Bulk-Processing Borrow by Mail Items

If your library uses a central processing center to handle Borrow by Mail items, when an item that fills a Borrow by Mail request is trapped An item is said to be trapped for a hold when an item that fills a request is scanned at circulation and the system links the item to a specific request, either automatically or by displaying a message that prompts you for a decision. at circulation, it is shipped to the processing center, just as a trapped item that fills a traditional hold request is shipped to the pick-up library. A staff member then bulk-processes the items, prints the appropriate mailing materials, and ships them to patrons. See Process Borrow by Mail Items in Bulk.

To bulk-process Borrow by Mail items at the processing center:

1. When the items arrive at the processing center, check them in (see Do a normal check-in from the Check In workform).

As you check in each item, a message indicates that the item satisfies a hold. Indicate that you want to hold the item.

The item status changes to Held.

2. Select Circulation, Request Manager from the Polaris Shortcut Bar.

The Request Manager workform - Hold Requests view appears.

3. Select the processing center in the Branch name box, and select Pickup in the By box.
4. Select Held in the Status box.

In the list of Held items, Borrow by Mail requests are marked by a  package icon . Item-level Borrow by Mail requests are marked by the package icon with the letter I .

5. To print a checklist of the items to be mailed, select the Borrow by Mail items and click above the Requests list.

Note:
The checklist is available for Shipped, Held, and Out requests.

If your postal meter generates package tracking numbers, you can note them or stick them on the checklist. Later, you can enter the tracking numbers in the Tracking field on the appropriate Hold Request workforms.

6. Check out the Borrow by Mail items to the requesting patrons:
   1. Select the items.
   2. Click  above the Requests list, or right-click and select Bulk Check Out on the context menu.

If an extended loan period has been set for Borrow by Mail items, the due date is calculated with the extended loan period. If a fee has been set for Borrow by Mail processing, the appropriate fee is charged to the respective patron accounts. The system uses the processing center's settings for the loan period and fee. When the items are checked out, the request status changes to Out and they can be listed in the Request Manager by the Out status.

Notes:
Blocks for held items do not affect bulk checkout. If an item cannot be checked out during bulk checkout due to other blocks on the patron account, your library may automatically send a failure notice to the patron.
You can also bulk check out Borrow-by-Mail items with a status of Shipped (their status when they arrive at the processing center) without changing the status to Held first. This workflow may affect later statistical reporting for holds.
If there are multiple processing centers in your system and a Borrow by Mail request’s pick-up branch differs from your workstation branch, a message appears and the item cannot be checked out.

7. To print the mailers, select the Borrow by Mail items and click  above the Requests list.

The printed mailer set for each item includes a cover letter, a mailing label, and a return label. The cover letter lists the Borrow by Mail fee, if any, the item data, and instructions for returning the item.

Note:
Mailer printing is available for requests with the status Out from the Request Manager and from the Patron Status workform - Requests view.

8. Package the items with their mailers and apply the postage.

If your shipping equipment generates tracking numbers, note them on or attach them to the checklist you printed from the Request Manager.

9. If your system uses tracking numbers, record them in the appropriate Hold Request workform as follows:

1. In the Request Manager workform, set the branch to the processing center, the By field to Pickup, and the status to Out.
2. Right-click each Borrow by Mail request and select Open from the context menu.The Hold Request workform opens.
3. Enter the tracking number (up to 60 characters) in the Tracking field on the Hold Request workform.
4. Save the hold request.

Related Information

• Checking in returned items - When patrons send back Borrow by Mail items, they are checked in using normal circulation procedures. See Do a normal check-in from the Check In workform.
• Polaris Administration settings - Libraries specify processing centers, restrict Borrow by Mail options by patron code, establish a fee for the service, and allow exceptions to the fee for some patrons, such as homebound (Outreach Services) patrons. See Setting Up Borrow by Mail Circulation for more information about these and other Borrow by Mail settings.