Getting Your Books Back

Our next step toward restarting the ILL system is to clear the decks of the stuff that was in process back in March when things shut down.

All the materials in the bins at the NH State Library will be re-sorted for return to their owning libraries (regardless of where it was headed when it went into the bin). Timeline: We will begin returning books to the originating libraries on Monday, August 10, running on the normal van schedule used prior to ILL shutdown. Note that we are not transporting books for loan at this time.  We are only returning books to their owning libraries. (More details about these logistics are at the end of this post.)

These materials were (in most cases) part of a transaction in the NHAIS ILL System and those transactions need to be cleared by the owning library (the lender) so that you will know if you got all your stuff back. These transactions are in a wide variety of statuses at this point so going to the Request Manager and working through the transactions by status will be VERY inefficient. Luckily there is an easy way to clear these transaction in the system, especially if you have a transaction number (what to do if you don't have the number is covered at the end of this post):

1. Log into your account in the NHAIS ILL System and go to the Staff Dashboard screen.
   
   For EACH item returned to you in a 'clear-the-decks' bin (and with a transaction number):
   
   
2.  Under "ILL Admin" in the "Lender" section choose "Request Number Search" and enter the transaction number, then click the "Submit" button.
3. The full record for the transaction will display and toward the top of the screen you will see a box labeled "Status Options." There are numerous statuses that your transaction could be in, but it doesn't matter because your next step is the same regardless: select "Check In" from the status options dropdown list and click the "Submit" button at the top right corner of the window.
   
   
   

Your transactions are now "Complete" and the materials can be returned to your collection (after whatever quarantining protocols your library policies call for).

If you do not have a transaction number for an item that was returned to you you may be able to find the transaction using the "Title Browse" option under "ILL Admin" in the "Lender" section of the Staff Dashboard screen. If you need a review of searching for items check out the video Finding a Particular ILL Request.

If you have a transaction that does not include "Check In" as an option, or run into other difficulties with this process, please call the NHAIS Help Desk at 271-2141 so we can get the problem transaction sorted out.

Here’s how the van delivery piece of this will work: 

1.   We will follow the same ILL delivery schedule that was in place before ILL shut down.  In other words, expect vans on the same day(s) they normally come to your library.

2.  We are NOT transporting books for loan yet.  Right now we are strictly returning books to their originating libraries. 

3.  We anticipate very heavy loads to begin with.  Van drivers will take up to 2 bins worth of material from your library.  However, we do not have enough bins to bring extras for every library.  If you have an extra bin at your library, use that.  If you don’t have an extra bin, we will take books packed in a box (within reason.  No refrigerator boxes, please!)

Some additional points to keep in mind:

·  We will not take overflowing bins (we’ll take the bin, but remove excess materials)

· Packing your bins carefully will maximize the amount of material we can move

· There will be cases when we have to leave some material behind to be picked up at a later date due to unusually heavy volume

 This will take at least two full rounds of deliveries to get all the books back to their owning libraries.  It may take more depending on volume.  We ask that you be patient with us.  We’ll do everything we can to get your books back to you as efficiently as possible.