For Borrowing & Lending
Libraries
Borrowing Library = Requesting Library = Pickup Library = Patron Library
Lending Library = Supplying Library = Owning Library
Below are procedures for dealing
with unreturned items in the MA Virtual Catalog. At the end of this document
you will find “Quick Tips” to help you find libraries, VC contacts, and
information in local systems.
Please
note as stated in the Massachusetts
Virtual Catalog policy: The Borrowing
Library is responsible for borrowed material from the time it leaves the Lending
Library until it has been returned to and received by the Lending Library. This
includes all material shipped directly to and/or returned by the user. If damage or loss occurs, the Borrowing Library
is responsible for compensation or replacement, in accordance with the
preference of the Lending Library.
|
Overdue item timeframe: |
||
|
Two weeks after 56 day due date,
Lending Library may send out initial overdue notice.
Optional. |
Eight weeks after 56 day due
date, Lending Library mails out a bill accompanied with the Billing |
Borrowing Library checks and either finds the item and SETS RETURNED
or arranges to reimburse the Lending
Library. |
After 56
days + 2 weeks when a Lending Library finds that one of its items has not come
back
Before initiating an overdue
notice (an optional step), Lending
Library should:
1.
Check VC status in REQUEST INQUIRY. This will
indicate the library that borrowed the item. Click
here for contact information.
2.
Check the local circulation system for item status.
(Item may be checked out to a local patron and may not have been checked in on
the VC properly. If item is found to be out to a different patron then in VC
the request should be SET COMPLETE.)
3.
Check their shelves including holdshelf.
(The item may have been shelved without being checked into the local circ
system or completed in URSA.)
If the item is not located, Lending Library has the option of
sending an overdue notice to the Borrowing
Library.
After 56
days + 8 weeks when the Lending Library’s item is still overdue -- Tracking
& Billing Procedures
A bill should be sent no sooner
than 8 weeks after the 56 day due date. Bill should include “pay to” and “mail
to” information, the VC request number, and the title. The Billing
Tracking Form must be attached to the bill. The bill should be sent to Borrowing Library’s primary VC Contact.
Print out and use the Billing
Tracking Form as you complete the steps below.
Before initiating a bill, Lending Library should:
1.
Check VC status in REQUEST INQUIRY. This will
indicate the library that borrowed the item. Click
here for contact information.
2.
Check the local circulation system for item status. (Item may be checked out to a local patron and
may not have been checked in on the VC properly. If item is found to be out to
a different patron then in VC the request should be SET COMPLETE.)
3.
Check their shelves including holdshelf.
(The item may have been shelved without being checked into the local circ
system or completed in URSA.)
4.
If the item is not found:
Lending
Library: Eight
weeks after the 56 due date mails to
the Borrowing Library a bill on which the VC # is written.
The bill must be attached to the Billing
Tracking form.
5.
On receiving the bill: Borrowing Library should:
·
Check shelves
·
Check holdshelf
·
Try to determine if the patron ever actually received
the item. If the temp record exists, what is the status?
6.
The
Borrowing Library may send out a question to its own network asking
them to check shelves and also to check local circulation system by barcode and
title.
7.
If the item is found, the Borrowing Library should SET RETURNED and send the item back to the
Lending Library.
8.
If the item is not found, the Borrowing Library completes the Billing
Tracking Form and returns it with reimbursement or replacement copy as
specified by Lending Library.
9.
Borrowing
Library must include Billing
Tracking Form with payment.
10.
Borrowing
Library when sending reimbursement or replacement, will SET RETURNED
in the VC.
11.
On receiving reimbursement or replacement, the Lending Library will SET COMPLETE. In
the VC.
If the Borrowing Library cannot pay the bill or send a replacement within eight
weeks of receiving the bill, it must communicate with the Lending Library as to when the bill can be paid or to make other
arrangements.
In the event that the Borrowing Library does not respond to
the bill within eight weeks the Lending
Library should contact the VC
helpdesk to contact the appropriate network or institutional staff who can
review the replacement policy with the Borrowing
Library.
Quick tips:
For identifying the Borrowing Library:
Lookup the request in VC REQUEST
INQUIRY. In REQUEST INQUIRY searching
can be by the request number, the title or the author. To search by title, remove the first and last
letters of a word and replace them with percent signs as: Title: %alentin% for Title: Valentine. If the item cannot be found, this request
inquiry page may be printed out to accompany bill or overdue sent to Borrowing Library.
For finding contact info for Borrowing Library: Go to the list of all the sites in
the VC (http://www.massvc.org/members/members.htm),
click on “Listed individually here” link and use Ctrl-F to look up library
name, then go to the url in column I on the right, or use “quit” in staff mode
to see contacts list links and choose the appropriate list.
For searching for temporary records in borrowing systems: Search by barcode and by title in local
circulation system. When searching by title, the first twenty characters in the
title are followed by two asterisks and the
request number, i.e. “Methods in enzymolog**99345**”.
Searching with VC request number as a keyword often works, i.e. Keyword: 99345.