Using Mobile Collections

If your library has acquired Mobile Collections, you can transfer groups of items between branches, allowing each branch to own the items temporarily and circulate them as their own. Once you have set up Mobile Collections, you can use the product to define collections and move them between your library's branches along routes and schedules that you choose.

Setting Up Mobile Collections

To set up Mobile Collections:

Contact Innovative and specify which variable-length field your library wants to use for collection ID notes.
(Optional) After installation, set up the Predefined Routes table.

Using Mobile Collections

To start using Mobile Collections, create a new collection. You can then add items to the collection and define its route. When you are ready to mobilize the collection (that is, to send the items to the first stop on their route), transfer it to its first location.

Once a collection has been mobilized, it moves among locations in the order specified in the route, remaining at each branch for the number of days specified. Library staff must regularly view the collections at their branch to monitor for collections that are ready to transfer.

When a collection has stayed at a branch for as long as its route specifies, staff at that branch print a pick list and transfer the collection to its next location. Staff at subsequent locations continue to transfer the collection until it has reached the final destination on its route.

A collection is considered demobilized once staff at the final route stop have transferred it. You can then delete the collection. Optionally, you can export mobile collection data for archiving outside the system.

See also:: Mobile Collections Displays