Re: Record creation for ILL

[Steven Moody <smoody at jfku dot edu>]

At 01:54 PM 4/25/2005 -0500, you wrote:
> Hi.
>
> We're migrating to Millennium in the middle of next month, and I'm seeking 
> guidance on ILL.  We did not purchase the Millennium ILL system, and so I 
> need to know how other libraries handle putting the books received from 
> other libraries into Millennium.  How/what kind of records do you 
> create?  I am often the only person who works ILL, so I need a quick (but 
> useable) way to create records in Millennium so the books can be checked 
> out to our patrons.  We also need to figure out an obvious way to route 
> them back to ILL when they're checked in, so they don't end up on our 
> shelves.  Any help/suggestions/etc. you could give would be greatly 
> appreciated!
>
> -Johanna Jones


If you are not going to purchase the ILL module, then probably the best way 
to handle it would be a paper (file card/paperclip) system to track the ILL 
items.  You need some way to maintain all the paper anyway (return labels, 
oclc printouts, etc).

If you think it necessary, you could add a note or message to the patron 
record with the book info (ILL #, due date, etc).

But I would ask why a Millennium entry is needed.  Is it so the patron can 
see the ILL if they check their record in the OPAC?  To faciliate patron 
blocking in the case of overdues?  You can just tell your patrons that 
ILL's won't show up on their record and handle blocking the old way - manually.

Because the only other option is creating item records in the system, 
either by also creating Bib records for each or by creating an ILL BIB to 
which you add all the individual ILL items, but it seems to me that would 
add complications unjustified by the gain (ILL clerk has to create and edit 
catalog records or coordinate with cataloging, must also edit patron 
records, etc).

In regard to "an obvious way to route them back to ILL when they're checked 
in," this is usually a combination of a ILL wrapper (slipped on the fron 
cover with patron/item info, due date, etc) and Circ staff vigilance.

Patrons will often remove the wrappers so all non-library items should be 
routed through the ILL clerk to make sure they are not ILL items.  We have 
our ILL clerk handle all returns to other libraries of books mistakenly 
returned to us anyway, since they already have all the necessary packing 
materials and know how to get the addresses and other information if its 
not on the book.

Steven Moody




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steven Moody                               smoody at jfku dot edu
Library Systems Manager               http://library.jfku.edu
Robert M. Fisher Library                 phone: 925-969-3110
John F. Kennedy University
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill CA 94523-4817