by Fred Finch
Quick Summary
When we receive material during the work day we quickly unpack the tubs as they arrive and sort the materials inside.
When we receive material during the work day we quickly unpack the tubs as they arrive and sort the materials inside. Usually this goes smoothly as most of the request/routing forms are postitioned in a standard fashion (the destination listed facing the front cover of the item with the spine to the left). However, there are times when it is a little confusing, such as when processing manga materials.
man·ga - ˈmaNGɡə,ˈmäNGɡə/ noun - a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children1. (Not to be confused with the term "Mangia" which is Italian for "eat.")
Manga has become quite popular as of late and it is moving between public libraries in impressive numbers. While sorting I see various copies of these publications come through on a daily basis. The stories are interesting and they are a great way to get kids interested in reading.
One quirk of publication with Manga, because they are printed in Japan, is that the book appears to us to be written "backwards" to what we are accustomed to seeing. The front cover of the book is what we would call the back cover in the United States. For delivery, the quandry becomes where to put the routing slip. I prefer to see the slip facing the back cover of the publication (see the photo above). That makes for faster sorting for us when it arrives. However, the most important issue is how the request/routing form is positioned - the library code should be visible on the slip. When we aren't sure, it can take a little time to investigate where the item is going.
1: Manga English Oxford Living Dictionary, August 4, 2017.
