When You Have To Charge before You Send: How To Deliver Local and I-Share Materials via Mail, or via Service Points with No Access to Alma

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENTATION NEEDS UPDATED FROM VOYAGER to ALMA SPECIFIC, but, the principles are the same.

Here are the steps for processing local call slips and incoming I-Share AFN items, when your library has an UNSTAFFED (no Voyager) Location or Mail location.

In the directions below:

• "YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION" represents the primary Circ Happening Location you use to process circulation transactions in Voyager.
• "ANOTHER STAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION" represents another Circ Happening Location at your library, where library staff process circulation transactions in Voyager.
• "UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION" means either an unstaffed library branch location (where there are no staff who use Voyager), such as a satellite campus; a Campus Mail pick-up location; or a Postal Mail pick-up location.

CARLI generates "Item Available" notices twice per day- during the noon hour (noon-1pm) and overnight (1-3am).

• The notices are generated for eligible patrons, for items that currently have an "On Hold" status applied, for which an Item Available Notice has not yet been generated.
• To prevent sending "Item Available" notices for materials being mailed/delivered to UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, finish processing material (have it charged to the patron's account) before the next notice jobs run.
  • If processing in the morning (before noon), complete steps 6-9 under Processing Local Call Slips, and steps 4-7 under Processing Incoming I-Share (UB) Items before noon.
  • If processing in the afternoon (after 1pm), complete steps 6-9 under Processing Local Call Slips, and steps 4-7 under Processing Incoming I-Share (UB) Items before midnight.
  • Do not complete steps 6-9 under Processing Local Call Slips, and steps 4-7 under Processing Incoming I-Share (UB) Items during the noon hour (noon-1pm).

(posted 8/3/2015, updated 8/12/2016)

Processing Local Call Slips:

1. Follow the usual directions for processing call slips through Section C, Step 6.
2. When you fill a call slip in the Call Slip Client and notice that no routing slip prints, you should set the item aside.
   • When no routing slip prints, the call slip is a local call slip. It will be easiest to finish processing all local call slips at one time.
      
3. When you are ready to finish processing local call slips, open the Circulation client for YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION.
4. Discharge all items for which the call slip client generated no routing slip.
5. Either a Hold Slip, a Route Slip for ANOTHER STAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, or a Route Slip for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION should print from the Circulation client, for each item.
   • If a Hold Slip prints, this item needs to be placed on the Hold Shelf at the YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION. The patron will come in to pick the item up. You will charge the item to the patron at that time.
   • If a Route Slip prints for ANOTHER STAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, route the item to that STAFFED location for additional processing by those library staff.
   • If a Route Slip prints for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, set the item aside until you've finished discharging all local call slip items.
      
6. When you are ready to finish processing items going to the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, open the Circulation client for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION.
7. Discharge all items for which there was a Route Slip to the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION.
8. A Hold Slip should print when you discharge each item.
9. Use the information from each Hold Slip to look up the patron record, then charge each item to the appropriate patron's account.
10. Deliver charged items to the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, or pack them up for mailing.
     
11. When patrons return items via the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, you can discharge them from the patron's account at YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION. This prevents the need for additional routing before you reshelve the items.

Processing Incoming I-Share (UB) Items:

1. When you are ready to process incoming I-Share materials, open the Circulation client for YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION.
2. Discharge all incoming I-Share items.
3. Either a Hold Slip, a Route Slip for ANOTHER STAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, or a Route Slip for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION should print from the Circulation client, for each item.
   • If a Hold Slip prints, this item needs to be placed on the Hold Shelf at YOUR LIBRARY HAPPENING LOCATION. The patron will come in to pick the item up. You will charge the item to the patron at that time.
   • If a Route Slip prints for ANOTHER STAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, route the item to that STAFFED location for additional processing by those library staff.
   • If a Route Slip prints for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, set the item aside until you've finished discharging all incoming I-Share items.
      
4. When you are ready to continue the process for items going to the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, open the Circulation client for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION.
5. Discharge all items for which there was a Route Slip for the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION.
6. A Hold Slip should print when you discharge the item.
7. Use the information from the Hold Slip to look up the patron record, charge the item to the patron's account.
8. Deliver the item to the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, or pack it up for mailing.
    
9. When patrons return items via the UNSTAFFED HAPPENING LOCATION, you can discharge them from the patron's account using any of your library’s circ Happening Locations. A Route Slip should print, prompting you to send the item back to its home library.