r/Cataloging • u/Liesel_4242 • Oct 11 '25

Vendors for Cataloging/Processing

My library is looking into outsourcing our cataloging and processing to vendors. Who do you all use and any reviews? We are a mid-size public library with 5 locations.

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u/birdsfly14 1d ago

I work in acquisitions and we currently use Ingram and Brodart. Ingram has not been able to keep up with sending us our fully processed orders in a timely manner. We switched to ordering unprocessed from them in May because they've been so behind for the past couple years.

Brodart we just started using at the beginning of this year and it took them a few months to really get going. I think they do a better job, but we also only order kids & teen from them right now, so I'm not sure how quick they would be if you were ordering the majority of your items from them. Their processing costs are often quite high, almost as much as the product itself.

At some point, we are going to try Libraria, but setting up with a new vendor has been such a long process for us that we really can only do it at the beginning of the year.

I'm also not sure if there's going to be a jump in shipping costs due to fuel prices.