Lending Workflow Overview
Welcome to the giving side of interlibrary loan! While borrowing focuses on getting materials for your patrons, lending flips the script—you're now the hero supplying materials to researchers at other institutions. This guide introduces you to the lending workflow, where your library's collection becomes a resource for the wider academic community.
Understanding Your Role as a Lender
When you work in lending, you're essentially running a specialized shipping operation. Other libraries' patrons need materials from your collection, and their requests land in your queue waiting for your expertise. You'll evaluate whether you can supply items, find them in your stacks, prepare them for their journey, and track them until they safely return home.
Think of lending as the cornerstone of reciprocal resource sharing. Today you send a book to Harvard; tomorrow they might send you that rare journal your researcher desperately needs. These relationships, built one successful transaction at a time, create the network that makes modern research possible.
The Journey of a Lending Request
Every lending request follows a predictable path through your workflow:
Request Arrival marks the beginning when another library asks for materials. These requests arrive through various channels—OCLC, RAPID, or direct submissions—all landing in your queue for evaluation.
Evaluation is where you determine if you can help. Can you find the item? Is it available to lend? Does your policy allow it? Quick decisions here keep the workflow moving.
Stacks Searching transforms digital requests into physical retrieval. Armed with call numbers and titles, you or your staff venture into the collection to locate requested materials.
Processing prepares items for their journey. Books need secure packaging and return labels. Articles need scanning and quality checking. Each format has its own requirements.
Delivery sends materials on their way, whether that's dropping packages at the mailroom or uploading scans to delivery platforms. Tracking ensures everyone knows where items are.
Completion closes the loop when materials return home (or when electronic deliveries are confirmed). Returns get checked in, conditions assessed, and the cycle begins anew.
What Makes a Good Lending Partner
Excellence in lending isn't just about finding books—it's about building trust. Good lending partners respond promptly to requests (ideally within 24-48 hours), provide accurate information about item availability and condition, package materials securely to prevent damage, track shipments carefully with proper documentation, and process returns efficiently to maintain good relationships.
While the web client excels at processing lending requests, receiving new OCLC and ISO protocol requests still requires the Windows client. Think of it as a partnership—the Windows client catches incoming requests, and the web client handles everything else. Your workflow might start with a morning import session before switching to web-based processing.
Navigating the Lending Landscape
The lending module organizes your work into logical sections, each focusing on a specific aspect of the workflow.
Your Main Work Areas
Access lending through the sidebar navigation, where you'll find several key sections:
Lending Queues show requests organized by their current status, giving you an at-a-glance view of your workload. Stacks Searching focuses specifically on items waiting to be retrieved from your collection. Shipping Labels helps you process outgoing items efficiently. And Lending Search lets you quickly find specific requests when borrowers call with questions.
Understanding Queue Organization
The lending workflow uses queues to organize requests by their current status, creating a natural workflow progression:
Processing Queues hold items needing decisions or actions. "Awaiting Lending Request Processing" contains new requests requiring your evaluation. "Awaiting Stacks Searching" shows approved requests ready for retrieval. "Awaiting Shipping Label Printing" holds items packed and ready to go.
Status Queues track items in motion. "In Stacks Searching" indicates someone's actively looking for materials. "In Transit to Borrower" shows shipped items winging their way to researchers. "Item Shipped" provides that satisfying view of completed work.
How Lending Differs from Borrowing
If you're familiar with borrowing workflows, lending requires a perspective shift. Instead of advocating for your patrons' needs, you're now evaluating whether you can meet other libraries' needs.
The Reversed Perspective
In lending, you're the supplier evaluating requests against your collection and policies. Your focus shifts to managing outgoing materials rather than tracking incoming ones. You're concerned with getting items back in good condition rather than returning them on time.
Additional Considerations Unique to Lending
Lending brings responsibilities that borrowing doesn't. You'll need to establish and enforce loan period policies that balance access with local needs. Renewal permissions require careful consideration—will your patrons need the item back? Use restrictions like "library use only" protect fragile materials while still providing access. And sadly, you'll occasionally need to determine replacement costs when items don't return or come back damaged.
Service Standards Matter More
When you're lending, service standards directly impact your library's reputation in the resource sharing community. Quick response times show respect for researchers' deadlines. High fill rates demonstrate a commitment to access. Accurate condition reporting builds trust. Professional packaging prevents damage claims. These standards create the reputation that encourages other libraries to say "yes" when you need to borrow.
Excellent lending service creates goodwill that pays dividends. Libraries remember who helped them in a pinch. Those relationships matter when you desperately need something for your own patron. Think of every lending transaction as an investment in future borrowing success.
Core Features That Power Lending
The web client provides specialized tools that streamline every aspect of lending operations.
Smart Request Evaluation
Making quick, accurate decisions about lending requests requires good information. Real-time availability checking integrates with your catalog to show current status. Policy verification tools apply your loan rules consistently. Condition assessment features help document existing damage before sending items out. Alternative edition matching suggests options when exact editions aren't available.
Batch Processing for Efficiency
When requests pile up, batch processing keeps you moving. Bulk approvals let you handle similar requests together—all those standard book loans can be approved in one click. Group printing creates organized stacks lists and shipping labels. Mass status updates move multiple items through the workflow simultaneously. Consolidated shipping groups items going to the same borrower, saving packaging and postage.
Communication Throughout the Process
Clear communication prevents problems and builds relationships. Conditional messages explain restrictions clearly ("Library use only due to fragile binding"). Shipping notifications keep borrowers informed about tracking numbers and expected arrival. Problem alerts maintain transparency when issues arise. Renewal responses deliver decisions promptly with clear explanations.
Common Scenarios You'll Master
Understanding typical lending situations helps you develop efficient routines.
The Standard Book Loan
This bread-and-butter request follows a predictable pattern. You receive a request for a monograph, check your catalog to confirm availability, approve the request and send it for retrieval, package it securely with a return label, ship it with tracking, and monitor until it returns home safely. Most lending follows this straightforward path.
Article and Chapter Requests
Electronic delivery has transformed how we handle article requests. Instead of shipping physical journals, you locate the source material, scan the requested pages (staying within copyright guidelines), deliver files electronically through Odyssey or Article Exchange, and update the request as supplied. It's faster, cheaper, and researchers get materials in hours instead of days.
Conditional Supplies
Sometimes you can supply items, but with strings attached. In-library use restrictions protect fragile materials. No-renewal policies ensure items return for waiting patrons. Faculty or graduate-only permissions maintain collection access hierarchies. Special handling requirements communicate unique needs. Clear communication about these conditions prevents misunderstandings.
The "Unable to Supply" Reality
Not every request can be filled, and professional denials maintain good relationships. Common reasons include items being checked out long-term, materials not actually in your collection (despite what WorldCat says), items too fragile or valuable to risk shipping, or policy restrictions that prohibit lending certain materials. A good denial includes helpful information, like when an item might become available or suggesting alternative editions you could supply.
Mobile Magic in Lending
The lending workflow truly shines on mobile devices, transforming traditionally desk-bound processes into flexible, efficient operations.
Stacks Searching Goes Mobile
Tablets revolutionize the retrieval process. View pull lists without printing a single slip. Update found/not found statuses immediately from the stacks. Scan barcodes to verify you've grabbed the right edition. Route items to the next queue without returning to your desk. This real-time processing eliminates paper and reduces errors.
Shipping Stations Anywhere
Process shipping from wherever makes sense—the mailroom, the stacks, or a central processing area. Generate labels from any network printer. Update tracking information as packages leave your hands. Document any shipping issues immediately. Mobile shipping means less walking and more doing.
Every lending screen adapts seamlessly between desktop and mobile views. Start processing on your desktop, continue on a tablet in the stacks, and finish on your phone while walking to the mailroom. The interface adjusts automatically, maintaining functionality regardless of screen size.
How Lending Connects to Everything
Lending doesn't operate in isolation—it integrates with other library systems to create smooth workflows.
The Circulation Connection
Your ILS and ILLiad work together throughout lending. Real-time availability checking prevents approving requests for items already checked out. Hold placement ensures items return when needed. Recall functionality gets materials back for urgent local needs. Due date tracking helps manage renewal requests. This integration means you're always working with current information.
Document Delivery Overlap
If you handle both lending and document delivery, you'll notice significant overlap. Scanning workflows are nearly identical whether fulfilling local or remote requests. Delivery methods (Odyssey, Article Exchange) serve both services. Statistics often combine to show total fulfillment numbers. Unified processes mean skills transfer seamlessly between services.
Billing Integration
The financial side of lending requires careful tracking. Invoice borrowing libraries for lost or damaged items. Track lending income to demonstrate value. Manage overdue fees when appropriate. Process damage charges with proper documentation. Good financial tracking protects your collection investment.
Permission Levels and Access
ILLiad's permission system lets you match access to responsibilities, ensuring staff have the tools they need without overwhelming them.
Full Lending Access
Senior staff typically receive comprehensive permissions to process all request types, make approval and denial decisions, manage billing and invoicing, handle exceptions and special cases, and access all reporting features. This level suits supervisors and experienced staff who handle complex situations.
Limited Lending Access
Many staff work effectively with restricted permissions that let them view all requests, process specific queues (like shipping), update basic statuses, but prevent them from denying requests or accessing billing. This level works well for student workers or part-time staff.
Searching Only Access
Stack searchers need minimal permissions—just enough to pull items from stacks, update found/not found statuses, add notes about condition, and perform basic processing. They don't need approval authority or access to sensitive information.
Measuring and Maintaining Excellence
Good metrics help you improve service and demonstrate value to administration.
Key Performance Indicators
Track metrics that matter. Fill rate percentage shows how often you can supply requested items. Average response time measures how quickly you process new requests. Turnaround speed tracks total time from receipt to shipping. Borrower satisfaction (through feedback or repeat requests) indicates service quality.
Best Practices for Daily Success
Consistency creates excellence. Respond to new requests within 24-48 hours—speed matters. Package items like you'd want to receive them—secure and protected. Communicate clearly at every step, avoiding library jargon. Document everything unusual for future reference. Follow up on problems until they're resolved. These practices build the reputation that makes your library a preferred lending partner.
Building Strong Partnerships
Resource sharing succeeds through relationships. Honor reciprocal agreements by lending to libraries that lend to you. Provide accurate information even when it's disappointing. Show flexibility when possible—that rush request might support crucial research. Maintain professionalism even with difficult partners. Today's problem might be tomorrow's opportunity.
Starting Your Lending Journey
Ready to dive into lending? These guides will walk you through each step:
- Processing Lending Requests - Learn to evaluate requests and make smart supply decisions
- Updating Stacks Search - Master the art of finding and retrieving requested items
- Managing Shipments - Package and send materials like a professional
- Secondary Processing - Handle renewals, recalls, and special situations
Before processing your first request, review your library's lending policies. Understanding what you can and cannot lend, standard loan periods, and special restrictions helps you make consistent decisions that align with institutional goals.
Creating Efficient Daily Workflows
Success in lending comes from establishing sustainable routines that keep requests moving smoothly.
Morning Momentum
Start each day by checking new requests that arrived overnight. Print stacks searching lists (or load them on tablets) organized by location. Process straightforward approvals and denials to clear your queue. This morning routine sets a productive tone for the day.
Continuous Flow
Throughout the day, maintain steady progress. Update search results as items are found or not found. Prepare shipments as materials arrive from the stacks. Monitor returns and process them promptly. Address problems as they arise rather than letting them accumulate.
End-of-Day Excellence
Close each day by shipping all prepared items—researchers are waiting. Update tracking information while it's fresh. Clear any remaining routine requests. Set up tomorrow's success by organizing what needs attention. This closure routine ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Managing Peak Periods
Certain times bring lending surges. Beginning of semester sees increased research activity. Pre-break periods rush to get materials before closures. Grant deadlines drive urgent requests. Summer sessions might bring unusual patterns. Prepare for these peaks with extra staffing or adjusted routines.
Navigating Common Challenges
Every lending operation faces similar challenges. Here's how to handle them professionally.
High-Demand Items
Popular materials require careful management. Clear loan policies prevent confusion about who can borrow what. Fair distribution ensures multiple libraries get access. Renewal limits prevent indefinite loans. Alternative options like electronic copies can satisfy multiple requests simultaneously.
Problem Requests
Some requests challenge standard workflows. Vague citations require detective work to identify exact items. Rush demands need evaluation—is it truly urgent? Special formats might need custom packaging. Damage concerns require careful documentation and communication.
System Limitations
Technology isn't perfect, but workarounds exist. Manual OCLC updates might be needed when automation fails. ISO message handling sometimes requires Windows client intervention. Complex billing might need creative documentation. Custom policies might require manual enforcement. Understanding these limitations helps you work efficiently despite them.
Your Next Steps
Continue building your lending expertise with these resources:
- Processing Lending Requests - Your next stop for hands-on processing guidance
- Search Functionality - Master finding specific requests quickly
- Print Management - Configure labels and slips for efficiency
Remember, lending is more than moving books—it's about connecting researchers with knowledge. Every request you fill enables discovery somewhere in the world. Your professional handling of these materials makes the global research community possible.
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