[ILL-L] Going paperless and retention schedules

[Megan Bayonet]

We've found that OCLC WRS saves everything that we need to have saved.
There are a few summary reports that I print at the end of each month and
save in a three ring binder so that we can track how our ILL usage changes
over time.  We no longer support paper request forms - our patrons submit
requests using a variety of online forms.  I save these requests in an
e-mail file which I archive at the end of each month for copyright
compliance purposes.  We keep five years' worth of our patron requests for
periodicals so that we can produce our records if there is ever a question
about copyright.  Returnable items records are purged at the end of the
year.  We print the WRS pick slips for items that we are sending out but
then send that pick slip as our cover sheet with the outgoing items.  At the
end of each month I recycle the pick slips for items that we were unable to
send out.  
 
Additionally, all of our requests (borrowing and lending) are archived in
CLIO, which we also back up once a month.  We've never had a problem using
these electronic back-ups instead of their bulkier paper cousins.
 
For paperwork that arrives with items, I file it alphabetically by patron's
last name.  This takes up a tiny percentage of a file cabinet drawer and is
just organized enough to make it easy to find paperwork when we are
returning a book.
 
Since implementing our paperless ILL system, we've saved a ton of money on
printer paper and toner.  It also saves a huge amount of time for student
assistants, who used to spend several hours a week filing all of the bits
and pieces of paper that accumulated.
 
Megan Bayonet
Interlibrary Loan Coordinator
mbayonet at mbc.edu
540-887-7317
 

  _____  

From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Heidi Lewis
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 5:50 PM
To: ill-l at webjunction.org
Subject: [ILL-L] Going paperless and retention schedules



My library uses OCLC's Worldcat Resource Sharing to manage its interlibrary
loans requests. We are considering going paperless now that OCLC is keeping
all closed requests in an accessible electronic file online. I am wondering
if libraries that use this system have moved to paperless and how that
affects your workflow (positive or negative), if you have adjusted to having
all records online, and if you find that some things just have to be printed
out. And what do you do with the paperwork that arrives with the materials
from the lending library - does that get filed while the item is checked out
to your patron? 

 

I also have a question about retention rates - I was under the impression
that all our ILL paperwork from all closed requests needed to be saved for 5
years (we cut off the patron information for privacy) and I wonder if that
duration of time is really mandatory. What is the time limit and does it
apply to all requests or just to copy requests? Presently, OCLC has about
two years of requests saved, but I understand that they plan to save these
requests indefinitely. Once that happens, I suspect I won't be saving any
paper requests, but I would like to get rid of the pile of paperwork now
from the past 5 years if it's not mandatory that I keep it.

 

Thanks for any answers that you all can supply me with and please feel free
to reply directly to me at my email.

 

Heidi K. Lewis

Interlibrary Loans Coordinator

San Juan Island Library (SJI)

1010 Guard Street

hlewis at sjlib.org

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

 

 

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