Using Held Item Delivery
If your library has acquired Held Item Delivery, your patrons can specify how they would like to receive their held items. When patrons choose to have their held items mailed, the system prompts them to select a delivery location from a list. If, at the time of checkin, the patron is at top of the item's hold queue, the system prompts the user performing the check-in to put the item in transit to the selected delivery location. When the item arrives at the delivery location, library staff use the Delivery – Receive Items function to receive and then ship the item.
The following are described below:
Setting Up Held Item Delivery
- Ask Innovative to disable the Automatic Checkout feature. The Automatic Checkout feature is not compatible with this product and must be disabled before your library can begin using the product.
- Create and designate delivery locations in the Held Item Delivery Locations table. Innovative recommends that you create a delivery location exclusively for use with the Held Item Delivery product. By doing so, your library staff can recognize that an item sent to that location must be checked in using the Delivery – Receive function. Also, this set-up prevents patrons from using a delivery location as a pickup location for their holds.
- Configure the WebPAC.
Receiving and Delivering Items
To receive an item that has been sent to a delivery location:
- Choose Held Items Delivery from the Function list.
- Scan the barcode of the item. The system:
- Checks the item out to the requesting patron. The system extends the DUE DATE by the number of days specified in the SHIP TIME Loan Rule element.
- Applies the delivery charge, if any, to the requesting patron's record.
- Applies a rental charge if your library has the Immediate Rental Charge feature enabled and the item is a rental item.
- Removes the in-transit message from the item.
- Changes the item's status to '-'. If fixed-length fields are set to display descriptions, the item due date displays in the item's STATUS field. For more information, see Viewing Item Status.
- Prints out a mailing label for the patron. (If you haven't already specified a label printer, the system prompts you to select one.)
- Displays the item in the table.
Errors When Receiving Items
If you scan an item that either:
- was not sent to the current delivery location, or
- was sent to satisfy a hold that has already been satisfied or cancelled
Sierra prompts you to check in the item. The system displays the item in the table, but lists the problem in the Due Date column. The system does not print a mailing label for the item.
- (Optional) Reprint the mailing label by choosing Reprint Label.
- (Optional) Change the date on which the item is due by choosing Change Due Date. The system displays the Change Due Date dialog.
- Send the item, with the mailing label, to the mailroom. The mailroom uses this information to ship the item to the requesting patron.
Managing Items in Transit
Sierra maintains a list of items that are in transit to the delivery location(s) in your system. When you choose the Manage Items In-Transit function, the system updates the list. To keep the list current, Innovative recommends that you check it regularly.
To view the list, choose Manage Items In-Transit from the Function list. Sierra displays the items that are currently in transit to your delivery location(s).
While viewing the list, you can:
- Print the table by choosing Print.
- Limit which items display in the table:
- Choose Limit.
- Specify limit criteria using the following options:
- Limit By Delivery Location
- Limits the display by the delivery location.
- Limit By Days In Transit
- Limits by the number of days that the item has been in transit to the delivery location.
- Choose an option:
- OK
- Limits the display by the selected criteria.
- Cancel
- Returns you to the display without applying the limiting criteria.
- Clear Limits
- Removes any previously applied limits.