Newsgroups: bit.listserv.innopac
Date:         Thu, 28 Jan 1993 15:35:14 -0500
              <INNOPAC@MAINE.BITNET>
From:         "Frances M. Parker" <fmparker@COLBY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Interlibrary loans

>We expect to begin using the Innopac circulation system in June and are
>beginning the profiling process.  I would like to hear from libraries which
>are satisfied with the procedures they have developed for tracking
>interlibrary loan materials on the system.  We have a fairly high volume of
>outgoing ILL transactions and under our present circulation system we find it
>cumbersome to record exactly where interlibrary loan materials were sent.  I
>realize some excellent procedures may not be 100% automated so please be
>candid if some successful aspects of your interlibrary loan operation are not
>automated.
>
>Thank you.
>
>Pam Ploeger
>Circulation Services Librarian
>Dartmouth College
>Hanover, New Hampshire
>pamela.ploeger@dartmouth.edu


Dear Pam,
        At Colby we use two different approaches for borrowing/loaning
books.  A.  One is the traditional ILL using OCLC.  We have a loan rule
profiled for this with a 28 day checkout and a long time (three weeks I
think) before the first overdue notice to allow time for returns.  We check
out the books we loan on two patron cards, one for Maine libraries and one
for out of state libraries.  When we first set up the system we had
everything checked out on one ILL patron and exceeded the record size when
things started to become overdue.  The system produces overdue notices
which the Circ Dept. give to ILL. ILL then uses OCLC to remind the
borrowing institution it is overdue. We don't run the books we borrow
through the III circ system at all.  This has been discussed several times
but doesn't seem to be worth it for the things we get using the OCLC ILL
system. I would be interested in hearing what others are doing.

B.  Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and UMaine all have III catalogs and are
networked so our patrons can easily search each other's databases.  Colby,
Bates and Bowdoin are set up so that the circ staff can use the III
requestor function to request books from each other. We go in every day and
print out the request, find the books, check them out to the appropriate
library, and use a local delivery service to get them there in 24 - 48
hours.  We have our patrons turn in a printout from the online catalogs to
the Circulation Desk with their name and box on it.  We use the III
requestor function, and when the item arrives in the Delivery box we match
it to the original slip, make a suppressed temp record and check it out to
our patron.  We send them their original requst slip with a note to pick it
up at the Circulation Desk.  When the book is returned, we check it in and
delete the record before returning it.
        This procedure works pretty well, but only because we took the time
to work out a mutual agreement on loan periods, renewals, etc.,and made a
commitment to use each other as much as possible.  It has taken some
pressure off of the ILL staff.

        There are so many things happening with ILL / document delivery now
that we are trying to be careful not to make them responsible for too many
different types of routines.  We don't want to slow things down.

If you get any interesting responses, I would like to see them.

                                        Frances Parker
                                        fmparker@colby.edu
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