KEY DEFINITIONS
- Holding Library: The specific library to which borrowed material belongs AKA Owning Library (when not the Home Library).
- Home Library: The library with which the patron is affiliated. "Home Library" refers to the institution rather than a specific library. For example, University of North Georgia UNG) patrons are affiliated with the UNG Libraries as a whole, not an individual library on a particular campus.
- Pickup Library: The library where patrons request GIL Express books be sent for pickup/checkout
- Visited Library: Any USG library other than the patron's Home Library. This could be for pickup, returns, or walk-up.
- The GIL-FIND Catalog:A single, unified database containing the holdings of all university System of Georgia Libraries. It has real time links to holdings and item information. Items that do not circulate through GIL Express are included. These items may be available for in-library use at the Holding Library..
- USG: University System of Georgia
PATRON POLICIES
Eligibility:- All currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff in good standing at their University System of Georgia (USG) 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. Accounts will be blocked after a book is 7 days overdue. The home library is responsible for tracking their own patrons' obligations. Thi scan be done using the GIL Express Patron Blocks report recieved daily be email. When an overdue GIL Express item is removed from the patron's account, 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; invoices should include the price set by the local Holding/Owning Libarary plus the system-wide processing fee of $35.00. If the Holding Library charges an overdue recall fine, then the GIL Express patrons are also subject to that fine. 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.
- 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(s) 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 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.
- 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 number of items borrowed: 100
Maximum number of GIL Express requests: 50
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Managing "My Account":
- All of the items that have been requested, that are on Hold, that are checked out, all fines and fees,s and all outstanding blocks can be viewed on the patron's "My [Library] Account" screen. This is the only place where GIL Express transactions may be viewed by patrons.
- This information can be accessed through a library's GIL-Find catalog. Patrons will sign in to access their "My [Library] Account". Their home institution i sthe default view. Each USG institution myst be selected in order to see requests, loans, and request renewals.
- The patron's "My Account" is the only place that all of the information displays together. Library staff at the Owning Library can only see the transnational information that pertains to that particular library in Alma.
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 GIL Express borrowing must be barcoded. “Physical books (monographs) from the general circulating collection” are defined as books that circulate under normal loan rules to a library’s patrons.
- Obvious exemptions for remote GIL Express are Course Reserves, Reference, Special Collections, special permission items, materials with shortened loan periods and certain lab collections. Each institution may also choose 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 can 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 patrons request items from their Home Libraries to be picked up at a different site, the loan is not a GIL Express transaction. When the Pick-up Library drops out of the equation, the loan/charge is between the Holding/Home Library and its own student and it is not a GIL Express transaction. Therefore, the loan period is what it would be for patrons on their 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. Self-renewals are allowed although auto-renewals are also in place.
- Staff overrides are never allowed when dealing with other libraries' materials or patrons when the override concerns a delinquency
- Materials borrowed through GIL Express are not eligible to be placed on Course Reserves, used in an exhibit, or loaned through ILL.
- A GIL Express request can only be placed through the GIL-Find catalog.
- An eligible item may be requested through the GIL Express process regardless of whether the patron’s Home Library owns the item. An eligible item can be requested by a GIL Express patron without restrictions on the location of the item.
- A GIL Express item may be returned to any University System of Georgia library. The item will be removed from the patron’s account and will no longer be the patron’s responsibility. The library where the item is returned is called the Visited Library.
- The GIL Express item my only be picked up from a University System of Georgia Library.
- All patron accounts should contain a current email address and a miling address containing the city, the state, and correct zip code.
- A list of "GIL Express Contacts" including name, complete mailing address, telephone number, email address, and a fax number will be maintained for proper and efficient communication concerning Libary-to-Library GIL Express matters. It is expected that each library will be responsible for keeping their information current. The contact list will be posted on the staff resouces side of the GIL Express website.
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 notices are sent from the library that owns the item(s) (the Holding/Owning Library).
- There are no overdue fines for GIL Express items. When the item becomes 28 days overdue (28 days past the final due date), the item becomes “Lost’ in Alma. When an item is declared “Lost,” the cost of a replacement copy and a $35 processing fee are charged to the patron’s account.
Patron Billing:
- When an overdue book’s status changes to Lost, the patron should be billed for the book. The bill must include an address for mailing payment and a telephone number for the patron to call with any questions. If a patron loses a GIL Express book, the patron must contact the Holding/Owning Library directly to pay for the book.
- Bills should include the replacement cost for the book(s) plus a $35 processing fee for each lost item. The replacement cost and processing fee will be removed from the patron’s account when an item is returned.
- The Home Library tracks and monitors their patrons’ obligations using the GIL Express Patron Blocks report received daily by email.
- 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
- Accepting a replacement copy for a lost book is at the discretion of the Holding/Owning Library. The patron must make arrangements with an authorized person at the Holding/Owning Library. The Processing fee is still owed to the Holding/Owning Library
Damaged/Missing Items:
- If it can be determined that a GIL Express patron was the source of damage to a GIL Express item, the Holding/Owning Library will make the decision as to the type and extent of the damage and will charge the patron for 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.
- A claim form can be submitted to STAT Courier. They will search their facilities but they will not reimburse for lost materials. It is helpful to provide STAT Courier with specific and detailed information about the missing material.
Lost Book Returns/Refunds:
- Refunds for lost books that have been paid for by the patron are made directly to the patron following the Holding/Owning Library’s refund policy.
- If the Home Library must pay for a book lost by their patron, that patron owes the Home Library for the book. Every effort should be made to collect money owed by patrons to their Home Libraries for lost GIL Express books. Adding the amount to the patrons’ Home Library fines/fees accounts and continuing to block them are acceptable ways of recouping the money. It is a local decision by the Home Library whether or not to charge the processing fee as well.
- In the case of a lost book that is found after the Home Library paid the Holding/Owning Library for the item, the Holding/Owning Library will follow its own policy for refunding the price of the book to the Home Library. Remember that the Home Library’s patron has not paid anything. The reimbursement should be handled independently of the annual institutional billing process.
- If the Holding/Owning Library will not refund the price of the item to the Home Library, the Home Library should follow their local policy to determine whether the patron must reimburse the Home Library for the amount they paid to the Holding/Owning Library for the book. Libraries should make every effort to reimburse each other for the return of lost books, even if it is their 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 the occurrence.
- There is no system-wide time limit for reimbursement. This will be determined by local policy. It is recommended, in cases where the Home Library has paid for a lost book, that the Holding/Owning Library reimburse the Home Library immediately upon the return of the lost book.
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. The Home Library will pay the billing invoice with a check.
- Each library will use the Institutional Billing report and process that is documented on the GIL Express web site - https://gil.usg.edu/gil_express. The documentation for Institutional Billing is located on the Google drive which can be accessed through the link for “Documents for GIL Express.” This link will take you to the Downloads and Docs page where you will find the link for the GIL Express Documents Google Drive. Accessing the Google Drive requires a username and password. If you do not have this information, please contact your library’s Institutional Lead or the GIL Support HelpDesk - https://gil.usg.edu/contact/helpdesk.
PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS
- Each library must fill and ship the requested book 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 process requests (pick from shelf) in Alma once each business day. If the requested item cannot be located, the staff member processing the request should select the proper cancellation reason from the “Cancel Request” dropdown form in Alma. The “Notify User” check box defaults to checked to send the patron an email notification of the cancellation. This box can be unchecked to prevent any notification.
- If requested items cannot be located, they need to be removed from the selection process. When a book cannot be found on the shelf, it is recommended that the book be marked “Missing” or otherwise made unavailable in the system to prevent more requests being placed on the item.
- The patron should expect an item requested through GIL Express to be available for pickup (On the Hold Shelf) within 3-5 business days from the date the request was placed.
- The Pickup Library should process books on the day they are received. Items must be scanned in using the “Scan In Items” function in Alma. This process removes them from “In Transit” and moves them to the “Active Hold Shelf” awaiting pickup. This also triggers automatic emails notifying patrons that their items are available. Items will also display as “On Hold Shelf until xx/xx/xxx” in patrons’ “My Account” under the Holding Libraries’ links in GIL-Find.
- Items will be held for 10 calendar days at the Pickup Library. Items not picked up by patrons should be processed for return to the Holding Library as soon as the hold expires. Books with expired holds are listed in the “Expired Holds Shelf” section in Alma. Scan in items to place them in transit and prepare them for shipping back to the Holding Library within 1-2 days after the hold expires.
- Returned items will be scanned in on the same day they are received. The timely discharge of in-transit items absolves the courier and the Pickup Library of further responsibility for these items.
