invoice payments to individual order records; encumbrances are tallied as a by-product.) In July regular invoice paying is suspended, and posting may only take place weekly. There is no way of knowing by looking at an order record whether encumbrances have been posted.
Encumbrances carry over into the new fiscal year. At the start of each fiscal year, Acquisitions compares outstanding orders with encumbrance amounts in each fund and adjusts any that have gotten out of sync during the year.

How does encumbering work with things I order in Coutts?
The price given in Coutts maps to estimated price in Millennium. At present it does not take into account the discount we get from Coutts, though this might be something we implement eventually.

Is there a quick way to look up the status of an order?
Order status is available in staff view mode in the Online Catalog. You can also ask your liaison to check on the status of an order. Order status codes are available here: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~libacq/documentation/Millennium_codes_cheat_sheet.doc

How do I know what actions have been taken subsequent to the initial order?
Updates (known as “histories” in acquisitions-speak) are added to notes in the order record, as information is supplied by the vendor. In some cases, the information is downloaded and cannot be updated.

 What if I want to buy a new serial subscription? How is it paid for?
Money is allocated to your serials fund to cover the cost of existing serial subscriptions. If you want to spend money on new serials, they will be charged to your serials budget if you order a subscription or standing order. (Backfiles and “one-shot” non-subscription volumes are charged to book funds, if you are an Arts & Sciences bibliographer.) If your serials budget is overexpended, the proportion of your budget spent on serials will automatically increase, since the serials allocation is based on the previous year’s expenditures for ongoing titles. Unless a further adjustment is made, your monographs budget will be correspondingly reduced.

Why can’t I purchase things for the collection myself when I’m at a bookstore or conference?
This is normally discouraged for several important reasons: you may end up paying more than the price Acquisitions can get through discounts with our vendors; you may end up purchasing duplicates which cannot be returned; and it will take time to get records into Millennium so that you can be reimbursed.

What is the success rate for OP searches?
Currently close to two-thirds of titles that bibliographers want are eventually found through OP sources. First time orders coming directly from the bibliographers, without going through a regular vendor, constitute 45% of the orders. The remaining 55% are firm orders that were cancelled by our vendors.

Why is Acquisitions doing an OP search when the book is available on the publisher’s website?
The fact that the book is listed does not always mean it is available; only when it is ordered is one told that it is not available. The publisher would have been contacted by Acquisitions or by our vendor at the time of original order, before we begin an OP search.

Can money be encumbered for approval plans at the beginning of the year, so I know how much not to spend?
This would create a lot of extra work for Acquisitions because there is no automatic way to reduce the encumbrance as approval materials are received, as happens with firm orders when invoices are paid.

If I find a book in Coutts, may I order it there?
Yes except please do NOT order rush titles, replacements, additional copies or anything published outside the US, Canada, or Great Britain.