Background: Manual loans occur when the patron checks out a book that lacks an Item record. The patron fills out a card at the Circ. desk with some brief bibliographic information, the Call number, and their contact info. Under previous practices, a record wasn’t created for the book until after its return, and the card (filed in Access Services) was the only link to the patron. Consequently, typical online services weren’t available for the charge, such as auto-generated Overdue notices, renewals, etc. This procedure improves the practice by providing a database record more quickly, and linking it to the patron, allowing for better tracking and services.
Contact: Pedro Arroyo
Unit: Acquisitions Services
Date last updated: 08/02/2016
Date of next review: April 2017
Workflow:
- Patron brings piece to Circ. desk, and is asked to fill out a manual loan card.
- Access Services staff take a set of DOUBLE-DUMB Barcodes, and put one in the piece, and one on the card.
- If the resource already has a barcode, Access Services staff do NOT need to apply a barcode to the piece & card. They just need to make sure that the existing barcode number is visible in the photocopy provided to LTS (see steps 3-4).
- Access Services staff make a photocopy of the book’s title page, t.p. verso, and Call number.
- Access Services bring the card and photocopy to the Inputting Supervisor, Acquisitions Coordinator, or Database Quality Supervisor in LTS, to be processed on a Rush basis.
- LTS staff locate the best record based on the card and photocopy, whether using existing Voyager records, searching/importing from OCLC, or creating one as necessary.
- LTS Staff may need to consult with others who have the appropriate language expertise, if necessary.
- LTS staff create an “In Process” Holdings record, if applicable, with a subfield X note in the 852 field stating “Manual Loan, send to 110 Olin when returned”, and any other appropriate explanatory information (see examples in the Notes section below). The clearer the note, the better.
- If it is not necessary to create a new Holdings, LTS staff will add the Manual Loan note (in a subfield X) to the appropriate existing Holdings. This would occur in cases where we appear to have a bib and a holdings record for the piece, but it simply lacked an item record. This is one of the most common scenarios for manual loans..
- LTS staff create a new Item record for that Holdings (using the Barcode on the card or photocopy), set the Item Status to “Cataloging Review”, and paste the Holdings note in the “Note” area of the Item record.
- All records associated with this loan will be active and un-suppressed.
- LTS staff return the card to Access Services in the Public Services office, so they can link the resource to the patron in the Circulation Module. This will make it appear as “charged” in the OPAC.
- When the Patron returns the piece, Access Services staff will discharge it, bring it to the “Manual Loan Returns” shelf in LTS, or directly to the Inputting Supervisor, Acquisitions coordinator, or Database Quality Supervisor.
LTS staff catalog the resource and delete the notes as appropriate, reset the Item Status to “Not Charged”, and send the item to the stacks.
Notes:
In addition to the example in #6 above, there are other scenarios in which a resource will lack an Item record, and careful judgment must be used by the staff member who is processing the resource. Below are 3 cases requiring 3 different approaches, and there may be others not covered here. Please consult the appropriate staff if questions arise.
1. If a Patron has found & checked out a piece of a multi-volume or serial that is not reflected in the Holdings, a new Holdings record does NOT need to be created just for the checked-out piece. That is, if the patron has no. 5, and the Holdings shows that we have 1-4 and 6-8, the Subfield X note can simply be added there, saying “MANUAL LOAN for No. 5. Please send to Olin 110 when returned, new Item created for it on this Holdings”. (In this case, only 1 record is created: the new Item record)
2. If the patron has found & checked out a second copy of a work that was not in the database, a new “In Process” Holdings (and corresponding Item record) may be created for the existing bibliographic record, with the notes stating: “MANUAL LOAN: Please send to 110 Olin when returned. Looks like a Copy 2 of this piece that was not in the database.” (In this case, 2 records are created: a new Holdings, plus a new Item record).
3. If the patron has found & checked out a resource for which there are no records at all, LTS staff may import a good bibliographic match from OCLC, or create one from scratch, and assign a new “In Process” Holdings for it, plus a corresponding Item record. (In this case, 3 new records are created: Bibliographic, Holdings, and Item).