Patron-Initiated ILL
(AKA patron-placed holds)
Issues identified are of these types: Policy, Design, & Technical .
MOBAC’s ILL Committee and I have been invited to participate in the new ILL Committee of GGLN.
Policy Issues for Patron-Initiated ILL
1. Patron affiliation. Proposed: patron must be affiliated with a specific library, known as “patron’s library.”
A: YES
2. Patron authentication. Proposed: patron is authenticated by own library to permit access to the ILL system.
A: YES
3. Shipping: Proposed: items are shipped to patron’s library (not patron).
A: YES
4. Accountability for item once sent to patron’s library. Proposed: patron’s library is accountable.
A: YES
5. Queues and Gateways at patron’s library. Discussion: should there be any form of queuing or approval by patron’s library’s staff before patron’s request is sent out for ILL?
A: If it (the request) goes outside of the system, yes, mediate it – otherwise, no.
6. Searches at patron’s library required. Discussion: should a search of the patron’s library’s (online) catalog be required before patron may access the ILL system?
A: Ideally, yes, not sure how this would work. Would patrons have to redo their search if they are not in their local catalog?
7. Staff intervention. Discussion: are there cases in which the patron’s library’s staff should be able to intervene in a patron’s ILL request?
A: No, unmediated=unmediated
8. ILL request limits. Proposed: patron’s library may impose limits on the number of current requests and the types of materials requested by its patrons; the ILL system will default to 5 current requests, all types permitted, otherwise.
A: Can this be programmed, library to library, i.e., can individual libraries make that determination, which default they want?
9. Role of reference librarians. Discussion:will reference librarians have any role, perhaps online, in patron-initiated ILL?
A: Beyond patron training, education and encouragement? No.
10. Patron ILL distinguished. Discussion: should patron-initiated ILL requests be so identified to the library receiving the request?
A: YES
11. Recipients of patron ILL requests. Discussion: are patron-initiated ILL requests limited to libraries within the region (MOBAC)?
A: the reach of this is only limited by those libraries we have agreements with, the technology, and the catalog.
12. Digital and non-return items. Discussion: should any rules apply specially to digital documents or non-return items (photocopies) for patron ILL?
A: questions around this: will it track © (this is borrowing library’s responsibility), will items held digitally be “caught” by the system (i.e., library owns it on-line, don’t request it via ILL) Can special rules around digital material be determined by individual libraries
13. Load balancing. Discussion: what means should be employed to balance ILL loads among participating libraries?
A: Yes, this is definitely needed, don’t know how to do this technologically.
Design Issues for Patron-Initiated ILL
1. Patron access to ILL system. Proposed: the patron accesses the ILL request system through the patron’s library web site.
A: YES
2. Patron access to status. Discussion: should the system provide an online way for patrons to check the status of their requests? How much information should be provided?
A: YES: shipped, received, order in process, due date
3. Patron cancellation. Proposed: the system should provide a way for the patron to cancel a request before it has been sent.
A: YES
4. Patron preferences. Discussion: should the ILL system provide a way for patrons to indicate the precision of the request?
A: YES (i.e., this edition only kinds of precise info, need by date)
Technical Issues for Patron-Initiated ILL
1. Patron authentication by diverse local library patron databases.
A: YES
2. Patron identification within ILL system, passwords, session ids, cookies, etc.
A: YES
3. Lender chain. Discussion: should a lender chain built on the initial search be refreshed if the request is declined and sent to the next library on the chain?
A: YES
4. Many questions if patron ILL extends beyond region (MOBAC).
A: Yes, we are aware…