1.0 Definition of terms

Processing information materials is the set of routine tasks a library or information centre carries out between receiving a new item and placing it on the shelf for users. Before a library assistant can verify, brand and record materials, they must understand the basic terms used in this work, because the same words appear in library policies, job instructions and accession records. A clear grasp of these terms also helps staff communicate with suppliers, auditors and users. Example: a newly employed library assistant at the Kenya National Library Service branch in Kiambu is taken through the library's processing manual and its key terms during the first week of induction.

Branding information materials

Branding information materials means marking each item with permanent signs of ownership and identity so that it can be recognised as the property of a particular library and traced if it is lost, stolen or misplaced. Branding is done after the item has been verified and before it is placed on the shelf.

• Ownership mark: An institutional stamp or label showing the name of the library or parent organisation.
• Identification mark: A number or code, such as the accession number or barcode, that links the physical item to its record.
• Security mark: A secret stamp or a magnetic strip that helps detect theft or proves ownership in a dispute.
• Shelf mark: A spine label carrying the call number, which shows where the item belongs on the shelf.
• Purpose in short: Branding protects the collection, supports circulation and makes stock-taking possible.

Example: a technical training institute library in Murang'a stamps the title page of every new textbook and fixes a barcode on the back cover before any trainee can borrow it.

Bibliographic details

Bibliographic details are the descriptive facts about an information material that identify it and distinguish it from every other item. They are taken mainly from the title page, the back of the title page (verso) and the cover, and they form the basis of the accession record and the catalogue entry.

• Title: The name of the work, including any subtitle.
• Author or responsible body: The person or organisation responsible for the intellectual content.
• Edition: The version of the work, for example second or revised edition.
• Publisher and place of publication: The organisation that issued the item and the town where it was issued.
• Year of publication: The date the edition was issued.
• Other details: Extent (number of pages or volumes), ISBN or ISSN, price or cost, and the accession number assigned by the library.

Accession register

An accession register is the library's official record of every item added to its stock, entered in the order in which the items are received. Each item is given a unique running number called the accession number, and the register records its bibliographic details, source and cost against that number.

• Proof of ownership: The register shows that an item belongs to the library and when it was acquired.
• Inventory control: It gives the total number of items in stock and supports annual stock-taking.
• Audit trail: Auditors use it to trace money spent on books and other materials.
• Withdrawal record: Items lost, damaged or written off are marked against their entries.
• Format: It may be a bound ledger with ruled columns or an electronic register in a library management system such as Koha.

Example: the library of a county referral hospital in Kitui keeps an electronic accession register in Koha, and every new medical reference book receives the next number in the sequence on the day it is processed.