Do you know how ….?

You can use processes outside Te Puna Interloan (as well as inside) to keep track of interloaned items. Here are some tips shared by Te Puna libraries.

Tip 1: Create a short, temporary bibliographic record for your incoming interloan item into your library management system. Suppress this record from your OPAC so that clients can’t see it when searching.

One library uses the call number field to list title/author and ILL number – this is not correct cataloguing as such but enables the library to use it own LMS to keep track of items and borrowers.

Another library uses the format, for example: Shock of the new / Hughes [INTERLOAN] [4678000] and scans in the barcode from the holding library as the item record. This format means the library can search on INTERLOAN and get all the books that are out. It also means that if it comes up as overdue it is clear on the notice that it is an interloan.

The University of Otago Library creates a temporary Voyager record.

Tip 2: Because the book is now in your catalogue it can be issued to your client as normal. It is a good idea to issue the book to be back 3 days before the due date to allow time for return or renewal requests.

The University of Otago gives each item its own barcoded book-strap for use when issuing the book to the patron.

Tip 3: You can track interloan items like regular books; clients receive reminder and overdue notices using the normal system

Tip 4: For renewals most of these libraries prefer to set the system so that renewals must be processed manually by library staff.

Tip 5: As part of the routine for returning the interloan the temporary catalogue record is deleted. Some libraries have an automated deletion process; others delete the record manually (provided the book and barcode are still in front of you it takes only a few seconds).

Advantages of this system are that interloans are integrated into normal circulation routines – the time required to add & delete the record is more than compensated by time savings of not chasing overdue interloans and for clients being able to see what is out on issue to them on their loan record.

Our thanks to Queenstown Lakes Library; Unitec Institute of Technology; EIT Hawkes Bay, Twist Library; and the University of Otago Library for these tips.

Requesting libraries, here are some tips on using Te Puna Interloan to monitor items loaned to your clients:

Tip 1: When you create the request, enter your client’s name into the Client Name field, near the bottom of the request form. You should use a consistent format, like surname first.

This will come in handy later (see tip 5 below).

Tip 2: When the requested items arrive, action them as Received promptly. Note the Due Date and advise your client of this. As well as appearing on the slip that comes with the book, the due date will be near the bottom of the request form.

Tip 3: Check your Work Queue every day for things that need your urgent attention. For example:

• Recall – needs to be retrieved from your client and returned immediately.
• Message – you need to click on the details and read the message and then take appropriate action.

Tip 4: Monitor your loans from other libraries. There are several ways to do this. One way is to use your Work Queue.

Go to your Work Queue and click the total next to Received:

This will display the loan requests that you have actioned as Received. You will be able to quickly page down to the older requests:

Tip 5: You can also monitor your clients. To find items currently out on loan to a particular client, search for them at the ILL Request Search screen (Simple Search):