2023-06-05 Meeting Notes

General Check-In

discuss Alma release notes (if any)

5

All

Bursar integration/export

Investigate/inquire how UCSC & UCD export fees to bursar

5 for final vote (fist of 5)

Follow up on the UC Consortial Block Decision for 04/05 blocks.

UCSC & UCD export fees to bursar, causing balances to zero out. is there a way to generate a report that is not tied to fine/fee balances? The goal is for Libraries to have local control over 04 or 05 blocks and if something is kicked out to the bursar’s office, it adds another layer of complexity and time) into the process.

Notes from last meeting:

UCSC doesn’t block people because of fines. Would rather just have the patron reach out about returning/replacing a block. Once the process goes to the bursar’s office, the Library is out of picture.

Action items from last meeting:

• UCSC will inquire about what happens on the AFN if a patron is blocked (or unblocked but still has business with the bursar). See email ->

• UCD haven't had a chance to sit down with billing coordinator yet. Will hopefully get something in writing for next week.

Email from Nicole @ UCSC:

It was settled that since we care more about the return of books rather than fines payment that we would keep all fines and fees listed on network user accounts in order for home institutions to place blocks on accounts. This is a change from what we currently do/have done in the past which was to use bill posting as the event that would get the patrons attention.

With that being said, we are still working out the finer points of how to proceed if a patron actually cannot return an item and needs to pay the fine through the bursar's office rather than return items.

Email from Antonio @ UCD:

I spoke with our Billing Supervisor and clarified our current block / billing process:

1. As mentioned before, fines / fees are zeroed out once they are exported to the bursar’s office. We do not add them back onto the account.

2. Network and non-affiliate users are billed through our Library Finance department. These bills are paid directly to the campus cashier’s office.

3. We only block borrowers for Overdue Recalls. However, these blocks fall off once fines / fees export to the bursar and we do not add them back on.

Waiting for now.

3/30: Consortia Block meeting was cancelled to provide the team additional time to make final edits on the decision page. Additionally we’re hoping to hear back from ExL on the questions we proposed.

4/13: edits are still being made to the decision page. stand by for completed document.

5/8: subgroup soliciting feedback on block decision page.

5/17: New Consortial network zone ExL Roadmap includes “Blocks across a network” for 2024. Link here.

5/25: Final decision vote (fist of 5) on Consortia Block Decision Page

suggestion: revisit when it hits on the ExL roadmap

Review: AFN Potential Issues & Resolutions (draft) page

Review linked pages to ensure information is accurate and up to date. If you have problems editing/viewing, let me know.

4/18: Ross consolidated google doc and 2nd page of linked PDF.

4/24: Group review before it leaves “draft” status.

5/8: Sahra provided some feedback, continue to review/update this page and perhaps discuss in Fulfillment channel on Slack.

15

All

• AFN potential issues & resolutions

  • confluence page here

  • google doc here

For what it’s worth the google doc is more recent than confluence…but we should probably consolidate these pages into confluence for distribution.

Open

5/22: push 2 more weeks.

updates in progress

What is considered “damage” to an item?

• Define “damage” to item (vs. normal wear/tear)

• Identify when we would notify AFN partner.

15

All

UCR - sends damaged materials to preservation unit for assessment & mitigate any further damage (ex. dry liquids). Wouldn’t necessarily do that with an AFN item.

Hopefully fulfillment notes exist for writing/underlining/highlighting.

Water damage, bite marks, mold, etc - those aspects would warrant contacting the lending library. Same for pages separated from spine (but this could possibly be wear & tear).

“If it were me, I would want to see the item.”

Is the time spent reviewing damage “worth it”? How much time is being spent managing something that isn’t manageable.

UCB - issue with Alma, once the item is checked in it’s gone from the user record. Hoping that lending campus can put notes in the item record.

What can/should we do if the item is returned without noticing damage and checked in. Should we put a note “it was returned with damage, we dont know who had it, etc”.

Or contact lending campus without it being checked back in?

Would probably ignore pen, etc. REAL damage/rebound/etc leave it on the user account and do not check it in -OR- check it in but capture the patron information for a follow up on billing.

Check it in, capture all appropriate info and send a note back with the book.

Standardize & generate a form for everyone to use: name, email, institution, barcode.

UCB’s conservation department has a bunch of plastic bags used to prevent cross contamination.

5/22 notes: workflow would be to capture all patron information before checking in item. then fill out form, return like normal.

work on draft of the form.

form acts as a report, but the responsibility still lies with the owning institution to make final decision.

investigate bags. preservation bags?

work with owning institution on level of damage, do they even want it back? heavy water damage? form could prompt for that info?

Action: carry topic on to next meeting to continue discussion.

Generate a form for each of us to use: patron name, email, institution, barcode?

Could the form automatically send an email to a selected campus & print a copy?

Don’t want to lose a printed copy in transit. Library supply plastic bags?

How to handle "Building Use Only" or "Library Use Only" items via the AFN

Currently, if a network user requests a building use only item it would circulate for 90 days. The borrowing campus would have to either not check it out to the user in Alma (using some manual process) or check it out for 90 days. I had asked if a network ToU would need to be created to allow these items to circulate a maximum of the library's closing hour and using a reading room circulation desk the items could be replaced on the holdshelf if the user had not finished with it. This is important for RLF materials that are building use only.

10

Mark/All

Nicole: RS was trying to figure out how to use reading room (in Alma) for this particular issue.

Sahra: there was a ticket placed with ExL because the results weren’t what we expected. Trying to get ILL items to patron using reading room, AFN items not working properly.

Alison: If I recall correctly, ExL says they fixed it, but I’m not sure if that was the right one.

Ross: UC Merced doesn’t use Alma for Library Use Only AFN items. We physically hand off to patrons to use in our office suite, and then place it back on a hold shelf if they still need it, or return it to the lending institution if they don’t.

Reading room set up at UCR for ILL materials (not AFN). When checked in it would go back to institution and not holding shelf.

Sahra: Project manager consulted, Alma’s current design doesn't include loan of AFN items in reading rooms. Dev team added it to the Alma workplan. Please show support by posting on the Idea Exchange.

→ What happens if you check an item out to a patron that’s already been returned and is “in transit”?

Band the item so it’s identified as Library Use Only?

5/22

UCM item is on patron account when it arrives and placed on hold shelf. They can view material as much as they want, get due date notice to return.

UCR doesn't check out item to patron, less comfortable with that. separate band so it’s very visible. “lib use only” in title so patron sees that in the hold notification. Align hold shelf expiry with due date.

Most important items that would fall under this are from RLF’s. discussion with them on what they do when they send out Library Use Only materials. What happens with the RLF’s? do they become their own institutions? how does that change developing network TOUs for those items? Create separate network TOU?

Reading rooms - complicated. could be an option but not for AFN items. had to switch locations each time you scan in/out or the book wouldn’t move properly.

6/5:

UCSD: creates temp record in VDX for local circulation. this let’s you check it out, then in, then out again within the full 90 period. using this process allows you to check out for 1 day (or whenever). keeps it in status of “in transit”

UCR: RLF’s include sticker that says “library use only”. ILL staff straps it with a library use only book band. treat it similarly to VDX item(s). extends hold expiry date to due date of item so it doesn’t come off the hold shelf.

Action: Carry topic on to next meeting so other members can chime in.

• Suggestions on guidelines on how we should try to standardize?

Could we use a fulfillment note in the email? Maybe the loan note?

→ to test we might need to split off an involve the RLF’s. TOUs using user group “network” and location.

Ross will work with Mark.

Transit slips/notes for patrons with fines or fees

10

Sahra/all

Sahra: Transit slips/notes on account for patrons who have fines or fees. haven’t talked about what we should do? could we have a conversation about what the best practices are? We’ll get a paging slip for a patron that owes money, so they likely won’t be able to loan it. At the same time we don’t want to not send the item because they might clear their account up. What’s the best route?

UCSD: pull item out of stream, billing dept notifies patron about the fine. 7 days to clear, otherwise we send it back.

→ You could create a new cancelation reason to notify the patron. If your reason is clear (we can’t lend due to fines owed) that might be “good enough”? Having consistent language systemwide for canceling would be good.

Want to catch this at the point of paging, not at the circulation desk. This is the direction we’ll go until the blocks are in place.

Draft language for cancellation reason to notify the patron?
”Can’t lend due to fines owed…”

→ Sahra will draft, Ross can review

Should be able to differentiate text because of the cancellation reason.

Develop in tandem with Disco OST?

Fulfillment Work Plan

Ongoing review and update as needed.

Link here.

5

Ross

Housekeeping

Made edits last time to:

• AFN potential issues & resolutions

• Library Fulfillment Directory

Ross will log any changes to the draft pages:

Wrap up/Topics for next time

5

All

parking lot:

• Ross on vacation 6/13 - 6/16 (shouldn’t impact our meeting schedule)

• Next meeting (6/19) is a holiday. Paper/email meeting?

• Next next meeting (7/3) is the day before Independence Day. Possibly sparse attendance, possible paper/email meeting. TBD.

• Marti might be leaving the group. Ross will send the official procedures for member resignation/replacement.