Sourcery Tutorials

Need a little help getting started in Sourcery? Well, agonize no longer! In this blog post you can find tutorials on how to place a request, claim a job, and complete a job. Let’s get to it!

How to place a request in Sourcery

Transcript:

Register your new Sourcery account. Be sure to apply “Requester Mode” at the top right of the app homepage.

To make a request, you’ll need:

• Repository information
• Details on material and collection
• Any information the Sourcerer may need to fulfill the request

Then click the “Make a Request” icon. Next, input the item’s location. Then, fill out some information on your request. Input what kind of material you’re requesting. Tell us about the contents of the material and/or it’s name. Describe the material’s physical attributes. Add any additional information that might be useful to Sourcerers (optional), like preservation issues, language information, and material context.

Next, fill out the location information. Include a direct link to your requested file. Help out your Sourcerer by providing a call number (or item ID, identifier, reference number, etc.). Provide the full collection title, usually found at the top of the finding aid. Add the material’s series and subseries, if applicable. Check your finding aid and ensure you input the accurate numbers or letters of the material’s box and folder. This is a key step for the Sourcerer to fulfill the request.

Additional information:

1. Check the repository’s website to see if they require an appointment and report your findings to your Sourcerer.
2. Provide a URL or instructions for how the Sourcerer should request the material.
3. Adding an existing reference can provide more context for your Sourcerer and may be helpful when discussing your request with the archive.

3 final steps:

1. Review your request
2. Provide payment through the secure portal (a receipt will be emailed to you)
3. Wait for your request to be fulfilled! If you notice any mistakes or issues, contact Sourcery support.

How to claim a job

Transcript:

First, make sure you’re in Sourcerer mode on the homepage by toggling to “Find a Job.” Next, select “Find a Job.”

Jobs are separated into three main parts:

1. Repository information

This includes:

• The name and address of the repository
• If an appointment is required to review the material
• Methods for requesting the material and/or scheduling a research appointment

2. Material information

This includes:

• The title of the folder, if applicable
• The type of materials the Researcher anticipates being in the folder (correspondence, photographs, ephemera, etc.)
• Any additional details the Researcher thinks you might find helpful

3. Location in archive

This includes:

• A link to a catalog record or finding aid
• The call number
• The collection title
• The series name (if applicable)
• The subseries name (if applicable)
• The box number
• the folder number
• Any existing reference to the material to provide context (if applicable)

How to claim a job: First, select what metro you’ll be working in. View different jobs and scroll to view their details. Claim the job at the bottom of the information section to see all details. Finally, confirm that you’d like to claim the job. The job has now been moved into your queue and you may begin fulfilling the request.

How to fulfill a job

Transcript

First, log in to Sourcery. To fulfill requests, ensure you are in “Sourcerer Mode” by toggling the switch in the top right corner of your screen. You can also switch modes under the “Account” tab. Claim new jobs and fulfill claimed jobs under the “Home tab.” Claimed jobs are labeled “In Progress.” You can click a job card to view details and complete the request. Once a job is fulfilled, its status will change to “Completed.” Jobs can be filtered and sorted by status by selecting the “Filter” icon. Select a card to see full request details, fulfill the job, and/or contact the Requester.

The header contains:
– The name of the holding institution
– The date the request was submitted
– The total payout

Select “Upload Attachments” to upload the scanned files to the request. Remember that scans should be uploaded as a single, collated PDF.

The Requester: here you can find basic information about the user requesting the material. This will provide their name, title, and a button to open the chat screen if you’d like to send them a message.
Progress tracker: the progress tracker will automatically open when you come to this screen. This is where you can see your possible next steps and report events as you go through each step of the request fulfillment process.

Notes and citations: under “Notes & Citations” there are two open text fields for any notes or corrected citations you would like to provide the requester.

Release job: change your mind? Release the job by checking the box and clicking “Release Job.” You are given the optional opportunity to report why you decided to release the job or report technical issues.
When all notes and attachments have been added, the job can be marked as “Complete.”

Need support: if you need any assistance, use this section to contact support.

Tracking a request: reporting events help keep the Researcher and Sourcery admin information of progress. It shows the Requester that their request is being moved forward, especially if an institution is slow to respond or schedule.

Repository contacted: use this event when you make initial contact with the institution. This can take the form of an email, phone call, filling out a form, creating a research account, and more.
Requested appointment: use this event when you have requested an appointment with the holding institution but have not yet confirmed it.

Materials requested: use this event when you have requested the materials to view, particularly materials located in off-site storage or for an institution that requires appointments.

Appointment scheduled: use this event when you have confirmed your appointment with the institutional. Optional: input your appointment time and date.

Checked in at repository: use this event when you have checked in at the repository and have begun your appointment.

Automatically completed events
– Request submitted: Sourcery will provide the date and time for when the request was submitted
– Sourcerer claimed: Sourcery will update the request when the job has been claimed
– Attachments uploaded: Sourcery will update the request when you upload an attachment
– Request completed: Sourcery will update the request when you mark it complete

Uploading attachments
Click “Choose PDF File to Upload” and select the file you wish to attach. Files should be uploaded as a single, collated PDF document. Once uploaded, files can be sorted and organized. Select the pencil icon to edit individual files. Here you will see a preview of the uploaded file, as well as file information and the option to add notes and metadata. Use this to add specific details on individual files.

Finally, add notes and citations to the request. Use this to add specific details on the job or files as a whole. You may consider adding a short narrative on how the job went overall, any access issues or roadblocks, any preservation issues that might affect the quality of the scans or the researcher’s ability to request them again, or any notes on the scans themselves, like if certain pages are out of order. Add citations if provided by the repository, don’t go searching for this on your own.

Once all tasks have been completed, review and select “Complete Job.” Sourcery admin review the job and then trigger payout manually. Admin will be in contact if more details about your job are needed.

Congratulations! The job is now complete.