Tipasa Interlibrary Loan Procedures

Find a GOOD OCLC Number

If the record has no OCLC number you must add one. Search WorldCat outside of Tipasa or search it using the "Discover Items" menu option in the left column.  

1. If a request comes to Tipasa with an ISSN/ISBN an automated process checks OCLC and adds an OCLC number to the request. This OCLC number may not always be the best one. For all requests that have an OCLC number you must be sure the OCLC number applied is one that will work for the loan, which is:

• one that corresponds to a print edition (not an electronic one)
• has a sufficient number of holdings

Click on the View Holdings link next to the OCLC number field:

If the number of holdings seems sufficient then the OCLC number is good. If the number of holdings seems low (less than 10), then find a better OCLC number. 

2. Be sure to click the SAVE button on the request if you change/add an OCLC number!

3. When a proper OCLC number is added to a request, mark the request as reviewed by clicking the "Mark as Reviewed" button in the top-right. 

1. Examine the Lender string. If there are no lenders in the Lender String, click on View Holdings next to the OCLC number field. Select FREE to filter the holdings. 

2. Click the GO button. If there are lenders for the item, the lender string should populate. If the lender string does not populate with lenders, then ILL staff should examine holdings of individual libraries and add lenders one-by-one.

3. Click the UPDATE REQUEST button:

*If there is only one lender, add the lender to the lending string three times.

*If there are no domestic lenders, add the "Extensive Searching" tag to the request and save. Add a note that states there are no domestic lenders.

The final step before sending the request is to apply constant data. 

In the upper right of the request select a constant data option:

• COPY -- Select this for article requests
• DEFAULT -- We do not use this one.
• LOAN -- Select this if the item is a loan request and the patron is not faculty or staff
• LOANFAC -- Select this if the item is a loan request and the patron is faculty or staff

Finally, click the SEND REQUEST button in the top-left.

If you are processing a request for a required course text, a few extra steps need to be taken before sending the request. Patrons are asked the enter the course they are requesting this item for in the Notes field at the bottom of the request. You can enter the course into the bookstore's website to see if what they are requesting is a required course text.

1. Copy and paste the following note in the Borrowing Notes field: "***We need a due date of at least [enter date]. Please do not fill if you cannot grant that due date.***" Enter the date that is three days after the last day of finals for the term. The goal of this is to allow our students to keep the text for the entire term without worrying about renewals.

Note: You may wish to include another note in the request title field that asks the lender to actually read the borrowing notes field. We've had success with "**SUPPLYING LIBRARY: PLEASE READ BORROWING NOTE**."

2. In the top right corner in the gray Actions box, click Email, select the template "Course texts and Interlibrary Loan" and hit send. This notification explains to students all the risks of using Tipasa to get their required course texts.