IntraSystem Loan (ISL) Committee Meeting

Minutes, February 16, 1:00pm

Present: DeeDee Acosta (UH Manoa, Chair), Hilda Baroza (JABSOM), Swee Berkey (UH Law), Michael Gmelin (Kauai CC), Joy Graham (JABSOM), Hasegawa (UH West Oahu), Steven Kaheiki (UH Hilo), Trudy Miyaji (Windward CC), Steph Nelson (Kapiolani CC), Teresa Valdez (Maui CC)

1. Additions to agenda

A. Pick up location

Although the ISL Policy does not specifically state that the pick up location for requested items must be the same library from where the request originated, the ISL Procedures instruct libraries to select their own library when using the pickup location drop-down box on the Voyager ISL request forms. The official policy may need to be revised at some future date to reflect this reality.

There is a problem, though for libraries that have chosen to create request forms for their own patrons’ use. Some patrons have been selected another pickup location instead of their home campus. This is why the request form label had read “Do Not Use.” The label has been recently changed to read “Pickup at”. Steph has volunteered to contact Systems and have the label changed back. She will also inquire as to some of the other labels for the form (see below) while she drafts new forms to be loaded in the Voyager shared test interface.

B. Postage costs

Michael reminded DeeDee that an examination of the postage charges between Kauai and UH Manoa was to occur since the last meeting. DeeDee reported that she simply forgot about it! DeeDee will not forget this time, and additionally will look at postage costs between all campuses. A desirable outcome would be for the shipping charges to be absorbed by each campus, but given recent budgetary constraints (at least at UH Manoa), DeeDee isn’t hopeful that a proposal along these lines would be favorably received.

2. Announcements

A. The project to convert JABSOM students, faculty and staff patron type from Ouz to OUM has been put on hold.

B. The Ouz Affiliate patron type has been added to all of the libraries’ circulation matrices so that system-wide the proper due date is displayed.

3. Discussion items

A. Redesign of Voyager OPAC forms (ISL request forms)

The Voyager ISL forms have always left a lot to be desired. However, since these forms were intended for communication between libraries, the fact that there is a limit to the number of characters in the instructions area has not proved to be much of a problem. ISL staff has referred to the official procedures. It was decided to streamline these instructions regardless and DeeDee will do this.

The problem, though, as noted above, is that some libraries (like Manoa, Hilo, and Kapiolani) also use the forms for their own patrons to make requests. The Comments area of the form is no longer labeled “Comments”, but instead cryptically “(30 char max)”. Steph has volunteered to look into getting this label changed to read “Comments”. [After the meeting, Steven also noticed that the forms do not transfer the location in their full text form, e.g. “UH Manoa: Hamilton Juvenile” becomes “OuzHJuv”. Mel Yee thinks that the location text was shortened sometime in 2004. DeeDee will ask Systems why this change was made and if it can be changed back.]

The discussion then evolved into one about true patron-initiated ISL service. DeeDee believes that there may be a solution using the call slip function, and it may be that some non-UH Voyager libraries are doing this. Steph brought a screen print from the Seattle Public Library that appears to be a call slip. Call slips place holds at the item level, which could be a workaround to the fact that Voyager does not allow item-level holds via the Request function of WebVoyage. Steph will contact Seattle and will work with DeeDee and Systems to see if at some future date ISL could truly be patron-initiated without mediation.