ILL Item Tracking
Keeping track of your checked-out ILL materials is one of the most important responsibilities in interlibrary loan. When done well, it ensures items get back on time, saves your patrons from fines, and most importantly, maintains those crucial relationships with your lending partners. Let's explore how to make item tracking work smoothly for you and your team.
Why ILL Tracking Matters
Managing ILL items requires extra attention compared to your regular collection. These materials come with shorter loan periods that vary by lender, strict renewal limitations (if renewals are allowed at all), and special handling requirements. The stakes are higher too - while an overdue book from your own collection might result in a fine, an overdue ILL item can damage your library's borrowing privileges with that lender, potentially affecting all your patrons' future requests.
Think of it this way: every ILL item you receive is a favor from another library. Returning it late is like borrowing your neighbor's lawnmower and keeping it for three extra weeks - they might not be so willing to lend next time.
When ILL items go overdue, lending libraries may suspend your borrowing privileges. This means all your patrons lose access to that library's materials until the situation is resolved. One overdue item can impact hundreds of potential future requests.
Finding Your Tracking Tools
You have several ways to access your item tracking information, depending on what works best for your workflow. From the Circulation menu, click on "Checked Out Items" to see everything currently out to patrons. If you prefer using the search function, you can filter by the status "Checked Out to Customer" and sort by due date to see what needs attention first. The Reports section also offers circulation reports that you can export for deeper analysis or record-keeping.
Once you're in the tracking view, you can customize it to match your needs. Sort by due date to tackle the most urgent items first, filter by specific patrons if someone asks about their items, group by lender to see patterns in your borrowing, or show only overdue items when you need to focus on problem cases.
Understanding the Tracking Display
The tracking grid gives you all the essential information at a glance. You'll see the item title, patron name, due date, how many days it's been out, and which library lent it to you. Additional details like the checkout date, renewal status, transaction number, any special conditions, and patron contact information are also readily available when you need them.
The system uses color coding to help you prioritize your work. Red highlights indicate overdue items that need immediate attention. Yellow warnings appear for items due within the next three days, giving you time to send reminders. Green shows current items that aren't urgent. Special flag icons alert you to any unusual conditions or restrictions on specific items.
When you're using a tablet or phone, the tracking interface automatically adapts to a card-based view. Each item appears as a card with the most important information visible, and you can tap for more details or quick actions.
Staying Ahead with Proactive Management
Building a Daily Routine
The most successful ILL departments have developed consistent daily routines for tracking. Start your morning by checking for any items that went overdue overnight - these need immediate attention. Look at what's due today and plan your communications accordingly. Review items due in the next three days to send friendly reminders and check if any patrons have requested renewals.
At the end of each day, do a final check for any items that might have slipped through. Update your communication logs so colleagues know what's been handled, and prepare your priority list for the next morning. This routine takes just a few minutes but prevents most overdue situations.
Communicating with Patrons
Timely, friendly communication is your best tool for preventing overdues. Send a courtesy reminder three days before items are due - this gives patrons time to finish reading and plan their return. Follow up the day before the due date with a gentle reminder. On the due date itself, send a morning notice as a final prompt. If an item does go overdue, send an immediate notice explaining the importance of returning ILL materials promptly.
Most libraries rely primarily on email for these communications, but don't hesitate to use other methods when appropriate. Text messages work well for urgent reminders, phone calls can resolve confusion quickly, and in-person reminders when patrons visit the library often get immediate results.
When crafting your messages, always include the specific item title, the exact due date (not "in 3 days" but "Tuesday, March 15"), clear return location instructions, information about renewal possibilities (or lack thereof), and how to contact you with questions. Keep the tone friendly but clear about deadlines.
When Items Go Overdue
Despite your best efforts, sometimes items will go overdue. Having a clear escalation process helps you handle these situations professionally and effectively.
The First Week
On the first day an item is overdue, send an email notice immediately. Check the patron's account status - are they still enrolled? Have they responded to previous notices? Make a note in the system about sending this first overdue notice.
By day three, if you haven't heard back, it's time for a second notice with more urgent language. Try calling the patron - sometimes emails get lost or ignored, but a friendly phone call often resolves the issue quickly. Emphasize that this is an ILL item with special return requirements.
After a week, involve your supervisor and send what's essentially a final notice. At this point, you need to consider whether the lending library should be notified, especially if they have strict policies about overdue materials.
Escalating the Situation
When initial contact attempts fail, you'll need to take progressive action. Start with multiple contact attempts using different methods - email, phone, text if available. Document every attempt in the system, including the date, time, method, and result. This documentation protects both you and your library if questions arise later.
If communication fails, you may need to place blocks on the patron's account, preventing new requests until the item is returned. In severe cases, you might need to suspend all ILL privileges temporarily. Hold any pending requests rather than canceling them if possible - most patrons will return items once they realize their privileges are affected.
For items that appear truly lost, you'll eventually need to declare them as such, process billing for replacement costs, and most importantly, notify the lending library. Being proactive and honest with lenders about lost items maintains the trust necessary for future borrowing.
Never wait until a lender contacts you about an overdue item. Reach out proactively when items are significantly overdue (usually 2-3 weeks). Most lenders appreciate the transparency and will work with you on resolution.
Handling Special Situations
Faculty and Research Loans
Faculty loans often come with their own set of challenges and privileges. Many institutions allow extended loan periods for faculty research, sometimes lasting an entire semester. While these longer loans support important research, they still need careful tracking to ensure materials return to their home libraries.
Create a separate filtered view just for faculty loans so you can monitor them appropriately. Set calendar reminders well in advance of due dates - faculty members appreciate early notice to plan around their research schedules. Personal contact often works better than automated emails for faculty. A quick phone call or in-person visit to their office can be more effective than multiple email reminders. Be prepared to be flexible with deadlines when possible, but always within the lending library's policies.
Managing Recalled Items
Recalls require immediate action and careful handling. When a lender recalls an item, flag it prominently in your system right away. Contact the patron urgently through multiple channels - email, phone, and text if available. Set a firm return deadline (usually 7-10 days) and explain that this is non-negotiable.
These items need daily monitoring. Don't wait for the patron to respond - be proactive with multiple contact attempts. If the initial deadline passes, escalate immediately to supervisors and consider more serious actions like account blocks. Document every step of the process carefully, recording all contact attempts, patron responses (or lack thereof), and actions taken. This documentation is crucial if the situation deteriorates.
Dealing with Lost Items
When a patron reports an item as lost, or you suspect an item is missing, start with a systematic approach. First, have the patron thoroughly search their usual places - home, office, car, anywhere they typically read or work. Give them a reasonable timeframe (usually 1-2 weeks) for this search, but set a firm deadline.
Meanwhile, conduct your own search. Check the shelves in case it was returned but not properly checked in. Look in your lost and found, book drops, and any holding areas. Sometimes items are mis-shelved or left in processing areas.
If searches prove fruitless, you'll need to formally declare the item lost. Set a final deadline for the patron search, then process the lost item according to your policies. This usually involves billing for replacement costs and notifying the lending library promptly. Most lenders prefer honesty about lost items over silence, and many will work with you on replacement options.
Tracking on the Move
The mobile interface makes it easy to stay on top of your ILL tracking even when you're away from your desk. Whether you're working from home, attending a meeting, or helping at a service point, you can check item statuses, look up specific patrons, send quick communications, and see real-time updates as items are returned.
The touch interface is designed for efficiency. Tap any item to see full details, use the search function to quickly find specific patrons or items, and refresh your view with a simple pull-down gesture. The mobile view prioritizes the most important information while keeping all functionality accessible.
From your mobile device, you can send reminder emails using templates, make phone calls directly from patron records, log all your communication attempts, and update item statuses as situations change. This flexibility means urgent situations don't have to wait until you're back at your desk.
Making Data Work for You
Running Reports
The system offers several standard reports that help you understand your circulation patterns. Generate daily overdue lists to start each morning, weekly due date reports to plan ahead, monthly statistics for reporting to administration, patron summaries to identify frequent users or problem accounts, and lender analysis to see which libraries you're borrowing from most.
Creating Custom Views
Beyond standard reports, you can create custom tracking lists tailored to your specific needs. Set up a view for patrons who frequently have overdue items, track materials from specific lenders with strict policies, focus on particular date ranges during busy periods, monitor certain item types that need special handling, or watch for items with specific conditions or restrictions.
Exporting Your Data
Sometimes you need to work with tracking data outside the system. Export to Excel for detailed analysis and charts, create CSV files for importing into other systems, generate PDF reports for meetings and documentation, or pull email lists for batch communications. The flexibility to export means you can use your tracking data however works best for your workflow.
Set up daily overdue reports to email automatically each morning. This ensures you never miss an overdue item and starts your day with clear priorities.
Best Practices for Success
Preventing Problems Before They Start
The best overdue is the one that never happens. Focus on clear communication from the moment patrons pick up their items. Emphasize that ILL due dates are firm and explain how they differ from regular library materials. Make sure patrons know exactly when items are due and how to return them.
Don't wait until items are overdue to communicate. Those pre-due notices really work! Offer help with renewal requests before items come due, and address any concerns or confusion immediately. The easier you make returns, the more likely items come back on time - so ensure you have multiple drop points, clear signage, 24-hour book drops, and convenient service hours.
Streamlining Your Workflow
Make your tracking process as efficient as possible. Save your most common searches (like "all items due this week" or "faculty loans due this month") for quick access. Create email templates for different reminder stages so you're not rewriting the same messages daily. Set up automatic reminders where your system allows, and batch similar tasks together - like sending all your 3-day reminders at once.
Maintaining Positive Relationships
Remember that behind every overdue item is a person who probably didn't intend to keep it late. Stay professional and helpful in all communications. Show understanding when patrons explain their situations. Focus on solutions rather than blame. And always thank patrons who consistently return items on time - positive reinforcement works!
How the System Helps You
What's Automated
The ILLiad system handles many tracking tasks automatically. It updates item statuses as they move through the workflow, calculates due dates based on lending library requirements, generates notices according to your configured schedule, applies blocks when items become overdue (if you've set this up), and maintains a complete history of all actions.
When to Override
Sometimes you'll need to manually override the system's automated features. You might extend a due date for extenuating circumstances, clear blocks to allow a patron to pick up waiting items, waive fines according to your library's policies, or handle special circumstances that don't fit the normal workflow. Always document why you're making these exceptions.
Following the Trail
The system maintains a complete audit trail of all actions. You can see who did what and when, track all communications sent to patrons, review decisions made about specific items, and reconstruct the complete history of any transaction. This audit trail protects both you and your patrons if questions arise later.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
When things don't work as expected, here are the most common issues and their solutions:
Items Missing from Your Tracking List
If items you expect to see aren't showing up, first check your filters - you might have accidentally filtered them out. Verify the item's current status in the full record - it might not actually be in "Checked Out to Customer" status. Try refreshing your browser view, and if that doesn't work, clear your browser cache and reload.
Notices Aren't Sending
When patrons report they're not receiving notices, start by verifying their email address is entered correctly. Ask them to check spam filters - ILL notices sometimes get flagged. Send a test communication to confirm the system is working. If problems persist, contact your IT department to check email server settings.
Due Dates Look Wrong
If a due date doesn't seem right, check the lender's actual terms - they might have changed their loan period. Verify your library's holiday calendar is updated in the system. Review how the system calculated the due date from the checkout date. If necessary, manually adjust the due date and document why.
Quick Fixes to Try First
Before diving deep into troubleshooting, try these quick fixes that solve most problems: refresh your browser (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R), clear any filters you've applied, check that you have the proper permissions for what you're trying to do, and verify your internet connection is stable.
Ready to Learn More?
Now that you've mastered item tracking, expand your circulation skills with these guides:
- Mobile Circulation - Make the most of tablet and phone features
- Search Functionality - Advanced techniques for finding items quickly
- User Management - Deep dive into patron account management
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