JCU Library Experience Procedures ALMA: Fulfilment

Note: There are two ways that items become lost. Only items on loan can be changed to Lost status.

1. Manually: This is when patrons advises that an item is lost or damaged, or an item becomes lost.

   • This process is the same for Damaged items.

   • This process is undertaken by Frontline service staff, who mark the item as lost, which will flag it for the Library Experience Librarians. 

2. System generated: This is when an item becomes so overdue that it is automatically marked as Lost.

   • This is generated when an item is 29 days past its due date.

   • This process is undertaken quarterly, and is currently being managed by Library Experience Librarians. 

• Determining replacement costs and adding fees to patron account is the responsibility of the Team Leader or Supervisor (lost fees, including adding fines to patron's accounts, for all campuses are currently being managed by Library Experience Librarian, Townsville - Jodie Shepherd)

Books lost for more than 12 months

On a quarterly basis (March, June, September, December) these books are withdrawn from the collection. Associated fines remain attached to the patron record. This prevents items being checked in and replacement costs being automatically removed.

Report is available in Analytics - Catalogue - Fulfillment - items lost for more than 12 months

Note: Withdrawing the item effectively checks the book in which creates a $25 fine on the patron account in addition to the existing replacement costs - these need to be waived on the day of processing so that an email is not generated for this charge.

Once the patron has paid for the item you will need to follow the withdraw procedure to remove it from their account and the system see: Withdrawing Items below

• Open ALMA
• Location should be [Your campus] – Circulation desk
• Go to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services
• Scan card/Type patron ID (If typing ID, click Go)
• Find the item in the list
• Click the ellipse […] icon and select Lost

• Go back into Patron account - User Details
• Copy the barcode of the lost item
• Go back to user details
• Click on the Fines/Fees tab along the top
• Click on Add Fine or Fee

• Fee Type = Lost replacement fee
• Fee Amount = replacement cost + $25.00
• Item barcode = barcode of the book being billed that you copied
• Add and Close
• Click Save and an email account will generate overnight

• Important - Click Save and an email account will generate & be sent overnight. If you just close account, then the client will not be notified of the charges.
• Important - If account is inactive then change preferred email by clicking Open for Update then editing the non JCU address to show as preferred.

If a lost item is returned Damaged, please discuss with Team Leader before waiving any fines.

As the system does not remove the replacement cost automatically when a lost book returned, the Replacement fines will need to be manually waived. When the book is returned from the patron record it will create the overdue charges.

1. Return the items through the return items screen
2. Go to Fulfilment --> checkin/checkout -->  Manage patron services -->  Scan their library card.
3. Waive the LOST REPLACEMENT fines, do not waive the OVERDUE Fines, using the Waiving fines procedure
4. Assist the client to pay the remain overdue fines, As per Paying fines on ALMA procedure. 
5. Save and close

1. Go to Fulfilment --> checkin/checkout -->  Manage patron services --> Scan their library card.
2. Waive associated overdue fees (if they have generated)
3. Assist the client to pay the remain overdue fines. Paying fines on ALMA
4. Copy the Barcode and click on the Ellipse […] choose Delete the loan (If you return it will mark it as missing)
5. Follow the Withdrawing items procedure to remove the item.
6. ADVISE THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE LIBRARIANS (Currently Jodie Shepherd), if the patrons has a debt collector note on their account

• Run the Lost list (with contact information) Report in ALMA (James Cook University 61ARL_JCU/Reports/Fulfillment)
  • Filter the dates to be the first and last dates of the previous month
  • Select JCUA (JCU Australia)
  • Select Lost item replacement fee
• Export the report to an Excel document.

• Transfer the information into the Lost list.

  • If the account is expired and the email is a staff email account (@jcu.edu.au) change it to their personal account (you will need to “Open for Update”, so it does not get overwritten)  

• Process the pricing:

  • if you cannot find the pricing for an item contact acq@jcu.edu.au via the ticket system to get a price.

  • Fill in each column even if there is no price.

  • Average has a formula (=MEDIAN(U3:X3)) to use all the prices and average it out for the best price

  • Plus $25 will use the results from the previous column and add on the $25 processing charge. THIS IS THE PRICE TO ADD TO THE ALMA ACCOUNT

• Add the fines to the patron account using the Adding the replacement costs procedure.

• Add the date to the “Date fine added to account” column.

• Go back into Patron account - User Details
• Copy the barcode of the lost item
• Go back to user details
• Click on the Fines/Fees tab along the top
• Click on Add Fine or Fee

• Fee Type = Lost replacement fee
• Fee Amount = replacement cost + $25.00
• Item barcode = barcode of the book being billed that you copied
• Add and Close
• Click Save and an email account will generate overnight

• Important - Click Save and an email account will generate & be sent overnight. If you just close account, then the client will not be notified of the charges.
• Important - If account is inactive then change preferred email by clicking Open for Update then editing the non JCU address to show as preferred.

If the fines are not paid/removed by the end of the month it will then be processed through the debt collector procedure. 

If a lost item is returned Damaged, please discuss with Team Leader before waiving any fines.

As the system does not remove the replacement cost automatically when a lost book returned, the Replacement fines will need to be manually waived. When the book is returned from the patron record it will create the overdue charges.

1. Return the items through the return items screen
2. Go to Fulfilment --> checkin/checkout -->  Manage patron services -->  Scan their library card.
3. Waive the LOST REPLACEMENT fines, do not waive the OVERDUE Fines, using the Waiving fines procedure
4. Assist the client to pay the remain overdue fines, As per Paying fines on ALMA procedure. 
5. Save and close

1. Go to Fulfilment --> checkin/checkout -->  Manage patron services --> Scan their library card.
2. Waive associated overdue fees (if they have generated)
3. Assist the client to pay the remain overdue fines. Paying fines on ALMA
4. Copy the Barcode and click on the Ellipse […] choose Delete the loan (If you return it will mark it as missing)
5. Follow the Withdrawing items procedure to remove the item.
6. ADVISE THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE LIBRARIANS (Currently Kait McMahon), if the patrons has a debt collector note on their account

Lost List & Debt Collector

Both the Lost List & the Debt Collector List are run monthly.

Find the replacement cost (refer to Team Leader or Supervisor):

• Search for the item on the catalogue
• Find the ISBN (this will make sure you get the exact edition)
• Go to www.Booktopia.com.au
• Type the ISBN into the search bar and click on the item
• Use the paperback Regular Retail Price (RRP) + $25.00 (this is our internal processing cost)
• Refer any unusual queries about costs to Collections & Discovery staff via a LibAnswers ticket to the Collections queue (i.e. replacement costs)

For items returned damaged

• Go back into Patron account - User Details
• Copy the barcode of the damaged item
• Go back to user details
• Click on the Fines/Fees tab along the top
• Click on Add Fine or Fee (See above on how to find a replacement cost)

• Fee Type = Damaged item fine
• Fee Amount = replacement cost + $25.00
• Item barcode = barcode of the book being billed that you copied
• Comment = e.g. Book returned water damaged
• Add and Close
• Click Save and an email account will generate overnight

Once the patron has paid for the item you will need to follow the withdraw procedure to remove it from their account and the system see: Withdrawing Items

Submitting a "Withdrawn" work order. 

Any staff member with access to TSV Circulation Desk, CNS Circulation Desk, or SIN Circulation Desk can use this procedure to request for items to be withdrawn from Alma.

This is a quick and easy way to place a "request" to the Discovery & Metadata Team for item records to be withdrawn. This process can be followed for a single item, or to process in batches.

After you assign the work order type "Withdrawn":

• Item records are placed into the Requests queue with: Request/Process Type: Withdrawn
• In Alma, item records can still be found.
• In Primo, items display as unavailable and In process of Withdrawn.
• At the end of each quarter, the Discovery & Metadata Team will permanently delete all items with the work order type "Withdrawn" (Stage 2 of the withdrawals procedure).

STEP 1. Apply "Withdrawn" type to item records

1. Make sure you are logged in at TSV Circulation Desk or CNS Circulation Desk or SIN Circulation Desk.
2. Click: Scan In Items
3. Select: Place directly on hold shelf - No
4. Select: Automatically print slip - No
5. Select: Work Order Type - Withdrawn
6. Select: Set Status To - choose one of the following options from the drop down list...

7. Select: Done - No
8. Scan barcode/s.

Step 1.2 (Optional) Add a note to the request

It is not compulsory to add detailed Notes to the work order request. However this is an option if you wish to record extra information, such as lost and paid details.

Notes attached to the "Withdrawn" Work Order Request will only be visible in Alma until the item record is withdrawn/deleted.

After an item has been permanently withdrawn, you can ask the Discovery & Metadata team to retrieve Request Notes information in Analytics.

1. Remain logged in at the same location as you used when you scanned item/s into Withdrawn (i.e. TSV Circulation Desk or CNS Circulation Desk or SIN Circulation Desk).
2. Click: Fulfilment > Manage In Process Items
3. Select: Work Order Type > Withdrawn
   
4. Search for item/s:
   1. Single item: Search by Title or Barcode
   2. Batch: Filter by Process Status (e.g. Damaged) and sort by Date Received by Department (descending order)
5. To add a Note to the work order request (not to the item record), click on the ellipsis and then Edit. 
   

6. Click: Add Note

7. Type additional details in the Notes field.

8. Click: Save 

This is the process for when withdrawn LOST books are returned:

• Lost items returned before "withdrawn" work order is submitted:
• Lost items returned while "withdrawn" work order is active
• Lost items returned after "withdrawn"

If you are not sure how to proceed please ask one of Library Experience Librarians. 

Item is still on patron record.

1. Return the item.
2. Pop-up appears to screen right:
   
3. Item is ready to reshelve.

Item is not on patron record. (It is removed when the "withdrawn" work order is submitted.)

1. Return the item.
2. Pop-up appears:
   
3. In the Search bar, select Requests and enter/scan the Item Barcode.
   
4. Click Cancel to remove the work order request
   
5. Select:
   1. Cancellation reason: Request was changed due to update
   2. Cancellation reason: Item found/returned
   3. Uncheck notify user.
      
6. Click Confirm to cancel the request.
7. Go to: Fulfilment > Checkin/Checkout > Return items
8. Return the item.
9. Item is ready to reshelve.

Item is not on Alma. (Item record has been deleted.)

1. Return the item.
2. Pop-up appears:

3. Follow the Sending items to Collection & Development procedure to reprocess the item

This is the processes for when a withdrawn MISSING book is returned:

• Missing items scanned in before "withdrawn" work order is submitted
• Missing items scanned in while the "withdrawn' work order is active
• Missing items scanned in after the has been "withdrawn" 

If you are not sure how to proceed please ask one of Library Experience Librarians. 

Items are in Alma with the status "Missing". 

1. Scan in the item.
2. Pop-up appears:
   
3. Item is ready to reshelve.

Items are in Alma under Process Type "Withdrawn"

1. Scan in the item.
2. Item will show as Process Type: Withdrawn
   
3. In the Search bar, select Requests and enter/scan the Item Barcode.
   
4. Click Cancel to remove the work order request
   
5. Select:
   1. Cancellation reason: Request was changed due to update
   2. Cancellation reason: Item found/returned
   3. Uncheck notify user
      
6. Click Confirm to cancel the request.
7. Go to: Fulfilment > Checkin/Checkout > Return items
8. Return the item.
9. Item is ready to reshelve.

Items are not in Alma.

1. Scan in the item.
2. Pop-up appears to screen right:
   
3. Give item to Discovery & Metadata for assessment. (Please attach note.)