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Processing Publications Backlog at National Library of Medicine in Record Time

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine (NLM) used a service provided by a commercial vendor for obtaining various subscription-based publications for the library.

When the vendor filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a large number of the NLM’s journal subscriptions were put on hold until other publication agencies were able to pick up the backlog. Once resolved, the NLM received more than 60 boxes of backlogged journals in a single day. In less than one week, ZAI staff unpacked all 60 boxes, checked each packing list against the contents of the box, sorted the journals, and checked each journal into the NLM’s Central Receiving and Tracking System (CRTS), allowing library patrons to view and retrieve the backlogged materials in a timely manner.