How do I process resource sharing lending requests?
Answer
Training Video
Please see the link below for a video recording of a live demonstration of the workflows outlined in this FAQ.
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/8osmJeJgSNAkn186G4pNt1nr
- User Roles Needed to Process Lending Requests
- Printing Pull Slips
- Shipping Requests
- Processing Locate Failures
- Sending Conditional Messages
- Rejecting Requests
- Renewing Requests
- Sending General Messages
- Lost and Damaged Items
- Completing Requests
User Roles Needed to Process Lending Requests
Your Alma account will need the following user roles to process lending requests.
- Circulation Desk Operator - scoped to library & circulation desk
- Fulfillment Services operator - scoped to library
- Requests Operator - scoped to library & circulation desk
If you are unable to perform any of the actions described below, please contact the staff responsible for assigning user roles at your institution.
There are two different places where you can print pull slips for lending requests, the Pick From Shelf list and your Lending Requests list. If you print from the Pick From Shelf list, the Ful Resource Request Slip letter prints. If you print from the Lending Requests list, the Ful Incoming Slip Letter prints. Both printing methods are detailed below. You are free to use which ever one you prefer.
Printing Pull Slips from the Pick From Shelf List
1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Requests | Pick From Shelf.
2. The Pick From Shelf list will contain all items that need to be retrieved from your stacks, not just items that have been requested for resource sharing lending. If you would like to print just your resource sharing lending requests, click the "Shipped Physically" Request/Process Type facet. Otherwise, skip ahead to step 3.
3. Check the Select All box (or check the box next to each request you would like to print) and then click the Print Slip link. This will generate a Ful Resource Request Slip Letter for each request.
Printing Pull Slips from the Lending Requests List
1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Lending Requests.
2. The Lending Requests list contains all active lending resource sharing requests. To limit that list to just requests that still need to be filled, click the "Being Processed" Status facet.
3. Check the Select All box (or check the box next to each request you would like to print) and then click the Print Slip button. This will generate a Ful Incoming Slip Letter for each request.
As of January 2021, it is possible to fill physical resource sharing requests digitally. If you receive a physical lending request you would like to fill digitally, you can use the same workflow used to fill digital lending requests. For more information, please see Delivering Scanned/Downloaded Items.
Shipping Single Volume Requests
1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Shipping Items.
2. Make sure the Automatically print slip setting is set to Yes. Scan the barcode of the item you're shipping into the Scan item barcode field and then click the OK button. This will produce a Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter. Insert that letter into the requested item and ship the item to the borrowing library via the Empire Library Delivery courier.
Shipping Multi-Volume Requests
1. Complete step 1 as shown in the section above.
2. Make sure the Automatically Print Slip setting is Yes, check the Multiple items box, scan in the barcode of the first volume into the Scan item barcode field, and then click the OK button. A new window will open.
3. In the new window that opens, scan the barcode of the second volume into the Scan item barcode field and then click the OK button. Do the same for all remaining volumes, and then click the Done button. This will produce a single Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter. Insert that letter into one of the requested volumes, rubber band the volumes together, and ship the volumes to the borrowing library via the Empire Library Delivery courier. You can also copy the Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter and insert a copy into each requested volume.
1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Lending Requests.
2. Use the Status facet to limit to requests with the Locate Failed status.
3. Click the ellipsis and then click the Locate Resource link. The request will open on the right side of the screen.
4. Once the request opens, a list of possible matches will appear. Once you find a record for the requested item, click the radio button next to the result number and then click the Select button. Once you do this, the request's status will change to Being Processed, and the request will appear on your Pick From Shelf list. You can process the request as you normally would from this point forward.
5. If you're not seeing any search results when you first click the Locate link or if you don't see the requested item in the search results, click the search link at the top of the request window. You can then change the search operators from AND to OR and then click the Search button. Changing the search operators should yield additional search results. Once you've found a record for the appropriate, select that item as shown in step 4. If you cannot find the requested item, move on to step 6 to reject the request.
6. If you are unable to find a record for the requested item, click the Cancel button and then Reject the request.
Note: If you need to send a message to the borrowing library before you have updated a lending request to shipped, please be sure to use the Conditional function. If you need to send a message to the borrowing library after you update a request to shipped, you can use the General Message function.
1. Locate the request you wish to conditional in your Resource Sharing Lending Requests Task List, click the ellipsis next to the request, and then click the Conditional link. The Conditional window will open.
2. Select a conditional reason from the Reason dropdown, enter a date by which you would like a response in the Date for reply field, enter an explanation for the conditional into the Note field, and then click the Send button. The status of the lending request will then change to Conditional.
3. If the borrowing library says yes to the conditional, the status of the lending request will change to Being Processed and an active note containing their response will be added to the request. If the borrowing library says no, the request's status will change to Rejected the borrower request, and it will disappear from your list of active lending requests.
1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Requests | Pick From Shelf.
2. Locate the request you wish to reject in your Resource Sharing Lending Requests Task List list, click the ellipsis next to the request, and then select Reject from the dropdown that appears. A new window will open.
3. In the new window that opens, select the reason you cannot fill the request from the Reject reason dropdown and then click the Ok button.
Alma is configured to automatically approve all renewal requests received from borrowing libraries, so lending libraries do not need to manually process lending renewal requests. If the borrowing library asks you to renew a lending request, please ask them to submit a renewal request on their end so it can automatically be granted on your end.
Note: If you need to send a message to the borrowing library after you have updated a lending request to shipped, you can use the General Message function. If you need to send a message to the borrowing library before you update a request to shipped, please use the Conditional function.
1. Locate the request needing a general message in your Resource Sharing Lending Requests Task List, click the ellipsis next to the request, and then click the General Message link. The General Message window will open.
2. Enter the message you wish to send to the borrowing library into the Message field and then click the Save button. The message will appear as an active General Message on the borrower's request.
3. When the borrowing library responds, an active General Message will be added to your lending request. You can check for lending requests with active General Messages by either using the Tasks widget on the main Alma page or the facets in your Lending Requests list. To view a General Message, click the Request with active general message link. The request will open on the right side of the screen, and you'll be automatically taken to the messages section of the request. Once you have read the message, click the Dismiss link, and then click the Accept button that appears. The message will remain in the request record, but it will no longer be active. If their message requires a response, you can send a new General Message by repeating steps 1 and 2.
Note: If you return a lending request that was never received by the borrowing library, you will complete the request on both ends, and the borrowing library's user will not receive the item they requested. The Scan In function will produce a warning if you are returning an item that was never received by the borrowing library, but the Return Items function will complete the request without any warning. For this reason, you should always use the Scan In function to process lending returns.
1. Go to Fulfillment | Checkout/Checkin | Scan In Items.
2. Enter the barcode of the item that was returned by the borrower into the Scan Item Barcode field and then click the OK button. This will complete the request.
