Rule Name: Lending Availability Service

What this Rule Does:  

Looks at all lending loan requests in your main lending queues (e.g. Awaiting Lending Request Processing):

  • Extracts ISBN and OCLC# from request and queries the library’s z39.50 server to return availability information.
  • After information is returned from Z39.50 server, availability rules are applied to determine whether this loan is available for lending via ILL. Availability rules are as follows, and run in order:
    • Bypass--Items that you want staff to review to make a decision.
    • Unknown Include--Items whose availability is generally incorrect or unavailable, but the library is willing to lend
    • Unknown Exclude--Items whose availability is  generally returned as incorrect or unavailable, but the library is not willing to lend
    • Available Exclude--Items whose availability is generally incorrectly labelled “Available,” but the library is not willing to lend.
    • Unavailable Include--Items whose availability is generally incorrectly labelled “Unavailable,” but the library is not willing to lend.
  • After availability rules are applied, and availability from your catalog/z39.50 is returned:
    • Unavailable requests are canceled in OCLC and Illiad, using appropriate cancellation reason in both systems.  
    • If available to lend, Imports call number and location information into transaction in ILLiad.  Due date, renewal information, and other relevant information is also inserted.
    • Multivolume requests are identified, and routed to specified queue (could be a special “Multivolume” queue or “Awaiting Stacks Searching.”
    • Item Barcode is inserted into “ItemNumber” field, if the item barcode can be found.
    • Routes to specified queue, which could be “Awaiting Stacks Searching” or another custom queue.

Why would you want to use this Rule?

  • Automates availability checking and cancelling of book requests.
  • Allows libraries to deflect book loan requests from collections that they will not lend from (i.e. Rare Books collections).
  • Quicker cancellations results in better service to requesting libraries.

What is needed to use this Rule?

  • Be an active user of IDS Logic
  • Work with IDS Project staff to implement Lending Availability Service, including providing Z39.50 information, lists of collection information relevant to availability rules, and provide what queues are desired for routing, and what ILLiad fields are desired for inserting availability information.