Here is the summary of our ILL Round Table discussion for August 2022.
Agenda:
Overview of the process that out-of-state requests go through when we receive them.
Making the Preferred Lender List work for you (presentation by Wendy Maquera from Bent Northrop Memorial Library)
Library Policies on providing ILL service to non-residents
Making the Preferred Lender List Work for You (Presentation from Wendy at Bent Northrop Library)
Wendy updated her Preferred Lender List to put libraries in order of the day of their courier deliveries. Starting with the libraries whose stops are on Thursdays as Bent Northrop has a Wednesday pickup day. Then further moved those with multiple stops in a week higher in the list as well.
Some libraries that sent items were not changing the shipped date to the date that items were shipped, which caused incorrect arrival estimates by the borrowing library. This has influenced their own process to make sure they are updating the Shipped date for their lending requests.
Overall this change has cut down on the turnaround time. Further experimenting may include using the days requests are processed information to see if that impacts the turnaround time as well.
Discussion included:
- There is pressure to keep ILL numbers up, so if smaller libraries with less delivery or processing days are requested from less they may receive pressure to increase the numbers. Do lower request numbers reflect poorly on the collection?
- Moving the libraries with multiple stops up in the request process may add more work for libraries with multiple stops. They can be overwhelmed by an increase in requests, and it puts an unfair onus on the larger libraries in the interlibrary loan system.
- Interlibrary loan is a way for all Vermont libraries to support each other through their collections.
- Requesting from specific libraries but request comes from different libraries – clarification between search results and building process for lender lists.
Updating Shipped/Due Dates
How many people update the shipped date to match the date an item goes out? How many make sure the due date matches? Making sure they match your ILS and the date that items are shipped is not required, but is very appreciated.
Is there a way to assign a blanket shipped date to a batch of requests? No, but April will put in a request with AutoGraphics.
Out-of-State Requests Process
Blank requests and any requests with VSS as the default lender go to us for out-of-state requesting. The first step that is done is to check to see if the Yes option is chosen for out-of-state request. Then the request title is double-checked in Clover to see if there are additional copies available in-state that the system did not add (different ISBN). If it is, the request is marked as Will Not Supply and a note indicating other copies are available in-state using a different record. If it is not available in state and is marked as Yes, request from out of state, Linda checks our OCLC WorldShare ILL to see if there are copies available outside of Vermont. She checks free lenders first, confirms availability in their catalog, then builds a lender list of available copies. The request is marked as Will Supply and the request number in OCLC is noted in the Clover request notes. When it is updated in OCLC as Shipped, we update in Clover with the due date. When items are listed as Received or Returned in Clover, we update it in OCLC to that status. We do check in-state academic libraries through OCLC as well if their catalog is not linked in Clover
Article requests are marked as shipped and the link to access the article for download is put directly in the lenders note field in Clover.
Linda Willis-Pendo is the one who processes all of the out-of-state requests, and updates them throughout the process with the assistance of Vance Asselin. If there are any items sent from out-of-state libraries that do not come with a return address you can ask April or Linda and we can look up the information (or contact the lending library directly).
Library Policies on Providing ILL Services to Non-Residents
Some libraries require a patron to be in good standing for a specific amount of time before being allowed to request ILLs.
Bennington does ILLs for non-residents because they are residents that are just outside of town, or they work in Bennington. They don’t want to tell someone that because they live two miles outside of town they can’t get services. They typically pay the out of town card fee, and they are able to access ILL with that.
Springfield will send requests for all patrons in good standing.
Fletcher Free does not have separate policies for non-residents.
North Hero - their rule is library card holders can all request ILLs, the only exception is home card patrons.
Bradford – Part of the OneCard system, and patrons from other OneCard libraries want to use ILL at the library that has best access to ILL. What do others do in this situation?
Bent Northrop – anyone who wants a card can have a card. Anyone with a card can request an ILL.
Bradford – patrons live out of state, but work in town.
Morrill Mem. & Harris – We have to look at what the cost to the library is. If there is a mailing cost for an ILL from out of state, then adding that cost for someone not in the taxpayer base that should be considered.
Does everyone charge non-residents for a card? St. Johnsbury yes. Bradford, no. Hartland, no. Springfield, yes. Bent Northrop, no. Bennington, yes.
Reminder: If you are on the courier service you cannot charge patrons for ILLs. You can accept donations and have fundraisers and state the money raised will go towards ILL costs.
Does anyone have a policy about how many out-of-state requests a patron can make in a year?
Springfield – limits ILL requests to five items per day.
Brooks Memorial – limits ILL requests to five per week.
St. Johnsbury – limits to four requests per month.
Fletcher Free – limits to three requests.
Burnham – limits to three at a time and holds other requests until titles are returned.
Nobody tracks out-of-state separately from in-state.
New Book Policies
Hartland – if it’s on the shelf they will lend it.
Burnham – has to be six months old.
Bennington – has to be six months old
Brooks Mem – has to be six months old
VTLIB – lends all new books.
Bent Northrop – will lend if available. Also tells patron they can ask, but they may not be able to get the book.
Springfield – has to be six months old.
St. Johnsbury – generally six months, but if it’s on the shelf it will be a case-by-case basis.
Morrill Mem. & Harris – Will send but will not provide a renewal.
West Hartford – depends on popularity and if the holds list has been filled.
People can always be told no if they are requesting a new title. It does not hurt to ask, but you may not be able to get the title for the patron.
The meeting recording is available here: https://youtu.be/U3rG_a6Tzhg.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 10, 2022 and will be 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
A general topic hasn’t been decided on yet, so please let me know your suggestions! Remember, all recordings and notes for these meetings can be found on our website here: https://libraries.vermont.gov/services/ILL/round_table.