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LVA - closed stacks requests



My name is Lena Isaksson and I work as a systems librarian at Gothenburg
University Library, Gothenburg, Sweden. I am not a subscriber to this list,
but somebody forwarded the question to me since I have been active in the
specification and development of the stack requesting interfaces in VTLS
over many years.

GUL is a long time VTLS user. We spent 12 years with VTLS Classic and have
recently migrated to VTLS Virtua.

We have been using the VTLS Classic Document Delivery request routine all
the time. There is an equivalent routine in the Virtua Chameleon Web
Gateway, which we have now implemented.

GUL has large closed stacks and the requesting routine is a very important
function in our library OPAC

Both VTLS Classic and Virtua allow stack requesting at item record, bib
record (title level) and holdings record (unit level request) level. GUL
currently only uses the item record level request, but will be implementing
the holdings/unit level requests soon (see below under Requesting routine)


Library card required?

In VTLS, Classic as well as Virtua, having a library card has always been a
requirement for requesting books through the online stack request system.
The very few walk-in users who do not have a library card and only want to
use our books in the reading room can still request on a paper slip if
necessary, but this doesn't happen very often. It is very easy to obtain a
library card at GUL, basically all you need is an ID card. In a library
with more occasional users and a more restrictive policy for providing
library cards this system behavior may be a problem but not at GUL.

We actually think it is an advantage that the system requires a library
card, even for reading room use. This way we have a chance to track books
which have disappeared or been damaged in the reading room (this happens).
Virtua keeps a transaction log so we can backtrack transactions if need be.

The identification with the library card also fills the purpose of
providing a method to check the user's priviliges. If the user has several
previous delinquencies or outstanding overdue items we can block them from
requesting books. This can only be achieved if they have to use their
library card. The blocks are based on their patron activity information.


Is the request attached to the card/item?

Yes, the request is attached to the user's library card (and the item/bib
record, of course).
Since the request is tied to the patron's id patrons may also view their
outstanding stack requests (and other requests) on their patron activity
screens.
An advantage, we think.


What happens with requests which are not picked up?

The item's status is set to Requested in the OPAC, when the request has
been accepted by the system.
The request has a library-defined validity period, in our case 5 days. If
the item is not picked up within this time period the request and the
status is automatically deleted from the data base.
The written request slip, which is produced by the system, shows the
request date and the last-needed (validity) date.

In Classic we only had the request placement date printed on the slips. In
Virtua, since we are formatting the requests locally, we have added the
last-needed date. Every morning our staff withdraws items with expired
requests from the hold shelf. The expired requests are deleted around 6.00
a.m. so they are already gone from the system by the time the clean-up of
the shelves takes place. All books taken from the hold shelves are returned
in order to pick up a second request in the queue. The same procedure is
applied for trapped holds, the only difference is that their shelf life
cycle is somewhat longer than that of the items requested from the stacks.

If the item has not been requested by another user its status is set to
Available at check-in. In the next release of Virtua, 34.n  (I am not sure
which sub-version number) an optional Pending shelving status will be
available. In short this means that items, which are checked in to status
Available, are temporarily set to status Pending shelving. The time period
for the Pending shelving status is defined by the library and there will be
a job to periodically delete these statuses in batch.


Requesting procedure

In VTLS Classic there were two request routines. One version was available
through the telnet interface and the other one was the web interface.
Functionality was basically the same in both versions, even if the screen
display of course was quite different. Having the users work with two
different interfaces was a problem. We never implemented the Classic web
interface in the libraries, since we were planning to change systems
altogether.

With Virtua the one and only OPAC user interface at GUL is the Virtua
Chameleon Web Gateway, whether they are in the library or logging on from
the net. This has a clear advantage: users only have to master one
interface.  I should point out that the stack request routine which
generates a printed slip is currently only available in the Virtua Web
Gateway. So called pages can be placed in the Virtua Windows client, but
they do not generate a printed slip. GUL abandoned the idea of using the
Virtua Windows client on public access machines at an early stage of
planning for Virtua. We therefore concentrated our resources on working
with VTLS to develop an interface for printed requests on the web in the
first round. Our staff currently works with the Windows client and the web
interface side by side. Stack requests are entered through the web. Recalls
and holds are added in the client or over the web.

The stack request routine in Virtua was modeled on the VTLS Classic
Document delivery, with the same functionality retained. We liked our
Classic requesting routine very much and are pleased to have it available
in Virtua as well. The interface is still undergoing development and
refinement. It has been in production at GUL since late August and has been
well received by the users.

One function which we are still waiting for (should be available soon) is
the so called Unit level request. GUL circulates journal issues, but we
don't barcode them until somebody requests them for loan. Thus the item
screen for a given periodical may list volume 1:1, 2:3, 4:2, 11:3 and so
on, but our actually holdings are complete. The unit level request is a
request which is entered from the holdings menu or the holdings screen in
the Virtua Web Gateway. It allows the user to specify which volume and
number he or she wants instead of requesting a specific item.

Similar functionality is available in VTLS Classic


Request routing

Stack requests are automatically routed to printers set up at the item's
location. In GUL's case we have seven branches and we have chosen to have
just one printer per branch.


Requesting outside Virtua

Items which are not cataloged in Virtua are still requested on paper slips
The Central Library (the largest branch in our organization) is about to
implement an image card catalog (called IPAC) which will have its own
requesting routine. Our plan is to tie the patron authentication in the
image card catalog to our Virtua system so that patrons entering their card
information for a request in the IPAC will be checked and verified in the
Virtua patron file. If the patron has a request block in Virtua the IPAC
will reject the request (at least this is the plan - I haven't seen it
working yet ...).


I hope I haven't over-informed the list. I tried to restrain myself, even
if it doesn't seem so.
Anyone interested in further information ;-) is welcome to write directly
to me


Greetings,

/Lena Isaksson


>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Audrey Kelly" <AKelly@LVA.LIB.VA.US>
>> To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
>> Sent: Friday, December 01, 2000 4:40 PM
>> Subject: closed stacks requests
>>
>>
>> > Apologies for cross posting -
>> >
>> > I'd like to hear from / talk with folks who use their integrated library
>> > system to request items from their closed stacks collections.  We are
>> trying
>> > to understand the various ways different ILS's handle closed stacks item
>> > requests.
>> >
>> > Questions we have -
>> >
>> > Does the patron have to have a library card - and enter their library
>card
>> > number to request an item?
>> >
>> > Is the item then attached to the library card number? What happens if
>they
>> > don't come to pick up the item?
>> >
>> > Is there a different request procedure for patrons who are inside the
>> > library versus patrons who are outside the library and using the web to
>> get
>> > to your catalog?
>> >
>> > Any information or comments on pros and cons would be greatly
>appreciated.
>> >
>> > thanks,
>> > Audrey
>> >
>> > ~~~
>> > Audrey M. Kelly, Technology Consultant
>> > Library of Virginia
>
>
>
________________________________________________________

Lena Isaksson
Systems Librarian, IT-department
Goteborg University Library
P.O. Box 222                            Phone:  +46-31 773 4847
SE-405 30 Goteborg, Sweden              Fax:      +46-31 168 369
e-mail: lena.isaksson@ub.gu.se
http://www.ub.gu.se
________________________________________________________

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