The BIG SIX for interlibrary loan:

1. Check your Needs Processing page at least every other day... (details)
    
2. Check your school’s interlibrary loan email at least twice a week... (details)
    
3. Track and submit your interlibrary loan statistics... (details)
    
4. Follow the instructions for requesting interlibrary loans... (details)
    
5. Report problems or questions about interlibrary loan... (details)
    
6. Report delivery issues or problems to OLIS by calling 574-9317... (details)

The details (pdf version with screen shots):

1. Check your Needs Processing page at least every other day, Shipping or Declining each request that is waiting for an answer from your library. This is essential – a request will sit on your Needs Processing page until you do something with it. Please remember that there is someone waiting for each item. If you can’t send it, Decline the request, so that it can move to the next library with an available copy.

2. Check your school’s interlibrary loan email, [your library’s three-letter code]@ride.ri.net (for example: tms@ride.ri.net) at least twice a week. Any questions, issues or information about requests or delivery services will go to this email address. If you don’t have access to this email account through your school email, you may need to log in at www.mail2web.com. If your district blocks this site, you may need to do this from home, or request that your district tech support unblock the site (if possible) for your local network login. If you have forgotten the password for this account, please send an email to rilink@ride.ri.net asking for a new password.

3. Track and submit your interlibrary loan statistics. Remember to print out a tally sheet at the beginning of each month. Keep the tally sheet near the location where you process the incoming and outgoing interlibrary loan items. Make a “tick” for each item as you send or receive it. This year, everyone will be using the short form.

4. Follow the instructions for requesting interlibrary loans. They specify what to do if you can’t find the item in RICAT that your student or teacher needs. For RELAIS, it is essential to enter the name or barcode of the student or teacher requesting the item in the Notes field as you complete each RELAIS request. Placing the request for an item is the only step that requires your use of RELAIS; all of the other steps will be completed in RICAT. The procedures for working with RELAIS interlibrary loan are designed so that you can track, receive, check out, and return items borrowed from other LORI libraries through RICAT. Each title requested through RELAIS will start with the words RELAIS ILL. The barcode number of the item will match the RELAIS request number. The call number of the item will indicate which library is sending the item to your library with its three-letter LORI delivery code. You will use this code as the address when you return it. The requesting student or teacher’s name will also be listed.

If you are having trouble finding a title, or a student or teacher’s name on your Needs Processing page, remember that you can use the [Find on this page] function in your browser to search for a last name or significant word in the title. Using your browser functionality, you can scroll through the Needs Processing page, stopping at each occurrence of the name or word that you entered.

Once you submit a RELAIS request, it will soon appear (this is not automatic and requires action on the part of RILINK staff) on the Needs Processing page for your site as a Pending request. When the item has been sent from another LORI library, the status will change to En Route. You will need to Receive the item on your Needs Processing page when it arrives. It will then be Ready to print a Hold notice and to check out to your patron. When the item is returned to you and checked back in, the Status will change to Returning. When the item gets back to the owning library, the request will be completed, and will no longer appear on you Needs Processing page. Placing the request for an item is the only step that requires your use of RELAIS; all of the other steps will be completed in RICAT.

5. For any problems or questions about interlibrary loan on RICAT, contact Dorothy Frechette (dorothyfe@verizon.net; 728-8568; 573-0927 (cell)). For any questions about RELAIS, please contact Zach Berger (zach.RILINK@gmail.com; 286-9283 (cell).

6. Report any delivery issues, including missed stops, to the OLIS voice mail delivery number at 574-9317.  OLIS staff do not answer this number when you call, but they do check messages throughout the day. Leave a detailed message, indicating your name, your school, the specific nature of the problem or issue, and the best way to contact you for any questions or resolution of the issue.

Please remember that OLIS, not RILINK, runs the delivery system, which serves all types of libraries – public, academic, special, and school – that are members of the statewide interlibrary loan network (LORI).

Statistics

• Interlibrary Loan statistics - September 2010 - June 2011 by library (pdf)
• Interlibrary Loan statistics - 2007 by library (pdf)
• Interlibrary Loan statistics - 2006 by library (pdf)
• Interlibrary Loan 2000-2007 (graph, pdf)

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