PATRON POLICIES
Eligibility:- All currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff in good standing at their University System of Georgia College or University Home Library are eligible to use GIL Express. Retired faculty and staff should check with their Home Library to determine if they are eligible to use this service. Beyond these individuals, it is a local decision to include other groups with official relationships with the Home Library. The definition of “current” may vary among institutions. The inclusion of any patron in a patron group that is GIL Express defined says that the Home Library will stand behind that patron and will reimburse other libraries for any uncollected and invoiced obligations.
- A picture ID card is required to use GIL Express at any USG library. While the preferred form of identification is a current, valid picture ID card that is issued by your Home institution you may also use a government issued current, valid picture ID such as a driver's license or a Georgia ID card, a US passport or a US military ID.
- Library staff at the Visited Library must make every reasonable effort to verify the eligibility of the GIL Express borrower. There will be times when an eligible patron is not in the Home Library’s patron database. There will also be times when a patron was eligible for GIL Express when the request was placed but may no longer be eligible when the book becomes available. The Visited Library should call the patron's Home Library to determine the patron's eligibility. If the patron's Home Library has not vouched for that patron, the Home Library is not responsible for any incurred obligations.
Blocks:
- The maximum number of overdue items is 1. Libraries may decide to block accounts at either one day overdue or 7 days overdue.
- When an overdue GIL Express item is discharged from the patron’s name the block on the patron’s library account will be removed.
- Overdue fines are not charged for GIL Express. Patrons will be invoiced for the price of lost or damaged items, price set by the local Holding/Owning Library, plus the system wide processing fee of $35.00. If the Holding Library charges an overdue recall fine then the GIL Express patron is also subject to that fine if appropriate. Since the average cost of an item varies significantly among institutions, the Holding Library will set the price of the lost item. The processing fee is standard across the system. If the Holding Library charges its patrons an overdue recall fine or a service charge then that same fine or fee will apply to GIL Express patrons.
- If a Holding Library opts to charge recall fines for GIL Express items, the fine will be $2.50 per day per item. The decision to charge recall fines is a local one. If recall fines are charged, the amount is standard across the system, as set by the USG Library Directors.
- An outstanding balance of $10.00 at any Holding/Owning Library will block a patron from all GIL Express transactions, including but not limited to, placing GIL Express requests, check-outs, and renewals. The $10.00 threshold applies to any lost fees, processing fees, service charge fees and recall fines. It should be noted again that the service charge and the recall fine are local decisions.
- Partial payment to reduce the outstanding balance to less than $10.00 is discouraged. The decision to honor the request to have GIL Express patron pay in full is, in the final analysis, a local decision.
- As soon as a patron appears on the Home Library's "GE Local Blocking Report" (the report which automatically blocks patrons) and "Local Patrons with Overdue UB Items" reports (a web report that can be run as needed), the Home Library should contact its patron about any overdue GIL Express items. At this point in the process, the patron’s library account is blocked.
- If the patron is a student, the Home Library should place a hold on the student’s account in Banner. If the patron is not a student (i.e. faculty or staff), the Home Library should pursue all methods allowed by the institution to get the item back.
- If a patron changes schools, the obligation that caused the block at the first Home Library will remain on the patron's record. At present, there is no automated way to enforce a block when a patron changes schools even though the policy supports the process.
Limits:
- There are locally applied limits as well aggregate limits for GIL Express patrons. Each Holding Library will be able to place its own local limit on many of the GIL Express patron activities. Reaching the local limit will cause the patron to be blocked only at the local library where the limit has been reached. System-wide there will be aggregate limits placed on the same patron activities. When the patron reaches the aggregate limit set for the system, the patron will be blocked from all GIL Express activities. The aggregate is a compilation of all like activities within the system. Neither a local nor an aggregate GIL Express block will block the patron at their Home Library.
- The aggregate number of items that can be circulated is 100. The aggregate limit block will not block the patron at the Home Library.
- Local thresholds may vary among institutions. The local threshold may be less than the aggregate total of 100 but cannot be more. Holding Libraries are asked to refrain from setting the threshold too low though it is agreed by all that this is a local decision.
- The GIL Express patron may have up to 50 remote requests "in the pipeline" at any particular time. Because this is a system-wide limit, it will have no impact at the Home Library and will only impact GIL Express activity at Holding Libraries when the limit of 50 requests is reached.
Maximum fines/fees apply: $10.00
Maximum number of items borrowed: 100
Maximum number of overdue items: 1
Maximum number of GIL Express requests: 50
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Managing "My Account":
- All of the items that have been requested, that are in transit to any selected Pick-up Library, that are on Hold, that are checked out, all fines and fees and all outstanding blocks can be viewed on the patron's "My Account" screen. This is the only place where the entire list of GIL Express transactions may be viewed.
- This information can be accessed through the Universal Catalog or through any of the USG local GIL catalogs. The patron does not have to enter through his/her Home Library Catalog to access this information. From any screen in the GIL Catalog or the Universal Catalog, click on "My Account" and select Home Library/Institution; enter Institution ID and last name, then click on "Logon." The information is always organized first by the patron's Home Library and then alphabetically by all the libraries with which the patron has an active account.
- The patron's "My Account" is the only place that all of the information displays together. An individual library can only see the information that pertains to that library. Information relevant to a particular library is available to the library through the GIL Circulation client.
ITEM POLICIES
Eligibility:
- Books (monographs) from the general circulating collection of each institution will be available for GIL Express circulation. Additional material may be designated for GIL Express circulation by individual institutions. All items sent through for GIL Express borrowing must be barcoded. “Monographs from the general circulating collections” are defined as books that circulate under normal loan rules to a library’s patrons. Multi-volume monographic sets can circulate if an item record represents each volume. Individual institutions are encouraged to circulate additional types of material.
- Obvious exemptions for remote GIL Express are materials on Course Reserves, Reference, Special Collections, special permission items, materials with shortened loan periods and certain lab collections. Each institution may also wish to identify specific item types, such as Media, as not eligible for GIL Express. Institutions may wish to distinguish between remote GIL Express and walk-up GIL Express when deciding how materials circulation. An institution may deny GIL Express remote and/or walk-up requests for items on a case-by-case basis.
- The Holding Library may always decide if a particular item or group of items is unsuitable for loan. When an item or group of items is withheld from GIL Express the item type should be changed to ensure that it is no longer available.
Circulation Rules:
- The statewide loan period for GIL Express is 28 days. The GIL Express loan period is uniform at all USG institutions for all patron groups who borrow through GIL Express.
- When a GIL Express patron requests an item that is sent by his own library but is picked up at a different site, the transaction is not a true GIL Express transaction. Even though the request looks like a GIL Express request and acts like a GIL Express request, the fact is that when the Pick-up Library drops out of the equation (as is the case in all GIL Express transactions) and the transaction is between Holding Library and its own student. Therefore, the loan period is what it would be if the patron were on his own campus. One aspect of this feature is that it provides the same services for distance learners as for residential or commuter students.
- Two renewals are allowed for GIL Express items. Each renewal is also for 28 days as long as the patron remains eligible and the item is not recalled through the local catalog. Self-renewals are allowed. Staff overrides of the two-renewal limit are not allowed. The item should be returned to the Holding Library and the patron can request the item again. This proves to be especially fair if the item is owned by multiple libraries. If the local institution does not allow self-renewals that feature will still be available in the Universal Catalog.
- Patron groups allowed to place holds/recalls locally may recall GIL Express items through the local catalog. GIL Express items may not be recalled through the Universal Catalog. If an item is out on a GIL Express loan, the initial loan period of 28 days will be uninterrupted.
- Staff overrides are never allowed when dealing with other libraries' materials or patrons when the override concerns a delinquency. Until other options can be found, and according to local policy, overrides may be acceptable when dealing with material on Course Reserve.
- Materials borrowed through GIL Express are not eligible to be placed on Course Reserves, used in an exhibit, or loaned through ILL.
- The renewal of GIL Express items that have been recalled or placed on hold is determined locally and is not defined by University System policy.
- A remote GIL Express request can only be placed through the Universal Catalog. The GIL Express request form is only available through the Universal Catalog.
- An eligible item may be requested through the GIL Express process regardless of whether the patron’s Home Library owns the item. In order to serve the distance learners throughout the state, it is necessary to allow any eligible item to be requested by a GIL Express patron without restrictions on the location of the item. However, the Holding Library, the Home Library, and the Pick-up library cannot be the same.
- A GIL Express item may be returned to any University System of Georgia library. The item will be discharged from the patron’s name and will no longer be the patron’s responsibility. The library where the item is returned is called the Visited Library.
- The Pick-up Library, the Home Library, and the Holding Library may not be the same library. The GIL Express item may only be picked up from a University System of Georgia Library. In order to prevent the Home Library from becoming a “paging service”, one of the three libraries in the GIL Express mix must be different. The Home Library may also be the Pick-up Library or the Pick-up Library may be a Visited Library. The Holding Library may not be the Pick-up Library.
- Each library must attempt to ensure that all mailing addresses for their Home Library patrons contain the name of the city, the state and correct zip code. The ability to edit GIL Express stub patron records means that address verifications and corrections can be made at the point of checkout. In order for this to be successful, each Home Library must be diligent in helping to gather good mailing addresses and email addresses. The Library owning the item and sending the notice will not always see the patron and will, therefore, not have an opportunity to gather correct address information.
- A library should not remove the lost status from another library's item record during the discharge process.
NOTICES, BILLING, DAMAGED/MISSING ITEMS, REIMBURSEMENT
Overdues:- All libraries must send 3 overdue notices for GIL Express items. The preferred method for overdue notices is email but mailing notices is an acceptable alternative.
- The overdue notice interval for patron group (UB patron) and item type (book) can be specifically defined so this can be defined locally.
- The library that owns the items (the Owning/Holding Library) is the library that sends the overdue notices.
- When the item becomes 28 days overdue (the patron has had the book for 56 days) the item becomes "Lost - system applied"
Billing:
- When the book is 28 days overdue (and becomes "Lost - system applied") the patron should be billed for the book. The bill must include an address to mail a remittance and a telephone number for the patron to call if she/he has questions.
- The bill to the patron should include the price of the book plus the $35.00 processing fee for each lost item. The price of the book and the processing fee are removed from the patron's fines/fees account at the time the item is returned.
- The Home Library is responsible for tracking their own patrons' obligations. This can be done by monitoring the GE Local Blocking Report that is received daily via email and by monitoring the Local Patrons with Overdue UB Items web report, using the "number of days overdue" limit.
- The bill to the patron’s Home Library should include the price of the book for each lost item.
- A list of "Billing contacts" including name, complete mailing address, telephone number, email address and a fax number will be maintained for proper and efficient communication concerning Library-to-Library billing. It is expected that each library will be responsible for keeping their information current. The contact list will be posted on the staff resources side of the GIL Express website.
- Each library is responsible for keeping its own information up-to-date and for reporting any changes. An email address at the bottom of the list will be the mechanism for reporting informational changes.
- Accepting a replacement copy for a lost book is at the discretion of the Owning/Holding Library. The patron must make arrangements with an authorized person at the Owning Library. The Processing fee is still owed to the Owning Library.
Damaged/Missing Items:
- If it can be determined that a UB patron was the source of damage to a GIL Express item, the Owning/Holding Library will make the decision as to the type and extent of the damage and will assess the patron for the charge for the repair or replacement of the item. The determination to include the processing fee when billing a patron for a damaged item depends on the amount of damage and the local policy of the Owning/Holding Library.
- STAT Courier will pay up to $100 for materials damaged in transit. If an item is damaged, you may file a claim with STAT Courier using the claim form located on the GIL Express web site.
- If a book or item is missing:
- Contact the intended location to make sure it is not there.
- Search your own collection
- If the item was mistakenly put in the wrong bag and went to the wrong delivery/pickup site:
For GIL Express, scanning the item should generate a route slip to get the book where it needs to go – meaning a few more days “in transit.”
For ILL, contact the owning library and see where the item needs to go.
- If the item still cannot be located, send a message to the UCUB listserv to ask other libraries to do a quick search if possible.
- A claim form can be submitted to STAT for them to search their facilities but they will not reimburse for lost materials. It is helpful to be able to provide specific and detailed information pertaining to the missing material.
Lost Book Returns/Refunds:
- Once the Home Library has reimbursed the Owning Library for a lost book, the Home Library’s patron owes the library (the Home Library) for the book. Every effort should be made to collect that money from your patron so that your library doesn't have to absorb the cost of paying the patron's bill. Building a record for the lost book in the patron's fine/fees account and continuing to block the patron in order to collect the money is an acceptable way of recouping the money. It's up to the patron's Home Library if the processing fee is also charged.
- Your library has paid for the book and the book is returned to the Owning Library, the Owning Library will follow its own policy about refunding the price of book to your library. (Remember that your patron hasn't paid anything.) If the Owning Library will not refund the price of the book to your library, you must establish your own local policy about whether your patron must reimburse your library for the price of the book. Libraries should make every effort to reimburse each other for the return of lost books even if it is the policy not to reimburse patrons for lost books after a specific period of time. Each library must consider this and establish a local policy for this occurrence.
- Refunds are made directly to the patron following the Owning/Holding Library's refund policy. The Owning Library will establish its own refund policy and decide the appropriate action to take once the item is returned.
- The Owning Library should reimburse the Home Library immediately upon the return of the "lost" book. The reimbursement should be handled independently of the annual institutional billing process.
- There is no system-wide time limit for reimbursement. This will be determined by local policy.
Institutional Billing Process:
- The accounting period for Institutional Billing is from July 1 through June 30 of each year. The annual billing process begins in the Fall semester of each year, usually in September, and all bills are due to the Home Libraries by November 30 of the billing year.
- Payment or arrangement of payment that is mutually agreeable to both the Home Library and the Owning Library must be completed by December of the billing year.
- Each library will use the Institutional Billing program that is available through the GIL Web reports. The dates to be used will be July 1 – June 30 of the fiscal year in which the billing is done.
PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS
- Each library must fill and mail the patron request within 4 business days of receipt of the GIL Express request. Business days are defined as Monday through Friday, during normal business hours. Holding Library closed dates will not count.
- At a minimum, each library must run CallSlip once each business day. At a maximum, each library may run CallSlip all day.
- If the item is checked out through GIL prior to the request, then the GIL Express request will not come to your library. The GIL Express software is set up to filter out ineligible item types and items with pre-defined statuses such as "checked out" and "missing".
- If the requested item cannot be located, the staff member processing the request should select the proper "No Fill" reason and the system will notify the patron via email that the request cannot be filled. The "No Fill" for a GIL Express request will generate an email notification if the patron has an email address. No paper notice will be generated. The email notification for alerting the patron that a request has been filled **will not** be turned on.
- In order to keep the system from requesting the item again while it is unavailable, the item needs to be taken out of the selection process. When an item can’t be located it is recommended that the item is marked as “Missing”, charged to a special patron record or some other local choice. A search should be placed on the item. When the item is located the status should be removed or changed so that the item will be available again.
- The patron should expect the item to be received at the Pick-up Library 5-7 working days after the request was placed.
- The Pick-up Library should process the item the same day that it is received and before the daily “Reports and Notices” are run. The day that the item is received it must be discharged to take it out of “In transit” and to activate the hold for the patron. This should be done before the notices are printed or emailed so that the Item Available notice will print out and/or generate an email notice. The item will also display in the Item Available display in the patron’s account information.
- An item will be held for 10 calendar days at the Pick-up Library. The item that has been returned to the Pick-up Library should be processed for return to the Holding Library on the 11th day by discharging the item to place it into “In-transit” and by putting it in the courier’s pick up container on the same business day.
- The Holding Library will discharge the returned item the same day that it is received. The timely discharge of a returned item absolves the courier and the Pick-up Library of further responsibility and prevents incorrect information from appearing on the “Missing in Transit” report as well as in the local catalog and the Universal Catalog.
