Required Fields for Needs and Offers

  • Last Updated: March 02, 2020
  • Published: February 27, 2020

Required Fields for Needs and Offers

Requirements are different for needs and offers, since offers are always made for items that are in-hand, and needs are often more flexible.

  1. Document Title

    2. This is required for both needs and offers. The title should be as complete as possible, but partial titles are accepted.

  2. Classification Type and Document Number

    3. This is required for both needs and offers. You can include full classification numbers or stems.
    Note that matches are made on the complete document number as entered. When only the stem is used, it will only match another record where only the stem is used. This could cause matches with different items, so using the full document number will yield the best results.

  3. Does this item contain multiple pieces?

    4. This is required for offers only. If you select yes, a Multiple Pieces Note field will open up so you can describe the items in more detail.

  4. Publication Date

    5. This is required for both needs and offers. If an offer is less than five years old, remember to add a note in the Note field to let your regional know why the item is being offered.
    You can enter a full date (month, day, year), month and year, or just the year.
    An option for “I don’t have a Date” is also available if you are unsure of the publication date.
    Only the publication start date is required. Publication end dates should be used when inputting a range of items.

  5. Format

    6. This is required for both needs and offers. However, if you are entering a Need, you can select multiple formats.

  6. Condition

    7. This is required for offers only. You can click on See Definitions for explanation of condition parameters to help you determine conditions. While not required for needs, more than one condition can be selected for them.

  7. Shipping Date

    8. This is only required when uploading needs or offers via spreadsheets. See Tip 5 for more information on this.

Remember to consult the Data Dictionary if you are uploading a spreadsheet. This will help ensure that you are using language that the system will accept.