18 Special Messages

18 Special Messages

18.1 Introduction

An interlibrary loan cycle may complete in a number of ways. The desired normal completion is described in Chapter 17, "Completing a Loan Cycle". In that case, the Borrower returns the item to the Lender at the end of the initial or renewed loan period and the Lender notifies the Borrower that the item has arrived. The request is archived to Closed Requests and can be retrieved by both the Borrower and the Lender.

Special messages

However, problems can occur within the loan cycle:

• Item is not received by Borrower: The Lender has shipped an item and the Borrower has not acknowledged that the item has arrived.
• Item becomes overdue: The Due Date is now past and the Borrower has not returned the item.
• Item is not received by Lender: The Borrower has returned an item but has not received confirmation that the item has arrived at the Lender's.

Special Messages address these problems. They are automatically generated by the WorldCat Resource Sharing system based on the lack of an expected response at the end of a predetermined interval. They cannot be manually triggered by library staff.

They may be sent on behalf of the Borrower or the Lender.

18.2 Lender to Borrower: Received?

When a Shipped item has not been updated to Received within 14 system days for loans or 7 system days for copies:

• WCRS automatically sends the Borrower a Received? (Special Message to Borrower) on behalf of the Lender, asking the Borrower to confirm receipt of the item.
• On the Borrower's Request Manager screen, the request moves from the Shipped category to the Special Messages/Borrower category.

Note: Because the Borrower has not yet responded, the status of the request remains Shipped.

Request aging

If the Borrower does not respond, the request is archived to Closed Requests after 180 calendar days.

Next Steps

Two Next Steps are available to you as Borrower for a Special Message: Received? request:

• Yes This Item Was Received
• Not Received

You can also edit the request.

Respond Yes This Item Was Received

You can indicate that the item has been received by accepting the current date or specifying a past date. You may also edit certain fields in the request.

Current date.  To respond Yes This Item Was Received with no changes and have the WCRS supply current date:

Past date.  To indicate a past date of receipt and/or edit the request:

	Action
1	Retrieve the request. The Yes This Item Was Received radio button is automatically checked.
2	Select the Edit button.
3	Enter a date (yyyymmdd format) in the Receive Date: field or use the pop-up calendar  .
4	Optional. Modify any fields that are now editable.
5	Select the Update button to save your changes. Result: The Update Confirmation screen appears, with this message: Record has been updated: [request identifier]
6	Use the Redisplay Request  icon to return to the request. Note: If the Received Date falls within the loan period, the status is changed to Received and the remainder of the loan cycle proceeds normally. If the Received Date falls after the loan period has expired, the status has changed to Receivedbut WCRS has automatically sent you a Special Message: Overdue on behalf of the Lender.

Example Yes...Received response.  This is the Borrower's view of a request after a Yes This Item Was Received response within the loan period.

Respond Not Received

If the item has not yet arrived, you as Borrower respond Not Received. In this case you should edit the request to supply any relevant information in the Borrowing Notes: field.

When you respond Not Received, WCRS:

• Inserts NO in the Receive Date: field
• Inserts the current date in the Returned: field
• Automatically returns the request to the Lender with a status of Not Received (see also section 18.3, "Borrower to Lender: Not Received").

Example Not Received response.  This is the Borrower's view of a request after a Not Received response within the loan period.

Reversing Not Received

If the item does arrive or if you as Borrower discover that you have responded Not Received in error, you can correct the error by responding Receive with Today's Date. You can allow WCRS to insert the current date, or you can insert a different date via edit. See Respond Received in Chapter 14, "Processing a Lender Response (Borrower)" for steps to respond Receive with Today's Date.

Special handling for closed requests

If a request has been archived to Closed Requests, its status can no longer be changed either manually or by any automated process.

IFM. An IFM charge cannot occur once a request is archived to Closed Requests. Payment for closed requests must be handled by another means, according to your local practice.

18.3 Borrower to Lender: Not Received

When a Borrower has responded Not Received to a Received? (Special Message to Borrower), WCRS sends the Lender a Not Received (Special Message to Lender) and returns the request to the Lender with a status of Not Received.

You as Lender should attempt to trace the shipment according to local practice. Be sure to review Borrowing Notes: for any relevant information.

You can also edit the request.

Request aging

If you as Lender do not update the status to Complete, the request is archived to Closed Requests after 180 calendar days.

Note: If the item subsequently arrives at the Borrower and the Borrower responds Receive with Today's Date before you have responded Complete, the request status changes to Received.

Respond Complete

See Respond Complete in Chapter 17, "Completing a Loan Cycle" for steps to respond Complete.

18.4 Lender to Borrower: Overdue

When the Due Date is past and the Borrower has not returned the item, WCRS automatically sends the Borrower an Overdue (Special Message to Borrower) on behalf of the Lender 14 system days after the Due Date/New Due Date. Because the Borrower has not returned the item, the request retains its current status ( Received, Recalled, Renewal OK or No Renewal).

Request aging

If the Borrower does not respond, the request is archived to Closed Requests after 180 calendar days.

Next Steps

Two Next Steps are available to you as Borrower for a Special Message: Overdue request:

• Return with Today's Date
• Renewal Request

You can also:

• Edit the request
• Print Return Labels (see Chapter 20, "Printing from Request Manager")

Respond Return with Today's Date

If you decide to return the item, WCRS will automatically supply the current date as the return date. See Respond Return with Today's Date in Chapter 17, "Completing a Loan Cycle" for steps to respond Return with Today's Date.

Respond Renewal Request

If you decide to request a renewal, you must request a new Due Date. See Request renewal in Chapter 15, "Additional Borrower Activities" for steps to respond Renewal Request.

18.5 Borrower to Lender: Complete?

When a Borrower has returned an item but not received a Complete response to confirm that the item has arrived back at the lending library, WCRS sends the Lender a Complete? (Special Message to Lender) 14 system days after the Returned Date.

You can also edit the request.

Request aging

If the Lender does not respond, the request is archived to Closed Requests after 180 calendar days.

Respond Complete

When you as Lender respond Complete, the request is immediately archived to Closed Requests with a status of Completed. See Respond Complete in Chapter 17, "Completing a Loan Cycle" for steps to respond Complete.