ASERL-Selectives Mailing List: ASERL Documents Disposition Database Update

[Cheryle Cole-Bennett (ccole-bennett]

Good afternoon ASERL friends,

Just a quick update on the ASERL Documents Disposition Database.  As you know, the posting of new offers to the Disposition database has been suspended since mid-March, and at the end of March, existing offers ceased to expire (the offers remain active).  Both of these suspensions remain in effect for the foreseeable future.  Updates on the status of the suspensions will be shared as we learn more about libraries’ reopening plans.  I appreciate your patience and understanding with the inconvenience this creates.

 

As a result of these suspensions, I do want to make you aware of an issue that affects your ability to view your library’s active offers:

 

By design, a library is unable to search items posted by their institution via the “Search Offered Items” filter (the search box located near the top of your account page).  In addition, your institution’s items do not appear in the “All Offered Items Matching Search” list.  This is normal, the Disposition database sets your customized view of your account page during your login.  Under normal operating conditions, you view your institution’s active offers on your Account, under the section called “My Submitted Items”.  All offered items that have been posted by your institution within the last 45 days (the normal disposition cycle) are displayed here.  However, due to the suspension, if your library has active offers in the database, they were most likely posted more than 45 days ago – and are no longer visible under the “My Submitted Items”.

 

As of this morning, there are 20,581 active offers, with posting dates ranging from February 14, 2020 to May 8, 2020.  I have downloaded a report which you can access here:   http://www.aserl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DispostionDB_Active_Offers_2020_06_18.xlsx

If you are uncertain if you have active offers, please refer to this list.  This spreadsheet also includes a column that indicates if any of the offers have been claimed.  You should be aware of these claims via the automated email notifications that are distributed when a claim is made.  However, just as submitted items are no longer visible after 45 days, the “My claims” section will only display claims made within the last 30 days.  As such, you may have claims against your offers that will not display on your account page.  Again, if you are uncertain – please refer to the report linked above.  If you have any trouble accessing the report – let me know and I’ll be happy to help.

 

I would also encourage you to please let me know if you encounter issues in managing your disposition process in the database, or if you have additional questions.  You can email me, or submit a request through dispositiondb [at] uflib.ufl.edu.  Your questions will help us identify any issues that may affect other users and would be greatly appreciated.  ASERL Regionals, I would also appreciate your help in circulating this information to your Selectives as I may not have contact information for all.  Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Be safe & be well!

Cheryle

 

Cheryle Cole-Bennett, Program Coordinator

Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)

℅ Robert W. Woodruff Library

540 Asbury Circle, Suite 316

Atlanta, GA  30322-1006

Telephone:  470-222-4960

ccole-bennett [at] aserl.org