Technical
Ingram iPage

Boreham Library Staff Manuals

Ingram iPage Manual

version 2007.07.26.a

This Page Still Under Construction

Note: minor changes in menus and wording may occur with each upgrade. Just read the menu carefully and select the correct item wherever it is.

iPage has some capabilities in common with Books in Print with Reviews, but does NOT actually use BIP (too expensive! we complained). This is reasonably effective for books, but not always for audio-visual materials. AV materials should be checked on the vendor's web site whenever possible for stock, ordering numbers and information, and pricing. AV materials may be ordered through iPage or other vendors.

ALibris is available for ordering out-of-print materials with Ingram invoicing, which avoids the problems of prepayment and other difficulties often involved in out-of-print ordering. Individual items may be ordered on separate Reqs through this service. NOTE: there is no control over backorders with this. However, iPage is now cancelling many Alibris orders when not fulfilled immediately.
Quick Links:

The following software will be useful:

  • Keyboard Express macros
  • III Millennium Cataloging (MilCat)
  • browser and logon to Ingram iPage
  • calculator such as vbcalc (to figure discounts)
  • OCLC Connexion to download records

Lists may be created in iPage for each Req to be ordered electronically. Follow the instructions in iPage to create a list for each Req. As titles are located and an assignment to the optimum Req is made, the record can be assigned to the corresponding list.

  • Conventions shall be the name of the Req, followed by either the binding type (for Ingram) or the vendor name, or in the case of special orders from a known vendor (such as Foundation or Presidential Honor from Midwest), the fund.

    • R0028846 paper
    R0028849 pres
  • Search for titles on iPage. The following are considerations when searching:

    • Titles should be searched before ISBNs. An ISBN turns up a specific record, and may or may not show other editions/bindings. Titles and/or authors more often turn up other editions/bindings.

    • Search by title, by author, by ISBNs, and even by keyword or publisher. Remember that titles are often changed, subtitles are changed even oftener, and the paperback edition may sometimes have a title change even though nothing else differs from the hardcover.

    • If no iPage record can be found, the title may be entered manually into the Midwest order manually after importing the data from iPage. If no ISBN or OCLC record can be found, it may be necessary to order directly from the publisher.

  • Stock on hand must be carefully judged. The following should be considered for Ingram:

    • Ingram is the preferred vendor when stock is on hand. This applies even to items with no discount from the list price, as any other vendor may or may not have the title in stock when the order is received.

    • The Ingram warehouses being used are shaded as the columns marked IN (Indiana warehouse) and TN (Tennessee warehouse). Only these columns should be considered valid. In order to make an order from any other warehouses, a minimum number of volumes must be accumulated, and it is usually easier to simply order from Midwest instead.

    • The number is listed for each Ingram warehouse as the number On Hand and the number On Order. The system will obtain the order from the primary warehouse first and then the secondary, automatically. The following applies to these numbers:

      • Fewer copies on hand means it is more likely that the warehouse will run out of stock before the purchasing process can be completed at the library and the order transmitted. The title should be carefully judged as to current popularity and the likelihood of orders being received which might deplete stock.

      • Copies on hand with no copies ordered may indicate, especially for lower stock amounts, that this record will be terminated and no orders accepted when stock is depleted. This is especially likely for hardcovers when a paperback edition is also available.

      • Copies on order may or may not arrive. The larger the amount, the more likely it is, but this must be considered with the type of material and the recency of publication.

    • The regular discount for Ingram is 40%. Other figures will normally be stated specifically, such as "35%" or "NET".
      The amount after discount is the amount to be put in the EPrice in the INNOPAC order record. Be certain to update the binding information if not hardcover at the same time.

  • Other factors in considering stock are:

    • Books In Print means simply the last report that has been posted to R.R. Bowker as to availability. It is not in any way guaranteed to be an accurate statement of actual stock availability by the publisher.

    • Certain publishers are unreliable as to dates of publication. These include organizational publishers such as the American Library Association, as well as some specialty publishers such as Neal-Schuman. Be sure that libraries have actual holdings (NOT including DLC) of the item before committing to an order when time is limited.

    • All publishers should be considered of varying reliability as to stating stock on hand accurately.
      Wholesalers such as Ingram, however, depend on accurate statements of their stock, and should be within the stated amount within the stated time period (for Ingram, about 24 hours or less).

  • ??? FURTHER INFORMATION TO BE ADDED ???