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AAL Users Group Meeting Minutes for June 28, 2000

Discussion Topics

Shipping items:
Unmediated mode – enter permanent barcode only Mediated mode – must include permanent barcode and request number

The shipping list generated in AAL must be included with the book when it is shipped to the borrowing library. This page contains the item barcode, request number, and the “ship to” address.

The lending library places a blue AAL band on the book. The lending library must write the request number on the appropriate line. The band template is available on the project website, under clipart.

TBLC will add spaces for both the patron name and patron telephone number to the band. The borrowing library has the option of filling in this information before circulating the book. The borrowing library will fill in the “return to” line with the library name. The date due is 21 days from the time the patron checks out the book.

Books are shipped using orange DLLI bags. Pinellas County will use the PPLC bags to send items within Pinellas County using the PPLC Courier service.

Renewals:
There was a general feeling within the group that renewals are desired. However, the group decided to table this issue until the project has been running for awhile or until the URSA software allows for and tracks renewals.

Returning Books:
Printing the “Set to: Returned” page is optional. It is necessary to print this page if the blue band is missing or the request number cannot be read.

Notes regarding specific libraries:

Palm Harbor/East Lake – searchers need to enter the entire title of the book in order to return any results from either of these libraries.

Pinellas Park – author searching will not return any results.

Lost Items:
The ILL Protocols committee discussed this at an earlier meeting. They felt that the AAL Users and Library Directors should decide the policy. The following is the recommendation from the AAL Users.

Notification:
1st overdue notice sent to borrowing library 14 days after the 35 day due date 2nd notice is a bill sent to the library after an additional 30 days

Responsibility:
Borrowing library is responsible for payment for lost items. This follows the OCLC protocol currently in use. The library may then recover the cost from the patron who borrowed the item.

There was some discussion of the consequences for receiving a bill. Though libraries may be blocked from borrowing books, care will be taken to rectify situations long before this would become an issue. Libraries will work with their neighbors in the consortia to keep problems from invoking extreme measures.

Damaged items will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Workflow Issues:
Tampa-Hillsborough is currently processing items centrally. There was a short discussion of an issue with workflow issues when routing books to ILL department at John F. Germany Library. Sarasota County is processing items centrally, but is moving toward having each branch process their own books.

Deleting requests:
epixtech recommends that requests be kept for a minimum of 60 days to aid in statistics gathering. There was some discussion about keeping records longer so that the library could keep track of requests in the event that there is a billing dispute. The general consensus is to keep the first year's requests and revisit the issue at a later time, possibly as late as summer 2001.