2024-05-16 Resource Access Meeting Notes - Reading room feature

Usually, the Reading Room item will not be available on the open library shelves, but will be in a stack, so the Member orders the item by placing a stack request.
The item will be retrieved from the stack in the usual manner, and the status changed on the Requests screen. An indicator is displayed to alert staff that the item is for “Only for use in Reading Room”.
Stack Requests can be moved in bulk from the Requests screen to the Reading Room Management. It can also be done on an individual basis. Once a Stack Request has been moved to the Reading Room, the Status of the item is then “Reserved”.
When the Member arrives at the nominated pickup location (service point) to collect the material, a link is made to the Check-out screen where the item is issued as a Short Loan. The Reading Room Status of the item is then “On Loan” and the Due Time is also displayed on the Reading Room Management screen.
When the Member returns the item, a prompt is provided to ask if they would like to keep the item “reserved” for use in the Reading Room the next day.
If the Member DOES want the Reading Room item reserved for the following day, it remains on the Reading Room Management screen with a Status of “Reserved”, and the following day the loan/return process begins over again.
If the Member has finished with the Reading Room item, it is removed from the Reading Room Management screen and is returned to it’s original location.

Meeting Notes

Other Info:

Quesnelia RA related documentation has been merged to Q GitHub. If you have time and want to look over, let me (Laurence Mini) know if any errors/ suggestions for improvement.

Main changes are in:

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Settings/Settings_circulation/settings_circulation.md#settings--circulation--staff-slips

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Settings/Settings_circulation/settings_circulation.md#reminder-fees

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Settings/Settings_circulation/settings_circulation.md#creating-a-new-patron-notice-template

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Settings/Settings_circulation/settings_circulation.md#settings--circulation--print-hold-requests

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Access/Requests/requests.md#request-types-and-statuses
https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Access/Requests/requests.md#printing-hold-request-search-slips

https://github.com/folio-org/docs/blob/quesnelia/content/en/docs/Access/Additional%20topics/feesfines/feesfines.md#reminder-fees

Main topic:

Kajsa Backius (National Library of Sweden) introduced Reading Room loans workflow they currently use. Patron requests the material in the discovery system. Pick slip is printed. Staff retrieve the material from closed stacks and it's delivered to a handling area. Material is checked out to the patron without the patron being present and placed on the hold shelf. When they begin using FOLIO, they will not check it out but check it in, so the status is "awaiting pick up". Patron is allowed to use the book in the Reading Room only. Patron can return the book or put it back on the hold shelf for later use. Loan period is 30 days. Patron must consult material at least once a week or it is sent back to the stacks. They need to know how often the material is used - need reporting functionality. Is this Reading Room workflow a new app or a functionality within an existing app?

There is support from several folks in the meeting for this functionality. This fits with the Requests app and it makes sense to include it within that app instead of creating a new app. We should think of this as a new request state such as "in use". Could have a pop up that asks "Is the patron finished with this?" but for those who use this frequently that might not be great. So it could default to going back to the hold shelf until the loan period expires. This should be an option libraries can choose.

UBL has a lot of material in their Reading Room that is not barcoded, so they use manual check outs. They support the proposed workflow but it still would not work for their material that is not barcoded. Bjorn Muschall presented their current workflow. The material is never checked out to the patron.

You could create the Reading Room as its own service point. Then Reading Room pick slips could be viewed separately than the regular Circulation pick slips.

It has been suggested that we need to create a brand new request type with the Request app - "Reading Room request". New statuses needed, at check out status needs to be "In Use by Patron". When checked in status goes back to "Awaiting Patron Pick Up" until loan expires. Or the library can select to have a pop up to either put it back on the hold shelf or check in to return to shelf.

Is it a good idea to create a working group or should the work continue as is? Is there a person who will own the work (PO)?

RA SIG is willing to give time spots for this work! It could be used for small group work on this project and shared out to the whole group in other meetings. Stephanie Buck (Requests PO) is willing to attend small group sessions. Several expressed interest in working in this small group.

Notes from chat:

If you don’t want a module you could have a dropdown in the check-in app — default check-in for this type of request - Return to hold shelf or return to stacks.
The use of ’tag’ - would that maybe require that the management of tags would be prioritized - to be solved in one of the upcoming releases?
- Re "tags" I'd be careful not to muddy those waters, maybe it's worth coming up with a different generic term as I think that will keep coming up as a point of confusion. I don't think current FOLIO tags are a good fit for these workflows
I think doing anything with non-items (no item records) in FOLIO gets very tricky.
Even our special collections item records have barcodes, the barcode is on a slip of paper rather than on the piece itself

Comment

Re "tags" I'd be careful not to muddy those waters, maybe it's worth coming up with a different generic term as I think that will keep coming up as a point of confusion.

I don't think current FOLIO tags are a good fit for these workflows

TODO :

Jana will set up a meeting slot for this group
please let us know, if you want to be part of the small group
Interested people so far: Steph, Uschi, Thomas, Charlotte, Kajsa & others from NLS, someone from UC, ...