AGENDA:

Minutes - Circulation Support Group (CSG) minutes will be posted for comment after each meeting. No comment will imply approval/agreement. Final version of the minutes will be posted to the CSG Web page.

Claims Returned and "No, I didn't take this book out" procedures - Chris Killheffer distributed copies of a procedure and a form email used by Access Services when a patron claims she/he never checked out a book. The following points were discussed:

· The procedure will be implemented in each circulation unit, not centrally, because units know their own patrons.
· Patron response to the email will become part of the permanent record. The email message will be revised to make it clear that normal fees and fines will be reinstated if the patron does not respond.
· Chris will distribute the revised email stationery and standard language for the note in the Hold comment field.
· SML Privileges Office will create the necessary departmental pseudo-patron for each unit. Pseudo-patron is used so that it is possible to get a "has list." The pseudo-patron record will include the name/address of the CSG member or designee.
· When placing the hold, set expire date to +5 years.
· It is possible for patrons to "recall" books charged to a pseudo-patron; staff who get the pseudo-patrons' notices must be prepared to respond appropriately since these books are not available for use.
· The previously distributed draft "Claims Returned" procedure will be brought to the next meeting for further review.

Unreturned books project update - Amanda Patrick provided a handout with current statistics on the Unreturned Book Project. Chris Killheffer reported that some books from the lists are being found on the shelf, but overall the "find" rate is fairly low. Amanda has received some of the Jan02-Jan03 lists for which searching has been completed and would like to have all lists by Friday, 25 April 2003. She will try to provide some student assistance to any unit needing help with the searching. The longer lists from the non-bursar file will be distributed for searching in the near future.

Enum-Chron fields - The group reviewed the guidelines for creating item records for serials that were distributed last week by Joan Swanekamp. The guidelines can be found at http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/Orbis2Manual/enumchron.htm

The following points were made during the discussion:
· A primary motivation for the guidelines is to address problems with spine label generation using Voyager.
· The example in the guidelines is not very illustrative of more complex enumeration and chronology seen with various serial publications.
· The guidelines contradict procedures currently under development and in use for preparing serials to be transferred to LSF.
· Most (all?) circulation and ILL units create item records, but practices vary with regard to the inclusion/omission of captions, use of physical vs. bibliographic designation, and other details.
· Circulation staff is encouraged to attend the training session(s) scheduled for next week. We will have more discussion on this topic at the next CSG meeting.

Problem patrons - Sue Crockford-Peters reported on a recent "problem patron" situation to illustrate why staff must pay attention to patron blocks in Orbis. She stressed that staff must not override a patron block without reviewing all notes and other information in the record and, as a courtesy, contacting other staff that placed the block(s).

Card swipes at the circ desk - Audrey Novak reviewed problems with the wands currently in use, i.e., the wands frequently fail to read the entire barcode when an item record is created or a book is charged/discharged. The library has been testing several replacement models that read the barcodes with much greater consistency, but does not have the funds to replace all current wands at once. As a result, initial distribution of approximately 60 scanners will be selective. There is a less expensive model that can be used in technical services units, but circulation desks must use a card-swipe model that will work with the black-on-black patron barcodes as well as the barcodes on library materials. Audrey believes it is especially important to put the more reliable scanners in units that create the greatest number of item records (i.e., technical service units) and in circulation units dedicated to discharging materials.

CSG website - Deferred to next meeting

Call slip patch - The call slip patch makes it possible for a patron to request a book through the Web OPAC, even if the Orbis record does not have an item record attached to the MARC Format for Holdings Data (MFHD). This functionality, supposedly available in Voyager, currently does not work.

Other points made during the discussion led by Audrey Novak and Shawn Steidinger:
· Even with the patch, it still is not possible to place a call slip through staff Voyager if the Orbis record has a MHFD with no item records attached.
· The patch will look at call slip rules first and will not send request to a library that does not have those rules in effect.
· To use the patch, we will have to download a new call slip daemon.
· Multiple locations/no item records - The request is routed to the first MFHD location listed. [NOTE: This is a concern for libraries with paging services.]
· Multiple locations/one with item record - The request goes to the location with item record, which is the way the current call slip request function works.

John Gallagher stated that the patch would improve service, even though some problems may occur, since patrons will be able to request materials that cannot be requested at the present time. Susan Burdick mentioned that the patch would reduce the number of email messages processed by call slip units. Audrey suggested that we install the patch now and report ensuing problems in order to influence future Voyager development. Sue Crockford-Peters suggested, to general agreement, that the implementation be delayed until mid-May, after classes and exams are finished. Audrey said that timeframe would work very well for her department. In the meantime, Dana Peterman, Jeanette Murdock, and Matthew Glickman will test the patch in the training database on Magellan and report on the results at the next CSG meeting.

CSG minutes 04/22/03:clj
04/23/03; final rev. 05/12/03