Acquisitions and Rapid Cataloging Services (ARCS)

Acquisitions and Rapid Cataloging Services (ARCS) is one of four departments that reports to the Associate Dean for Collections and Content; the other departments are Cataloging and Metadata Services (CAMS), Collection Analysis & Strategy (CAS), and Preservation/Conservation. ARCS is the Libraries’ central acquisitions department for materials in all formats in English, Western European and Chinese/Japanese/Korean languages, including monographs, serials, and government publications. Wherever possible, ARCS also performs simple copy cataloging on receipt for newly acquired monographs, activates newly acquired electronic serials in the Alma Community Zone, and uses the OCLC KB to load record sets for ebook packages. Monographs that cannot be quick cataloged, media, scores, electronic databases and integrating resources, print serials, and electronic serials without records in the Alma CZ are distributed to staff in CAMS for original cataloging. The department is also responsible for managing the Primo Central Discovery Index and provides system-wide support for Alma Analytics.

Acquisitions and processing is partially decentralized within the Libraries. Some departments, including the Bothell Campus Library, Tacoma Campus Library, and Health Sciences Library receive and process their print serials directly, although ordering is handled centrally. The International Studies Department (Near East, Slavic, South Asia, Southeast Asia) has its own technical services operations, although print serials receiving services are provided by ARCS. ARCS works closely with these departments, as well as CAMS, CAS, Preservation/Conservation, Central Circulation Services, and the administratively separate Gallagher Law Library to standardize and coordinate processing procedures and policies across the Libraries.