[ILL-L] contemplating a change: no due date on WRS transaction

[Peterson, Kim A.]

Re: Renewals 
This is one of the main reasons why this option is attractive to me because we do not renew. Even though our WRS policy states "no renewals" we still get several renewal requests each day. And, I do understand why, who really has time to read into a policy to find out if the lending institution renews, it's just much easier to send the renewal request. 
 
Our loan period is 6 weeks. I think that's generous and I'd prefer not to deal with renewal requests except in extraordinary circumstances and then, I figure the borrowing library can place a phone call to us.
 
We do not recall items.
 
We do not use WRS to track items, we use our internal ILS for that.
 
The information below about borrowers having to fill in due date on their ILL  management software (which we do not have) is useful because that gives me a picture of an additional step borrowers have to do. 
 
Kim Peterson
St. Louis Public Library
 -----Original Message-----
From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Sue Kaler
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 2:00 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: Re: [ILL-L] contemplating a change: no due date on WRS transaction




Hi,
 
I know there are places that do this.  It is kind of a nuisance on the borrowing side.  We have to fill in the due date on our ILL management software, since it reads that from WRS.  There is no record to use if we'd like to ask for a renewal.  There is no record to use if you would like to recall the item.  There is no record on OCLC to jog us when something becomes overdue (although there are other reminders in our systems.)  You have less assurance as to where in the process your item may be.  It does save routine work, but leaves more possible problem solving work in the non-routine cases.  We hope it does not become a very common practice although we understand the appeal in this budget climate.
 
Sue Kaler
Interlibrary Loan Supervisor
Wellesley Free Library
530 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
OCLC symbol MLN
skaler at minlib.net
voice (781)235-1610 x1112, fax (781)237-4875

When responding, please be advised that the Town of Wellesley has 
determined that email could be considered a public record.





-----Original Message-----
From: " Peterson, Kim A." <KPeterson at slpl.org>
To: <ill-l at webjunction.org>
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:49:23 -0500
Subject: [ILL-L] contemplating a change: no due date on WRS transaction


One library that lends to us regularly does something that I think is a clever labor savings step: they set up the WRS transaction for returnables with a due date of "N/A" so that the WRS transaction disappears when I receive it.
 
I can't remember how they let us know the due date--I think it's indicated on the accompanying paperwork.
 
>From there we send the book out to our patron, and when patron returns item we ship it back to lender. There's no WRS transaction to update to "returned" and the lender doesn't have to "complete" the transaction.
 
What kind of problems does this create for you all? I like it, but I wonder if it will result in issues for you all that I can't foresee. 
 
Comments, please. 
 
 
Kim Peterson
Director of Technical Services
St. Louis Public Library
1301 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
T: 314-539-0320
www.slpl.org <http://www.slpl.org/>  	
 	

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