In ILLiad, flags are used as a way of grouping items or directing attention to items without the patron’s knowledge. We use a variety of flags to keep track of various things.
Check Daily
This flag is used to remind a borrower to look at an item or group of items every day. These items can be in any status and could have different needs.
Examples of use:
- A patron claimed they returned the item at a branch location but it is still checked out to them. Checking daily will allow a borrower to know if/when the item is returned and will remind them to take action if it does not appear in a reasonable amount of time.
- A physical item is sent to us from two different schools, rather than mess with OCLC status nonsense, the second book to come in is placed on a shelf to be returned when the other one is returned by the patron. This status will remind the borrower to pull the second copy off their shelf and return it when the time comes.
Waiting on Response from Reference
This flag is used when a reference librarian is sent a purchase request for an item and indicates that no action should be taken unless (a) the subject librarian responds with the preferred action or (b) the librarian does not respond in a reasonable amount of time.
Need help finding
This flag is used to notify the Resource Sharing Librarian that a request is waiting for their attention, as the borrower cannot locate the item. Notes can (and should) be put into the request to make the librarian aware of what has happened with the request.
Examples of use:
- An item may need to be purchased, but the borrower is unsure if the item would be freely available elsewhere. The resource sharing librarian would need to make the call.
- An item is not available through lending libraries in ILLiad (that the borrower can find). The resource sharing librarian may know of another way to acquire the item.
Awaiting Purchase
This flag is used to signify that a request needs to be purchased and then given to the borrower for addition to the hard drive. Notes can be used to communicate who should do the purchasing or where the item should be purchased.
On Order
This flag is used when an item is purchased through a channel outside OCLC. The item should be routed to “Request Sent” and the System ID should be set to “OTH.” When the item arrives at the resource sharing office, the borrower can check these flagged requests to find the transaction number needed to check the item in from the lending library so it can be delivered to the patron.
Waiting on Response from Patron
This flag is used when a patron has been contacted by the resource sharing office about a request, and their response is necessary for an action to occur. When a patron responds, the group of items with this flags can be checked to see which one needs action.
Examples of use:
- A patron has been emailed about having an item mailed to their address. Before an item can be mailed, they need to respond accepting the conditions of mailing and providing their mailing address for the item.
- A patron has specified they will not accept an item in any language other than English, but the only copies available through Interlibrary Loan are non-English. Before ordering the non-English item, the borrower has emailed the patron to see if they still want the item. When the patron responds, it will determine whether or not the borrower will order the item.
OCLC Special Message: Overdue
This flag automatically appears in ILLiad when OCLC flags an item as overdue. This flag will not appear until an item is 14 or more days overdue from the date the lending institution set as the due date. When the item has been returned, the flag will disappear.
OCLC Special Message: Received?
This flag automatically appears in ILLiad when the lending instution has not gotten the notification that we have received an item they shipped. From here, the borrower should respond accordingly.