Interlibrary Loan Round Table
May 5, 2022
Discussion Topic: Book sets, discussion sets, book groups, KitKeeper
Relevant links:
Requesting VTLIB discussion sets in Clover video tutorial: https://youtu.be/EnCQVdOuKZU
Requesting multiple copies in Clover: https://libraries.vermont.gov/services/ill/CLOVER
KitKeeper Information: https://vtkitclub.com/
Discussion Sets/Book Groups
VTLIB does one book club per year (Vermont Reads book). We sign up for the maximum number of copies and send out notices to state employees to sign up to request a copy. Maintain a list in a spreadsheet – and it’s a very easy process because the books don’t have to be returned. Also coordinate book clubs for other departments. Check any libraries for multiple copies where possible by searching in Clover and looking through results lists. Then have one person in the other department as the point person for being responsible for their books at their site.
Betsy (Bradford) – situated within ten miles of four other VT libraries and three NH libraries. They check out form those first and then make ILL requests. They track via a spreadsheet using Clover request numbers but do not make up temporary barcodes.
They borrow rotating large print books, DVDs, and audios through a consortium and those get laminated cards with codes for checkout.
Beth (Fairlee) – Use temporary barcodes to check out the requested items to their patrons as usual.
VTLIB – Use Clover barcodes as temp records to check all ILL requests out to patrons.
Adriene (St. Johnsbury) – Use the Clover barcodes or laminated barcodes to check out/track items. They affix the barcodes to the paper book strap with tape.
Virgil (Rockingham) – Use a spreadsheet and use part of the Clover request number as the barcode. They get a basic cataloging and checked in in Koha. In Clover they use a fake patron book club to request/check out and then track the specific patron and copy in a spreadsheet.
Marie (Warren) – Non-library book clubs sometimes come to her looking for newest releases. She checks the Mad River Valley libraries and gathers what she can. If it’s really new she tells them she can’t get more than what’s on the shelf and gently suggests they consider an older book in the future.
Who leads the book club? How are titles chosen? Any timing deadlines?
Virgil (Rockingham) – Just requests the titles and catalogs them. Programming staff lead the discussion. They try to request about a month before the actual discussion.
Tammy (Springfield) – They have an adult program person and a children’s program person and they pass on the titles to her for requesting. The deadline is usually dependent on what title is chosen, and she orders the next club book when it’s discussed at a book club meeting.
Adriene (St. Johnsbury) – Deadlines depend on if the title is coming via USPS or courier.
Betsy (Bradford) – The group makes suggestions and votes on titles. There is a ranked system so the availability and ranking are taken into account when choosing. They meet every two months and the request is usually put in right away with a request for an extended due date. They try to pick older titles that aren’t in high demand, but occasionally the request for an extended due date is missed and there are overdue notices. She or the director lead the book group.
The group has made the choice to really stretch in terms of topics and genres. The current group has a really wide variety of interests. They’ve covered sci-fi, nonfiction, and have been okay with being a little bit vulnerable/sensitive in sharing what they like or didn’t like about the titles.
Sandy (West Hartford) – Participants recommend books and the group decides on which one to read. Sometimes they need a nudge to be broader with their choices. She got them to agree to read a science fiction book (The Martian). She checks to see if the books are available on interlibrary loan before they choose. No new books – they need to be at least six months old.
The group was going to try and cover all genres, but they refuse to read fantasy and some refuse to read about WW I or WW II. They usually choose a historical fiction or biography title.
Beth (Fairlee) – The group will be reading a play later this year and possibly a book of poetry. They had a great discussion when they all read a different book by Sy Montgomery. The group was skeptical, but it went really well.
Jean – The group develops a list and requests are done in Clover two weeks before the meeting with requests for extended due dates.
Wendy (Bennington) – The book club is self run and she requests they get the title to her no later than three weeks before they need it. She checks availability and asks them to stay away from new titles. They are cataloged as an ILL and checked out to each individual.
How many book clubs at any given time?
Wendy – Has one book club, but patrons are sometimes in other book clubs and look for those titles.
Tammy (Springfield) – Multiple ongoing book clubs.
Adriene (St. Johnsbury) – Shorter runs of book clubs, such as Audubon, which is three books over three months (in addition to the regular in-house book club).
Dena – Used to exclusively use the book sets available through South Burlington. Now they’ve joined KitKeeper so they have more options.
Marie (Warren) – Have a middle-grade book club and are about to re-launch the adult book club.
KitKeeper
More information can be found here: https://vtkitclub.com/. It costs libraries $30 per year to join and they have to contribute one book set. Currently it is only open to courier libraries.
There are currently 28 libraries and over 300 kits included in KitKeeper (per the website). Libraries like using KitKeeper because of the choice of titles, the ability to reserve a set, that the books come all together in one bag, and a longer checkout period is automatic.
Some libraries have their sets listed in just KitKeeper, some just in Clover, and some in both (it varies from library to library).
Courier
The courier interest form will open in June for libraries to note their interest in joining and let me know their hours, preferred stop day, etc.
There was some discussion about how the multi-copy request form does not randomize the preferred lenders – more information was sent out on the courier listserv about this a month or so ago.
Wendy at Bent Northrop is testing out ordering the Preferred Lender list by those with stop days on Thursdays to see if that affects how quickly items arrive. We are all looking forward to updates!